Athlete with low gpa what are my chances?

[Wmgumby60]

Hey all,

I am a student athlete at the college of william and mary where I study kinesiology with a concentration in pre med as well as compete on the football team. My gpa is a 2.9c and 2.83s with only 3 semesters left in my college career. Due to football being a year round full time job I don't have any clinical experience. I have recently spoken to our schools premed advisor who suggested doing a post bacc or masters and gaining clinical experience. My question is will a DO or podiatry program take into consideration the difficulty of my undergrad as well as participating in football. Secondly, is clinical experience a deal breaker in admissions? Finally, will a DO or podiatry consider me without doing a post bacc? I have not taken the mcat yet.

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[Wmgumby60]

Also I would like to add that I can't retake any couses at William and Mary because you have to have a D or lower to retake a class which I haven't received.

 

[J-Rad]

No, you're not competitive. There are a million and one meat-head football players with low GPAs. Football might make you interesting, and possibly offset your lack of clinical experience, if you had a 4.0 in a normal-to-difficult strength major (not Rocks-For-Jocks. I really know little of Kinesiology, but think of it as a middle-of-the-pack major).

You need to have realistic expectations here. You've not demonstrated, in any way, or to anyone, including yourself, that you can hack med/pod school. SMP might be the answer, but if, come to find out, you're a 2.8 student even when you're not playing football, it could be a costly and fruitless proposition.

What I would suggest to you is that you might want to give up on the football for next year. It doesn't sound like you're getting to the NFL and no-one is going to give it to you as an excuse for being a crappy med school candidate and welcome you into med school with open arms. Finish/retake some harder med school pre-req courses and study up from the MCAT. Research what the requirements for these post-bacc programs are
(here's the app requirements for Drexel's MSP as an example:

Applicants to the Medical Science Preparatory program must have already fulfilled undergraduate pre-medical requirements and demonstrated mastery of the material at a minimum grade of C or better. These requirements include a year of biology, chemistry, physics and organic chemistry, including respective laboratory sections. Applicants are required to submit official MCAT scores if the exam was taken, or general GRE scores in lieu of the MCAT. MCAT scores of 17 to 27 and GRE scores in the 70th percentile are acceptable for application to the program. An undergraduate math/science and overall GPA of 3.00 are appropriate for application. The program does not have cut offs for GPA, MCAT and/or GRE scores, but it is required that applicants are showing a marked improvement in their academic history. Health care-related experiences, community service, research, leadership and extracurricular activities are also taken into consideration with the application.

When you've got a realistic bead on whether you are good material for one of these programs, figure out whether you can afford to take the risk. Hopefully, by then, you've also spent some time getting some clinical exposure to see if you even think you'll like medicine as much as you think you will.

 

[Wmgumby60]

Thanks for your reply and trust me I do have realistic expectations for myself. I am simply trying to plan out my next move. Also, to respond to your meat head comment there aren't a million and one football players at ivy league caliber schools (william and mary is graded at the same level as princeton) period, let alone balancing premed studies on top of that. Also, to note I have taken my chemistry classes in the summer when football activity isn't as demanding and received As in both orgos and B+s in both gen. I am not trying to suggest I should be handed anything and I have worked hard for everything I have achieved.

 

[jphwki82]

Thanks for your reply and trust me I do have realistic expectations for myself. I am simply trying to plan out my next move. Also, to respond to your meat head comment there aren't a million and one football players at ivy league caliber schools (william and mary is graded at the same level as princeton) period, let alone balancing premed studies on top of that. Also, to note I have taken my chemistry classes in the summer when football activity isn't as demanding and received As in both orgos and B+s in both gen. I am not trying to suggest I should be handed anything and I have worked hard for everything I have achieved.[/QUOTE

I know several NCAA athletes who were able to perform well in their pre-med courses and focus on their sport year round, which includes football players. So being an athlete and handling your school responsibilities via good grades will look a lot better than an applicant saying their sport hindered their performance. The first thing that would go through any Ad. Comm.'s mind would be your ability to handle the work load. Williams & Marry grades might be weighted more than some other schools. However, like J-Rad's mentioned, collegiate sports and the name of your school are not going to help you as much as you are thinking. Your stats are low, so you you need to make a decision on what you want to do from here. If you are confident that you can do well in the courses without the football commitment, then try a post-bacc or re-take your pre-reqs, which you did poorly in, at another university. EC's only help you so much, but if your grades are poor and your MCAT reflects the trend, then none of that makes as much of a difference. In terms of kinesiology, I have seen some programs where they are exceptions to the rocks for jocks programs. However, that depends on each schools program, and you still face that stereotype anyways. Good luck with everything.

