Advice?

[kiwislts]

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[chilly_md]

I think going forward, you could become a stronger student now that you can treat your ADHD. What are your year by year GPA trends? It would be a good idea to pursue a DIY post-bacc at a local university and see if you can get your sGPA over the 3.0 mark after a year of classes. Please see Goro’s guide to reinvention:

Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention (updated for 2021)

EDIT: Post in WAMC forum for recommended school lists. This thread isn't for that. So you want to be a doctor, but your GPA is terrible. Is that the end? Rule #1: Take a deep breath, and stop fussing. The sky is not falling. But you are going to need to reinvent yourself. This will take...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[deleted1079620]

I also recommend a post bacc or an SMP. Just for encouragement, my gpa when I returned to college to pursue medicine was below 1.0, and I’m taking COMLEX in a month and starting 3rd year rotations in 6 weeks. Hang in there and if you really want it, keep fighting for it!

 

[kiwislts]

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[kiwislts]

I also recommend a post bacc or an SMP. Just for encouragement, my gpa when I returned to college to pursue medicine was below 1.0, and I’m taking COMLEX in a month and starting 3rd year rotations in 6 weeks. Hang in there and if you really want it, keep fighting for it!

This was so encouraging, thank you. Did you complete an SMP or DIY postbacc?

 

[chilly_md]

Thanks for taking the time to respond! So, I was reading this and given the fact that I have so many credits, it would take about 30-35 credits to get my science GPA above a 3.0 (given that I get straight As). My current GPA sits at a 3.22 so I don’t know if that would be enough to get me through the screen or if I should also try and get the science GPA above a 3.0? I have all of my prereqs, so in this case, would it be better to try and do an SMP?
Also, this is including my dual enrollment credits from high school, which are literally 10-6 years old (I took 2 courses per semester following the end on my freshman year in high school). I’m not sure if Adcoms would consider that or if specific schools would ignore those grades. Either way, BCPM GPA trends for specific years (with DE credits) as follows: 2.47—>3.13 —> 2.68 (this is when I got wrecked with biochem + physics) and senior year 3.64 (took anatomy, physiology, and 2 other science classes). For cumulative gpa the trend is 3.06–>3.24—> 2.95–> 3.52. I know this isn’t the strongest trend but I feel like it shows some general upwards improvement, especially my senior year.
Since my MCAT is strong I feel like this could offset an questions about my academic capacity, but again I don’t know if it’ll be enough to get me through the screens 🙁 any advice is appreciated

Take the 35 credits in upper division sciences as detailed in the link I provided to get you over the 3.0 mark. It would be best to do that to get past any screens as well as provide more data that your senior grades are more reflective of who you are. There are board exams for medical school, but much of it is day to day classes (especially the first two years). That is why a high MCAT alone likely won't be enough. If you have a state college near you, that should be cheaper than an SMP.

 

[kiwislts]

Take the 35 credits in upper division sciences as detailed in the link I provided to get you over the 3.0 mark. It would be best to do that to get past any screens as well as provide more data that your senior grades are more reflective of who you are. There are board exams for medical school, but much of it is day to day classes (especially the first two years). That is why a high MCAT alone likely won't be enough. If you have a state college near you, that should be cheaper than an SMP.

So would you suggest I apply this cycle (and complete the courses this year) or complete the courses and apply a year from now?

 

[chilly_md]

So would you suggest I apply this cycle (and complete the courses this year) or complete the courses and apply a year from now?

Wait a year to apply. Schools won't wait till December or January to see how you did, so it is best to apply with all of them on your transcript.

 

[deleted1079620]

This was so encouraging, thank you. Did you complete an SMP or DIY postbacc?

I had to start from scratch and do a whole degree, then I did a masters.

 

[petomed]

The door for medical school is very far from closed for you. It may not be in your best interest to apply this cycle but a 522 mcat will absolutely take you there if you focus on bringing your gpa up as mentioned.

Three gap years seems like a long time and in many ways it is. I transitioned from another career and took things intentionally slow, ultimately putting five years between the day I knew medicine was the goal and when I was finally able to sit for the mcat. Knowing medicine is your path and checking the boxes are the hard part.

You can absolutely do this. You just need to square up with your timeline. I don’t know your age but I’m willing to bet you’ll still have a 25+ year career as a doctor once all is said and done.

Don’t get discouraged by a few extra years to enjoy life before medicine. There’s just so much more to life than treating patients.

 

[kiwislts]

The door for medical school is very far from closed for you. It may not be in your best interest to apply this cycle but a 522 mcat will absolutely take you there if you focus on bringing your gpa up as mentioned.

Three gap years seems like a long time and in many ways it is. I transitioned from another career and took things intentionally slow, ultimately putting five years between the day I knew medicine was the goal and when I was finally able to sit for the mcat. Knowing medicine is your path and checking the boxes are the hard part.

You can absolutely do this. You just need to square up with your timeline. I don’t know your age but I’m willing to bet you’ll still have a 25+ year career as a doctor once all is said and done.

Don’t get discouraged by a few extra years to enjoy life before medicine. There’s just so much more to life than treating patients.

This is literally the nicest thing I could’ve read today. Thank you for this, I really appreciate your words of encouragement