Awful stats for DO school

[irondoc]

I'm currently a 4th year psych major. Over the last few years, I've had a fairly difficult time in terms of getting good grades, so I'm really counting on my retakes. The problem now is that I'm extremely confused when to apply and how my next few years should be paved. I've retaken a few classes and I currently have the following stats...

cGPA: 2.55. sGPA is 2.61... I'm also a psych major and not sure if my psych courses will be considered as science courses. My school offers a BS instead of BA for psych

These are the classes i've taken that would count for my science courses
Bio 1: B, Bio 2: C then C again with Retake!...
Chem 1: B, Chem 2: D
Orgo 1: D then B with retake, orgo 2 with lab: not taken
Physics 1: B, Physics 2: not taken
calc 2: C, calc 3: F then A with retake
**Had to take calc 3 because my previous major was physics during my first year

I will be taking orgo 2 in the upcoming semester and still need to retake chem 2.

I've already screwed up on one of my retakes. The main question I wanna ask is:

Do i still have a chance of getting into DO school if i just retake my chem 2, and finish my orgo 2, phys 2 requirements, and take the MCAT?

Would it be a better idea to do a masters and then apply with more competitive stats?

Looking for serious help and advice please

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[Elevencents]

The 3 courses you mentioned probably will not get your gpa above 3.0. You want to get at least a 3.3 I would say to be competitive since retakes or not you have shown quite a poor past performance.

And psych courses will not count toward your science gpa.

Needless to say, you will need a strong MCAT performance.

 

[irondoc]

If I were to retake my chem 2, my AACOMAS sGPA would come up to a 3.0. I could not perform well in my last year because I was pretty depressed and have thankfully walked out of that. If I make A's in those two courses, I can bump up my science gpa to a 3.4. My overall gpa will still be considerably low ~2.7ish. Is the 3.0 cutoff for cGPA or sGPA?

 

[Elevencents]

Yeah the 2.7 isn't gonna fly for most schools.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Why did you do poorly in your degree and college?

 

[Goro]

Your numbers are not competitive for any DO program right now and you'd be auto-rejected.

You must re-take all F/D/C grade science course work

The C on retake of Bio is not a good sign, ditto the poor performance overall . If you can't overcome these deficits, strongly suggest looking at an alternative career.

I'm currently a 4th year psych major. Over the last few years, I've had a fairly difficult time in terms of getting good grades, so I'm really counting on my retakes. The problem now is that I'm extremely confused when to apply and how my next few years should be paved. I've retaken a few classes and I currently have the following stats...

cGPA: 2.55. sGPA is 2.61... I'm also a psych major and not sure if my psych courses will be considered as science courses. My school offers a BS instead of BA for psych

These are the classes i've taken that would count for my science courses
Bio 1: B, Bio 2: C then C again with Retake!...
Chem 1: B, Chem 2: D
Orgo 1: D then B with retake, orgo 2 with lab: not taken
Physics 1: B, Physics 2: not taken
calc 2: C, calc 3: F then A with retake
**Had to take calc 3 because my previous major was physics during my first year

I will be taking orgo 2 in the upcoming semester and still need to retake chem 2.

I've already screwed up on one of my retakes. The main question I wanna ask is:

Do i still have a chance of getting into DO school if i just retake my chem 2, and finish my orgo 2, phys 2 requirements, and take the MCAT?

Would it be a better idea to do a masters and then apply with more competitive stats?

Looking for serious help and advice please

 

[irondoc]

I didn't do well primarily because of immaturity in the first couple years and bad study habits. My third year I could not focus at all and I got diagnosed with depression. My third year I pretty much made straight C's. I have been feeling better now and did much better last semester and looking at a more hopeful next few semesters before I graduate.

 

[usmctodoc]

I'm currently a 4th year psych major. Over the last few years, I've had a fairly difficult time in terms of getting good grades, so I'm really counting on my retakes. The problem now is that I'm extremely confused when to apply and how my next few years should be paved. I've retaken a few classes and I currently have the following stats...

cGPA: 2.55. sGPA is 2.61... I'm also a psych major and not sure if my psych courses will be considered as science courses. My school offers a BS instead of BA for psych

These are the classes i've taken that would count for my science courses
Bio 1: B, Bio 2: C then C again with Retake!...
Chem 1: B, Chem 2: D
Orgo 1: D then B with retake, orgo 2 with lab: not taken
Physics 1: B, Physics 2: not taken
calc 2: C, calc 3: F then A with retake
**Had to take calc 3 because my previous major was physics during my first year

I will be taking orgo 2 in the upcoming semester and still need to retake chem 2.