 

[gatorfann14]

Thanks for your reply and trust me I do have realistic expectations for myself. I am simply trying to plan out my next move. Also, to respond to your meat head comment there aren't a million and one football players at ivy league caliber schools (william and mary is graded at the same level as princeton) period, let alone balancing premed studies on top of that. Also, to note I have taken my chemistry classes in the summer when football activity isn't as demanding and received As in both orgos and B+s in both gen. I am not trying to suggest I should be handed anything and I have worked hard for everything I have achieved.

You need to slow your roll and realize that no one is impressed with you playing FCS football and attending a university ranked 33rd(not Ivy League level). There are more than a few division 1 athletes at my school that went to schools on W&M level and didn't have crappy grades. You first need to realize that football didn't make you get bad grades, something else did and you need to correct that. Then move on to a program after graduation(like an SMP or postbacc) and prove you have made changes. You aren't dead yet, with a ton of hard work you will get to your goal and get to be a doctor and not have to settle for podiatry/another career. Don't get discouraged by other posters or get defensive, there are plenty of people here that will help you on your way to becoming a doctor.

 

[corpsman33]

No, you're not competitive. There are a million and one meat-head football players with low GPAs. Football might make you interesting, and possibly offset your lack of clinical experience, if you had a 4.0 in a normal-to-difficult strength major (not Rocks-For-Jocks. I really know little of Kinesiology, but think of it as a middle-of-the-pack major).

You need to have realistic expectations here. You've not demonstrated, in any way, or to anyone, including yourself, that you can hack med/pod school. SMP might be the answer, but if, come to find out, you're a 2.8 student even when you're not playing football, it could be a costly and fruitless proposition.

What I would suggest to you is that you might want to give up on the football for next year. It doesn't sound like you're getting to the NFL and no-one is going to give it to you as an excuse for being a crappy med school candidate and welcome you into med school with open arms. Finish/retake some harder med school pre-req courses and study up from the MCAT. Research what the requirements for these post-bacc programs are
(here's the app requirements for Drexel's MSP as an example:


When you've got a realistic bead on whether you are good material for one of these programs, figure out whether you can afford to take the risk. Hopefully, by then, you've also spent some time getting some clinical exposure to see if you even think you'll like medicine as much as you think you will.

That "meat head" comment was absolutely not necessary. It actually kinda angers me. This is the exact comment that gives SDN a bad name. You could have easily given constructive criticism without insulting the OP. But just because you are an attending and a mod does not give you the right to insult anyone who may fall into the jock category.

To the OP: You do need to be realistic. Playing college football is a great EC, but it absolutely will not offset a low GPA without clinical experience. Retake the classes you received bad grades in at a different university. This will significantly raise your GPA. Get it above 3.0 (both science and cumulative). Also, shadow a few doctors, gain some clinical experience. If you gain some clinical experience and raise your GPA you might be a competitive applicant if you apply early (factoring in your current college and football experience). You have to show the adcoms that you can handle the stress of medical school and that you are serious about medicine.

Good luck!

 

[Wmgumby60]

Thanks, I didn't mean to say I blame football for my crappy gpa but I was just curious if admissions take this into account and the answer seems to be not much at all. There are players on my own team with 3.8s and higher. All I can do now is improve on what I've done in the past. By the previous post it definitely sounds like I will need to retake some classes or post bacc to get into med school, But are there other options/fields for me or other people with low gpas such as PT, podiatry, etc or are those still out of range without retaking classes?

 

[Ferocity]

Get a 25+ on the MCAT and you can land an interview at a pod school!

 

[corpsman33]

Also, if I get banned for critiquing a "mod" it was nice chatting with all you sdn/soon-to-be colleagues!

 

[poopyhead]

But are there other options/fields for me or other people with low gpas such as PT, podiatry, etc or are those still out of range without retaking classes?

DO schools have grade replacement. If you retake a course (or similar course of equal or greater credits), the later grade (hopefully higher) will replace the previous grade in your GPA calculations. The earlier grade will still be in your application, but not counted in your GPA. You don't need to retake the course at the same university. I think even community college might suffice. No formal SMP needed. GL **** except TCOM ****

You need to slow your roll and realize that no one is impressed with you playing FCS football and attending a university ranked 33rd(not Ivy League level).

