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Bobotheclown5

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Ok guys so I'm either going to get laughed at or bashed because I graduated recently with a 2.47 gpa as a health science major. I have not taken organic chem 1 or 2, gen bio2 or biochem, yet. Got a D in biology 1 and got an F in the lab. I say this because I want to be a doctor badly. Used all my grade forgivenesses. I have always considered either pharmacy or medical school but didn't realize my gpa was to low until it was too late. The majority of schools don't accept anything less than a 2.5 if you're lucky. I want to stay in Florida and would do anything to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please

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While I wouldn't tell anyone to give up all hope, while you're working on some kind of strategy to redeem yourself, get to work on Plan B because plan MD is likely a non starter. Of course if you 4.0 some post bacc with your missing pre requisite classes, make the MCAT your bitch and paint a masterpiece of a story about your rebirth as an academic you may just get in.


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Il Destriero
 
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While I wouldn't tell anyone to give up all hope, while you're working on some kind of strategy to redeem yourself, get to work on Plan B because plan MD is likely a non starter. Of course if you 4.0 some post bacc with your missing pre requisite classes, make the MCAT your bitch and paint a masterpiece of a story about your rebirth as an academic you may just get in.
Here's the thing though. My preference would be to go to LECOM, however you need a 2.7 gpa cumulative and with my 2.47 at 129 credits, I'm not sure how many classes that would be for me to take let alone the time frame. Like i said I haven't taken barely any of the prerequisites except gen chem 1&2 physics 1&2 so I have no clue if they will be lenient. A DO school would be in my best bet.

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If you can clear your GPA to a 2.5 to 2.7, you could probably get into a lower tier pharmacy school. Some pharm schools, even the really good ones do a form of limited grade replacement, where they will replace 2 lower grades with higher. I would look into it.

Anything below a 3.0 isn't happening for any type of medical school expect maybe the bottom tier podiatry Med schools, and that's with an outstanding MCAT score (512+). If you can reach the 3.0 mark, the optometry and podiatry doors open up for you.

Good luck.
 
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Odds are you need another goal in life
 
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If you can clear your GPA to a 2.5 to 2.7, you could probably get into a lower tier pharmacy school. Some pharm schools, even the really good ones do a form of limited grade replacement, where they will replace 2 lower grades with higher. I would look into it.

Anything below a 3.0 isn't happening for any type of medical school expect maybe the bottom tier podiatry Med schools, and that's with an outstanding MCAT score (512+). If you can reach the 3.0 mark, the optometry and podiatry doors open up for you.

Good luck.

I really hope so. How long do you think it would take to get a 2.5-2.7 considering I have a 2.47 with 129 credits? Plus the schools in Florida I feel would frown upon that gpa
 
I really hope so. How long do you think it would take to get a 2.5-2.7 considering I have a 2.47 with 129 credits? Plus the schools in Florida I feel would frown upon that gpa

With or without grade replacement?

When I talked to pharmacy schools, the one said they would replace 2 grades max. Download a grade calculator and input all of the grades into it. I would imagine that replacing two Ds with two As would bump you up to what you need.

I did grade replacement and I took 1 C to an A and it brought my GPA up by .2. But that was with only 40 credits of science. I imagine two for two Ds would do similar help
 
With or without grade replacement?

When I talked to pharmacy schools, the one said they would replace 2 grades max. Download a grade calculator and input all of the grades into it. I would imagine that replacing two Ds with two As would bump you up to what you need.

I did grade replacement and I took 1 C to an A and it brought my GPA up by .2. But that was with only 40 credits of science. I imagine two for two Ds would do similar help
I've used my grade forgivenesses in undergrad, so yes with grade replacement. So you're saying the pharmacy school you talked to just replaced your lowest two grades with A's? Which ones?
 
I've used my grade forgivenesses in undergrad, so yes with grade replacement. So you're saying the pharmacy school you talked to just replaced your lowest two grades with A's? Which ones?

I was talking to the top pharm programs I would say about a year ago. They told me that they would replace grades for up to two classes. Each school is different, so I would call each individual pharmacy school to see what the requirement is.
 
