Am I just a lost cause, low GPA?

[Ajax21]

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Well guys I spent a month or so on these boards just reading and trying to figure out my life, and I know nobody can help me with a straight out answer but some advice would be great. I never planned on becoming a DO but lately I have been very interested. Well I graduated with a degree in Environmental Biology with a GPA of 2.24 and science GPA the same in 2005, which I know is worse than bad (Bunch of excuses, mainly I am a foreign ESL student , becoming a permanent resident), but I did score a 34 on my MCAT. And that is were I see the light! It would be near impossible for me to raise my GPA by retaking my classes, I believe I would have to take around 90 credit hours and score a 4.0 for all of them to get it back to a 3.0. The degree that I took has two emphasis, Biology and Politics. Would I be able to transfer all my credits to a diff school, since most schools only transfer credits and not grades(Am I correct in stating that?) and get a second degree in Environmental Politics since I have most of the courses already and maybe a year short of the politics degree, score a great GPA and use that to apply? The other option is taking a SMP and then apply to DO school,but the issue is that my grades is to weak for that! Any adive would be great!!
Experiences and goals: I have been working at a BioChemical company as there lead transgenic protein extraction specialist.Doing research on new methods etc. I also have shadowed a DO for 60+ hours with some being with a medical examiner and over 100 volenteer hours. My ultimate goal is to be a forensic pathologist and medical examiner! So should I just forget about applying or does my MCAT give me a shot to get past the initial screening? I would appreciate honest answers since this would cost alot of money that I cannot afford to throw away.

 

[Lokhtar]

Yes, its too low right now. Some SMPs will take you with a sub 3.0 GPA, but 2.24 is really low. You'll have to take lots of courses to get it up and above a 3.0. You might just have to do a second bachelor's degree and get very very high grades in it to be considered for SMP. In Texas, they discount any grades from 10 years ago, so that might be an option. Other than that, I don't see a short way out.

The only other option I see is the Caribbean. SGU and Ross probably won't take you (apply anyway), SABA might (just might). Or you might have to goto a university that is not approved in all fifty states and just deal with high attrition rates.

 

[Jpc984]

Well I graduated with a degree in Environmental Biology with a GPA of 2.24 and science GPA the same in 2005, which I know is worse than bad (Bunch of excuses, mainly I am a foreign ESL student , becoming a permanent resident), but I did score a 34 on my MCAT.

Don't use excuses!!! Adcoms don't care for them. In addition it is hard to argue the ESL excuse with a 34 on the MCAT (in my opinion). Good Job!!!

It would be near impossible for me to raise my GPA by retaking my classes, I believe I would have to take around 90 credit hours and score a 4.0 for all of them to get it back to a 3.0.

If you are interested in Osteopathic Medicine... all is not lost. AACOMAS replaces grades, not merely averages them. Thus, if you got a F the first time and a B the second time, the B will count for your GPA, not the F. This is not true of AMCAS.


The degree that I took has two emphasis, Biology and Politics. Would I be able to transfer all my credits to a diff school, since most schools only transfer credits and not grades(Am I correct in stating that?) and get a second degree in Environmental Politics since I have most of the courses already and maybe a year short of the politics degree, score a great GPA and use that to apply?

I think that depends on the individual courses and institutions you are attending. Some may transfer for a grade, some may not.


The other option is taking a SMP and then apply to DO school,but the issue is that my grades is to weak for that! Any adive would be great!!

I was going to suggest an SMP, but I don't know what cut offs they have and what not.


Experiences and goals: I have been working at a BioChemical company as there lead transgenic protein extraction specialist.Doing research on new methods etc. I also have shadowed a DO for 60+ hours with some being with a medical examiner and over 100 volenteer hours.

Good. It seems you are really interested in Osteopathic medicine.

My ultimate goal is to be a forensic pathologist and medical examiner! So should I just forget about applying or does my MCAT give me a shot to get past the initial screening?

Depends on the school. Some have a mcat and gpa cutoff.

 

[Coastie]

With that MCAT and story, you may have a shot. Be sure to apply to Rocky Vista University!