IMO, #33 is pretty good. Honestly, how many DO applicants attended national universities ranked above that? FYI, looking through the underdog thread, there are plenty of applicants with lousy stats (<3.0 GPA or <26 MCAT) that got accepted. If their excuses worked, then why not football?

 

[jgar26]

That "meat head" comment was absolutely not necessary. It actually kinda angers me. This is the exact comment that gives SDN a bad name. You could have easily given constructive criticism without insulting the OP. But just because you are an attending and a mod does not give you the right to insult anyone who may fall into the jock category.

To the OP: You do need to be realistic. Playing college football is a great EC, but it absolutely will not offset a low GPA without clinical experience. Retake the classes you received bad grades in at a different university. This will significantly raise your GPA. Get it above 3.0 (both science and cumulative). Also, shadow a few doctors, gain some clinical experience. If you gain some clinical experience and raise your GPA you might be a competitive applicant if you apply early (factoring in your current college and football experience). You have to show the adcoms that you can handle the stress of medical school and that you are serious about medicine.

Good luck!

Excellent reply. The meat head comment was totally unnecessary. .

 

[572776]

I agree with the post above about rude comments. I was annoyed with that too.

I think you should really use the's last 3 semesters to improve your gpa. Possibly consider retaking couple classes that you got low grades in because aacomas (DO) will use your better grade to calculat your gpa. I would put football aside if you can and completely focus on school and start putting the rest of your app together. Try getting as much as you can of clinical shadowing or some kind of pre health program that will allow you to gain patient contact hours. For example I got into DO school, but I did a summer program where I assisted dentists/periodontists with fillings root canals etc (wasn't my choice but who cares its patient contact) The admission seems to like that a lot. You could also do some volunteering at a hospital.
So Try and shoot for 3.5-4.0 gpa until you graduate. Study A LOT for t he mcat. get 28 or higher and get some patient contact hours. A letter of rec from a DO would be good too.

For your app both secondary and primary, I would recommend including the fact that you agree with osteopathic principles and provide examples and say you are interested in learning omm because you Did football nd everything and there are different injuries where omm can become useful. You coul make a claim that you want to do pm&r and tie in your football experiences into that . I think if you could pull all of this off you will have a pretty good shot.

 

[jgar26]

I would echo these sentiments. I would dedicate all of your resources and energy into your academics. DO school is your only legitimate shot but you are still in the game. Make school your utmost priority and shoot for deans list for the next 4 semesters. Study forth MCAT (score 32+) like your life is on the line. Get some volunteering in the interim. DO committees are more reasonable than MD committees and will be more likely to take your trends in academic performance and lower overall numbers into consideration. I would really think about this. Is this something you want more than anything in life ? If so, change your life to achieve those goals. If it was easy everyone would do it.

Good luck

 

[Skinceutical]

IMO, #33 is pretty good. Honestly, how many DO applicants attended national universities ranked above that?

I think you're missing gatorfann's point. He/she was simply responding to the OP's (laughable) claim that William & Mary is a Princeton-caliber school, and that he should somehow get special consideration for having attended.

 

[RIdoc11]

Thanks, I didn't mean to say I blame football for my crappy gpa but I was just curious if admissions take this into account and the answer seems to be not much at all. There are players on my own team with 3.8s and higher. All I can do now is improve on what I've done in the past. By the previous post it definitely sounds like I will need to retake some classes or post bacc to get into med school, But are there other options/fields for me or other people with low gpas such as PT, podiatry, etc or are those still out of range without retaking classes?

it sounds like you really have no idea what you want to do... you seem to be all over the place with different professional degrees. Regardless of which path, whether it be D.O./M.D./PT/PA you need to get your grades up. So like many people suggested retake classes you performed poorly in and gain some clinical experience to really see what you are interested in.

Good luck to you!

 

[poopyhead]

I think you're missing gatorfann's point. He/she was simply responding to the OP's (laughable) claim that William & Mary is a Princeton-caliber school, and that he should somehow get special consideration for having attended.