I've already screwed up on one of my retakes. The main question I wanna ask is:

Do i still have a chance of getting into DO school if i just retake my chem 2, and finish my orgo 2, phys 2 requirements, and take the MCAT?

Would it be a better idea to do a masters and then apply with more competitive stats?

Looking for serious help and advice please

Hey dude,

I can definitely relate to having a poor academic history, I came back from a 1.6 ish GPA myself. It sounds like you are asking if you can retake some bare-minimum amount courses and get in to med school... and I think the answer is no.

The good thing about retakes and DO schools in general is that they really allow you to reinvent yourself. No amount of bad academic history can keep you out of med school. The important thing for you to do is to start crushing your retakes. Don't worry too much about which cycle you'll apply to yet, just focus on your GPA repair (and in the process, you'll distance yourself from your poor grades in the past). Focus on your MCAT after a couple of semesters of retakes. In the meantime, do some volunteering. I'm guessing that 3 or 4 semesters from now you could be applying with a 3.5 GPA, a solid MCAT, and good EC's. Remember-- it's a marathon, not a race.

 

[Mad Jack]

You don't have much of an upward trend by the looks of it. I hate to say it, but I'm not seeing a whole lot of hope if you want me to tell it to you straight. Maybe if you retook those courses, along with taking enough new courses with A grades to bring up your cGPA and sGPA over 3.0, then did a Master's in a clinical or hard science field with good grades you could get in. You've got long odds. Every single thing you take from here on out had better be an A. And then you'd better choose a good master's program that will take you, and excel there as well. Then there's the whole MCAT thing...

 

[coolingglasses]

I screwed up a lot too (even had a Chem 1 retake that went from a mere C- to C+ and a number of C grades after that). You need to get rolling on some sGPA rehab. I don't know if retaking those courses will help significantly or not because I'm not sure how many hours you've had so far, but you'll need to retake them regardless.

If you haven't graduated yet, I'd stall and work on some upper level sciences in addition to your retakes. If you can't stall, look into a Post-Bac (official or not, doesn't matter) so you can get your undergrad GPA numbers up. As it stands, even getting a 35+ probably wouldn't save your GPA. A lot of DO schools are starting to auto-reject at ~2.75 or even higher.

 

[edgerock24]

Caribbean if you don't want to retake a bunch of courses. Just saying. Do research before considering it, though.

 

[deleted480308]

This might hurt but You haven't done well in even one gen ed science class.....you need to consider the possibility that you don't have what it takes to survive med training. Maybe you are the rare distracted genius or maybe you are just a nice person with below avg academic ability...

 

[BestDoctorEver]

This might hurt but You haven't done well in even one gen ed science class.....you need to consider the possibility that you don't have what it takes to survive med training. Maybe you are the rare distracted genius or maybe you are just a nice person with below avg academic ability...

No need to be so harsh on OP...

 

[deleted480308]

No need to be so harsh on OP...

I'd love to play professional soccer...but I'm old and slow. I'd love to be a professional entertainer, but I'm old and nerdy. Sometimes we like stuff that isn't in the cards for us. for every mugsy bogues (sp?) there are thousands of 5'6" guys who'd love to play nba ball, but are engineers. Some people get a cgpa pf 2.5 because they were facing some insane circumstances, some times it's just because they aren't a strong student. OP needs to really ask themself what one they are...I actually care enough about them to say it. There are plenty of ways to be a good person without being a doctor...OP, can you actually turn yourself into 3.5 student while taking sciences?

 

[jayoh]

I'd love to play professional soccer...but I'm old and slow. I'd love to be a professional entertainer, but I'm old and nerdy. Sometimes we like stuff that isn't in the cards for us. for every mugsy bogues (sp?) there are thousands of 5'6" guys who'd love to play nba ball, but are engineers. Some people get a cgpa pf 2.5 because they were facing some insane circumstances, some times it's just because they aren't a strong student. OP needs to really ask themself what one they are...I actually care enough about them to say it. There are plenty of ways to be a good person without being a doctor...OP, can you actually turn yourself into 3.5 student while taking sciences?

I think that pro sports/entertaining is a bit different because it relies on being uniquely gifted. Getting good grades does not require you to be one in a million, or even one in ten. Getting good grades just takes hard work and dedication.

