2.5 GPA after Sophomore Year... I messed up. Please help me.

[A$$hat]

Okay, so my freshman year and this past year (sophomore year), I just didn't pay attention. I didn't care about my grades nearly as much as a should've and it shows.

After final grades are in.. I should have around a 2.55 cGPA. I'm okay with going to a DO school, but what should I do. If I calculated correctly, after my senior year, my GPA should be about 3.1 or 3.2 I know this is not ideal, so I am thinking of taking the year after my 4th year of undergrad to retake classes that I did real bad in (C or worse) and get those up to As or A-s. If I am reading correctly, this should completely take off my old grade from that class if I apply DO, correct?

I have some questions... if I graduate, then need to go retake those classes that I performed poorly in... can I take those at a different university, maybe a community college? and they'll still replace the old grades? Also, I'm confused... how does it actually REPLACE it. Like does the med school just ignore the old grade, or what? How would I submit my grades when I would have a transcript from the school I would graduate from, and then another transcript from the community college I'd retake the classes at?

Also, does this sound like an okay plan? I'm not sure how to calculate how many classes I would need to retake after graduation (along with them replacing my old grades) for my GPA to get up to a 3.5 or higher.

Thank you guys!

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[DocGee]

I was in a similar situation coming off my sophomore year. Do the best you can on higher science electives, no more C's. Definitely look into to DO schools because of grade replacement. The way it works is that your latest time taking the course is the grade that counts toward your GPA, so make sure you kill those classes when you retake them.

You may take them at a different University but make sure that the course is listed with the same amount of credits in both. When you apply you wil need transcripts from both schools. Lastly do well on your MCAT! You still have time to turn it around. I just got accepted to West Virginia School of osteopathic medicine. 3.14 sgpa, 3.32 cgpa and you may be able to do better than this. Grade replacement works.

 

[A$$hat]

I was in a similar situation coming off my sophomore year. Do the best you can on higher science electives, no more C's. Definitely look into to DO schools because of grade replacement. The way it works is that your latest time taking the course is the grade that counts toward your GPA, so make sure you kill those classes when you retake them.

You may take them at a different University but make sure that the course is listed with the same amount of credits in both. When you apply you wil need transcripts from both schools. Lastly do well on your MCAT! You still have time to turn it around. I just got accepted to West Virginia School of osteopathic medicine. 3.14 sgpa, 3.32 cgpa and you may be able to do better than this. Grade replacement works.

Thank you! Did you take a year or two off? What was your course of action. I figure if I finish my four years here the best I can, and then retake 3 or 4 courses and ace them, then HOPEFULLY my GPA will be high enough to apply DO. But after I retake the courses, then take three months to study for MCAT and hopefully blow that out of the water. Then After that apply on the next cycle? Is that the general path you did?

 

[DocGee]

ok, only took 1 year off, which i am finishing up now. I retook 3 classes, 2 while in undergrad and 1 during the summer immediately following graduation. I also took my MCAT in between junior and senior year. What ever you do don't take it until you are ready so that you can blow it out of the water.

 

[A$$hat]

ok, only took 1 year off, which i am finishing up now. I retook 3 classes, 2 while in undergrad and 1 during the summer immediately following graduation. I also took my MCAT in between junior and senior year. What ever you do don't take it until you are ready so that you can blow it out of the water.

Thank you SO much for the reply. So, how did you retake the classes in undergrad? Did you lose those credits, or did you have enough built up that you could still graduate while taking those retake classes within your senior year? I've just been stressing so much about this, and I figure I get a general plan now during the summer so that come fall I can just focus on school amap and have this plan in the back of my mind. So you don't think it would be a problem to wait until I retake all my classes to get my GPA up to a 3.3-3.4 and then study for the MCAT?

 

[DocGee]

nope shouldnt be a problem. i always took a heavy credit load so i had just enough to graduate. however you do it im sure it'll work out. continue to have a plan. waiting to retake all the classes till you graduate will be fine. And your welcome, just want you to know that it is very possible to come back from a low GPA and still get into med school

 

[Promethean]

You can dig your way out of that. Pile up those As. Take a few extra credits of fluff if you can fit it in without tanking your grades in classes that matter. Retake the lowest grades. You aren't even definitely out of the running for MD schools, if you pile enough As up on top of where you are. But DO is most forgiving, with the ability to retake and bring the GPAs up.

If you want it, you can do it. Be serious about your studies, put in the hours and the dedication. Good study habits now will pay off all the way along the line. If you need help, in your studies or with finances or psychosocial issues or whatever, ask for it. Your school has folks you can talk to, or they can refer you to other resources. You never realize how much is available to help you if you don't seek it out.

 

[A$$hat]

You can dig your way out of that. Pile up those As. Take a few extra credits of fluff if you can fit it in without tanking your grades in classes that matter. Retake the lowest grades. You aren't even definitely out of the running for MD schools, if you pile enough As up on top of where you are. But DO is most forgiving, with the ability to retake and bring the GPAs up.

If you want it, you can do it. Be serious about your studies, put in the hours and the dedication. Good study habits now will pay off all the way along the line. If you need help, in your studies or with finances or psychosocial issues or whatever, ask for it. Your school has folks you can talk to, or they can refer you to other resources. You never realize how much is available to help you if you don't seek it out.

Thank you! I really don't know about MD or DO yet. I'm not sure which I'd prefer, but I'm leaning towards MD. I know this means I cant utilize the grade replacement thing, so I guess I'll just continue to work my ass off and hopefully pile up the As. Thank you guys so much!

 

[Promethean]

Newer schools are more forgiving. I know someone who got into a fairly new MD school with a 23 MCAT. Results, clearly, are not typical. But the point is that you are more than a set of numbers. You want those numbers to be the best you can make them be, but if you bring a well-rounded app and apply intelligently, so much is possible even if one thing or another is a little off.

Traditional wisdom around here is that the DO route is a little rougher a road. Some people say that options are limited for specialization, though I haven't found that to be as true as SDN suggests. I know DOs working in several competitive surgical subspecialties. That said though, my heart is set on primary care, and a DO is fine preparation for that, so that was never a concern for me. MDs don't "have to" spend extra time/brain power learning OMM... but I like the idea of having one more tool in my arsenal to address certain common painful conditions, other than just reaching for my prescription pad. If I had it to do over, knowing all I do now, I would have been even more enthusiastic about my choice to go DO.

You have lots of time to do your research. See if you can shadow some DOs as well as MDs. The more exposure you get, the better you will be able to decide what is right for you. Good luck, and if you ever need anything, you can always hit me up. I'm not always quick to respond, but I will get back to you.