27 y/o ~3.11 gpa and sgpa advice?

[LongShotLouie]

Hello, 27 y/o only have a few classes left in a bio major chem minor degree and my cgpa and sgpa will be around 3.11 each when I’m done (hopefully).

gpa and sgpa ~ 3.11
Volunteer hours ~ 200 hrs
shadowing - 0
Clinical experience - 0

I know, you’ve seen idiots like me trying to get into med school with no shadowing or clinical hours so I’m sorry about that. At 20 I had a liver transplant (lucky enough to receive two within two weeks due to the first failing). That’s why I will work in a hospital in some capacity but it’s my dream (as many of yours) to be an md. This is partly why I believe (possibly erroneously) that I don’t need shadowing hours. I applied to scribe and also volunteer at the local hospital but didn’t get offers. I have worked part time during school in retail. My upward trend is very strong as my gpa is only this bad because 8 years ago my first semester was 3 Fs and a D, followed by an F and some Cs in math + ECN courses. I didn’t know what I wanted to do until about a year after my transplants. Since my transplants I’d say my gpa/sgpa is 3.6+ But


Before I ask my question, I’d like to thank goro and all the doctors that give their time to answer these questions as I’ve been taking from here for 5 years.

should I study for the mcat or look for a postbacc that is connected to a medical school? And tbh I know what osteopathy is but every time a class discusses it they can basically do what mds do so could I work in a transplant team as a DO? And if you have any advice in general I would appreciate it.
Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

You should start to get your shadowing and clinical experience in order before you do anything with the MCAT. Shadowing/clinical jobs may be hard to come by until later this year (after vaccines become widely available and things open up), but you could try to find a virtual shadowing or virtual scribing opportunity now. If not, you might have more luck with arranging in-person experiences in the autumn. You won’t get into medical school with zero clinical experience (and, unfortunately, being a patient doesn’t count). The average successful applicant has several hundred hours clinical volunteering and/or employment + anywhere from 60-100 hours shadowing. With your GPA, your ECs need to be stellar.

An upward GPA trend will be seen favorably and you may be cut some slack if your health issues coincided with the poor grades. If you got a D or F in any med school prerequisite, you’ll need to retake. Get all As from here on out. You should consider taking some upper division science courses to bolster your GPA as much as possible.

A 3.1 is very low for DO and not really feasible for MD (except possibly your state school, depending on where you live). If you can bump that up into the 3.2-3.3 range, you’ll be in better shape for DO. MD, no matter what, is going to be tough with a sub 3.5 GPA. I think you should focus mainly on DO when you apply. Obviously, you need to have good MCAT scores, too.

But yes, DOs match into general surgery fairly often, and gen surg is what you do before a transplant surgery fellowship. DOs have to jump through some extra hoops along the way to becoming an attending physician, but your dream is definitely doable as a DO if you’re willing to work for it.

 

[LongShotLouie]

@JanetSnakehole thanks, I’ve lived in alabama for 3 years now/go to uni here and my family is here but I grew up and had my xplants in AZ. The only f that might be a prerequisite was a summer trig class I had some health problems during and never asked for a W (iirc it was past withdrawal date). The other Fs were English, macro econ and a cis. I have aced those classes since. I appreciate your reply, thanks.

 

[Splenda88]

No need to do a postbacc for DO... Bump your c/sGPA to 3.2+ and try to do well on the MCAT (503+)

MD won't happen without some type of postbacc and 510+ MCAT score.

