Am I done even before postbac begins?

[drewS21]

Hey Fellow Non-trads,

Just spent a little while doing some calculations and I'm having a minor freakout before I even begin postbac.

I wanted to get some advice on if I'm going to be able to overcome my grade hurdle. I dream of MD school and that will be my ultimate goal (if I can even attain it).

I created my own DIY postbac which will begin this spring. I'll be taking 10 total science courses to fill pre-reqs. So I went through and calculated my cumulative GPA with an AMCAS calculator, added in some postbac grades, and here goes nothing:

The Bad:

My cumulative GPA for undergrad is 3.27 and BCPM gpa (consisting of 2 math classes and introductory bio) is 3.3.

If I somehow even managed to get straight As in postbac, my totals would still only come out to be something like 3.42 cGPA, and 3.86 sGPA.

Given this, I should assume that I'll be somewhere between a 3.3-3.4 cGPA and hopefully somewhere in the mid-3s for sGPA.

I also dropped out of law school this semester. I've gotten mixed reviews for this. People on this site feel that it may hurt me significantly. My pre-med advisor thinks it shouldn't hurt that bad if I can prove medicine is really what I want. I talked to a few people in admissions where my sister goes to medical school and they said the same thing as my advisor.

The Good:

I currently hold a research position at a large teaching hospital where I am doing clinical trials and shadowing a surgeon who specializes in robotics surgery. I will be contributing to an article which will be published in a scholarly journal. I should be able to rack up many hours of clinical and shadowing experience with physicians of many different disciplines over the next year and a half.

I will also be looking to do research at my university and volunteer at a local hospital for a few hours each week.

Some non-medically related things I did in undergrad:

- interned with a very high-ranking member of the House of Representatives
- interned in two separate sports representation firms
- after graduating, I worked in a healthcare practice management firm which helped to spark my interest in medicine

I haven't taken the MCAT nor the classes required for it, but overall I tend to do well on standardized tests. I scored above the 95th percentile on both the SAT and LSAT. I know this may mean diddly squat regarding the MCAT, but I do plan on working hard and hopefully will end up with a decent score.

I realize this entire thread is based almost entirely on hypotheticals, but I just want to now how much my low GPA is going to hold me back or even keep me out of MD school. Additionally, I want to get some advice on what else I can to do offset the GPA over the next year and a half so I can apply to MD school. Also, will med schools focus more on post-bac GPA if I can show significant improvement from undergrad?

If anyone has anything they can tell me, I'd really appreciate it.

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[MT Headed]

You sound awfully fixated on an MD degree. You know the big task ahead of you. Many of us non-trads have checkered pasts, and we also apply to DO schools as well. The nice thing about DO schools is that they do grade replacement, which means those post-bacc A's can raise your GPA significantly. A few state schools like North Dakota also do grade replacement, but they generally only recruit from in-state.

Concerning dropping out of law school, yes some schools might see that as a red flag, but as long as you can justify your action on your medical school applications and/or your interview, the damage ought to be minimal. I transferred from a paramedic program to a pre-med program, and one interviewer brought it up as a concern; she was afraid I was a flake and would drop out of medical school too. I thought it was a natural and obvious degree upgrade, but she really hammered me on this, so make sure you have a smooth story.

 

[drewS21]

You sound awfully fixated on an MD degree. You know the big task ahead of you. Many of us non-trads have checkered pasts, and we also apply to DO schools as well. The nice thing about DO schools is that they do grade replacement, which means those post-bacc A's can raise your GPA significantly. A few state schools like Texas (I think) and North Dakota (I know) also do grade replacement, but they generally only recruit from in-state.

Concerning dropping out of law school, yes some schools might see that as a red flag, but as long as you can justify your action on your medical school applications and/or your interview, the damage ought to be minimal. I transferred from a paramedic program to a pre-med program, and one interviewer brought it up as a concern; she was afraid I was a flake and would drop out of medical school too. I thought it was a natural and obvious degree upgrade, but she really hammered me on this, so make sure you have a smooth story.

Thanks so much for the response!

I'll definitely also be applying to DO schools, but I do have reasons for being as fixated on an MD as I am. I know it's going to take a great amount of work to even get myself to being competitive and I am willing to do whatever I need to.

Question about grade replacement - I didn't take any of the sciences courses in undergrad, so what grades would the DO schools be replacing? I was a bit unclear on what you meant there but it sounds like something I'd be interested in.

 

[FutureDrB]

Thanks so much for the response!

I'll definitely also be applying to DO schools, but I do have reasons for being as fixated on an MD as I am. I know it's going to take a great amount of work to even get myself to being competitive and I am willing to do whatever I need to.

Question about grade replacement - I didn't take any of the sciences courses in undergrad, so what grades would the DO schools be replacing? I was a bit unclear on what you meant there but it sounds like something I'd be interested in.

D.O. schools use the AACOMAS application system, which only calculates the highest grade. For example, say you took statistics and got a C, then later took the class again and got an A, only the A would be counted into your GPAs.

This is helpful to many non-traditional students, including myself, who choose to go the D.O. route, because it allows you to raise your GPA if you weren't a stellar student back in college.

Be aware that this does not apply to TCOM (the D.O. school here in Texas) because they are the one school who uses the TMDSAS application instead of AACOMAS.

Really annoying by the way for us Texas residents who must now attend out-of-state and pay much higher tuition. $40K-$50K vs. $12K

 

[ShoTyme]

Be aware that this does not apply to TCOM (the D.O. school here in Texas) because they are the one school who uses the TMDSAS application instead of AACOMAS.

Really annoying by the way for us Texas residents who must now attend out-of-state and pay much higher tuition. $40K-$50K vs. $12K

Dude! Wtf! I didn't know that. Dangitalltahell.