With or without grade replacement?

When I talked to pharmacy schools, the one said they would replace 2 grades max. Download a grade calculator and input all of the grades into it. I would imagine that replacing two Ds with two As would bump you up to what you need.

I did grade replacement and I took 1 C to an A and it brought my GPA up by .2. But that was with only 40 credits of science. I imagine two for two Ds would do similar help
So my gpa would be a 2.47 with 129 credits which include all three grade forgivenesses that I've used
 
Another poster mentioned it, but I'll emphasize -- getting up to the minimum GPA for application to LECOM or anywhere else isn't going to be good enough to get accepted. That's just a hard cutoff for purposes of having a minimum. I really doubt if they accept anyone with the minimum GPA, esp. considering all the much more qualified applicants in the pool.

For med school you really need to bring that GPA up above 3.0 (this is pushing it), show great performance on the MCAT and show that you've made a commitment to being an excellent student. Good luck!
 
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The way it looks you're would have to go get another degree with nothing less than a 4.0. It seems like that's really the only way to get your gpa up significantly....or carribean but that is probably worse than just changing career paths
 
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Ok guys so I'm either going to get laughed at or bashed because I graduated recently with a 2.47 gpa as a health science major. I have not taken organic chem 1 or 2, gen bio2 or biochem, yet. Got a D in biology 1 and got an F in the lab. I say this because I want to be a doctor badly. Used all my grade forgivenesses. I have always considered either pharmacy or medical school but didn't realize my gpa was to low until it was too late. The majority of schools don't accept anything less than a 2.5 if you're lucky. I want to stay in Florida and would do anything to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please


Plan A: Take all the missing preMed prereqs, re-take any prereq that you have completed with a grade of B- or below ( no more grade replacements but will help when applying for SMPs)

Get As in all new prereqs and the retakes, in addition, if you didn't already, take Cell bio, A&P1 & 2, Genetics and Biochemistry

Take the MCAT. The goal is the best score you can get so you would want to study for at least 3-4 months.

After you receive the score, start applying to SMPs affiliated with DO schools.

Plan B: While working on Plan A, you much look into other healthcare (Pod, opto, pharm) fields and other careers, incase Plan A goes south.
 
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Plan A: Take all the missing preMed prereqs, re-take any prereq that you have completed with a grade of B- or below ( no more grade replacements but will help when applying for SMPs)

Get As in all new prereqs and the retakes, in addition, if you didn't already, take Cell bio, A&P1 & 2, Genetics and Biochemistry

Take the MCAT. The goal is the best score you can get so you would want to study for at least 3-4 months.

After you receive the score, start applying to SMPs affiliated with DO schools.

Plan B: While working on Plan A, you much look into other healthcare (Pod, opto, pharm) fields and other careers, incase Plan A goes south.
So would you recommend going the post back route to LECOM seeing that their program requires a 2.7? Or should I do a DIY post bacc. I have C's in my classes that aren't prerequisites but the majority of my prerequisites are B's with the occasional C. Keep in mind I have not taken Orgo 1 or 2 bio 2 genetics or cell bio and biochem
 
So would you recommend going the post back route to LECOM seeing that their program requires a 2.7? Or should I do a DIY post bacc. I have C's in my classes that aren't prerequisites but the majority of my prerequisites are B's with the occasional C. Keep in mind I have not taken Orgo 1 or 2 bio 2 genetics or cell bio and biochem

For LECOM postbacc, you would need: Complete eight semester hours with at least a “C” or better in each class in the following areas of study: general biology with labs, general chemistry with labs, organic chemistry with labs, and four semester hours in general physics with lab.

So in order you apply, you have to complete those classes first and also take the MCAT and score around 498 (40%).


Health Sciences Post Baccalaureate Entrance Requirements - LECOM Education System
 
Ok guys so I'm either going to get laughed at or bashed because I graduated recently with a 2.47 gpa as a health science major. I have not taken organic chem 1 or 2, gen bio2 or biochem, yet. Got a D in biology 1 and got an F in the lab. I say this because I want to be a doctor badly. Used all my grade forgivenesses. I have always considered either pharmacy or medical school but didn't realize my gpa was to low until it was too late. The majority of schools don't accept anything less than a 2.5 if you're lucky. I want to stay in Florida and would do anything to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please

If the above is true, then you need to fix whatever it was that caused you to do so badly.

