1st time user question

[ac47]

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the past 2 years i have been trying to make up ground for past mistakes. my undergrad gpa sucks (2.6), but i only took the bio and english portions of the prereqs during this time ('b' average for these two). i am presently in grad school (how i got in is still a mystery) and i have maintained a 3.85 in my graduate studies (exercise science). i have also taken my chem, o chem, and physics while taking a full graduate load and i have a 3.75 in these undergrad classes.

questions?

will my two schools be looked at as seperate entities, or will the undergrad from my second school be incorporated into my first school?

is there a snowball's chance in eternal damnation for me being accepted (assuming i do well on the mcats in april)? or should i take additional courses to further boost the ol' gpa?

just wanted to hear some advice from peers, thanks,

ac

 

[KylieP54]

hey there ac47,
Wow, a big hand for really turning around that GPA, that's awesome! My freshman year of undergrad I got a 2.9, and was really worried. For the next three years I was told constantly that med schools look to see if you have gradually improved or not. Now, this is just in your undergraduate career. You have gone to graduate school and improved tremendously! I think they will be blown away by your turn around and really look into the fact that you have improved your GPA tremendously...a good example, not in the field of medicine, but law...my brother graduated from undergrad with a 2.6 gpa, studied his butt off for the LSAT, did well, and got into law school....he graduated number one in his class and is now partners with his law firm. He practices medical malpractice, and he is doing extremely well. So it just proves that this can happen for you...he told me how much he totally partied in undergrad, then he got his act together. THe same can happen for you, I really think you will be OK and not have to try and up that undergrad gpa. Just study well for the MCAT's and all. Besides, a lot of medical schools like people who go to grad school because you are also proving that you can handle graduate course work. Good luck, you can do it!

 

[Fenrezz]

Okay, I need to interject a little reality here.

Right off the bat let me say I was in a similar situation as you. I had a "not-so-fresh" GPA when I dropped back in to college and had to work years improving it to something semi respectable (although it was still low for med schools when I applied).

Also, although it is impressive, getting accepted to law school is not the same as getting accepted to medical school. The two are totally different ballgames, so to say that someone got accepted to law school with a 2.6 and compare it to medical school is to offer false hope.

Okay, now for your situation. Basically, you will have two sets of grades. Everything you did before you earned your B.A. will be your considered undergrad GPA. Everything you earned after your B.A. will be your "post bac" GPA. So if I remember correctly, on your application, you will have a separate line for your undergrad GPA and post bac GPA, although I think both of them are added together to come up with your overall GPA. I could be wrong about this, though. I've pretty much blacked out the entire application process from my brain.

Having a 2.6 for undergrad GPA will hurt you quite a bit, but your grad school grades, as well as your impressive performance in pre-med classes will help a lot. Your best bet at this point is to ROCK the mcat. Keep taking classes to improve your GPA as much as possible up to the point you apply. If you can, replace some of the classes that you did poorly on. Unlike MD schools, DO schools will replace any bad grades you have. So if you got an F in one subject, and replace it with an A, DO schools will include the A and throw out the F in your overall GPA (but the F will still be in your transcripts). However, I don't know if that applies to someone who already has a degree, so you'll have to look in to that.

As far as what you need on the mcat to get accepted, all we can do is give you pure guesses. Truth is you won't know if a certain score is good enough until you apply because there are too many variables in the application process. Some schools might like a particular strength in your application, while other schools might dislike certain weaknesses.

So in the end, just keep doing what you're doing. I, for one, understand your anxiety completely. So many nights I was kept up thinking whether I had a chance in hell also. All you can do is your best and let the chips fall where they may. It won't be as easy for you to get in as some other people, but you definitely have a decent shot.

Good luck!

 

[ac47]

thanks for the input, i really appreciate it.

what schools are you applying to, or have applied to?

i have researched numerous DO and MD schools for months and i really like KCOM, CCOM, AZCOM, and DMU/COMS, and the only MD school i would apply to is IU because of the substantial financial assistance indiana residents get.

ac