Advice on GPA recovery

[booboofah]

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My former undergraduate institution had higher credit hours than most schools in my area so grade replacement would not benefit my GPA but I've been doing a second degree in biology at my local state school. I had a 2.4 GPA at my previous institution and I have a 3.8 postbacc GPA right now at my current institution. Would DO schools look at my upward trend? I will probably graduate Fall of 2015.

I am a clinical research volunteer for two studies and I will be working at a hospital soon as a community residence counselor.

 

[Goro]

Yes, especially with a killer MCAT score (>30.) What your cGPA?

My former undergraduate institution had higher credit hours than most schools in my area so grade replacement would not benefit my GPA but I've been doing a second degree in biology at my local state school. I had a 2.4 GPA at my previous institution and I have a 3.8 postbacc GPA right now at my current institution. Would DO schools look at my upward trend? I will probably graduate Fall of 2015.

I am a clinical research volunteer for two studies and I will be working at a hospital soon as a community residence counselor.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I graduated with a 2.78c/s. I did a LOT of PB work, and ended up with a 3.85 in my PB (3.91s), and a 3.2c/s overall. I had a 26 MCAT, and I had two acceptances before the end of the calendar year when I applied. Things are getting more and more competitive, so a higher MCAT is always better, but you have a shot! Make sure your ECs are solid, as well as your PS, and LORs!

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

I graduated with a 2.78c/s. I did a LOT of PB work, and ended up with a 3.85 in my PB (3.91s), and a 3.2c/s overall. I had a 26 MCAT, and I had two acceptances before the end of the calendar year when I applied. Things are getting more and more competitive, so a higher MCAT is always better, but you have a shot! Make sure your ECs are solid, as well as your PS, and LORs!

I wish I had known about DO grade replacement sooner. I just found out about it earlier this year which regained hopes for medical school at 29 years old. My u.gpa probably hovers at 2.99 (after 2 retaken courses this year, it was a 2.9 to begin with. But I also have a masters in biotechnology with a 3.65 with 53 credits, DO would count this in the overall gpa correct? If they do count it that would bring me up to a 3.2 to 3.3, for both overall and science gpa . I have been working as a Medical Technologist in the lab, hope to get a good reference from one of the Pathologists and studying for the 2015 MCAT.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Grad GPA is separate, sorry 🙁
I should add, after my two acceptances I stopped doing any secondaries & interviews.

 

[jl lin]

Did I read too quickly and misread somewhere where not every DO school does grade replacement? Personally, I wonder if it's like the MCATs, where, in reality, they often take an average of scores. Princess, that sucks about your cGPA; but it is GREAT that you are accepted!!! Congratulations! How many PB courses did you take? You never retook the MCAT, I gather?
Given the competition, overall, why in the world are DO's OK for MCAT acceptances < 30? No judgments. Just curious, b/c it seems like there is a lot of competition for DO seats as well as MD seats. Aren't med school apps up for both DO and MD schools in the US?

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

Grad GPA is separate, sorry 🙁
I should add, after my two acceptances I stopped doing any secondaries & interviews.

I'm pretty sure on AACOMAS they separate undergrad and grad but then calculate the total gpa. This is from the booklet. Someone with a masters correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Aacomas does the grade replacements so the school would have to undo the calculations

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

Aacomas does the grade replacements so the school would have to undo the calculations

That kinda blows lol. But oh well, hopefully it at least gets my application to human eyes.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I mean that I'm pretty damn sure all DO schools do grade replacement because that would be a hell of a lot of work.

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

I mean that I'm pretty damn sure all DO schools do grade replacement because that would be a hell of a lot of work.

Okay gotcha. Just hope they still include the masters gpa in the total. That would save me from having to retake a ton more undergrad classes.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Make no mistake, grad GPA is NOT going to trump your UG GPA. I'm pretty sure that UG GPA is still the majority of your application, and I don't think that your grad GPA is calculated into your cumulative. It is at a minimum not as strongly considered as your UG cumulative.

