Advice Please!

[MAJ23]

Hi,

I am a long time lurker, but new to the forum...Please move this if this is not the appropriate forum...Anyways, people here seem very knowledgeable about getting into schools and I was looking for some advice...Here are the "basics":
I'm 24, a 6th year senior. I was a pharmacy student who did not do too well...Some classes I got A's, some B's and C's and I got a few D's and a couple F's. I took one semester off and retook a semester of courses only to improve very slightly. I switched out of pharmacy and became a Biology major with a Chemistry and Spanish minor. Overall, my pharmacy average was a C. My other classes have been similarly average. I have an A in Human Physiology, but a D in Anatomy, which I retook, and got an A (but the transcript just shows it as transfer credit). I have an A in Chemistry, but a C in Organic. My grades range from very good, to poor, mostly in pharmacy classes. My non-pharmacy GPA is 3.2 but my overall is 2.55.
I realize this isn't a competitve GPA, as my adviser told me I have no chance of med school (she told me the same my freshman year when I had a 3.5). I have volunteered at 4 hospitals, a nursing home, and have done mentoring since I was in junior high. My most recent volunteering was probably 3-4 years ago, but I am setting up to do some volunteering this summer. I have also shadowed 2 doctors in the past few months. I have signed up for Kaplan MCAT review (may do Princeton Review) for this summer to take the MCAT in August...I plan to do this as well as volunteering for the summer.
If you're still reading this (thank you), I know that I want to go to medical school and become a physician. It's not the money nor the prestige. I have work experience in other fields, but my experience in the health care field and my love of the work makes me want to be a physician. There is nothing I'd rather do for the rest of my life. I speak 3 languages, play the guitar, make professional websites, car audio/video work, and played sports in high school. I have a lot of understanding of both of my cultures. I think that outside of my GPA, I have more than enough qualifications as a medical student...but my GPA just depresses me whenever I think I have the motiviation to go to the next step. I would greatly appreciate advice on what to do next to achieve my goal. Thank you to those who reply and I'm sorry I wrote a book out of it...If you have more questions, please let me know. I want opinions from people I do not know...Thank you.

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[Saluki]

Hi,

I am a long time lurker, but new to the forum...Please move this if this is not the appropriate forum...Anyways, people here seem very knowledgeable about getting into schools and I was looking for some advice...Here are the "basics":
I'm 24, a 6th year senior. I was a pharmacy student who did not do too well...Some classes I got A's, some B's and C's and I got a few D's and a couple F's. I took one semester off and retook a semester of courses only to improve very slightly. I switched out of pharmacy and became a Biology major with a Chemistry and Spanish minor. Overall, my pharmacy average was a C. My other classes have been similarly average. I have an A in Human Physiology, but a D in Anatomy, which I retook, and got an A (but the transcript just shows it as transfer credit). I have an A in Chemistry, but a C in Organic. My grades range from very good, to poor, mostly in pharmacy classes. My non-pharmacy GPA is 3.2 but my overall is 2.55.
I realize this isn't a competitve GPA, as my adviser told me I have no chance of med school (she told me the same my freshman year when I had a 3.5). I have volunteered at 4 hospitals, a nursing home, and have done mentoring since I was in junior high. My most recent volunteering was probably 3-4 years ago, but I am setting up to do some volunteering this summer. I have also shadowed 2 doctors in the past few months. I have signed up for Kaplan MCAT review (may do Princeton Review) for this summer to take the MCAT in August...I plan to do this as well as volunteering for the summer.
If you're still reading this (thank you), I know that I want to go to medical school and become a physician. It's not the money nor the prestige. I have work experience in other fields, but my experience in the health care field and my love of the work makes me want to be a physician. There is nothing I'd rather do for the rest of my life. I speak 3 languages, play the guitar, make professional websites, car audio/video work, and played sports in high school. I have a lot of understanding of both of my cultures. I think that outside of my GPA, I have more than enough qualifications as a medical student...but my GPA just depresses me whenever I think I have the motiviation to go to the next step. I would greatly appreciate advice on what to do next to achieve my goal. Thank you to those who reply and I'm sorry I wrote a book out of it...If you have more questions, please let me know. I want opinions from people I do not know...Thank you.

You're coming up a lot with such a low GPA and the fact that you dropped out of a professional school.... You'll probably get some replies here, but you might get more educated responses in the non-traditional forum.... Also DO schools can sometimes be more forgiving...

 

[MAJ23]

You're coming up a lot with such a low GPA and the fact that you dropped out of a professional school.... You'll probably get some replies here, but you might get more educated responses in the non-traditional forum.... Also DO schools can sometimes be more forgiving...

