Medical Application and Course Advice

[MusicDOc124]

Hello, I graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Integrative Biology with an unfortunate 2.7 GPA. I took my MCAT and received a 506. Due to my low GPA I knew there was no chance of getting into medical school so I decided to take some time off from school and work in the medical field to get clinical exposure - where I have now been working for 2 years.

6 months ago I decided to re-evaluate my application starting with my GPA/classes. In undergrad I received a C- in organic chemistry and in plant biology (second semester of biology in the series) so I decided to retake these two. My retake grades were 4.0 in both courses. In the meantime I also took microbiology where I also received a 4.0. I used the GPA calculator provided in the application to calculate how many credits I would need to take in order to raise my GPA to a 3.0 before the 2020 DO application cycle (since MD is out of the question for such a low GPA). After doing the math I learned that I needed to take a total of 35 credits (~7 classes). I have decided to quit my job since I have had full time exposure to the medical field and take two quarters worth of courses with the end goal of a cumulative 4.0 GPA for these two quarters. My only concern now is what courses I should take to prove to medical schools that I am dedicated to this career path. During my undergraduate career I took anatomy, physiology, toxicology, and genetics so these were out of the question and I completed microbiology. The courses I can now think of are Immunology and perhaps another genetics course because I got a C in my previous one. However beyond that I am unsure what to take. I plan on taking a statistics or biostatistics class as well.

Does anyone have any advise for moving forward?

What other courses did you receive less than a B? Courses available to you will depend on what your school/schools nearby offer. Offerings at my undergrad, on top of what you list, also had pathology, histology, pharmacology, physiological psychology, and psychopharmacology.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

6 months ago I decided to re-evaluate my application starting with my GPA/classes. In undergrad I received a C- in organic chemistry and in plant biology (second semester of biology in the series) so I decided to retake these two. My retake grades were 4.0 in both courses. In the meantime I also took microbiology where I also received a 4.0. I used the GPA calculator provided in the application to calculate how many credits I would need to take in order to raise my GPA to a 3.0 before the 2020 DO application cycle (since MD is out of the question for such a low GPA). After doing the math I learned that I needed to take a total of 35 credits (~7 classes). I have decided to quit my job since I have had full time exposure to the medical field and take two quarters worth of courses with the end goal of a cumulative 4.0 GPA for these two quarters. My only concern now is what courses I should take to prove to medical schools that I am dedicated to this career path. During my undergraduate career I took anatomy, physiology, toxicology, and genetics so these were out of the question and I completed microbiology. The courses I can now think of are Immunology and perhaps another genetics course because I got a C in my previous one. However beyond that I am unsure what to take. I plan on taking a statistics or biostatistics class as well.

Does anyone have any advise for moving forward?

Where did you take your postbac courses? For sure I would do a lot of networking with schools you really want to attend, especially those in your neighborhood. I will agree any upper-level biomedical science would help, as would stats/biostats. There is also the question of what coursework you have taken that addresses more the humanistic side of medicine: ethics, psychology/sociology, any coursework highlighting societal disparities and outgroups. You need to show that you have a deep understanding that is the source of empathy and compassion that will be expected of you as a health care professional.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I am currently attending a community college nearby where I work since I work full time in clinical research and it is my only option for evening courses in the area. I'm sure that's not ideal for an admission committee which definitely worries me 🙁 but again only evening course option and a lot cheaper than attending the 4-year university. During undergrad I did take 2-3 psychology courses (including one that that was purely focused on stigma and prejudice which I did extremely well in-A). In addition I took a Global Poverty class (Passed/No grade option), a seminar on social, political, and ethical issues in health and medicine (Passed/No grade option), and a Minorities in a Majority Culture (A) courses. I would be very interested in take more public health style courses as well but I would likely need to go to the nearby 4 year university - which is definitely an option once I leave my current position (just more expensive).

In your opinion should I focus on half science/half humanities style courses for enhancing my GPA and do you think that I should 100% commit to classes at the 4-year university instead of at a community college?

I think you need to figure out your priorities first in terms of getting a desirable application. Obviously your science GPA is the critical element, but since you are financially constrained, you need to get some guidance from school officers in your area. If you are in California, I know that CC's there are pretty rigorous (plus they may be your option given the enrollment patterns and management between UC and CU schools) so if that's where you are and want to stay, you'll need to ask those schools more.