2.68 Sci GPA.. Chances?

[DrR4387]

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Hey all,
Unfortunately, I did not get into any medical schools (MD or DO) this application cycle, and so I'm just trying to figure out what I can do next year to improve my possibilities at getting in. I was a history major (but chem minor so i have all prereqs and some upper level sci classes) have a 3.19 undergrad cumGPA, with a 2.68 sciGPA. Fortunately, I did pretty well on the MCATs and got a 30 (11 V,10 P,9 B) and have lots of ECs and good LORs. I think my main problems are my science GPA and the fact that I applied late (not until December).
At this point, I am looking into SMPs and other one-yr master's programs, but have been rejected from the USF IMS. I plan to continue applying for other programs, then reapply to med school this summer.
Do I have a legitimate shot at any US med schools (either MD or DO) for 2011? Should I try to go Caribbean or just drop medical school plans altogether? Are there any specific master's programs that are well-suited for my credentials? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Eh honestly with a your gpa you got no chance. < Unless you start improving your application >
You'll have to either retake all your low grade classes and get both your gpa's up to 3.4 ( might take a year) and apply DO.
or
take more classes and attempt to get your science gpa of 3.0 and apply to SMP's ( might take a year and then another year for the smp).

 

[Food]

This is probably going to get moved to the "what are my chances" forum...

And regarding your issue - the problem is your sGPA is pretty low, and your MCAT is good, but not good enough to give you an edge. If you really want a shot at MD, you would need around a 35+ MCAT and solid grades in an SMP. I think if you do an SMP and don't bother with the MCAT, you should have a shot at DO schools, assuming your clinical experience is awesome. I think in your particular case (and you should talk to an adviser for the SMP programs you're applying to) you might need to apply a year from now. That's so that your SMP grades actually show up on your AMCAS because if you apply in June, schools will see your same stats and just know that you're doing an SMP. However, some SMP programs are pretty good about updating shcools (Georgetown comes to mind) on your progress and grades since they follow some kind of block system - so adcoms are continuously getting updated on your grades. Honestly, the real issue here is grades, and I think an SMP is the only way to address it.

Ugh I keep editing because I forget stuff, but you can go on the AAMC website and see the entire list of 1 year post-bac / SMP programs. They have a great search function that lets you specify what you need from the program. If your sGPA is that low, it might help just to retake all those pre-reqs again, but other people might have different opinions. There's also a good forum on SMPs here on SDN. Lastly, be careful with the Caribbean, and guess what, there's a forum here on that too.

 

[VooDooo327]

Im a re-app from CA (only did MD last year). 3.6 cGPA 3.6 sGPA (UCLA Biochem) and MCAT of 30 like you. I appled to both MD and DO. I applied to 4 DO schools and got into 3 (Touro-CA, Touro-NV, NOVA) and waitlisted at Western. I applied to 20+ MD and got 1 interview and waitlisted there (EVMS). I am not URM and I had good LOR and ECs.

I say you would need to raise the GPA most importantly. If you do re-apply make sure either your GPA is a lot higher or you do a lot better on your MCAT. Don't waste the money to re-app with the same application unless you just chose bad schools. Goodluck!

 

[OhioDoc]

Hey all,
Unfortunately, I did not get into any medical schools (MD or DO) this application cycle, and so I'm just trying to figure out what I can do next year to improve my possibilities at getting in. I was a history major (but chem minor so i have all prereqs and some upper level sci classes) have a 3.19 undergrad cumGPA, with a 2.68 sciGPA. Fortunately, I did pretty well on the MCATs and got a 30 (11 V,10 P,9 B) and have lots of ECs and good LORs. I think my main problems are my science GPA and the fact that I applied late (not until December).
At this point, I am looking into SMPs and other one-yr master's programs, but have been rejected from the USF IMS. I plan to continue applying for other programs, then reapply to med school this summer.
Do I have a legitimate shot at any US med schools (either MD or DO) for 2011? Should I try to go Caribbean or just drop medical school plans altogether? Are there any specific master's programs that are well-suited for my credentials? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Given your low GPA and sciGPA, and your average MCAT, I am of the same opinion of the above posters: gain admittance to a SMP/Post-Bacc program, ace the classes there, and then reapply.