Only then, should you start taking the pre-reqs. You will need to ace everything from now on. Then do a post-bac or SMP. Ace that, and MCAT as well. There are MD schools (and all DO) that reward reinvention.

Read everything posted by the wise DrMidlife, and also this:
Goro’s advice for DO applicants in the absence of grade replacement

As a reminder, grade forgiveness at your school doesn't count.
Grade forgiveness for DO schools doesn't count anymore.

You need to show that you can handle med school. So far, you haven't done that.
 
If the above is true, then you need to fix whatever it was that caused you to do so badly.

Only then, should you start taking the pre-reqs. You will need to ace everything from now on. Then do a post-bac or SMP. Ace that, and MCAT as well. There are MD schools (and all DO) that reward reinvention.

Read everything posted by the wise DrMidlife, and also this:
Goro’s advice for DO applicants in the absence of grade replacement

As a reminder, grade forgiveness at your school doesn't count.
Grade forgiveness for DO schools doesn't count anymore.

You need to show that you can handle med school. So far, you haven't done that.
Thank you! What about for LECOM pharmacy? Any suggestions?
 
The way it looks you're would have to go get another degree with nothing less than a 4.0. It seems like that's really the only way to get your gpa up significantly....or carribean but that is probably worse than just changing career paths

It's no longer about raising the GPA, but showing that by having a consistently excellent academic performance from now on, that the OP is no longer that person /she was.
 
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There is no easy way to say that you need to start considering alternative options. The first thing you need to do is address why you did so poorly and find out if you can turn things around. Some things simply don't click for some people, while others come easily. For example, general chemistry was hard for me, while organic chemistry was basically show up and get a good grade.

Next you need to calculate how many As to get above a 3.0. Having the "minimum" 2.5 won't help you when the average is a 3.6+. You will also need to keep a high GPA trend for 2+ years and have other parts of your application be above and beyond all others (e.g. research, leadership, voluntary work, etc.)

If you can be happy with pharmacy, you should try pursuing that. Pharmacy is not "easy" to get into, but it's generally more accessible than medicine.
 
MD might be a really tough road, but you can probably make a plan for DO with 2 years of postbac at 4.0. 70 4.0 credits would give you a 3.0+ gpa and an even higher sgpa. I think that with the fantastic upward trend AND a decent 505+ MCAT would get you into DO with a big enough school list. It's not impossible but you certainly have your work cut out for you. You will absolutely need to change your work ethic though.
 
MD might be a really tough road, but you can probably make a plan for DO with 2 years of postbac at 4.0. 70 4.0 credits would give you a 3.0+ gpa and an even higher sgpa. I think that with the fantastic upward trend AND a decent 505+ MCAT would get you into DO with a big enough school list. It's not impossible but you certainly have your work cut out for you. You will absolutely need to change your work ethic though.
I was thinking of getting into Lecom's masters in medical science seeing the requirements are a 2.7 cum. I would have to take 23 credits in order to bring my gpa up to a 2.7
 
I was thinking of getting into Lecom's masters in medical science seeing the requirements are a 2.7 cum. I would have to take 23 credits in order to bring my gpa up to a 2.7
That would also be another path. I'm not too familiar with smp but I know that a few of them have conditions for an automatic acceptance.
 
Did you just notice your grades at the end of your degree?
 
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Ok guys so I'm either going to get laughed at or bashed because I graduated recently with a 2.47 gpa as a health science major. I have not taken organic chem 1 or 2, gen bio2 or biochem, yet. Got a D in biology 1 and got an F in the lab. I say this because I want to be a doctor badly. Used all my grade forgivenesses. I have always considered either pharmacy or medical school but didn't realize my gpa was to low until it was too late. The majority of schools don't accept anything less than a 2.5 if you're lucky. I want to stay in Florida and would do anything to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please

You may wanna check this out before you give up. His journey was a long road but he is a 4th year at Carey and he is far from the only one that made it.