My advice to the OP would be to own your prior mistakes, tackle any personal issues and focus on improving your grades. Become one of the many people who have turned their grades around.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I was in your shoes. What you need to do is finish your psych degree and graduate. Then you need to do a pre-req's only full load do it yourself post-bacc and get A's in everything. Then take the MCAT and see where you sit. There is NO WAY you will bring up that cGPA so you will have to show stellar performance in the post-bacc 1-2 years.

 

[bawkbawkcluck]

I would do a heavy course load semester of classes that are relevant to medical school to prove or disprove to yourself whether you could handle it. I would do Biochem, Cell/Molecular Bio, Genetics, Anatomy/Physiology, and maybe one of your retakes. If you can't get A's in 4 or 5 simultaneous undergrad courses, then you might want to consider other options... Plus these will be good prep for the bio section of the MCAT...

 

[edgerock24]

I would do a heavy course load semester of classes that are relevant to medical school to prove or disprove to yourself whether you could handle it. I would do Biochem, Cell/Molecular Bio, Genetics, Anatomy/Physiology, and maybe one of your retakes. If you can't get A's in 4 or 5 simultaneous undergrad courses, then you might want to consider other options... Plus these will be good prep for the bio section of the MCAT...

I tend to agree with you. However, I think he should do the retakes FIRST (and I think he should retake all grades C and lower), and THEN take those upper level courses you suggested. I say this because if he can't get A's in retakes of Gen Bio and Chem, then he surely won't get get A's in Biochem or Genetics. One step at a time.

And, OP, I think some posters (perhaps including myself) are coming off as 'harsh' because you really haven't shown that you can handle the premed coursework to become a doctor yet. However, it is possible to get A's if you work hard. Without a doubt.

 

[HopefulSpartan]

Retake all your prereqs at a CC and 4.0 them all. 30 or higher on MCAT. Then you'll be ok for DO schools.

 

[bawkbawkcluck]

I think the bigger point that so many applicants miss is: you need to decide if medical school is right for you, not whether you can manage to get accepted. Just retaking prereqs as suggested by spartan shows that you know how to do well in very basic classes only on the 2nd time through

 

[godizkool]

In the same boat as you are. I got the inspiration I needed from people on this forum. I am in the process of retaking all my prerequisites one boulder at a time. The rest is in your hands. If you want this bad enough you will get it

 

[MedSchoolMama]

I was in your shoes. What you need to do is finish your psych degree and graduate. Then you need to do a pre-req's only full load do it yourself post-bacc and get A's in everything. Then take the MCAT and see where you sit. There is NO WAY you will bring up that cGPA so you will have to show stellar performance in the post-bacc 1-2 years.

+1
As always excellent advice!

 

[hallowmann]

Wow, really surprised at all the negativity in this thread, and honestly wondering if this is the same SDN Pre-Osteo forum I remember.

OP, DO schools are filled with people exactly like you. People who slacked off or experienced hardships early in college, and turned it around. Many posters on here have already said that they were in your shoes years ago. You know what they're called now? Doctors. I was in your shoes a few years ago also (actually I had worse GPAs). Hopefully, in 3.5 years, I'll be called doctor too.

Bottom line: Take retakes on any science courses you got a C or below in. Try to do it before you graduate or do it as DIY post-bac at a CC or cheap state school. Get A's from here on out. Then, if your cGPA is still below a 3.0, start taking non-science retakes. Again, get A's.

If I were you (in fact, this is what I did), I'd calculate out your GPAs (both cGPA and sGPA) and see how they change with retakes (first science, then non-science). See exactly how many courses you need to bring your sGPA up to 3.2-3.3 and your cGPA above a 3.0. Figure out where you can take those courses and make sure they'll count as retakes, then ace them. Then study your butt off for the MCAT. Get a 30+. Do that, and you'll get in to med school.

If you want to see how you hold up with advanced science classes, go for it, but again only after your retakes. As for taking 6 advanced science classes at once or something, don't do that. Its pointless. You're not in med school yet. 3 advanced science courses (and 2 non-sciences) is fine.

As of right now, almost all DO schools have GPA cutoffs (both sGPA and cGPA) at >2.75, and many have them at 3.0, so don't think of applying until your cGPA is >3.0. That will just make your life easier and save you from getting screened out before a human sees your app.

Forget a Masters, its pointless unless you really like a school and want to get into it through linkage with their Masters program. Post-bac (even a DIY one) will be more than enough.