 

[ThaliaNox]

Anyway, to the OP you need an at least two year plan to get an acceptable GPA. Honestly, if you're getting Cs in most of your science classes, medical school is going to be extremely challenging for you.

Overall, absolutely no hope for 2011. You need at least 2 years of GPA repair, full time enrollment in science courses to have a dream of american medical schools, MD or DO. In my experience folks who get in with the borderline GPAs (<3.2) have extenuating circumstances such as going back to school ten years after flunking everything for a year, and their past four years of work are stellar. They also tend to have extremely high MCAT scores to balance the low GPA. (>34)

 

[Jihad]

Although its not possible to get into an MD at this point, you can gain admittance to DO by getting SMP under your belt, making a creative (but honest) personal statement to exaplin ur horrible grades, and possibly retaking the MCAT.

 

[apumic]

Although its not possible to get into an MD at this point, you can gain admittance to DO by getting SMP under your belt, making a creative (but honest) personal statement to exaplin ur horrible grades, and possibly retaking the MCAT.

Honestly, DO is pretty much of the question w/ a <2.7 sGPA and a mediocre (even for DO) cGPA. The 30 MCAT is good but nowhere near stellar (it's actually below average for accepted students). You're going to have to ace an SMP and get a stronger MCAT to make for a viable application. Good luck!

 

[cpants]

Do not apply this year. You will be wasting a lot of money. You will not get into any US schools with a 2.7, period. Your best bet is to commit to 2-3 years of retaking science courses (DO schools will only count the retake). This represents the most bang for your buck GPA-wise. Do not retake the MCAT. 30 is fine, and you aren't likely to do better. In your free time volunteer somewhere and start shadowing a DO.

If you play your cards right you could be a competitive DO applicant in 2 years, with a much better sGPA and much more relevant experience. Don't kid yourself, this won't be easy. The easy time was when you were getting those garbage grades the first time around. Time to gut check and decide if you really want to be a doctor.

 

[Food]

So I guess the consensus is that "yes, you can become a doctor most likely through the DO route, possibly MD if you clench your cheeks together and commit a couple years to repairing your application, because there are no quick fixes."

 

[apumic]

So I guess the consensus is that "yes, you can become a doctor most likely through the DO route, possibly MD if you clench your cheeks together and commit a couple years to repairing your application, because there are no quick fixes."

Add "DO route with a few extra years of GPA repair" as well and I'd say you've got it about right. At this point, even DO would be stretching it. DO schools have plenty of candidates with everything else the OP has to offer and a >3.0 GPA as well. A <2.7 isn't going to get the OP into DO school.

Realistically, I'd suggest:
for DO... 1 year (summer, fall, spring) retaking science courses to bring sGPA above a 3.0 (preferably up to 3.4 if possible)
for MD... 1-2 years GPA repair (sGPA>3.0 -- retakes don't really help w/ MD since they count as new courses entirely, so it'll take longer; most SMPs probably would not take you w/ your current academic record); enter SMP & spend another 1-2 years there (total: 3-5 years post-college)

 

[Food]

Add "DO route with a few extra years of GPA repair" as well and I'd say you've got it about right. At this point, even DO would be stretching it. DO schools have plenty of candidates with everything else the OP has to offer and a >3.0 GPA as well. A <2.7 isn't going to get the OP into DO school.

Realistically, I'd suggest:
for DO... 1 year (summer, fall, spring) retaking science courses to bring sGPA above a 3.0 (preferably up to 3.4 if possible)
for MD... 1-2 years GPA repair (sGPA>3.0 -- retakes don't really help w/ MD since they count as new courses entirely, so it'll take longer; most SMPs probably would not take you w/ your current academic record); enter SMP & spend another 1-2 years there (total: 3-5 years post-college)

Yeah for sure. OP needs at least a year of GPA stuff to even be considered for DO.