20-30 F's and W's and currently accepted into US med school :-)
 
You might be a lost cause.....unless you're black you can look at Howard. GPA below 3.0 is not going to get you very far.
 
This GPA is not even suitable for DO I guess. Maybe you should try nursing, MS, phD or whatever.
low GPA is already on your record, you can barely change that.
Neither you can improve GPA much because it's very hard mathematically and also unrealistic in terms of your ability.
Let's say if you could do well from now on, then why just didn't you get something above 3.5 in the past? So to have you improve at this stage seems so unrealistic.
Of course, you can choose not to give up. Nevertheless you should realize this is extremely difficult, and I bet you will end up failing. I'm sorry about that.

Edit: BTW, I just thought you might be able to apply to Caribbean medical schools which offer MD. Take a look on that. They are painful but it might be your last odds.
 
Unless you 4.0 the next 60-80 credits AND score 509+, MD is out of the question. DO will most likely give you a chance with 50-60 credits of 3.7+ GPA and 502+ MCAT (mostly newer schools). Give serious consideration and be okay that you will end up at a DO school if everything goes as planned. Also, know that you are very unlikely end up at an MD FL school if this path goes as planned, as their GPA averages have been climbing recently. UMiami rewards reinvention, but they also don't want to F up their stats so usually the ones who reinvent and get accepted have a bomb-ass MCAT. So if you want to stay in FL, your best bets are LECOM (best chance if you also do their own "SMP" w/ guaranteed admission), NSUCOM (the DO), or their satellite campus (another DO lol, separate from their MD) that's gonna open up in like a year or two. I wouldn't even be hopeful for NSUCOM as they have been raising their standards too. I had a 3.45c/3.4s/512 and a South FL resident and they didn't even give me an II. This process is going to take 2+ years also counting summers so make sure you are ready to commit or else you will find halfway that you are wasting your time and also wasting money.
 
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Ok guys so I'm either going to get laughed at or bashed because I graduated recently with a 2.47 gpa as a health science major. I have not taken organic chem 1 or 2, gen bio2 or biochem, yet. Got a D in biology 1 and got an F in the lab. I say this because I want to be a doctor badly. Used all my grade forgivenesses. I have always considered either pharmacy or medical school but didn't realize my gpa was to low until it was too late. The majority of schools don't accept anything less than a 2.5 if you're lucky. I want to stay in Florida and would do anything to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please

I would do a DIY post bacc to finish all pre reqs while you work any kind of healthcare job you can find. You need to ace your remaining classes and I gotta be honest bio 1 is arguably the easiest of the pre reqs. If you feel your D in that was due to being unfocused, then maybe you can proceed onto these other classes. But be warned orgo and biochem often kill pre meds who got As in the intro bio courses.

So plan would be like, take the remaining pre reqs at a CC or local college while working anything in healthcare, then see where your GPA is at after these are done. Take the MCAT when your pre reqs are done if you're feeling ready for it. What you want is possible but you have to get straight As in this post bacc, then you're most likely looking at an SMP or something of that nature.

Good luck to you and I think it's admirable that you want this so bad but I would caution you to be realistic also. I graduated with a 3.49 and just did a DIY post bacc of 24 credits to finish my pre reqs and it was incredibly stressful; I knew I needed all As and I got them. But it was tough to stay focused at times and I was a lot closer to the end point than you are now. I'm not saying it can't be done just please please be honest and realistic with yourself before embarking on this.
 