Forget the Carribean, its not worth the risk right now, and it would only save you 1-2 years at most (and that's if you start in the summer/fall, don't remediate/decel any courses/semesters/years, pass boards on your first try, and match on your first try).

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I think the bigger point that so many applicants miss is: you need to decide if medical school is right for you, not whether you can manage to get accepted. Just retaking prereqs as suggested by spartan shows that you know how to do well in very basic classes only on the 2nd time through

I think you are being too negative here... I bet there many DO students or applicants who have retakes in their transcript(s) and end up doing fine in med school. I am sensing some kind of 'intellectual' superiority coming from your statements....

 

[deleted480308]

Ok...I'm coming back to apologize. Re-read my posts and I was coming off way to hard.

It's not impossible at all to turn this ship if you were just not applying yourself. If you can keep your personal life in control and buckle down, it's hard but doable. If you got those grades because the material was hard, seek tutoring and maybe community college classes where the classes are smaller and profs more accessable. Also, and this will sound like a joke....youtube helped me a lot with physics.

Sorry again

 

[cabinbuilder]

I think you are being too negative here... I bet there many DO students or applicants who have retakes in their transcript(s) and end up doing fine in med school. I am sensing some kind of 'intellectual' superiority coming from your statements....

I think I had at least 20 retakes on my transcripts. I get called Dr. CB all day every day.

Hmm, if I recall.......

Physics I 4 times
Physics II 4 times
Bichem 4 times
Organic I 4 times
Organic II 2 times
Calculus I 2 times
Trig 2 times
Bio I 2 times
Chem I 4 times
Chem II 4 times
Micro 2 times
Genetics 2 times


Before I get flamed I will say that I always seemed to have some type of crises during college, my husband was very abusive, my mom suicidal (she finally came through with her threats before I graduated), had 2 kids in the process, 7 surgeries in 5 years, worked 2 jobs, was homeless for about 8 months, etc. Life sometimes really sucks and **** happens. It's what you learn from the crap and how you move forward that counts.

 

[docemmettbrown]

I think I had at least 20 retakes on my transcripts. I get called Dr. CB all day every day.

*snipped*
Before I get flamed I will say that I always seemed to have some type of crises during college, my husband was very abusive, my mom suicidal (she finally came through with her threats before I graduated), had 2 kids in the process, 7 surgeries in 5 years, worked 2 jobs, was homeless for about 8 months, etc. Life sometimes really sucks and **** happens. It's what you learn from the crap and how you move forward that counts.

I understand this. Every semester has been some kind of family related drama or death. For example, every fall semester I have lost a family member( 1st fall semester was my Grandfather[died of cancer], 2nd fall semester my great grandmother, and this past fall semester was my great grandfather[died from complications during a surgery]), and for the first 2 years of undergrad my parents were going through a difficult divorce process, which kept escalating and was causing police to have to respond because my father threatened my mom and I with a gun... After all of this I have learned how to power through the difficult times and still manage to keep up with family matters and such.

 

[hallowmann]

... After all of this I have learned how to power through the difficult times and still manage to keep up with family matters and such.

This part is key. A lot of us have had issues in undergrad, but the difference now is that when we face such hurdles, difficulties, family crises, etc. now, its much more manageable. Even this last semester (my first semester in med school), I had to deal with the loss of a close family member, but short of taking off a few days, I was still able to deal even in the middle of med school exams. I don't think I would have been able to say the same thing 7 years ago. Growth, realizing the mistakes in our past, and realizing when we need help are the only ways to move forward and improve ourselves.

 

[Yossarian Lives]

I would do a heavy course load semester of classes that are relevant to medical school to prove or disprove to yourself whether you could handle it. I would do Biochem, Cell/Molecular Bio, Genetics, Anatomy/Physiology, and maybe one of your retakes. If you can't get A's in 4 or 5 simultaneous undergrad courses, then you might want to consider other options... Plus these will be good prep for the bio section of the MCAT...

I think that in the OP's case it would be better to do the retakes first. A heavy science course load will prove to Adcoms that OP can handle the work, but at this point OP hasn't succeeded at prereqs (even on retakes) and would just be setting himself up to have more retakes if he jumped in the deep end like that right away.

I think it's more important to figure out what is keeping you from succeeding, fix that, and then prove it with some retakes. Once you have some A's under your belt you will be ready to take on a heavy science semester to drive the point home that you are a changed person.

