Applying to Prehealth committee. DISCOVERED LOW BCPM GPA :(

[adamrose]

i am very distraught right now.

I am a senior and while it was a big step for me to decide to pursue medicine I am now again feeling overwhelmed, not only because I didn't study for my July mcat yet (does starting now stand a chance?), but because i discovered that my BCPM GPA is a 2.79 all of these grades are due to poor performance during freshman year of college. Since then I have had a GPA of 3.6-3.8 per semester taking upper level science courses but i am upset that they don't factor into my BCPM and I feel like an idiot.

Realistically I don't think i will get a crazy amazing MCAT score but I am confident I can do okay.
I have average extra curriculars compared to most other applicants I would say
Am I pushing it too much for DO school?

BCPM: 2.79
cGPA: 3.4
Mcat: July 2015


Thank you

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[AlteredScale]

Im 99% sure your BCPM GPA will shut all doors for you both MD and DO.

I really suggest retaking science courses that you did poorly in from your early years and utilized grade replacement via AACOMAS (DO application services).

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

There is no reason why your upper level sciences courses won't be factored into your BCPM (aka science GPA). Also, Math doesn't count as science for DO schools.

therefore, you are a troll.
You will not be accepted with 2.79

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

Confidence is the key to your doom.
Not too late to study for July mcat but by the time you sit down to study, you will want to hit yourself in the head for not starting earlier.

 

[adamrose]

There is no reason why your upper level sciences courses won't be factored into your BCPM (aka science GPA). Also, Math doesn't count as science for DO schools.

therefore, you are a troll.
You will not be accepted with 2.79

I am not a troll, on the pre health application it only asked for CHEM1/2, ORGO 1/2, PHY1/2, and BIO1/2.

 

[adamrose]

Confidence is the key to your doom.
Not too late to study for July mcat but by the time you sit down to study, you will want to hit yourself in the head for not starting earlier.

Thoughts on my BCPM GPA though?

 

[AM508]

You are going to need to do some retakes on those classes. Those are the pre-reqs sciences for medical school and despite an upward trend, 2.79 in the pre-reqs is going to sink you without retaking.

 

[s5260205]

The BCPM GPA calculated by your university is not the same as the one used by AACOMAS. You should factor in all the biology, chemistry and physics courses to calculate the science GPA. If you have several upper year science courses, your sGPA will be much higher. I should caution you, however, that you should retake the first year sciences and orgo regardless. Those are pre-requisites and will likely be scrutinized by the admissions. You may not even be given credits for those courses if the grade is lower than C.

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

Your prehealth committee is calculating your GPA for MD, which means they don't replace old grades if you have retaken them.
And trust me, there is more to BCPM gpa (scienceGPA* BCPgpa for DO [get that in your head]) than just those classes.

You are still a troll or your committee isn't doing its job right.

 

[adamrose]

The BCPM GPA calculated by your university is not the same as the one used by AACOMAS. You should factor in all the biology, chemistry and physics courses to calculate the science GPA. If you have several upper year science courses, your sGPA will be much higher. I should caution you, however, that you should retake the first year sciences and orgo regardless. Those are pre-requisites and will likely be scrutinized by the admissions. You may not even be given credits for those courses if the grade is lower than C.

I have thought long and hard about it over the years. my pre health advisor at Uni Buffalo told me it would not be worth it at this point.

My grades are:
Gen chem 1&2: C
Physics 1: B- Physics 2: A-
Evo bio: C+ Cell bio: B
Orgo: B Orgo: B

Every upper level science I have taken has been an average of an A- since freshman year.

what do you think?

 

[adamrose]

Your prehealth committee is calculating your GPA for MD, which means they don't replace old grades if you have retaken them.
And trust me, there is more to BCPM gpa (scienceGPA* BCPgpa for DO [get that in your head]) than just those classes.

You are still a troll or your committee isn't doing its job right.

I swear I am not a troll..

 

[AM508]

I have thought long and hard about it over the years. my pre health advisor at Uni Buffalo told me it would not be worth it at this point.

My grades are:
Gen chem 1&2: C
Physics 1: B- Physics 2: A-
Evo bio: C+ Cell bio: B
Orgo: B Orgo: B

Every upper level science I have taken has been an average of an A- since freshman year.

what do you think?

Bare minimum, retake those C's in Gen Chem.

 

[adamrose]

The following image is displayed on my pre health application for where I am supposed to put my BCPM GPA

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

I'm not going to do the math but you must have not taken much upper level science courses...

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

Doesn't matter what your committee says... they aren't aacomas...

 

[adamrose]

Doesn't matter what your committee says... they aren't aacomas...