 

[Nasrudin]

Make no mistake, grad GPA is NOT going to trump your UG GPA. I'm pretty sure that UG GPA is still the majority of your application, and I don't think that your grad GPA is calculated into your cumulative. It is at a minimum not as strongly considered as your UG cumulative.

This is correct. UG gpa's (in combination with MCAT scores) are the benchmark for comparing thousands of applicants from hundreds of schools. Graduate gpa's are superfluous. Not that they can't be useful as an augmentation to your application but the only grad programs that do serious work towards getting you an acceptance are SMP's where you take medical school classes. And those come with all sorts of hazards and costs--see post bacc forum.

MCAT score averages for medical schools are just that. The ranges for many schools might surprise you. Mid 20's is not ideal, and threatens to knock out out of the running but obviously not in all cases.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Op
Graduate GPA is for graduate school not post-bacc under-grad work... Are you mixing these up??

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

If you can score above a 30 on the mcat, you'll probably have a better shot than you would otherwise. The stats for DO schools appears to be rising steadily (some DO schools have an average MCAT of 29), so be sure you have solid ECs. Your job experience in a clinical setting looks great. Maybe try to think deeply about your encounters with individual patients and jot down some thoughts in a diary so that you have good stories for your essays.

Also, if you can get your GPA up above a 3.0, that would help. One of the DO schools I applied to had a cutoff at 3.2, which was disappointing.

 

[booboofah]

Yes, especially with a likker MCAT score (>30.) What your cGPA?

Thanks for replying, Goro. According to my own AACOMAS calculation on excel, my cumulative GPA is 2.726, my science GPA is 2.835.

If you can score above a 30 on the mcat, you'll probably have a better shot than you would otherwise. The stats for DO schools appears to be rising steadily (some DO schools have an average MCAT of 29), so be sure you have solid ECs. Your job experience in a clinical setting looks great. Maybe try to think deeply about your encounters with individual patients and jot down some thoughts in a diary so that you have good stories for your essays.

Also, if you can get your GPA up above a 3.0, that would help. One of the DO schools I applied to had a cutoff at 3.2, which was disappointing.

Thank you for the advice, FutureSunnyDoc. I will try to write down my experiences. I guess it looks like I will have to try to extend my degree to get some more credits.

I graduated with a 2.78c/s. I did a LOT of PB work, and ended up with a 3.85 in my PB (3.91s), and a 3.2c/s overall. I had a 26 MCAT, and I had two acceptances before the end of the calendar year when I applied. Things are getting more and more competitive, so a higher MCAT is always better, but you have a shot! Make sure your ECs are solid, as well as your PS, and LORs!

Congratulations on your acceptances, Prncssbuttercup. I will try to work for that MCAT. How much PB work did you do if I may ask?

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

80 credits

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

This is correct. UG gpa's (in combination with MCAT scores) are the benchmark for comparing thousands of applicants from hundreds of schools. Graduate gpa's are superfluous. Not that they can't be useful as an augmentation to your application but the only grad programs that do serious work towards getting you an acceptance are SMP's where you take medical school classes. And those come with all sorts of hazards and costs--see post bacc forum.

MCAT score averages for medical schools are just that. The ranges for many schools might surprise you. Mid 20's is not ideal, and threatens to knock out out of the running but obviously not in all cases.

Do you think a person in this scenario might just be better off getting a second bachelors degree?

 

[Nasrudin]

Do you think a person in this scenario might just be better off getting a second bachelors degree?

Maybe, If it's cheaper, If your gpa is still mobile enough. If it makes sense in your overall scheme of building a killer sci gpa.

But what do I know. I think you've got the wrong impression of my admissions competence. That would be your Goro, your Q, etc.

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

Maybe, If it's cheaper, If your gpa is still mobile enough. If it makes sense in your overall scheme of building a killer sci gpa.

But what do I know. I think you've got the wrong impression of my admissions competence. That would be your Goro, your Q, etc.

Thanks for your response. Just curious. I'm at least 3 years out btw.