Plenty of people here have done it, but I'd take it slowly the first semester and prove to yourself that you can get As.

 

[irondoc]

Just an update.. I decided to retake Bio 2 and Chem 2 this semester. I'm hoping to receive an A and a B, respectively... But the final will determine

 

[Mr Roboto]

derp.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Just an update.. I decided to retake Bio 2 and Chem 2 this semester. I'm hoping to receive an A and a B, respectively... But the final will determine

Not really a good sign to get a B.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

I think I had at least 20 retakes on my transcripts. I get called Dr. CB all day every day.

Hmm, if I recall.......

Physics I 4 times
Physics II 4 times
Bichem 4 times
Organic I 4 times
Organic II 2 times
Calculus I 2 times
Trig 2 times
Bio I 2 times
Chem I 4 times
Chem II 4 times
Micro 2 times
Genetics 2 times


Before I get flamed I will say that I always seemed to have some type of crises during college, my husband was very abusive, my mom suicidal (she finally came through with her threats before I graduated), had 2 kids in the process, 7 surgeries in 5 years, worked 2 jobs, was homeless for about 8 months, etc. Life sometimes really sucks and **** happens. It's what you learn from the crap and how you move forward that counts.

Well, if that isn't inspiring, I don't know what is.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Well, if that isn't inspiring, I don't know what is.

I found it more frightening than inspiring.

 

[prettyNURSEtoMD]

I found it more frightening than inspiring.

Why frightening? That is resilience.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Why frightening? That is resilience.

That people will go to such lengths to achieve a dream of anything let alone an occupation should always be a frightening thing tbh.

 

[prettyNURSEtoMD]

That people will go to such lengths to achieve a dream of anything let alone an occupation should always be a frightening thing tbh.

Tbh there's a difference between a career and an occupation. And because she kept fighting for her dream and subsequently achieved it at all odds.....that's a problem. Oh okay I got it. Thanks.

 

[docemmettbrown]

Tbh there's a difference between a career and an occupation. And because she kept fighting for her dream and subsequently achieved it at all odds.....that's a problem. Oh okay I got it. Thanks.

Kudos to you!

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk

 

[cabinbuilder]

Interesting I've become a topic. What else was I supposed to do? Give up?

 

[usmctodoc]

giving up is for nerds.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I suppose everyone has their opinion. Either I'm an inspiration or just plain stupid I suppose. Doesn't matter really what anyone thinks about me. My goal in putting my story out there is to give support to those struggling and to show that you don't have to be perfect to get into medical school. Just because someone struggles in college doesn't make that person any less worthy. I've had to deal with very book smart people who made really bad doctors and put patient's at risk. There is something to be said about being able to relate to the public and take care of them the best you can.

 

[kinzav]

I suppose everyone has their opinion. Either I'm an inspiration or just plain stupid I suppose. Doesn't matter really what anyone thinks about me. My goal in putting my story out there is to give support to those struggling and to show that you don't have to be perfect to get into medical school. Just because someone struggles in college doesn't make that person any less worthy. I've had to deal with very book smart people who made really bad doctors and put patient's at risk. There is something to be said about being able to relate to the public and take care of them the best you can.

I don't think anyone's calling you stupid. It's just that level of motivation is intimidating. Nothing to look down on, just makes you wonder whether it requires such severe devotion to the field to be a physician. I'm, personally, very impressed by your story. Can't imagine spending so much time running through the same material only to know my chances are still slim once I'm done, but you're proof it can work. You're a testament to the idea that being disciplined, hard working, and a bit stubborn can take you far in a field like medicine.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Fair enough but understand I didn't take all those repeats back to back. There were a lot of breaks in between failures. Took me 7 years to finish my bachelor's. Then had a 3 year gap before attempting my post bacc year. I just never wanted to do anything else and worked so many jobs on the way to get there that I knew I wouldn't ever be satisfied until I got what I wanted. Just always been stubborn and I don't take NO for an answer. You tell me I can't do something it really pisses me off and I will go out of my way to prove them wrong. My own defense mechanism.

 

[kinzav]

Fair enough but understand I didn't take all those repeats back to back. There were a lot of breaks in between failures. Took me 7 years to finish my bachelor's. Then had a 3 year gap before attempting my post bacc year. I just never wanted to do anything else and worked so many jobs on the way to get there that I knew I wouldn't ever be satisfied until I got what I wanted. Just always been stubborn and I don't take NO for an answer. You tell me I can't do something it really pisses me off and I will go out of my way to prove them wrong. My own defense mechanism.

