A second undergrad degree?

[brickwall]

Hi all,

Background:

• I have a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from a Canadian university.

• I graduated with a cGPA of 3.3.

• I am also half-way through Master's with a 3.9 GPA in my grad courses.

• I have no EC's or volunteering experience.

Questions:

1. Should I do a second undergrad degree to increase my GPA and improve my EC's/volunteering and at the same time get some medical research done OR should I just try to ace my pre-req's and try to do a little EC/Volunteering on the side?
2. How do US med. schools handle applicants with two degrees? (i.e. how is their cGPA calculated?)
3. I took physics in my prev. undergrad and didn't do well. What implications would retaking this course (to improve my mark) have?

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[zamzee]

Hi all,

Background:

• I have a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from a Canadian university.

• I graduated with a cGPA of 3.3.

• I am also half-way through Master's with a 3.9 GPA in my grad courses.

• I have no EC's or volunteering experience.

Questions:

1. Should I do a second undergrad degree to increase my GPA and improve my EC's/volunteering and at the same time get some medical research done OR should I just try to ace my pre-req's and try to do a little EC/Volunteering on the side?
2. How do US med. schools handle applicants with two degrees? (i.e. how is their cGPA calculated?)
3. I took physics in my prev. undergrad and didn't do well. What implications would retaking this course (to improve my mark) have?

1. You're in a master's program with a stellar GPA, bud. I personally don't think you need to go back to undergraduate completely, that sounds like a bit of overkill. I would go with your latter option.

2. Your GPA is calculated with every course you've ever taken past high school. So this means any community college courses or master's courses count. Both degrees will be added in, weighted by their unit values.

3. Not sure.

Hope that helps!

 

[BrightandClear]

Your GPA is calculated with every course you've ever taken past high school. So this means any community college courses or master's courses count. Both degrees will be added in, weighted by their unit values.

This is incorrect.

Your undergraduate and post-degree undergraduate classes (including from a second degree) will be used to calculate one set of GPAs (cum, science, and all other). Your graduate classes will be used to calculate a separate set. AMCAS does not combine the two.

Edited to add:

This is what AMCAS will send to schools. Everything above cum undergrad is combined into a single GPA on that line, graduate gpa is below.

 

[zamzee]

This is incorrect.

Your undergraduate and post-degree undergraduate classes (including from a second degree) will be used to calculate one set of GPAs (cum, science, and all other). Your graduate classes will be used to calculate a separate set. AMCAS does not combine the two.

Edited to add:

This is what AMCAS will send to schools. Everything above cum undergrad is combined into a single GPA on that line, graduate gpa is below.

Sorry, you're right. I went on a limb! Thanks.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

This is incorrect.

Your undergraduate and post-degree undergraduate classes (including from a second degree) will be used to calculate one set of GPAs (cum, science, and all other). Your graduate classes will be used to calculate a separate set. AMCAS does not combine the two.

Edited to add:

This is what AMCAS will send to schools. Everything above cum undergrad is combined into a single GPA on that line, graduate gpa is below.

WTF high school why is that in there?

 

[theseeker4]

WTF high school why is that in there?

Because some students take CC classes during high school, and since they are college-level work, they count toward the undergraduate GPA's.

 

[AymAyzing]

What about classes you take at college which aren't counted towards your undergrad? I was in the military and took a college 'Supervision' class. It doesn't count towards my current degree and I know it is still reported, but would that be included towards my cGPA?

I didn't want to start a new thread and most of the 'Is this included in my GPA questions' involve grad school when I tried to search.

 

[BrightandClear]

I was in the military and took a college 'Supervision' class. It doesn't count towards my current degree and I know it is still reported, but would that be included towards my cGPA?

Yes.

 

[brickwall]

1. You're in a master's program with a stellar GPA, bud. I personally don't think you need to go back to undergraduate completely, that sounds like a bit of overkill. I would go with your latter option.