 

[Goro]

Hello, 27 y/o only have a few classes left in a bio major chem minor degree and my cgpa and sgpa will be around 3.11 each when I’m done (hopefully).

gpa and sgpa ~ 3.11
Volunteer hours ~ 200 hrs
shadowing - 0
Clinical experience - 0

I know, you’ve seen idiots like me trying to get into med school with no shadowing or clinical hours so I’m sorry about that. At 20 I had a liver transplant (lucky enough to receive two within two weeks due to the first failing). That’s why I will work in a hospital in some capacity but it’s my dream (as many of yours) to be an md. This is partly why I believe (possibly erroneously) that I don’t need shadowing hours. I applied to scribe and also volunteer at the local hospital but didn’t get offers. I have worked part time during school in retail. My upward trend is very strong as my gpa is only this bad because 8 years ago my first semester was 3 Fs and a D, followed by an F and some Cs in math + ECN courses. I didn’t know what I wanted to do until about a year after my transplants. Since my transplants I’d say my gpa/sgpa is 3.6+ But


Before I ask my question, I’d like to thank goro and all the doctors that give their time to answer these questions as I’ve been taking from here for 5 years.

should I study for the mcat or look for a postbacc that is connected to a medical school? And tbh I know what osteopathy is but every time a class discusses it they can basically do what mds do so could I work in a transplant team as a DO? And if you have any advice in general I would appreciate it.
Thanks

Being a patient doesn't give you clinical insight that Adcoms are looking for.

Your app will be DOA without shadowing or scribing experience and/or clinical experience. Scribing will kill two birds with one stone (three, technically, as it's employment, which is always a good thing).

GPAs are low for DO, but not lethal. I think that you'd struggle in med school. Read my guide to reinvention for pre-meds.

Gen Surg is doable for a DO, but it's not a cakewalk like FM or Peds

 

[LongShotLouie]

Being a patient doesn't give you clinical insight that Adcoms are looking for.

Your app will be DOA without shadowing or scribing experience and/or clinical experience. Scribing will kill two birds with one stone (three, technically, as it's employment, which is always a good thing).

GPAs are low for DO, but not lethal. I think that you'd struggle in med school. Read my guide to reinvention for pre-meds.

Gen Surg is doable for a DO, but it's not a cakewalk like FM or Peds

Thanks, goro. Do you think I would struggle in medschool (I’m assuming you meant both DO and MD) because I haven’t pushed myself to do more ECs? Or are your senses honed in enough to tell just from reading my post that I can’t cut it? Before I moved states I was working, had an officer role in a premed club that did some volunteering, as well as volunteering for donate life, and going to school. Since I’ve moved I’ve sent in a resume to scribe America and applied to the local hospital a few times. Im getting a 3.6+ in all junior/senior level science classes while working part time and going in and out of hospitals. It’s hard to explain but I want to be in a transplant team and work in a hospital but each time I get out of the hospital I want to use my free time to enjoy life for a little bit. But I’ve always been in school pretty much so I try to balance work/fun.

 

[Goro]

Or are your senses honed in enough to tell just from reading my post that I can’t cut it. Before I moved states I was working, had an officer role in a premed club that did some volunteering, as well as volunteering for donate life, and going to school.

What are you going to say when asked how you know you are suited for a life of caring for the sick and suffering? “That you just know”? Imagine how that will go over!

Since I’ve moved I’ve sent in a resume to scribe America and applied to the local hospital a few times.
But you haven't started the job yet. Once you get in your clinical experience, that will be a massive hole in your app that will be eliminated.


Im getting a 3.6+ in all junior/senior level science classes while working part time and going in and out of hospitals. My upward trend is very strong as my gpa is only this bad because 8 years ago my first semester was 3 Fs and a D, followed by an F and some Cs in math + ECN courses.

Ahh, I didn't see the part about the rising GPA trend! These are always good. Your GPAs will be less of an issue and with a strong MCAT, MD can be on the table as well. Many schools reward reinvention, but you should have two solid years of this. A single good SR year isn't enough data points to show that you've turned things around.


It’s hard to explain but I want to be in a transplant team and work in a hospital
As you are a transplant recipient, I can fully understand. Just be dedicated, not starry-eyed.

but each time I get out of the hospital I want to use my free time to enjoy life for a little bit. But I’ve always been in school pretty much so I try to balance work/fun.
You and everybody else!