O..I agree that the comparison was off, but #33 is still in pretty good company among universities (i.e. tied with NYU). Just an anecdote: during interviews when we went around the room saying where we went to undergrad, William & Mary would have been one of the highest ranked schools mentioned. As for special consideration, some schools do give GPA boosts depending on the undergrad, although not enough to make up for the OP's GPA.

 

[user3]

I could only imagine what an ugly thread this would have turned into on pre-allo.

Stay far away from pre-allo, OP.

 

[Wmgumby60]

it sounds like you really have no idea what you want to do... you seem to be all over the place with different professional degrees. Regardless of which path, whether it be D.O./M.D./PT/PA you need to get your grades up. So like many people suggested retake classes you performed poorly in and gain some clinical experience to really see what you are interested in.

Good luck to you!

It's not really a matter of what I want to do but rather what can I do based on my circumstances... I want to be a Doctor but I don't want to start working in my mid to late thirties if I can get into a different field in health care.

 

[HOPINGTOBE]

Regardless of all of the negative comments,-- hang in ther . Those that never played a college sport have no idea as to the time and commitment involved and the effect on grades it can have. Get come clinical exposure, contact the schools now and ask what they may suggest. You do need to improve your GPA and a post back orSMP may be necessary at this time. Do not get discouraged and ignore the nasty comments from those that truly have no idea where you are coming from. You will have a tough road ahead but not impossible. Good luck!

 

[J-Rad]

...Due to football being a year round full time job I don't have any clinical experience...My question is will a DO or podiatry program take into consideration the difficulty of my undergrad as well as participating in football.

Thanks, I didn't mean to say I blame football for my crappy gpa but I was just curious if admissions take this into account and the answer seems to be not much at all. There are players on my own team with 3.8s and higher. All I can do now is improve on what I've done in the past. By the previous post it definitely sounds like I will need to retake some classes or post bacc to get into med school, But are there other options/fields for me or other people with low gpas such as PT, podiatry, etc or are those still out of range without retaking classes?

Oh, dear. Apparently I might as well have insulted your grandmother and claimed to have slept with your sister based on the indignation I've inspired. Look, the stuff from your first post and the bolded line above are somewhat incongruous. It's a bit tough to have a global take on an individual on a message board, especially when they have two posts (the point at which I weighed in on the conversation). The truth of the matter is that your first post intimated not one whit of the insight that you displayed in later posts, including in the latter part of the second quoted.

Thanks for your reply and trust me I do have realistic expectations for myself. I am simply trying to plan out my next move. Also, to respond to your meat head comment there aren't a million and one football players at ivy league caliber schools (william and mary is graded at the same level as princeton) period, let alone balancing premed studies on top of that. Also, to note I have taken my chemistry classes in the summer when football activity isn't as demanding and received As in both orgos and B+s in both gen. I am not trying to suggest I should be handed anything and I have worked hard for everything I have achieved.

Let me couch my statement in a different way so as to give less offense: There are a million and one meatheads involved in time consuming extracurricular activities-be it football, another sport, theater geekdom, you name it-who go to very good colleges (like W&M; but let's be realistic, it's not Ivy or Little Ivy [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ivies], or "Elite" [http://www.elitecollegeadmissions.com/statistics.php, http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2006/08/20/25-new-ivies.html]) who have low GPAs. Those involved in time-intensive ECs that impress admissions committees are those with the good GPAs (say 3.5+ for DO schools). Those with 2.8 GPAs just usually don't get interviewed-unless they bring something else to the table (outstanding MCAT, demonstration that there was a meaningful trend upward over time, etc.)

And in case you inferred something in my response that was not there as others seemed to have (though, based on later posts I don't get the sense you did), nowhere did I say or imply that you could not get yourself in a position of being able to get into a DO medical school. You can get there, but it will be hard work and you will have to make some difficult decisions and do some heavy risk-benefit analysis. As of right now, your achievements are not really "visible" to an adcom; you need to make them so. I would not have bothered to respond or respond in the way I did had I thought your case was a lost cause.

 

[J-Rad]

That "meat head" comment was absolutely not necessary. It actually kinda angers me. This is the exact comment that gives SDN a bad name. You could have easily given constructive criticism without insulting the OP. But just because you are an attending and a mod does not give you the right to insult anyone who may fall into the jock category.

Just remember: Anger leads to hate, Hate leads to Suffering.

Also, if I get banned for critiquing a "mod" it was nice chatting with all you sdn/soon-to-be colleagues!