So should i be this worried then? I feel my upper level sciences represent my academic standing way better than the mistakes I made freshman year.

Honestly I don't think I can retake classes and go another two years without getting into medical school as I am about to take a year off as it is. is this a bad way to think about it?

 

[AM508]

So should i be this worried then? I feel my upper level sciences represent my academic standing way better than the mistakes I made freshman year.

Honestly I don't think I can retake classes and go another two years without getting into medical school as I am about to take a year off as it is. is this a bad way to think about it?

I think you will be severely hurt by all those C's in the med school pre-reqs. You really need to do a bit of grade replacement via retakes there.

 

[adamrose]

I think you will be severely hurt by all those C's in the med school pre-reqs. You really need to do a bit of grade replacement via retakes there.

Would it matter if I retook chem at a local community college in addition to after studying for my mcat while my application is sent in?

 

[Old&InTheWay]

Don't worry about what you pre-health committee is saying. Use the spreadsheets at the links below to calculate your cGPA and sGPA for both AMCAS and AACOMAS. These are the numbers the schools you apply to will see.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/amcas-gpa-calculator-revised.590424/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/aacomas-gpa-calculator-revised.839864/

 

[AlteredScale]

Ignorance/naivety does not always equal trolling.

If you truly consider a user to be trolling then use the report feature at the bottom of the users post.

 

[W19]

Would it matter if I retook chem at a local community college in addition to after studying for my mcat while my application is sent in?

It does not matter if you take them at a CC as long these courses have the same amount of credit (or higher)...

 

[user3]

.

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

Ignorance/naivety does not always equal trolling.

If you truly consider a user to be trolling then use the report feature at the bottom of the users post.

With great power comes great responsibility.
Don't miss use your power.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I don't know why you are entertaining your pre-health committee. Use the AACOMAS grading system, because your BCPM GPA will be higher than your think it is. That 2.79 pre-req GPA doesn't matter as much as the overall GPA. This committee will put you through the ringer before you get a LOR form them. Just get the usual 2 science letter, 1 non-science, and other letters and just send them off. As long as the sGPA and cGPA are above 3.00 (your GPA is definitely higher than this), then you should be okay with a good MCAT score.

 

[ortnakas]

Your committee's calculator is not the same as the AACOMAS calculator. They may use their version of the GPA when they write their letter and that could impact your application, but DO schools will see the AACOMAS version of your GPA.

Calculate your overall science GPA including your upper-level science classes and see what that comes up with. If you're still below 3.0-3.2, consider retaking some classes. And maybe consider retaking the gen chem Cs, regardless.

 

[adamrose]

I don't know why you are entertaining your pre-health committee. Use the AACOMAS grading system, because your BCPM GPA will be higher than your think it is. That 2.79 pre-req GPA doesn't matter as much as the overall GPA. This committee will put you through the ringer before you get a LOR form them. Just get the usual 2 science letter, 1 non-science, and other letters and just send them off. As long as the sGPA and cGPA are above 3.00 (your GPA is definitely higher than this), then you should be okay with a good MCAT score.

I looked into this and I researched that it is very sketchy not to go through the pre health committee when you have one

 

[aquaquartz]

The AACOMAS GPA can be different from one's school GPA. You can still go through your school's committee but schools will see the AACOMAS GPA.

 

[AlteredScale]

With great power comes great responsibility.
Don't miss use your power.

Reminding users to utilize the thread features (Report, Ignore..etc.) we provide to them to make for a better and more professional discussion is not a misuse of power.

As stated before, if you feel a poster is trolling, report the thread.

 

[Goro]

first, calculate your sGPA the way AACOMAS does it.

then retake any F/D/C science coursework, and then look at the magic AACOMAS' grade replacement policy did!

do NOT take the MCAT unless you are full ready.

At the worst, you've lost a year on your time line for applying to medical school.

I swear I am not a troll..

MD schools are more anal about this.

I looked into this and I researched that it is very sketchy not to go through the pre health committee when you have one

 

[adamrose]

first, calculate your sGPA the way AACOMAS does it.

then retake any F/D/C science coursework, and then look at the magic AACOMAS' grade replacement policy did!

do NOT take the MCAT unless you are full ready.

At the worst, you've lost a year on your time line for applying to medical school.



MD schools are more anal about this.

I looked into this and I researched that it is very sketchy not to go through the pre health committee when you have one

I have tried to figure out my science gpa using the AACOMAS calculators but I am still unsure of exactly how. I don't know if my specific science classes would qualify or not an the excel calculators that are around SDN are very confusing. any advice?

 

[IslandStyle808]

I looked into this and I researched that it is very sketchy not to go through the pre health committee when you have one

As Goro has stated, DO schools are not as uptight about it.