Well guys I spent a month or so on these boards just reading and trying to figure out my life, and I know nobody can help me with a straight out answer but some advice would be great. I never planned on becoming a DO but lately I have been very interested. Well I graduated with a degree in Environmental Biology with a GPA of 2.24 and science GPA the same in 2005, which I know is worse than bad (Bunch of excuses, mainly I am a foreign ESL student , becoming a permanent resident), but I did score a 34 on my MCAT. And that is were I see the light! It would be near impossible for me to raise my GPA by retaking my classes, I believe I would have to take around 90 credit hours and score a 4.0 for all of them to get it back to a 3.0. The degree that I took has two emphasis, Biology and Politics. Would I be able to transfer all my credits to a diff school, since most schools only transfer credits and not grades(Am I correct in stating that?) and get a second degree in Environmental Politics since I have most of the courses already and maybe a year short of the politics degree, score a great GPA and use that to apply? The other option is taking a SMP and then apply to DO school,but the issue is that my grades is to weak for that! Any adive would be great!!
Experiences and goals: I have been working at a BioChemical company as there lead transgenic protein extraction specialist.Doing research on new methods etc. I also have shadowed a DO for 60+ hours with some being with a medical examiner and over 100 volenteer hours. My ultimate goal is to be a forensic pathologist and medical examiner! So should I just forget about applying or does my MCAT give me a shot to get past the initial screening? I would appreciate honest answers since this would cost alot of money that I cannot afford to throw away.

 

[DangQ3]

I think retaking you classes is probably your best option. If you can get your GPA close to 3.0, I think you'll get in somewhere with that MCAT score. Good luck.

 

[brookliner7]

Most schools, if not all, have a minimum GPA requirement.
As far as I know, none are below 2.24.
Your MCAT will mean nothing if you do not meet the minimum requirements.
As stated above, retake your worst classes that were worth the most credit hours to replace those grades to improve your GPA.

 

[MaximusD]

Just be careful with masters/SMP programs because your MCAT score will expire in 2-3 years for most schools.

Good luck, but it WILL be an uphill battle with under a 2.5-2.75 GPA with ANY MCAT score. You rarely see anyone with under a 2.9/3.0 in DO schools, even with an excellent MCAT.

But SDN has a few really impressive success stories. Your best bet would be to talk to admissions directors and SMP program directors. 👍

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Re-take a bunch of ****.

 

[prionsRbad]

Like the above posters have said, retake ALL the classes you got bad grades in (including C's). AACOMAS will replace all those grades and your GPA should be in much better shape if you do well. I retook 6 classes and raised my GPA significantly. This is your best bet if you want to go to med school in the US.

Best of luck to you!!

 

[pamolive]

Definitely retake classes. I think most post bacs and SMPs have a gpa cut off of about 3.0-2.7. If this is something that you really want, then just go back to school and get a 2nd degree. Start from the beginning, and that'll make your undergrad GPA go up a lot, as long as you do well.

What's your native country? You may want to try looking into foreign med schools (not in the carribean). Like in India, Ireland etc. They offer great training, and as long as you score well on your USMLE you'll get to practice in the states.

 

[Ajax21]

I did not expect such good and fast responses! Thanks alot. Yeah believe me I never condone using excuses! I am originally from South Africa and there is no way I would want to go back and study there, I worked too hard to get were I am at now to go back to that. Looking at the responses my best bet is to retake my worst classes since most of them are C's. I will have to do this part-time since I would not be able to attend(afford mainly) school full-time and the med-school on top of that. The company that I work for does offer tuition reimbersement as long as it's in the field of my work which most science courses are. The only draw back with going back to school part-time is that I will lose my MCAT scores by the time I apply for med-school. At least I will have most of the classes fresh in my memory! I will check out the local college and university here and see what credits they would accept and maybe I can get another degree a little quicker! (Also gives me more time to work on my EC's) Keep the ideas coming!!!