Yes, expect to be banned forthwith. While I'm sure you will miss SDN, know that you will been martyred for the honor of this long-suffering and persecuted group. You will forever-more be known as Saint Doc, patron saint of electronically victimized athletes

Now, in all seriousness. There was no insult. If you want to read it in a different way, see my last response to the OP.

 

[aSagacious]

For what it's worth, I took a few classes in VCU's post-bacc program and in the class of ~80 there were at least a dozen W&M grads there. Since they seem to have a good reputation with VCU you might consider going this route.

 

[peppy]

It did seem to me like there was an overly aggressive tone to some of the replies here. I think some people are reacting to the OP based on the stereotype of an entitled jock. The OP sounds like a reasonable person with valid questions to me.

From my perspective, I think the biggest issue right now is the lack of clinical experience. Even if you had a perfect GPA and a great MCAT, without clinical experience, every interviewer is going to wonder "How do you really know you want to be a doctor?" and "How can you really understand what being a DO is like if you haven't worked with DOs?". Getting a DO letter is very important for many schools too of course.
The chances of getting in without meaningful clinical exposure aren't very good at all. I can believe it really isn't possible to combine that with being a football player. I had a friend in college who was a football player, so I know that it truly is a lot of hard work. In that case, you just have to decide whether you prefer to enjoy playing football while you can and then want to spend some extra time after graduation getting experience for med school, or if you're willing to give up football for it.
The second highest priority in my opinion is making sure you do well on the MCAT. If you can really rock the MCAT then you might have a chance of getting someone to overlook the GPA (though it is a low GPA, and therefore I wouldn't bank on getting in your first attempt, it's not so low that I'd say it's impossible...I'm sure some have gotten in with such a GPA).
You need to take preparing for the MCAT very seriously and, again, decide if you can dedicate the necessary time to it with football.
Hope things work out for you.

 

[K31]

Let me couch my statement in a different way so as to give less offense: There are a million and one meatheads involved in time consuming extracurricular activities-be it football, another sport, theater geekdom, you name it-who go to very good colleges (like W&M; but let's be realistic, it's not Ivy or Little Ivy [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ivies], or "Elite" [http://www.elitecollegeadmissions.com/statistics.php, http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2006/08/20/25-new-ivies.html]) who have low GPAs.

I'm going to disagree with this comment about W&M (I say this as someone with significant familiarity with W&M, but not an alumnus). It is one of the names that frequently gets tossed as a school that is particularly harsh in their grading scheme, and will recieve some consideration so far as GPA. This is in contrast to the Ivies, which have the reputation of having significant grade inflation.

On the other hand, we are talking about a Kinesiology major here, which is frequently regarded as a less-intensive major and won't recieve the consideration a hard science or math major will.

On the whole, I'd say it is a wash.

 

[RIdoc11]

Regardless of all of the negative comments,-- hang in ther . Those that never played a college sport have no idea as to the time and commitment involved and the effect on grades it can have. Get come clinical exposure, contact the schools now and ask what they may suggest. You do need to improve your GPA and a post back orSMP may be necessary at this time. Do not get discouraged and ignore the nasty comments from those that truly have no idea where you are coming from. You will have a tough road ahead but not impossible. Good luck!

i was a 4 year athlete in college so i'm completely aware of the commitment it entails... i was just being realistic about his grades and lack of clinical experience.

 

[J-Rad]

I think getting hung up on W&M-which I know by reputation to be a very good school-is going a little off the rails here. I also make no assumption about the major. At W&M it may be a difficult major, at another, not so much. I can tell you my undergrad, as good as it was, probably gives me less of a "pedigree" than OPs. I was an art major there. At my school it was actually a difficult and well respected major (the school was also known for its engineering, textile, and other programs). At another school I attended for a year (in another major), everything I saw led me to believe that the art program was a bit of a joke. Thus why I make no assumptions about the difficulty of an individual program.

Oh, and while I didn't play sports for the majority of my college career, I did for some. I am aware of the time commitment involved, esp. for those at D1 schools (mine were D3).

 

[CopToEM]

I won't belittle your ECs but I will tell you that I have worked 40 hours a week since 2008 and I applied with a 3.92 sGPA and a ~3.86 overall. I started college in 2007. Im sure football doesn't take up 6 hours of every day. Football did NOT cause your bad grades... Something else did and the quicker you accept that, remain accountable for it, and move on the better you will be.