Ya but that's my gGPA. My uGPA is still way sub-par and even if I did a second degree and got a 4.0, my cGPA would be a 3.7 at best . To add to that, I have a D+ in the physics course I took in engineering and I've heard that re-taking it wouldn't erase it from my record either.

I appreciate your encouragement but I have to be as realistic with myself about this as possible.

 

[TropicalKitty]

What about classes you take at college which aren't counted towards your undergrad? I was in the military and took a college 'Supervision' class. It doesn't count towards my current degree and I know it is still reported, but would that be included towards my cGPA?

I didn't want to start a new thread and most of the 'Is this included in my GPA questions' involve grad school when I tried to search.

Yes, the classes you take that your school doesn't necessarily count in your GPA will be calculated towards your AMCAS GPA. That didn't make me very happy, as I kind of slacked in an silly undergrad prereq in grad school, so that brought my grad AMCAS GPA down (even though it wasn't calculated in my grad GPA by the school). I know I brought it on myself in some way, but when I was in school that class mattered very little to my actual degree so not getting an A in it didn't matter to me either.

Let that be a word of heed to some of you.

 

[TropicalKitty]

Ya but that's my gGPA. My uGPA is still way sub-par and even if I did a second degree and got a 4.0, my cGPA would be a 3.7 at best . To add to that, I have a D+ in the physics course I took in engineering and I've heard that re-taking it wouldn't erase it from my record either.

I appreciate your encouragement but I have to be as realistic with myself about this as possible.

From what I've seen, and don't take this as gospel, you shouldn't need to get a second bachelor's. If you need some more proof of your abilities, there are post-bac programs you can enroll in. Rock your prereqs and continue to be the stellar student you have been of late. You can't do grade replacement, but there are ways you can show that you are academically capable. Getting another bachelor's just doesn't really seem necessary IMO. There are plenty of other SDNers that have had a rough early start, rocked out later, and have gotten into med school.

 

[AymAyzing]

Yes, the classes you take that your school doesn't necessarily count in your GPA will be calculated towards your AMCAS GPA. That didn't make me very happy, as I kind of slacked in an silly undergrad prereq in grad school, so that brought my grad AMCAS GPA down (even though it wasn't calculated in my grad GPA by the school). I know I brought it on myself in some way, but when I was in school that class mattered very little to my actual degree so not getting an A in it didn't matter to me either.

Let that be a word of heed to some of you.

Gotcha

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Because some students take CC classes during high school, and since they are college-level work, they count toward the undergraduate GPA's.

I hope they don't show any high school gpa because mine was terrible.

 

[BrightandClear]

I hope they don't show any high school gpa because mine was terrible.

They only include classes taken during high school if they were taken at a college (4-year, community, whatever).

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Then I'm good.

 

[aSagacious]

Moving to 'what are my chances' forum.

 

[brickwall]

Thank you aSagacious, could you also place the MD tag on the thread title, please?

 

[brickwall]

I'd really like to hear your opinions on my chances

 

[Morsetlis]

I'd really like to hear your opinions on my chances

Without medicine-related EC's, very very very very slim.

 

[brickwall]

Without medicine-related EC's, very very very very slim.

Well I know I have to work on that, but any idea of my chances if I take a second degree (and do well) and get my EC's?

 

[dbizzy]

Well I know I have to work on that, but any idea of my chances if I take a second degree (and do well) and get my EC's?

Don't get a second bachelors degree, it is a waste of time. Unofficial post-baccs, official post-bacc programs w/ linkages, and SMPs are more worth your while. With these, you are able to take a heavy science load to prove that you've got what it takes, without having to waste your time on random courses that are required for the degree but do nothing for you. Just having that second diploma won't do much for ya.

Of course, you could always enroll as a 2nd BS student, without having any intention of graduating with a degree at all. Take it from me, having some financial aid comes very much in handy.

 

[Catalystik]

Of course, you could always enroll as a 2nd BS student, without having any intention of graduating with a degree at all.

This /\, as you acquire registration priority and med schools won't care if you don't get the second bachelors, since you already have one.