Am I doing the Right thing----Harvard Extension

[whosthis]

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firstly, i have a B.S in Bio. I have an undergrad cumulative GPA of: 2.9
Science GPA is 2.4

I want to go to medical school, if i cant then D.O school.

Here's My plan
1. Go to Harvard Extension school (starting this summer 2008)
2. Take mostly all the pre-reqs all over (2yrs)
3. Bust My butt off and Try to get A's ( I knowits gonna be tough, but I have to do it)


I dont know if it will raise my GPA high enough to be competitive for Medical Schools, But i know that D.O schools take the replaced grades. So if i dont get in a medical school, i can go to a D.O school.

By replacing my grades, i should be at a 3.7 science GPA. 🙂

So am i taking the right steps to get into at least a D.O school?

ps.... my mcat score is a 28Q

 

[Lokhtar]

Maybe. You might have to do a SMP with your overall cumulative GPA. At the very least, you should calculate what your GPA will be after retaking, so you know where you'll stand.

 

[whosthis]

am i good for DO schools though?

 

[Lokhtar]

am i good for DO schools though?

Maybe. Your GPA is still low.

 

[whosthis]

man...im confued again....but no matter what i have to retake my sciences, so is HES good for now?

by th way, wouldn't i be raising my overall cumaltive if i retook my prereqs?

i jus dont want to end up taking the wrong path and finding out latri should have done something else?

by th way thanks for replying to me Lokthar

 

[Lokhtar]

Well, which pre-reqs did you take before and what were your grades in all of them?

 

[whosthis]

Bio-B
Chem 1 C
Chem 2 C
Physics C
physics 2--C (retaken from a D)

Orgo 1--A
Orgo 2--C (retaken from a D)

Genetics--C
Physio-- A
Biochem--C

Labs--B's

 

[spazzz]

if it's a retake, and you do indeed get a 4.0, you'll be good for a lot of schools, your cum will go a a good amount as well

 

[Lokhtar]

Bio-B
Chem 1 C
Chem 2 C
Physics C
physics 2--C (retaken from a D)

Orgo 1--A
Orgo 2--C (retaken from a D)

Genetics--C
Physio-- A
Biochem--C

Labs--B's

OK, make sure you get all As. Not Bs. Especially courses you will take a 3rd time.

 

[whosthis]

i will have to i want to pursue medicine, thank you guys very much. HES here i come!!

 

[Cherrypoopers]

How old is the OP?
Do you have some good excuse or reason for your grades?
Why not consider nursing programs?
Or perhaps, graduate programs in other areas?
Medical school is very hard to get into, even for people doing exceptionally well in school.
Even Caribbean medical schools are not easy to get into.
Even certain RN programs are quite difficult to get into.
OP would have to turn over a new leaf entirely.

Another useful type of graduate program or RN program could serve as a foundation for money-making and could also provide useful experience that could eventually help the OP get into med school.

 

[Lokhtar]

How old is the OP?
Do you have some good excuse or reason for your grades?
Why not consider nursing programs?
Or perhaps, graduate programs in other areas?
Medical school is very hard to get into, even for people doing exceptionally well in school.
Even Caribbean medical schools are not easy to get into.
Even certain RN programs are quite difficult to get into.
OP would have to turn over a new leaf entirely.

Another useful type of graduate program or RN program could serve as a foundation for money-making and could also provide useful experience that could eventually help the OP get into med school.

I've had worse grades. If he can show consistent improvement, he can get in.

 

[Cherrypoopers]

Is the OP a girl or a guy?

He was a biology major, which makes the bad grades in these particular areas worse because it's not like the bad grades are unrelated to the premedical courses.

Also, the other thing that I am thinking in terms of advising the OP is that upper level courses in biology, chemistry, and math would help more than repeating courses.

I would also suggest that the OP get his MCAT to 30 or over because if a student has a C in premedical sciences, the Harvard Health Career Program will not sponsor the student without an MCAT of at least 30.

If the OP is not independently wealthy, it might be helpful for the OP to do something more practical and healtcare or research or biology related for the moment.

 

[Lovologist]

On a related note, Do Post-Baccs calculate your GPA to get into the post bacc program the AMCA way or the ANACOMAS way? I have a couple blotches on my record but never bothered to retake them because I thought that they didn't take retakes. (Sorry if this veers from the OP)

 

[Cherrypoopers]

On a related note, Do Post-Baccs take replaced grades? I have a couple blotches on my record but never bothered to retake them because I thought that they didn't take retakes. (Sorry if this veers from the OP)

Replaced grades in science or in other subjects?
I don't think that undergrad grades transfer to postbaccs, so they don't really take grades or not take grades... Am I right? 😕

AMCA doesn't take replaced grades but they average the grades. ANACOMAS does take replaced grades.

If your grade for a premed class is a C- or below, you should retake the course whether in your undergraduate or your postbacc because of the requirement of medical schools.

 

[whosthis]

lets hope my new mcat score will be higher this time. i just took it on jan 26. prepped for it really well. as far as my grades go, i know i can do alot better. i just glided along and never really cared to study much and was the typical party type. i know my potential that is why i am considering a post bac. If i cant get into a medical school, i will apply to a DO school. But i do know that i will give it my undivided attention this time. I know what i want in life.

I am going to send my transcripts to HES for admission to the HCP program. I know ill probably need about 2 years for all courses, so do I apply now for the HCP or do i wait until one year before i apply to medical school?

 

[Lokhtar]

Replaced grades in science or in other subjects?
I don't think that undergrad grades transfer to postbaccs, so they don't really take grades or not take grades... Am I right? 😕

Postbacs count as undergrad GPA (if you're taking undergrad courses).

 

[sfnix]

If i cant get into a medical school, i will apply to a DO school.

not to get into the MD vs DO shennanigans, but this statement really represents a crude and rudimentary understanding of medicine. DO schools are medical schools and their graduates work in the same hospitals, match to the same residencies, and treat the same patients as the MD graduates. Before applying to any medical school, i would seriously consider a revision of this idea.

about your situation... let's be perfectly honest, no one on this forum sits on an adcom at any medical school. i would contact somebody from an adcom first and see what they have to say. My advice, take upper level courses if you want to go to an MD school. they're not going to look past those Cs b/c you retook the same courses, they might look past them however if you prove that you know the material by doing well in courses that require the basic knowledge learned in those courses. again though, i don't sit on an adcom, so my opinion shouldn't mean crap to you in comparison to somebody who does.

 

[whosthis]

ok so i got my new MCAT score...35Q! and i got accepted to the HCP program at harvard Extension. Now all i have to woory about is replacing my pre reqs aswell as taking some upper level sciences too.

 

[Cherrypoopers]

ok so i got my new MCAT score...35Q! and i got accepted to the HCP program at harvard Extension. Now all i have to woory about is replacing my pre reqs aswell as taking some upper level sciences too.

Wow! 😱

Good luck.

 

[whosthis]

thanks man, thought i was dreaming for a bit, to tell uthe truth AAMC lost my score for about a day. i really hope this HCP (program) follows thru, i dont want to do an SMP afterwards. i already have 125 credit hours w/ degree.🙂

 

[RuseMD]

Hi there whothis. I'm actually working towards a degree in Biology here at Harvard Extension. I'd like to say congratulations on getting into HCP. The Extension program, even without doing the degree, is challenging and worthwhile. I'm suggesting that you should work like you've never worked before and believe me... you will succeed if you put your entire effort into it. I've met many successful people who've gone on from this School. Good luck and if you need any information, let me know!