230 credits, overall GPA: 2.92; 2 bachelors degrees. Most recent 2nd bachelors: 3.43 GPA (28 credits).

[Ranunculusblooms]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on here and I really need advice as to how to proceed. I’m in a tough position as far as applying to med school goes.

I’ve accumulated a total of 230 credits and at this point my GPA won’t be changing much. At a 2.92 gpa overall, I’m afraid I’ll get auto-screened out. Overall science gpa is 2.69.

BACKGROUND:

I’m an American who studied college overseas for a year. I took 36 credit hours in 1 yr (2 full semesters). This course load is typical where I was. I finished with 2.44 freshman gpa.

The problem is, all of those hours were transferred to my US university. This put me at a 2.89 gpa upon graduation but without the transfer hours, I graduated with a 3.02 overall (still not great, but not a 2.x).

I then went for a second science degree in 2015 (3.4 gpa). I’m planning on taking more science classes.

Can I still succeed at getting in? I don’t want to give up, just yet. Should I continue a DIY post bacc or start considering SMPs?

Thank you. Any advice would be appreciated

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[Faha]

What are your cGPA and sGPA combing your 1st degree (2.89 GPA) and your second degree (3.4 GPA) ?

 

[Ranunculusblooms]

What are your cGPA and sGPA combing your 1st degree (2.89 GPA) and your second degree (3.4 GPA) ?




















0














0

cGPA of 2.92 includes the 3.4 gpa. Sorry if that was a bit confusing.

So, 1st degree: 2.8 cgpa (3.02 without the international transfer)
And 2na degree: 3.4 cgpa

 

[Faha]

If you do a DIY post bacc in the coming year at a local college and take enough undergraduate level science courses to increase your sGPA that would help your chances. When are you planning to take the MCAT ?

 

[Ranunculusblooms]

I took 7 credits (2 science classes + a lab) this past spring semester while working FT and plan to enroll this Fall semester for another 6-8 credit hrs. I just started studying for the MCAT, took a diagnostic the other day. Since I’m currently working, I plan to give myself 6 months to study and sit for the MCAT in Jan 2023.

Based on your reply, I’m guessing it’s still feasible to keep taking post bacc classes despite having 230 hrs?

My plan is to apply in the 2023-2024 cycle and if I don’t get in, do an SMP and try again in the following cycle.

Thanks for responding!

 

[Faha]

I believe that schools will be more interested in you recent grades and those of your second bachelors in 2015. Much depends on your MCAT score. If you score 505+ you could receive DO interviews. Less than 500, then interviews are unlikely. Post your score here in the future and I will suggest schools.

 

[Ranunculusblooms]

Hopefully, they can overlook the low sGPA if I do well on the MCAT. (One reason it’s so low is because I re-took Algebra 3 times in the foreign school (F, F, C—I’m not a math person) and all 3 attempts were counted. Most of my Bio and Biochem classes I did well in. Physics not so much (C & B for I and II, respectively).

I will definitely be back with an MCAT update in the future. Thank you so much!

 

[MedicallyEnthused]

I took 7 credits (2 science classes + a lab) this past spring semester while working FT and plan to enroll this Fall semester for another 6-8 credit hrs. I just started studying for the MCAT, took a diagnostic the other day. Since I’m currently working, I plan to give myself 6 months to study and sit for the MCAT in Jan 2023.

Based on your reply, I’m guessing it’s still feasible to keep taking post bacc classes despite having 230 hrs?

My plan is to apply in the 2023-2024 cycle and if I don’t get in, do an SMP and try again in the following cycle.

Thanks for responding!

It really depends on your ultimate goals, but I think DO is attainable without an SMP, as well as a 505+ MCAT like Faha suggested.
I think continue on the classes you plan to take in the next year, as well as score well on the MCAT and you should be fine. Keep in mind that many schools, especially DO schools, look at upward trend and your most recent course work. The key is simply showing improvement, showing the student you are now is not the student you were back then, and above all showing resilience and the fortitude to not give up.

Because of all of this, I have read about numerous students and personally know a few that got into med school (DO and some in MD) with a sub 3.0 sGPA. The key with this is applying very strategically, avoiding schools with hard 3.0 screens, as well as applying quite broadly.

If you are gunning for MD, an SMP would be needed. And in this case I would suggest holding off for a year and doing an SMP at an MD school in the 2023-2024 school year. That way you can show a year of SMP grades and apply in the 2024-2025 cycle and this would likely ensure only a single application cycle (assuming you do well in the SMP). You would also need around a 510+ MCAT for MD.

But regardless of what you do, going forward I would try to shoot for a bit higher of a GPA than your previous degree. Ideally a 3.7+ GPA.

 

[Ranunculusblooms]

It really depends on your ultimate goals, but I think DO is attainable without an SMP, as well as a 505+ MCAT like Faha suggested.
I think continue on the classes you plan to take in the next year, as well as score well on the MCAT and you should be fine. Keep in mind that many schools, especially DO schools, look at upward trend and your most recent course work. The key is simply showing improvement, showing the student you are now is not the student you were back then, and above all showing resilience and the fortitude to not give up.

Because of all of this, I have read about numerous students and personally know a few that got into med school (DO and some in MD) with a sub 3.0 sGPA. The key with this is applying very strategically, avoiding schools with hard 3.0 screens, as well as applying quite broadly.

If you are gunning for MD, an SMP would be needed. And in this case I would suggest holding off for a year and doing an SMP at an MD school in the 2023-2024 school year. That way you can show a year of SMP grades and apply in the 2024-2025 cycle and this would likely ensure only a single application cycle (assuming you do well in the SMP). You would also need around a 510+ MCAT for MD.

But regardless of what you do, going forward I would try to shoot for a bit higher of a GPA than your previous degree. Ideally a 3.7+ GPA.

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback