Bad undergrad GPA

[Shahrem]

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.I graduated with a B.A in Biology a couple of years back. I am interested in podiatry but with horrible undergraduate GPA (2.6), my chances seem slim to none. What are my options? Retake the classes, grad school? Any suggestion/help will be appreciated..

 

[MJ Ella]

I didn't have the best GPA either, or the best MCAT score, but I had an awesome essay, kick-ass interview, I finished with two degrees and a minor in four years, and I was involved in a lot of things during my undergrad so I have a lot of great references- they take EVERYTHING under consideration. If you really are interested in podiatry, I say go for it, give it your best. You have seven schools to apply to. There's no harm in trying.

I know that grad schools take at the least a 2.5 GPA, so that's always an option.

Good luck!!! 🙂

 

[PMSIII]

.I graduated with a B.A in Biology a couple of years back. I am interested in podiatry but with horrible undergraduate GPA (2.6), my chances seem slim to none. What are my options? Retake the classes, grad school? Any suggestion/help will be appreciated..

Here's my objective take on your situation. Now, I don't know you personally so you know better than anyone why you had a low GPA. To be perfectly honest, some podiatry schools will accept students with low GPAs, as private institutions tend to strive on obtaining maximum seats. This usually isn't the case with the top podiatry school(s) but generally speaking, you should be able to get at least an interview (and an acceptance perhaps) at one of the schools.

Now on to the reality bit. I'm currently a third year student, and I will tell you that school is intense. The program is very demanding, and in order to succeed with this profession generally, you need to be on top of your work and be able to handle a heavy courseload. If you feel that you are ready for this workload, and feel that your low GPA does not reflect your true abilities and study habits, then apply and pursue your dreams. However, if you truly feel otherwise, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to go back to school for a semester (or two) or go for a Masters program, because:

1) you improve your overall GPA and improve your chances at gaining acceptance at more schools.
2) you prove to yourself (and the schools) that you have excellent study habits and are prepared for a heavy courseload.

Again, I don't know your circumstances or know you personally so this is a very objective answer. Keep in mind that schools (professional) value standardized tests because they are the real separater between the "duds and studs" figuratively speaking. So, if you had a great MCAT score then your GPA will most likely be overlooked. One of my friends gained acceptance to respectable MD school with a GPA less than 3.0, but he scored a 36 on his MCAT and graduated from a difficult program at a very respectable instituion.

 

[Feli]

...The program is very demanding, and in order to succeed with this profession generally, you need to be on top of your work and be able to handle a heavy courseload...

This is the bottom line.^

All most pre-meds are usually only concerned with is "getting in" because most United States MD programs are extremely tough to gain admission to but won't fail very many people since they were so selective on the front end...
http://www.aamc.org/data/aib/aibissues/aibvol7_no2.pdf

For pre-pod students, it's basically the other way around: "getting in" is (currently) pretty darn easy at some schools, but it's only the beginning. Doing well - or, for some students, even just staying in the program - is the hard part. A lot of pod schools, not unlike Caribbean MD schools, will accept almost anyone who is minimally qualified and has tuition $. However, many of those students will be dismissed after a couple semesters if they don't work hard...

For the OP situation:
You could probably get accepted to at least one pod school if you applied broadly and early in the cycle, but you need to do some self-evaluation and consider what is best for you. If you have an MCAT of 20+, chances are that you have the tools but were probably slacking off in undergrad, working too much, or just in a really difficult degree program (BA will generally be viewed as easier than BS, though). If you drop the distractions and buckle down in pod school, you could probably do fine. On the other hand, a low MCAT and low gpa probably are signs that someone would really struggle in grad school; you'd want to be wary of wasting your time and $... realistic self assesment is key.

 

[Shahrem]

Thanks Guys;

I was a nationally ranked student athlete at one of the top public schools in the country. I think I just focused way too much on my sport and neglected schoolwork. I also had difficulties with the English language, as I was fairly new to the country. Anyway, now that I am out of school and don’t have to worry about making my coaches happy, I can focus on what I really want to do.
.Thanks.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Another thing that was not mentioned is a stellar MCAT will make up for a less than strong GPA. The MCAT is always the great equalizer, and the only way to judge whether you GPA was due to a strong undergrad or to much fermented sugars.

I completely agree with Feli and that is a dangerous trap that some schools pull. They will accept very low stats but many of the students do not matriculate or worse the program will curve the grades to let them slide but they don't pass the boards. This is a real problem in podiatry; the schools want the money and don't care that much about the students.

 

[Shahrem]

So i have decided to retake some of my classes at a JC and i was wondering if pod schools take the better grade or average them out?
Thanks

 

[Makaveliforever]

From my understanding, they average the grades. As long as you show improvement in the class the pod schools will take that into consideration. Goodluck