 

[willen101383]

Eh honestly with a your gpa you got no chance.
You'll have to either retake all your low grade classes and get both your gpa's up to 3.4 ( might take a year) and apply DO.
or
take more classes and attempt to get your science gpa of 3.0 and apply to SMP's ( might take a year and then another year for the smp).

Man! Not to be a dick serenade but you seem to like killin peoples hopes and dreams! I think my sci GPA out of undergrad was around 1.8 or something like that...prob lower. I rocked a masters program and got a decent MCAT score and got many DO and 1 US MD acceptance. Granted I have lightyears more clinical experience than most premeds but it still is very very possible to come back from a horrible academic past!!

 

[apumic]

Man! Not to be a dick serenade but you seem to like killin peoples hopes and dreams! I think my sci GPA out of undergrad was around 1.8 or something like that...prob lower. I rocked a masters program and got a decent MCAT score and got many DO and 1 US MD acceptance. Granted I have lightyears more clinical experience than most premeds but it still is very very possible to come back from a horrible academic past!!

Honestly, willen, I don't really see anything wrong w/ what you quoted of what Serenade said other than maybe the "with your GPA, you've got not chance" part (and, well, technically, that statement is pretty much the truth). Yes, there are other ways of repairing the OP's GPA but retaking courses and applying DO is probably the most realistic way. Yes, an SMP (w/ great performance) + TONS of clinical experience and TIME (which is what it sounds like you had) can greatly reduce the damage of a low UG GPA, the OP doesn't exactly have the time behind him/her nor, I assume, the insane amount of clinical experience you had. So while what Serenade said may come off a bit harsh, the reality of the situation is itself harsh -- it's going to take some serious and long (as in 2-5 years') work for the OP to become a viable candidate for medical school.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Man! Not to be a dick serenade but you seem to like killin peoples hopes and dreams! I think my sci GPA out of undergrad was around 1.8 or something like that...prob lower. I rocked a masters program and got a decent MCAT score and got many DO and 1 US MD acceptance. Granted I have lightyears more clinical experience than most premeds but it still is very very possible to come back from a horrible academic past!!

Whats your point? I said it in the context of your current position you've got basically no chance. Are you trying to tell me this guy can get in with his current stats with 0 improvement? You yourself had to improve your application to stand a chance.
If anything I spot on told him what I think he should do and that there is hope if he starts working hard and makes up for his low stats.

 

[MedMan25]

Man! Not to be a dick serenade but you seem to like killin peoples hopes and dreams! I think my sci GPA out of undergrad was around 1.8 or something like that...prob lower. I rocked a masters program and got a decent MCAT score and got many DO and 1 US MD acceptance. Granted I have lightyears more clinical experience than most premeds but it still is very very possible to come back from a horrible academic past!!

I agree. It seems like all the posts I've seen by serenade are aimed at shutting people down. The worst part is, he is usually wrong about what he posts. The OP does have a shot at getting into a US medical school. It might take some work but don't tell him he has "no chance" because that just isn't true.

My advice to the OP is to look into a master's program in the hard sciences and do well in it. You've demonstrated by your MCAT score that you have the intellect, you've just got to make up for the poor GPA. If you had some circumstances in your life during that time that interfered with your grades, you might want to address that in your personal statement. I wouldn't bother retaking classes, you've already taken them once and repeating a course is going to be easier for anyone the second time around. Enroll in grad school and show that you're capable of handling a rigorous course load and then re-apply to US schools.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I agree. It seems like all the posts I've seen by serenade are aimed at shutting people down. The worst part is, he is usually wrong about what he posts. The OP does have a shot at getting into a US medical school. It might take some work but don't tell him he has "no chance" because that just isn't true.

My advice to the OP is to look into a master's program in the hard sciences and do well in it. You've demonstrated by your MCAT score that you have the intellect, you've just got to make up for the poor GPA. If you had some circumstances in your life during that time that interfered with your grades, you might want to address that in your personal statement. I wouldn't bother retaking classes, you've already taken them once and repeating a course is going to be easier for anyone the second time around. Enroll in grad school and show that you're capable of handling a rigorous course load and then re-apply to US schools.