Unless you 4.0 the next 60-80 credits AND score 509+, MD is out of the question. DO will most likely give you a chance with 50-60 credits of 3.7+ GPA and 502+ MCAT (mostly newer schools). Give serious consideration and be okay that you will end up at a DO school if everything goes as planned. Also, know that you are very unlikely end up at an MD FL school if this path goes as planned, as their GPA averages have been climbing recently. UMiami rewards reinvention, but they also don't want to F up their stats so usually the ones who reinvent and get accepted have a bomb-ass MCAT. So if you want to stay in FL, your best bets are LECOM (best chance if you also do their own "SMP" w/ guaranteed admission), NSUCOM (the DO), or their satellite campus (another DO lol, separate from their MD) that's gonna open up in like a year or two. I wouldn't even be hopeful for NSUCOM as they have been raising their standards too. I had a 3.45c/3.4s/509 and a South FL resident and they didn't even give me an II. This process is going to take 2+ years also counting summers so make sure you are ready to commit or else you will find halfway that you are wasting your time and also wasting money.
How do you know the LECOM SMP program is guaranteed??
 
Unless you 4.0 the next 60-80 credits AND score 509+, MD is out of the question. DO will most likely give you a chance with 50-60 credits of 3.7+ GPA and 502+ MCAT (mostly newer schools). Give serious consideration and be okay that you will end up at a DO school if everything goes as planned. Also, know that you are very unlikely end up at an MD FL school if this path goes as planned, as their GPA averages have been climbing recently. UMiami rewards reinvention, but they also don't want to F up their stats so usually the ones who reinvent and get accepted have a bomb-ass MCAT. So if you want to stay in FL, your best bets are LECOM (best chance if you also do their own "SMP" w/ guaranteed admission), NSUCOM (the DO), or their satellite campus (another DO lol, separate from their MD) that's gonna open up in like a year or two. I wouldn't even be hopeful for NSUCOM as they have been raising their standards too. I had a 3.45c/3.4s/509 and a South FL resident and they didn't even give me an II. This process is going to take 2+ years also counting summers so make sure you are ready to commit or else you will find halfway that you are wasting your time and also wasting money.
Also, do they average in my D in bio with my new grade that I will get in Bio or just take the highest grade
 
LECOM is extremely forthcoming with their stats. In the SMP program, those who receive a 3.0 had a 90% acceptance rate into the DO school. When i asked why it was 90%, the director told me that those who had drug, law, and dress code offenses did not receive an acceptance, even with the 3.0. So make sure to keep your nose clean.

of the 170 kids that start the program, about 70 drop out or fail the first semester, and of those 100, about 60-70 end up getting the 3.0. Conditional acceptances are delivered to those with 3.4+ the first semester, 3.2 the second, and in the late spring to those with 3.0+.

The LECOM program is the best deal in SMPs, and lightyears better than risking it all at the caribbean.

How do you know the LECOM SMP program is guaranteed??
 
Since you are URM-black, now you actually might have a fighting chance. DO schools now average all grades just like MD.
 
LECOM is extremely forthcoming with their stats. In the SMP program, those who receive a 3.0 had a 90% acceptance rate into the DO school. When i asked why it was 90%, the director told me that those who had drug, law, and dress code offenses did not receive an acceptance, even with the 3.0. So make sure to keep your nose clean.

of the 170 kids that start the program, about 70 drop out or fail the first semester, and of those 100, about 60-70 end up getting the 3.0. Conditional acceptances are delivered to those with 3.4+ the first semester, 3.2 the second, and in the late spring to those with 3.0+.

The LECOM program is the best deal in SMPs, and lightyears better than risking it all at the caribbean.
Agreed. And LECOM will put you on the map if you put in the work. I believe a LECOM grad matched integrated plastics at USF, although she is unbelievably hot so that might also have something to do with it lol
 
LECOM is extremely forthcoming with their stats. In the SMP program, those who receive a 3.0 had a 90% acceptance rate into the DO school. When i asked why it was 90%, the director told me that those who had drug, law, and dress code offenses did not receive an acceptance, even with the 3.0. So make sure to keep your nose clean.

of the 170 kids that start the program, about 70 drop out or fail the first semester, and of those 100, about 60-70 end up getting the 3.0. Conditional acceptances are delivered to those with 3.4+ the first semester, 3.2 the second, and in the late spring to those with 3.0+.