Thanks, I'll try that...Also, everyone please remember I'm new to this, so if I wrote something wrong, sorry...Only constructive criticism please, not "dude, you suck, be a PA."

 

[frany584]

Well, I definitely think you have the potential of having a decent GPA since you had a 3.5 your freshmen year. I am not sure about the criteria for pharmacy classes, but if they are very similar to medical classes and since you did not do so well in them, try to evaluate where you might have gone wrong regarding studying techniques. It may sound silly, but a friend I know at USF undergrad took a course just on test taking and studying skills, and it helped her tremendously!!! Also, about the MCAT, I think the August MCAT might put you at a disadvantage since you would be applying later; if your GPA is not strong enough either this will also be a disadvantage... unless your MCAT is extremely high. The previous poster had good advice as well by posting in the non-trad forum so you can get other perspectives on your situation as well. good luck!

 

[MAJ23]

Thank you frany...I have definitely learned my lesson in terms of test taking/study skills...Since high school I would study 1-2 nights before and do well, but no in pharmacy and certainly not in medical school...I think that knowledge and experience is now an advantage for me in terms of my future studying adventures...

 

[physicsnerd42]

Hi,

I am a long time lurker, but new to the forum...Please move this if this is not the appropriate forum...Anyways, people here seem very knowledgeable about getting into schools and I was looking for some advice...Here are the "basics":
I'm 24, a 6th year senior. I was a pharmacy student who did not do too well...Some classes I got A's, some B's and C's and I got a few D's and a couple F's. I took one semester off and retook a semester of courses only to improve very slightly. I switched out of pharmacy and became a Biology major with a Chemistry and Spanish minor. Overall, my pharmacy average was a C. My other classes have been similarly average. I have an A in Human Physiology, but a D in Anatomy, which I retook, and got an A (but the transcript just shows it as transfer credit). I have an A in Chemistry, but a C in Organic. My grades range from very good, to poor, mostly in pharmacy classes. My non-pharmacy GPA is 3.2 but my overall is 2.55.
I realize this isn't a competitve GPA, as my adviser told me I have no chance of med school (she told me the same my freshman year when I had a 3.5). I have volunteered at 4 hospitals, a nursing home, and have done mentoring since I was in junior high. My most recent volunteering was probably 3-4 years ago, but I am setting up to do some volunteering this summer. I have also shadowed 2 doctors in the past few months. I have signed up for Kaplan MCAT review (may do Princeton Review) for this summer to take the MCAT in August...I plan to do this as well as volunteering for the summer.
If you're still reading this (thank you), I know that I want to go to medical school and become a physician. It's not the money nor the prestige. I have work experience in other fields, but my experience in the health care field and my love of the work makes me want to be a physician. There is nothing I'd rather do for the rest of my life. I speak 3 languages, play the guitar, make professional websites, car audio/video work, and played sports in high school. I have a lot of understanding of both of my cultures. I think that outside of my GPA, I have more than enough qualifications as a medical student...but my GPA just depresses me whenever I think I have the motiviation to go to the next step. I would greatly appreciate advice on what to do next to achieve my goal. Thank you to those who reply and I'm sorry I wrote a book out of it...If you have more questions, please let me know. I want opinions from people I do not know...Thank you.

Sorry, but I think your overall GPA is too low to be competitive at any allopathic medical schools. Even if you did a successful post-bac (got a 4.0), I think it would still be too low. You may want to look at osteopathic med schools (if you do very well on your MCAT). Osteopathic schools are more forgiving if you have EITHER a low GPA or low MCAT. If you don't get a great MCAT (well into the 30s), then you probably have 0 chance at an osteopathic med school. If do well on the MCAT and you don't get into any osteopathic schools on your first try, maybe try taking more undergrad classes to boost your GPA. Also, look at carribean med schools. Good luck!

 

[MAJ23]

Thank you all for the advice...Anyone else?

 

[beanbean]

Coming from someone who had a 2.5 and is now an MSIII.....

How to successfully apply? You need to graduate, find a job or volunteer here or abroad, be successful at it, and then do a post-bacc. The more time between your current gpa and a strong post-bacc the better. I worked as an engineer in a hospital for 6 years and then was a stay-at-home mom. Throughout this time I volunteered in EMS as an EMT and EMS Instructor.

Right now I would strongly advise against taking the MCAT or trying to apply. It will probably just be a waste of money and effort. MCAT scores are only good for three years and who wants to have to take that beast twice if you don't have to.

There are many temporary alternate paths before becoming a physician. If it is meant to be, things will work out in the future.