Advice on my plan

[Bianca2180]

hi guys! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’ll try to explain everything as concisely as possible.

I am currently a second semester junior studying molecular and cellular biology. Throughout my freshman and sophomore years I did not do as amazing as I could have, but I have had an upward trend starting junior year. My first question is concerning my major. 1. Would medical schools be wary of me changing my major from biology to psychology (it’s actully cognitive neuroscience but it is still under psychology if that makes sense)? Of course my gpa jumps, but do med schools care about that?

So with my major change, I’d have a major gpa of 3.40 and a cGPA of 2.6. I know I need to get that cGPA school way higher and I am using my remaining time here to retake classes and boost my GPA. I am willing to stay extra time in my undergrad as well to help boost my GPA. Does that sound like a good idea?
My next question is it seems like my best option will be post bac? Will it be possible to boost my GPA to where it needs to be?

I have no taken the MCAT, but plan to take one this summer to see where I stand.

I am just a bit confused and worried I messed up too badly during my first two years to turn this around? Do I even have a chance at med school at all with these stats? Any advice on how to go about everything?

Thanks for reading this!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Campana]

GPA:

Your med school application doesn't show a change in major, and a change in major can only affect your GPA insomuch as future classes you take might be easier to get a better grade . Your med school application doesn't show your "major GPA", but rather shows every grade ever. There are great posts for "reinvention" to get your 2.6 up to something more competitive. A post bacc could be a good idea.

Your AMCAS GPA will show all of the classes you have ever taken at any college. AMCAS will show your GPA broken apart as follows:
- overall GPA (all classes)
- BCPM GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math classes)
- AO GPA ("All Other" classes that don't fit into BCPM)

It will also show this GPA net total and by year, so an upward trend is good.

MCAT:

You should not take the MCAT "just to see where I stand". You should only take the MCAT when you know where you stand and you like where you stand. There are practice tests (Next Step used to offer a free practice test) that you should use instead. Besides being expensive, every official MCAT you take is part of your application and it is not guaranteed that a university would only look at your best score.

SDN has lots of great information to help you out - keep searching and good luck!