Postbacc is a real possibility or another local school who will allow you retakes. You will have to be very careful about what AACOMAS will accept as a retake though!

Head on straight and work on that GPA... Anything is possible.

 

[Nymphicus]

I won't belittle your ECs but I will tell you that I have worked 40 hours a week since 2008 and I applied with a 3.92 sGPA and a ~3.86 overall. I started college in 2007. Im sure football doesn't take up 6 hours of every day. Football did NOT cause your bad grades... Something else did and the quicker you accept that, remain accountable for it, and move on the better you will be.

Postbacc is a real possibility or another local school who will allow you retakes. You will have to be very careful about what AACOMAS will accept as a retake though!

Head on straight and work on that GPA... Anything is possible.

You would be suprised...lol

 

[gatorfann14]

IMO, #33 is pretty good. Honestly, how many DO applicants attended national universities ranked above that?

I currently attend school with graduates from MIT, Michigan, Georgetown, UCLA, UCSD, Lehigh, Case western, Georgia Tech, UNC, WashU, Wellesley, and Notre Dame. And those are only the ones that I'm aware of, im sure there are a few more. All of them are at or above the level of W&M and no one is impressed by it. People are impressed by you studying hard and getting a 97 on your first anatomy test. And also I know a few of my classmates that chose small liberal arts schools over little known places such as Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia. I myself chose UF over top 20 schools. There are a ton of very brilliant DO students that have great pedigrees its not just MD applicants.

 

[poopyhead]

I currently attend school with graduates from MIT, Michigan, Georgetown, UCLA, UCSD, Lehigh, Case western, Georgia Tech, UNC, WashU, Wellesley, and Notre Dame. And those are only the ones that I'm aware of, im sure there are a few more. All of them are at or above the level of W&M and no one is impressed by it.

Well, W&M is ranked above Georgia Tech, UCSD, Case, and Lehigh. Wellesley isn't even a national university. Anyways, my point is it's still a small group out of the entire class.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Had to jump back and make sure I wasn't in the pre med MD forum.

 

[hopeful22213]

I've always found the college rankings stupid. Every time I see someone on SDN cite their school as a top whatever college, I always wonder: according to who and based on what metric.

That said, a lot of you folks don't seem to appreciate that W&M is an excellent school. I wonder if it's a regional thing, like meeting people outside the midwest who don't know that U of Chicago or Wash U are elite programs, or someplace like Pomona to people not on the west coast.

There are plenty of very good schools, and W&M is one of them.

 

[Poliscidoc]

I won't belittle your ECs but I will tell you that I have worked 40 hours a week since 2008 and I applied with a 3.92 sGPA and a ~3.86 overall. I started college in 2007. Im sure football doesn't take up 6 hours of every day. Football did NOT cause your bad grades... Something else did and the quicker you accept that, remain accountable for it, and move on the better you will be.

Postbacc is a real possibility or another local school who will allow you retakes. You will have to be very careful about what AACOMAS will accept as a retake though!

Head on straight and work on that GPA... Anything is possible.

Played college ball myself

Workout 6-7
Film 7-8:30 AM
Practice 3-6 PM
film/position meetings 7-8

Sports takes up a lot of time, 6 hours a day? Close

Also the tired factor comes in. You work 40 hours a week, we did football stuff for nearly the same time. I applaud your gpa and time but it's like apples and oranges.

 

[CopToEM]

Played college ball myself

Workout 6-7
Film 7-8:30 AM
Practice 3-6 PM
film/position meetings 7-8

Sports takes up a lot of time, 6 hours a day? Close

Also the tired factor comes in. You work 40 hours a week, we did football stuff for nearly the same time. I applaud your gpa and time but it's like apples and oranges.

I wasn't trying to brag. Just saying that there's a better way to go about this than "Lo me, college sports killed my GPA," because that's simply not the case.

Think of all the single mothers in medical school... who can't take out extra loan money to care for their child or pay for daycare so they work weekends to make it happen. Yet, they still graduate and still go on to be successful.

If you can't handle college sports, which is strictly an extracurricular, and juggle premed classes at the same time... why would an adcom think you can handle the pressures of medical school and everything that comes along with it? Nobody MADE the OP play football. If he wanted to go to medical school and saw his grades suffering because of his extracurriculars he should have refocused his priorities. I think we're all in agreement on that.