Thanks for the info though.

 

[LifeTake2]

OP just do well and you will be fine. Focus in your school and EC'S and that GPA won't stop you.

I started back with a BS I earned with a 2.56 pushed hard and have an acceptance. Just do your best, sell yourself and be confident and sure about WHY. Motivation is very important to adcoms with a non-trad.

 

[ChE04]

I had the same undergrad GPAs as you, got straight A's in my post-bacc, and ended up around 3.4-something. I did well on the MCAT, applied only to MD schools and now hold multiple acceptances. Hopefully that sets your mind at ease about your GPA... Just kill your post-bacc and the MCAT and you'll be ok. Best of luck.

 

[drewS21]

I had the same undergrad GPAs as you, got straight A's in my post-bacc, and ended up around 3.4-something. I did well on the MCAT, applied only to MD schools and now hold multiple acceptances. Hopefully that sets your mind at ease about your GPA... Just kill your post-bacc and the MCAT and you'll be ok. Best of luck.

That's fantastic, congrats! That really does make me feel a lot better.

Do you mind if I ask how well is "well" on the MCAT?

 

[ChE04]

That's fantastic, congrats! That really does make me feel a lot better.

Do you mind if I ask how well is "well" on the MCAT?

Thanks! Believe me, I felt the same way about my GPA when applying. It's especially easy to get psyched out and discouraged while reading these forums. As far as the MCAT goes, I got a 35Q (13PS, 10VR, 12BS).

 

[mssylmarie]

OP just do well and you will be fine. Focus in your school and EC'S and that GPA won't stop you.

I started back with a BS I earned with a 2.56 pushed hard and have an acceptance. Just do your best, sell yourself and be confident and sure about WHY. Motivation is very important to adcoms with a non-trad.

That sounds like a huge hurdle you overcame. What sorts of things did you do to get accepted besides a successful post-bacc?

 

[drewS21]

Thanks! Believe me, I felt the same way about my GPA when applying. It's especially easy to get psyched out and discouraged while reading these forums. As far as the MCAT goes, I got a 35Q (13PS, 10VR, 12BS).

Thanks so much. I just need to basically destroy everything in my path from now until Summer 2013!

 

[PharMed2016]

Hey Fellow Non-trads,

Just spent a little while doing some calculations and I'm having a minor freakout before I even begin postbac.

I wanted to get some advice on if I'm going to be able to overcome my grade hurdle. I dream of MD school and that will be my ultimate goal (if I can even attain it).

I created my own DIY postbac which will begin this spring. I'll be taking 10 total science courses to fill pre-reqs. So I went through and calculated my cumulative GPA with an AMCAS calculator, added in some postbac grades, and here goes nothing:

The Bad:

My cumulative GPA for undergrad is 3.27 and BCPM gpa (consisting of 2 math classes and introductory bio) is 3.3.

If I somehow even managed to get straight As in postbac, my totals would still only come out to be something like 3.42 cGPA, and 3.86 sGPA.

Given this, I should assume that I'll be somewhere between a 3.3-3.4 cGPA and hopefully somewhere in the mid-3s for sGPA.

I also dropped out of law school this semester. I've gotten mixed reviews for this. People on this site feel that it may hurt me significantly. My pre-med advisor thinks it shouldn't hurt that bad if I can prove medicine is really what I want. I talked to a few people in admissions where my sister goes to medical school and they said the same thing as my advisor.

The Good:

I currently hold a research position at a large teaching hospital where I am doing clinical trials and shadowing a surgeon who specializes in robotics surgery. I will be contributing to an article which will be published in a scholarly journal. I should be able to rack up many hours of clinical and shadowing experience with physicians of many different disciplines over the next year and a half.

I will also be looking to do research at my university and volunteer at a local hospital for a few hours each week.

Some non-medically related things I did in undergrad:

- interned with a very high-ranking member of the House of Representatives
- interned in two separate sports representation firms
- after graduating, I worked in a healthcare practice management firm which helped to spark my interest in medicine

I haven't taken the MCAT nor the classes required for it, but overall I tend to do well on standardized tests. I scored above the 95th percentile on both the SAT and LSAT. I know this may mean diddly squat regarding the MCAT, but I do plan on working hard and hopefully will end up with a decent score.

I realize this entire thread is based almost entirely on hypotheticals, but I just want to now how much my low GPA is going to hold me back or even keep me out of MD school. Additionally, I want to get some advice on what else I can to do offset the GPA over the next year and a half so I can apply to MD school. Also, will med schools focus more on post-bac GPA if I can show significant improvement from undergrad?

If anyone has anything they can tell me, I'd really appreciate it.

How many years of law school do you have remaining? If its like a year then I would just finish because you already spent so much money and you may be able to use it later in an advisory capacity.

 

[drewS21]

How many years of law school do you have remaining? If its like a year then I would just finish because you already spent so much money and you may be able to use it later in an advisory capacity.

I already withdrew from law school and I had about 2.5 years remaining (this was just my first semester). Trust me, I did a LOT of thinking about this issue and while it might potentially be something I need to explain to adcomms, it was for the best personally.

Thankfully, I also had a sizeable scholarship and the school is working on getting me a partial refund on my tuition so the money damage is minimal.

 

[PharMed2016]

I already withdrew from law school and I had about 2.5 years remaining (this was just my first semester). Trust me, I did a LOT of thinking about this issue and while it might potentially be something I need to explain to adcomms, it was for the best personally.

Thankfully, I also had a sizeable scholarship and the school is working on getting me a partial refund on my tuition so the money damage is minimal.

Well I hope everything works out.

 

[drewS21]

Well I hope everything works out.

Thanks! I hope so too. It was a huge decision and I really think it was the right one.