3.4cGPA 3.5sGPA From 2.5 to UCLA. Chances?

[Bruins2013]

I know there has been a lot of people posting about what their chances are of getting accepted into medical school, but I would appreciate any insight you have. Here is my story in short:

Graduated HS in 2006 and didn't know what I wanted to do in my life, so I went into a community college. When I was there, I had no idea I wanted to pursue medicine, so I took random classes (HS level english, US government...etc ) that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do with my life. I was taking them merely because my parents were making me. I did this for almost two years before realizing I wanted to pursue medicine. My GPA was in the tank. I scored very low marks in some classes (D and F in government and C in high school level english). When I realized what I wanted to do with my life, I got on track and retook the class I got the D and F in and got B's in those classes. I then started taking my prereq courses for my biology major. I got A's and B's in all my prereq courses. To sum it up, in the first 2.5 years at the CC, I got a VERY LOW GPA in classes that "did not matter." When I got serious, I got a 3.65 GPA the last 2.5 years at CC and a 4.0 the last year. I also have 2 years of volunteer work at a surgery center, a year of volunteer work at a company that offers reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children, and over 50 hours of physician shadowing in the operating room. I then applied for transfer to UC schools in California.

I was accepted into all the UC schools except Berkley and decided to go to UCLA. At UCLA this first year these are my grades:

Geography: A
Life Science 2: A
Orgo 2: B-
Genetics: C+
Abnormal Pysch: A-
Biochemistry: B
Orgo 3: B
Psych of Sensation: A
Comparative Psychobio: B

I am also volunteering at the UCLA hospital and working with the chief of neuropathology in his lab doing research on Alzheimers. I will be continuing this all next year as well. I calculated my GPA, and if I get A's my senior year in my neuroscience classes, my overall GPA will be about 3.4 and my science GPA 3.52. Granted that I do get all A's and score 30+ on the MCAT, what are my chances of getting into a US medical school with these stats? I will be taking a year off as well BTW.

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[FrkyBgStok]

So you went 2 years with a 2.5 gpa and then did ok at ucla and are at a 3.4? That doesn't add up. Did you retake any classes? MD schools look at every class you have ever taken and use every grade. There are no retakes. If you calculated correctly, that is amazing. How much time did that jump take you?

 

[Bruins2013]

I don't know what my exact GPA was when I was there. I started at CC in the fall of 2006 and just finished my first year at UCLA, so I was in CC for 5 years. The first 2.5 years didn't mean anything to me because I was just there because I had to be. My grades lacked. I got a D, F, and several C's. I was in cc for so long, I had enough credits to graduate by the time I transferred to UCLA, so it's really hard to raise my GPA with that many units, even if I get straight A's this last year at UCLA.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

So when you say you calculated your gpa, are you just talking at ucla? You need to figure up what your gpa is with every class you have ever taken. That is the only way to determine if you even have a little chance. Get a transcript if you have to.

 

[Bruins2013]

No, those numbers I gave are ALL my classes. Like i said, I was at cc for 5 years. I just don't know what my gpa was singly for the first years, but those grades are in the numbers I gave you.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Oh. Well with a good upward trend like that and a good mcat. As long as you are productive in your glide year, I would say you have all the tools for success. It's a crap shoot though.

 

[Bruins2013]

Yeah, I had a good upward trend till my C+ and B- at UCLA. I am hoping as long as I get straight A's from here on out and get 30+ on my MCAT that I still have a chance. What are my chances for DO?