And it's worked wonders. Seriously, kudos to you!

 

[cabinbuilder]

Thanks, and I sure don't make $5/hr anymore.

 

[touchpause13]

I think I had at least 20 retakes on my transcripts. I get called Dr. CB all day every day.

Hmm, if I recall.......

Physics I 4 times
Physics II 4 times
Bichem 4 times
Organic I 4 times
Organic II 2 times
Calculus I 2 times
Trig 2 times
Bio I 2 times
Chem I 4 times
Chem II 4 times
Micro 2 times
Genetics 2 times


Before I get flamed I will say that I always seemed to have some type of crises during college, my husband was very abusive, my mom suicidal (she finally came through with her threats before I graduated), had 2 kids in the process, 7 surgeries in 5 years, worked 2 jobs, was homeless for about 8 months, etc. Life sometimes really sucks and **** happens. It's what you learn from the crap and how you move forward that counts.

Sometimes I could just kiss you. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story. It's quite wonderful to see someone overcome so much shet.

 

[GypsyHummus]

I suppose everyone has their opinion. Either I'm an inspiration or just plain stupid I suppose. Doesn't matter really what anyone thinks about me. My goal in putting my story out there is to give support to those struggling and to show that you don't have to be perfect to get into medical school. Just because someone struggles in college doesn't make that person any less worthy. I've had to deal with very book smart people who made really bad doctors and put patient's at risk. There is something to be said about being able to relate to the public and take care of them the best you can.

I take it the journey was worth every hour spent proving yourself?

 

[Launcelot]

Every time @cabinbuilder posts, I am humbled and I am reminded of the reasons why we're all here at sdn. Much better than a "Remember the Titans" pep talk too, and I'm definitely ready to smash my post bacc. Thanks cb!

 

[cabinbuilder]

I take it the journey was worth every hour spent proving yourself?

OH, Yeah. I really have fun taking care of patients. The 6 fig salary doesn't hurt either.

 

[bcurtis]

If there was a "love" button, I would've clicked that instead of the like.

My advice is the same, so I won't repeat it. This quote is pretty dead on the money if you want to become a physician.

By the way, I'm a psych major too and it definitely takes work, interest, and general intelligence to do well in both disciplines (natural and behavioral sciences). Find your grove and stuck to it, I didn't find mine until my junior year, now I'm on fire!!!

Wow, really surprised at all the negativity in this thread, and honestly wondering if this is the same SDN Pre-Osteo forum I remember.

OP, DO schools are filled with people exactly like you. People who slacked off or experienced hardships early in college, and turned it around. Many posters on here have already said that they were in your shoes years ago. You know what they're called now? Doctors. I was in your shoes a few years ago also (actually I had worse GPAs). Hopefully, in 3.5 years, I'll be called doctor too.

Bottom line: Take retakes on any science courses you got a C or below in. Try to do it before you graduate or do it as DIY post-bac at a CC or cheap state school. Get A's from here on out. Then, if your cGPA is still below a 3.0, start taking non-science retakes. Again, get A's.

If I were you (in fact, this is what I did), I'd calculate out your GPAs (both cGPA and sGPA) and see how they change with retakes (first science, then non-science). See exactly how many courses you need to bring your sGPA up to 3.2-3.3 and your cGPA above a 3.0. Figure out where you can take those courses and make sure they'll count as retakes, then ace them. Then study your butt off for the MCAT. Get a 30+. Do that, and you'll get in to med school.

If you want to see how you hold up with advanced science classes, go for it, but again only after your retakes. As for taking 6 advanced science classes at once or something, don't do that. Its pointless. You're not in med school yet. 3 advanced science courses (and 2 non-sciences) is fine.

As of right now, almost all DO schools have GPA cutoffs (both sGPA and cGPA) at >2.75, and many have them at 3.0, so don't think of applying until your cGPA is >3.0. That will just make your life easier and save you from getting screened out before a human sees your app.

Forget a Masters, its pointless unless you really like a school and want to get into it through linkage with their Masters program. Post-bac (even a DIY one) will be more than enough.

Forget the Carribean, its not worth the risk right now, and it would only save you 1-2 years at most (and that's if you start in the summer/fall, don't remediate/decel any courses/semesters/years, pass boards on your first try, and match on your first try).