The LECOM program is the best deal in SMPs, and lightyears better than risking it all at the caribbean.
Is the SMP competitive?
Or is it just if you meet their requirements
 
Since you are URM-black, now you actually might have a fighting chance. DO schools now average all grades just like MD.
Idk man, a 2.47 is hard to recover from especially if the remaining classes I have to take are all hard science classes as well as retake a bio class that i should've had an A in but I'm going to give it my all
 
Idk man, a 2.47 is hard to recover from especially if the remaining classes I have to take are all hard science classes as well as retake a bio class that i should've had an A in but I'm going to give it my all
Get to at least a 3.0 in both GPA and sGPA. then take MCAT. Shoot for a 502+. Are you also economically disadvantaged or 1st gen college student? If both, then you have a lot of luck on your side. The thing is you want to pass the hard screens from the schools first before they take a look at your app. I know many blacks at my undergrad you got in with significantly below average stats, like 3.0-3.2 with 495-502 MCAT (I also know a few who got with monster applications too!). It can be done. The thing is, are you ready to put in work for the next 2 years? For some perspective, I know a guy who had all three "disadvantages" who had a 3.2 GPA and got a 517 on the MCAT, did an SMP got a 3.6, and is matriculating at Dartmouth this fall.
 
Get to at least a 3.0 in both GPA and sGPA. then take MCAT. Shoot for a 502+. Are you also economically disadvantaged or 1st gen college student? If both, then you have a lot of luck on your side. The thing is you want to pass the hard screens from the schools first before they take a look at your app. I know many blacks at my undergrad you got in with significantly below average stats, like 3.0-3.2 with 495-502 MCAT (I also know a few who got with monster applications too!). It can be done. The thing is, are you ready to put in work for the next 2 years? For some perspective, I know a guy who had all three "disadvantages" who had a 3.2 GPA and got a 517 on the MCAT, did an SMP got a 3.6, and is matriculating at Dartmouth this fall.
Thanks man! I was thinking of doing an SMP at LECOM because they have a 2.7 gpa requirement however I don't know if they have a guaranteed acceptance into their SMP program... also, I just saw NSU has an SMP program... do you think they are competitive?
 
NSU's SMP might be a bit out of reach. They are mainly looking at higher GPA and lower MCAT students. I think their GPA average was a 3.45 last cycle. Also, almost everyone gets into NSUCOM provided they pass all the classes adequately.
 
NSU's SMP might be a bit out of reach. They are mainly looking at higher GPA and lower MCAT students. I think their GPA average was a 3.45 last cycle. Also, almost everyone gets into NSUCOM provided they pass all the classes adequately.
Well I was going for dentistry as a backup plan, think I'd have a shot
 
Dentistry would be a lot easier. About similar, maybe slightly higher GPA in comparison to DO schools. The big upside is you take the DAT instead which is FAR easier (yes, I did take a couple practice tests and no way compares to the 2015 MCAT). Also, less medical volunteering and less stress on research. Dentistry would be a good route.
 
Dentistry would be a lot easier. About similar, maybe slightly higher GPA in comparison to DO schools. The big upside is you take the DAT instead which is FAR easier (yes, I did take a couple practice tests and no way compares to the 2015 MCAT). Also, less medical volunteering and less stress on research. Dentistry would be a good route.
School of Dental Medicine Entrance Requirements - LECOM Education System

Check out their requirements. Do you think I could get in if I took lecom's masters program
 
I just want to get in somewhere that I know I have a 100% shot of getting into
Even people with a 4.0 and 528 MCAT don't have a 100% chance of getting in. According to your 2.47 and 129 credits, if you take 71 more credits and get an A in every single one you'd get up to 3.01 which is the cutoff for many schools but still isn't that great. If you are serious about becoming a doctor, keep in mind that you are likely going to need at least 100+ credits to get so much as an interview considering you said that 2.47 is with grade replacement which no medical schools use. Pharmacy or a PA program may show more love as they have lower stats than medical schools, but you are still going to need quite a few credits and basically all As from here on out to get to them as well. A few years of GPA repair and an SMP might work but nothing is guaranteed. I don't think anything is necessarily impossible but you've certainly made the path dramatically more difficult. The best of luck to you
 
I think either route you choose to go, you'll need a science-heavy post-bacc or an SMP.


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