That's all I'm saying. Football in and of itself probably wasn't the root cause of poor performance. Did it contribute? Certainly, any time sink does. However, in order to play sports, work 40 hours a week, or raise a child, you have to sacrifice in other areas to make it happen.

It's about priorities and how bad you want it. Change those things, retake the courses you did poorly in for the quickest fix, or take a post-bacc and hope they'll grant admission on the basis of your upward swing despite a lower overall GPA.

 

[CopToEM]

I've always found the college rankings stupid. Every time I see someone on SDN cite their school as a top whatever college, I always wonder: according to who and based on what metric.

That said, a lot of you folks don't seem to appreciate that W&M is an excellent school. I wonder if it's a regional thing, like meeting people outside the midwest who don't know that U of Chicago or Wash U are elite programs, or someplace like Pomona to people not on the west coast.

There are plenty of very good schools, and W&M is one of them.

As do I. I went to a community college for two years... guess what? I'll have the same alphabet soup the rest of you will in four years. And I did my undergrad debt free.

 

[HOPINGTOBE]

Playing Div 1 sports for a scholarship to pay for college is a commitment. It takes several hours a day and trying to make up classes during the playing season. It is a job that pays for an education to those who do not have the means of attending any other way. Unfortunately grades can suffer. To those that desire a good career it is tough to keep grades up. Anyone who played will understand. As far as schools- UMDNJ SOM does consider the school you attended and ranks undergraduate schools- I was shocked to find this out. My advice again, try to get the GPA up and do exceptionally well with the MCAT. Your personal statement should reflect your desire for medical school and get alot of clinical exposure and recommendations. Again good luck...

 

[flyhi]

If you can't handle college sports, which is strictly an extracurricular, and juggle premed classes at the same time... why would an adcom think you can handle the pressures of medical school and everything that comes along with it? Nobody MADE the OP play football. If he wanted to go to medical school and saw his grades suffering because of his extracurriculars he should have refocused his priorities. I think we're all in agreement on that.

Unless you are on a full ride. And, try being a biology (or other lab-heavy major) and there being a constant struggle between prof and coaches about practicing/playing games on lab days and not to mention being away for road trips. You are physically and emotionally exhausted most of the time. We won't even talk about the injuries and/or surgeries. It's not easy to just give up a full ride because your grades are lower than you want.

W&M is a very competitive state school and at least known regionally to not participate in grade inflation. Playing football on top of this, yeah, I can see how the OP ended up with that gpa.

Intercollegiate athletics (and i'm not talking intramurals) are for a lot of students a true full-time job, but with an ever-changing schedule. Time management is key. Football players at D1 schools may get 'breaks' from their profs, but not true with many other sports (especially women's).

OP, hang in there and if you put your mind to it, it can be done. Especially since DO allows for grade replacement.

Good Luck!

 

[Shinken]

Finally, will a DO or podiatry consider me without doing a post bacc? I have not taken the mcat yet.

In the middle of this discussion about class rankings and jocks, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that the OP is considering DO or podiatry schools.

To the OP: medicine (as in MD or DO) and podiatry are two very different career options. Either you want to be a DO or a DPM, but wanting to be "either" one sounds a bit like you don't know quite yet what career you really want. If you want to be a DO, you'll be very unhappy with a career in podiatry (and vice versa).

Become informed about both career options first before you apply to either type of school.

 

[Poliscidoc]

I have a question since college football is a EC. How many hours can I put down? During the season it's easily 40 hours a week and during the offseason it's easily 15 hours with working out and cardio.

So how many hours?

 

[Poliscidoc]

I have a question since college football is a EC. How many hours can I put down? During the season it's easily 40 hours a week and during the offseason it's easily 15 hours with working out and cardio.

So how many hours?

so......

 

[CopToEM]

My uni certainly doesn't participate in grade inflation either. Athletes still manage good grades and go on to med school. For scale, I'd say our average applicant cGPA out of the Bio dept is ~3.5.

so......

Estimate - nobody is going to call and check. You know how much time commitment it takes, do the math and round out the best you can. Do include it though - especially if you were able to juggle sports and manage good grades.

Which brings up a good point to everyone participating in this thread who might be early in undergrad... keep up with your hours in a Google Docs spreadsheet or something similar. You will have to determine an average weekly hrs commitment and a total hrs commitment when you fill out your apps. Having all of this information ready on June 1 goes a long way.