 

[aaw2107]

Hi Ajax. Just wanted to tell you it is definitely possible to do. But it is a HUGE pain in the ***. When I decided I wanted to go to med school, I had a 2.4 UG GPA. Although I did well in all of my science classes, the school I attended for postbacc insisted that i complete a second bachelor's degree in order to grant me their committee letter. By May 2008, I will have completed a second bachelor's degree in psychology. I brought my total GPA up to a 3.2 and have a higher science GPA. I got into TOUROCOM-NYC last week. You can do it. You just have to fight for it.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I am the king of starting to look at medical school with a 2.2 GPA. What I did have going for me, however, was very few science classes in my undergrad, so when I went back to school, almost everything I took went towards a solid science GPA. And I took some hard ****, and some very tough semesters, while working close to full-time, and made it a point to let them know this in my interview. Your MCAT is better than mine (33), but my GPA is ~2.7, and my science GPA is like 3.3.

Since these are classes that you have already taken, and given your MCAT score, you have at least some grasp of the concepts, re-taking them should be not much of an issue.

What are your grades in the pre-requisites? That is, g-chem 1&2 + labs, o-chem 1&2 + labs, 1 yr biology + labs, physics 1&2 + labs, and so-on. Most schools count a semester or two of English too. It might be enough for you to just re-take those. I'm not sure.

 

[MossPoh]

You're going to have to retake a lot of stuff. Start looking at your transcripts...Anything that is a D retake...especially BCP classes....If it is a ton of Cs then retake those.

You're gpa is a bit low for even a lot of smps. Frankly...I'm worried with my 3.2 at this point. Never say die..but you are going to have to do A LOT of proving...

 

[Ajax21]

Thanks guys reading some of your posts make me feel better about myself! As long as I know this is not a futile attempt, I am more than will to put the time towards it! Glad to see I am not the only one with a low GPA that is trying this!! Yeah I took about 24 science courses, 2 A's, 9B's, 9C's, and 4 D's. I will go talk to my old college admissions and see what they have to say after the holidays. Thought you guys might get a kick out of this- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_on_fe_st/odd_tattoo_photo;_ylt=AgEVPqg_Z0uq0xtbTARkU.Cs0NUE

 

[Krisss17]

Ajax, in regards to the MCAT...getting a 34 is pretty impressive, and I really doubt that if you had to take it again that you would do poorly. Just go ahead and retake those classes that you need to (C's and D's).

Also, no one, I repeat, NO ONE, is a lost cause...if you want this, and work hard, you'll definitely get there.

 

[Ajax21]

Thanks for the motivation guys! I will let you know how it went with admissions. And I also believe anyone can do it if you work for it, just wish I knew what I wanted 5-6 years ago, bc of my "fun" college days I am paying for it now, causing me to wait till I am 36+plus years old before I can get into the work force again.

 

[Porco Rosso]

DO THIS:

Call your local osteopathic school and set up a meeting to talk to people in admissions. If you cant visit, set up a phone or email correspondence. Call other schools that you might be interested to findout .

I personally think that you should go to a graduate school at an osteopathic medical school where you think you want to go. Heck, apply to many of them since they are getting more and more competitive.

Your MCAT is good. Just go to a grad school associated to graduate program and apply in the next cycle.

 

[DangQ3]

I think retaking those D's and a few of those C's would probably raise your GPA by a large margin. How long ago did you take the MCAT? Getting a second bachelor's degree takes shorter time than retaking classes? In any case, you can certainly do it; gluck to you.

 

[Jpc984]

Call your local osteopathic school and set up a meeting to talk to people in admissions. If you cant visit, set up a phone or email correspondence. Call other schools that you might be interested to findout .

not a bad idea.

I personally think that you should go to a graduate school at an osteopathic medical school where you think you want to go. Heck, apply to many of them since they are getting more and more competitive.

This will not factor into your undergrad gpa. You may still be filtered out despite a stellar graduate gpa.