For the people who lack the ability to read in context. You have no chance with your current stats. 😉

 

[MedMan25]

From '05 to '07 348 people have been accepted to US allopathic (MD) schools who had a GPA in the range of 2.60-2.79. http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

That's for the people who lack the ability to check their facts before posting.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

From '05 to '07 348 people have been accepted to US allopathic (MD) schools who had a GPA in the range of 2.60-2.79. http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

That's for the people who lack the ability to check their facts before posting.

Because statistics with those percentage's from 3 years ago is supposed to change my mind. Apparently someone is not very good with probability. Just because there's a possibility does not mean anything.

But alright I'll appease, you don't have a good chance of getting accepted.

 

[MedMan25]

Because statistics with those percentage's from 3 years ago is supposed to change my mind. Apparently someone is not very good with probability. Just because there's a possibility does not mean anything.

So there is a possibility that the OP could be accepted to medical school with his/her current stats? Cause a minute ago you said it wasn't possible. Please clarify.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

So there is a possibility that the OP could be accepted to medical school with his/her current stats? Cause a minute ago you said it wasn't possible. Please clarify.

Hmm ok your right I'm wrong. You can stop arguing with me about 5 words out of my 2 point response which is actually helpful.
I'll be sure to next time say that "your stats are ok..... but.... you could have done a lil bit better.... so..... like.... don't feel pressured or feel the negative forces of my 5 word supreme break down sentence which will obviously destroy this person."

 

[MedMan25]

Hmm ok your right I'm wrong. You can stop arguing with me about 5 words out of my 2 point response which is actually helpful.
I'll be sure to next time say that "your stats are ok..... but.... you could have done a lil bit better.... so..... like.... don't feel pressured or feel the negative forces of my 3 word supreme break down sentence."

Well, maybe in the future you could try to find ways to give people helpful advice instead of exaggerating how poor their situation is.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Well, maybe in the future you could try to find ways to give people helpful advice instead of exaggerating how poor their situation is.

Ok we can pretend I just told him that he has no chance of going to medical school and should give up and that I did not tell him the same thing everyone else told him to do.
Honestly ok, I told him the truth his chances are bad. He needs to change, and then provided 2 solutions which are commonly done by SDNer's to improve their application. I honestly don't know why your all acting as if I just told him that he should just drop off the face of the earth.

 

[apumic]

Hmm ok your right I'm wrong. You can stop arguing with me about 5 words out of my 2 point response which is actually helpful.
I'll be sure to next time say that "your stats are ok..... but.... you could have done a lil bit better.... so..... like.... don't feel pressured or feel the negative forces of my 5 word supreme break down sentence which will obviously destroy this person."

Personally, I'd suggest the Paula Abdul approach:

"So, Your post was really nice. And I saw you were doin' pretty well with your good MCAT and all. I really liked it.... I really think you could do it, but then... there was this time in your post when I noticed you had one of those, you know... GPA problems. Yeah, the MCAT is really good but then there's the low GPA. I think you should, yeah, bring up that GPA a little, but, like, otherwise, I think you're, you know, one of the best applicants I've ever seen."

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Personally, I'd suggest the Paula Abdul approach:

"So, I saw you were doin' pretty well with your good MCAT and all. I really liked it.... I really think you could do it, but then... there was this time in your post when I noticed you had one of those, you know... GPA problems. Yeah, the MCAT is really good but then there's the low GPA. I think you should, you know, bring up that GPA a little, but, like, otherwise, I think you're, you know, one of the best applicants I've ever, you know, seen."

I get to much sleep to try that . But yah, I should change my username to the Dream Destroyer.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I guess I'm the lucky one who gets to move this to WAMC. Shazam!

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

You need to get your science gpa to a 3.0 period. I applied with a 3.4 sci and around the same cumulative and I had to explain why my GPA was so low. Even if you are an URM schools still require you to have a 3.0 GPA since that is the cutoff at many schools.

