Application advice

[TiggidyTooth]

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Hey guys,

I am about to wrap up my post-bac and am looking for a realistic opinion on wether or not I stand a decent shot at allopathic schools.

My undergrad GPA from college is a 2.3 in economics. I followed this with 2 years of biomedical research and am a published author. I have completed 39 credits of Post-bac work all upper-division science classes and have achieved a 3.93 GPA at a University where I did it a-la-carte. However, since I bungled up my undergrad years so bad my cum is still a measly 2.8. I have great letters of recommendation and quite a bit of volunteer experience. I'm also a texas resident and have a 31 MCAT. Right now I'm 26 years old and hoping that adcoms will see the change. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Tooth

 

[AHappyCalBear]

Honestly, I think you have a very good chance. I don't know why, you and a lot of other people, always add up post bac and undergrad GPA. if you look at the AAMCAS, they break down GPA by year and also have the overall. The definitely look for trends. You have a good MCAT score, probably nothing lower then a 9 on any section, and your a Tex resident so that will help with them a lot. Just make sure to apply to other school like Temple or NY Med. Make sure to write a good essay and send in secondarious early.

My opinion but hope it helps.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Postbaccalaureate coursework is considered as undergraduate coursework, so it goes into your undergraduate cumulative and bcpm GPAs. While upward trends are definitely important and many schools take these recent trends into consideration, there is a reason to consider your undergrad cumulative GPA. I'm proud of my postbaccalaureate coursework so far (around a 3.8, hopefully 3.9 by May), but I highly doubt that many of the medical schools I plan to apply to will view my undergrad GPA as a 3.9 (my undergrad cume GPA is significantly lower than my postbaccalaureate GPA) when I apply.

The following applicants are not on an equal field when applying to medical schools (especially not the more competitive institutions):

Applicant 1:
37 MCAT
4.0 undergrad cumulative (and consequently bcpm)
traditional applicant
good ECs
State school

Applicant 2:
37 MCAT
2.8 undergrad cumulative
3.1 undergrad bcpm
4.0 postbac GPA @ 32 credits in one year, all bcpm courses
applying after postbaccalaureate work
similar ECs to Applicant 1
same school as Applicant 1

In my opinion, I think it is important to acknowledge this difference. Applicant 2 should have a good shot at medical schools, but would probably not have a realistic shot at UCSF, Harvard, Hopkins, Wash U, etc. Applicant 1 would. That's why I personally make the distinction.

Edit: For example, I think the OP would have a reasonable shot at Texas' public medical schools. I would apply if I was in the same situation. But Baylor would *probably* be an unrealistic expectation for an acceptance. Not necessarily impossible, but I don't think it's likely.

 

[BobLJ99]

Phil,

In your opinion then, would an individual like Applicant 2 have no shot at gaining admission to a top tier school? In other words, what could Applicant 2 do to improve their chances at a top tier such as Columbia, Hopkins, Harvard, etc.? I have heard of less qualified candidates gaining admission through a back door approach such as knowing an admissions person. I was wondering if you knew anything about this?

Postbaccalaureate coursework is considered as undergraduate coursework, so it goes into your undergraduate cumulative and bcpm GPAs. While upward trends are definitely important and many schools take these recent trends into consideration, there is a reason to consider your undergrad cumulative GPA. I'm proud of my postbaccalaureate coursework so far (around a 3.8, hopefully 3.9 by May), but I highly doubt that many of the medical schools I plan to apply to will view my undergrad GPA as a 3.9 (my undergrad cume GPA is significantly lower than my postbaccalaureate GPA) when I apply.

The following applicants are not on an equal field when applying to medical schools (especially not the more competitive institutions):

Applicant 1:
37 MCAT
4.0 undergrad cumulative (and consequently bcpm)
traditional applicant
good ECs
State school

Applicant 2:
37 MCAT
2.8 undergrad cumulative
3.1 undergrad bcpm
4.0 postbac GPA @ 32 credits in one year, all bcpm courses
applying after postbaccalaureate work
similar ECs to Applicant 1
same school as Applicant 1

In my opinion, I think it is important to acknowledge this difference. Applicant 2 should have a good shot at medical schools, but would probably not have a realistic shot at UCSF, Harvard, Hopkins, Wash U, etc. Applicant 1 would. That's why I personally make the distinction.

Edit: For example, I think the OP would have a reasonable shot at Texas' public medical schools. I would apply if I was in the same situation. But Baylor would *probably* be an unrealistic expectation for an acceptance. Not necessarily impossible, but I don't think it's likely.

 

[liverotcod]

Phil,

In your opinion then, would an individual like Applicant 2 have no shot at gaining admission to a top tier school? In other words, what could Applicant 2 do to improve their chances at a top tier such as Columbia, Hopkins, Harvard, etc.? I have heard of less qualified candidates gaining admission through a back door approach such as knowing an admissions person. I was wondering if you knew anything about this?

FWIW, this cycle I was rejected at Harvard, waitlisted at UMichigan, in at Pitt and elsewhere, with:
2.58 Harvard UG GPA
4.00 Post-bacc, 50 credits, all BCPM
2.95 overall UG GPA
3.45 overall BCPM
39 MCAT
and, importantly according to my interviewers, 15 years between my bad grades and recent good grades. Decent clinical experiences, strong LORs.

 

[liverotcod]

TiggetyTooth, to respond to you, I think it's a bit of a stretch. By all means apply to a few allo schools, but the 31 MCAT isn't the sock-knocker-offer that you need with a 2.8 overall GPA. Osteo schools will probably like you, especially since you likely retook some courses which will up your overall on the AACOMAS. Good luck!

 

[ajnak182]

TiggetyTooth, to respond to you, I think it's a bit of a stretch. By all means apply to a few allo schools, but the 31 MCAT isn't the sock-knocker-offer that you need with a 2.8 overall GPA. Osteo schools will probably like you, especially since you likely retook some courses which will up your overall on the AACOMAS. Good luck!

I am seriously considering going to Drexel's IMS program in order to leverage my chances of getting into a US Allopathic school. However, it costs $40,000 for the whole package. Is this an avenue any of you post-bac veterans would pursue? Or would you be satisfied if you have the scores I posted, shoot for the moon and apply? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Tooth

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Tooth--

I wouldn't call myself a "postbac veteran," but these are my thoughts:

The Drexel program would be most effective if you applied after completing the IMS program. You could apply during the program and some schools will look at your Fall grades (dig up some of the old IMS threads to see the list), but you'd be in a better position if you applied after having one year of coursework to prove you have what it takes to succeed in med school. And now that I'm looking at it, I'm going to backtrack a little and say that I agree with liverotcod. Your 2.8 cume, 3.9 postbac, 31 MCAT might give you a shot at US allo schools, but your stats don't exactly make you a shoe-in. Drexel IMS would definitely help your situation by proving you can handle a full-time courseload with med school courses. Check out the old IMS threads--you'll find a lot of detailed info.

Any reason you're looking specifically at the IMS?

Can you tell me what you mean by $40k for the whole package? Is that IMS + living expenses? According to the website, tuition for the IMS certificate last year was $18,300. Are you adding the MMS component into that price? I would be a little shocked if it's $40k for the IMS, but I haven't looked into all the costs extensively.

I'd also recommend talking to EvoDevo, the pre-allo mod. He got into UT-San Antonio this year [3.1 cume, 32 MCAT, informal postbac, and a traditional MS in Genetics], so you might want to see if he has any advice.