 

[MossPoh]

Thanks guys reading some of your posts make me feel better about myself! As long as I know this is not a futile attempt, I am more than will to put the time towards it! Glad to see I am not the only one with a low GPA that is trying this!! Yeah I took about 24 science courses, 2 A's, 9B's, 9C's, and 4 D's. I will go talk to my old college admissions and see what they have to say after the holidays. Thought you guys might get a kick out of this- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_on_fe_st/odd_tattoo_photo;_ylt=AgEVPqg_Z0uq0xtbTARkU.Cs0NUE

Looking at your breakdown. You HAVE to get rid of those Ds...no question about it. You can manage with a few Cs, but Id try to half of those gone too....at least. I'm not going to calculate it, but think about that. If you could get an A in your 6 lowest grades, your science gpa will improve quite a bit. That is a lot of science credits, so it won't be instant. You're in for a rough time. Not going to sugarcoat it. You're going to have a year or two of some intense semesters retaking that stuff and by that time you need to retake the mcat.

I'd load up..like 18+ credits a semester and retake as much as you can. Hopefully you'll get A's. See how your science gpa is and apply for the cycle, but don't get your hopes up too much. I'd probably factor in 2 years of solid work to be ready. Which is fair, you can consider it purgatory. 😉

 

[Ajax21]

I love this forum you guys seem to find hope for anyone that is willing to try! I am def. looking at just retaking the classes bc like stated before a grad degree does not count towards your undergrad. I only hope I can retake those clases at a state school where I am at, bc a credit hour is $220-00 compared to the private school of $900-00 a credit that a graduated from!

 

[nascardoc]

I love this forum you guys seem to find hope for anyone that is willing to try! I am def. looking at just retaking the classes bc like stated before a grad degree does not count towards your undergrad. I only hope I can retake those clases at a state school where I am at, bc a credit hour is $220-00 compared to the private school of $900-00 a credit that a graduated from!

You can definitely do this, it will just take a little time. Without a doubt, retake your classes where you got a D. Those alone will increase your GPA a good amount. Also try to do the same for some of your C's. I would probably sit down and write out a plan so you can get an idea of what your time frame is. By doing this, you can try to start applying with that awesome MCAT score and not have to retake it.

In terms of cost, don't be afraid to look into community colleges. Often they are much cheaper and give you all of the info needed for med school. I used a community college for many of my classes and had no problems with adcom's and interviews. Just make sure it is an accreditted institution, which most are.

 

[RockfordWF]

Well guys I spent a month or so on these boards just reading and trying to figure out my life, and I know nobody can help me with a straight out answer but some advice would be great. I never planned on becoming a DO but lately I have been very interested. Well I graduated with a degree in Environmental Biology with a GPA of 2.24 and science GPA the same in 2005, which I know is worse than bad (Bunch of excuses, mainly I am a foreign ESL student , becoming a permanent resident), but I did score a 34 on my MCAT. And that is were I see the light! It would be near impossible for me to raise my GPA by retaking my classes, I believe I would have to take around 90 credit hours and score a 4.0 for all of them to get it back to a 3.0. The degree that I took has two emphasis, Biology and Politics. Would I be able to transfer all my credits to a diff school, since most schools only transfer credits and not grades(Am I correct in stating that?) and get a second degree in Environmental Politics since I have most of the courses already and maybe a year short of the politics degree, score a great GPA and use that to apply? The other option is taking a SMP and then apply to DO school,but the issue is that my grades is to weak for that! Any adive would be great!!
Experiences and goals: I have been working at a BioChemical company as there lead transgenic protein extraction specialist.Doing research on new methods etc. I also have shadowed a DO for 60+ hours with some being with a medical examiner and over 100 volenteer hours. My ultimate goal is to be a forensic pathologist and medical examiner! So should I just forget about applying or does my MCAT give me a shot to get past the initial screening? I would appreciate honest answers since this would cost alot of money that I cannot afford to throw away.

In the meantime while you are retaking classes, go ahead and apply for Caribbean schools.

 

[Ajax21]

Need some advice, what do I do with the classes that I want to retake that is not offered anywhere else besides the initial college? Bc some of them are environmental courses that I cannot seem to find anywhere else.

 

[Jpc984]

Need some advice, what do I do with the classes that I want to retake that is not offered anywhere else besides the initial college? Bc some of them are environmental courses that I cannot seem to find anywhere else.

I think you might be in trouble there...