But with everything take what you hear on SDN with a grain of salt.

 

[willen101383]

Whats your point? I said it in the context of your current position you've got basically no chance. Are you trying to tell me this guy can get in with his current stats with 0 improvement? You yourself had to improve your application to stand a chance.
If anything I spot on told him what I think he should do and that there is hope if he starts working hard and makes up for his low stats.

You are right...in his/her current state they pretty much dont have a chance. But they DO have a huge chance if they clean up their GPA. Like I said I didnt mean to be insulting...I just think its really important to give people hope when they post in desperate situations. Not everyone is as fortunate to have a rockstar GPA out of undergrad. I remember posting stuff back in 04/05 freaking out because I had such a piss poor GPA...yet wanted to go med school so badly. Seeing people say stuff like "ur screwed you will never get in," really hurt me. On the flip side...people posting their own stories about overcoming poor GPAs gave me so much hope...that I went forward with my MS and got in to my top choice school against the odds. Thats all I was trying to say....that a few nice words can go a long way in helping someone to move forward and do what needs to be done to get themselves into medical school.

 

[willen101383]

You need to get your science gpa to a 3.0 period. I applied with a 3.4 sci and around the same cumulative and I had to explain why my GPA was so low. Even if you are an URM schools still require you to have a 3.0 GPA since that is the cutoff at many schools.

But with everything take what you hear on SDN with a grain of salt.

I never got either GPA to over 3.0 when I applied. My cGPA was still like 2.95 even with over 70 credits of As in my masters program. Thats why I didnt get as much MD love...bc I got screened out because of that low cGPA despite my killer grad GPA.

 

[cs2525]

OP, if you really want to go to medical school this next cycle--you absolutely can do that. You would need to go to a Caribbean school, however. I would ONLY look into St. George's or Ross. Do not get discouraged, nor give too much credit to anyone telling you that being a foreign medical school graduate will mean you can't get residency. You only have to be on the island for 16 months to two years, then do all your clinicals in US hospitals. You get out of med school what you put into it--and you learn the same material. What really matters is that you do well on your Step 1.

My brother is at Ross. He, too, had a low GPA. But he's there and loving it, and getting A's and B's. Sure, there are wash-outs--as they do take students with lower stats. But if you think you can handle being on the island for a year and a half, it's a really good option (some younger students that haven't been outside of the US--and aren't good at adapting to new situations--have a hard time adjusting). PM me if you want to know more.

Remember, there is the assumption among pre-meds that there is a stigma against FMG--and to some extent there is. But you will succeed if you put in the work--just like all the other med schools. Go for it. You can do this. Stop reading SDN if you are getting discouraged. If you don't want Caribbean, though, acceptance into US medical schools is very unlikely with your current stats.

Check into Ross and St. George's. PM me.

 

[cs2525]

If you read the "nontraditional" applicant forum you'll see about others having to overcome a lot of the same type of situations. There is some really good advice, inspiring stories, and encouraging words--even for those who are "traditional" applicants.

 

[DavidMD2B]

My roommate who is a white male, has a cum GPA of 3.2 and Sci GPA of 2.8, plus MCAT 28. No grad work. He is in an MD program. There is always hope. Nevertheless, you will have to account for the low GPA in your PS. Hopefully, there is a good reason. Good Luck!

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe - Anatole France

 

[12345a]

apply to medical school -----> get into medical school ------> give out advice to premeds who want to apply to medical school

or was it....

be a premed on SDN with more than 1000 posts -----> give out advice to premeds who want to apply to medical school

 

[Rodman]

Man! Not to be a dick serenade but you seem to like killin peoples hopes and dreams! I think my sci GPA out of undergrad was around 1.8 or something like that...prob lower. I rocked a masters program and got a decent MCAT score and got many DO and 1 US MD acceptance. Granted I have lightyears more clinical experience than most premeds but it still is very very possible to come back from a horrible academic past!!

Hey, I just found this forum and saw your message. This is from four years ago, what are you doing now?did you get in and finish? I am on the same boat as you are.