Below 3.0 gpa Support Group/Thread

[JSReed]

I really like that last paragraph. Even when you are getting A's you should be constantly re-evaluating yourself and your study habits. There are times where I do well on exams but realize that I could have achieved the same grade had I been more efficient with my studying habits. For example, I would catch myself getting close to copying every word on a powerpoint when making notes and then I would stop and think about what the professor wants us to know about that particular slide and jot down a bullet point or two for each slide instead of entire paragraphs.

Agreed. My 3rd year of college, started going over my exams and making logs of what I got wrong, why I got it wrong, and how to change my study strategies to avoid this in the future. Boosted my GPA a full point-- some of it was deeper strategy stuff, some of it was really bone-headed (for gods sake, write down the color and texture of your chem lab products!). Point is that without some significant analysis and recourse, you need to put in some work to addressing your issues if you want to see progress.

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[YGMOGUL]

I am a nurse practitioner. I don't have the best undergraduate GPA which stems from not doing well in the beginning of my college days. I have my master's in nursing which I did really well in. Does the grades from this program calculate into my cumulative GPA?

 

[Shotapp]

Does the grades from this program calculate into my cumulative GPA?

For DO schools? Yes.
For MD schools? No. Graduate GPA is separate from undergrad.

 

[EcstaticBroccoli]

Hey quick question. I am about to start my DIY post bacc and I am wondering if I should take introductory classes. For example I need to take a 200 level statistics course but there is a 100 level elementary statistics course available. Is it worth it for me to take that 100 level elementary statistics class to help me boost up my GPA or should i just take the 200 level course right away. I am just wondering if you guys think that it would look bad on my post bacc taking intro courses.

 

[Ouiser]

Hey quick question. I am about to start my DIY post bacc and I am wondering if I should take introductory classes. For example I need to take a 200 level statistics course but there is a 100 level elementary statistics course available. Is it worth it for me to take that 100 level elementary statistics class to help me boost up my GPA or should i just take the 200 level course right away. I am just wondering if you guys think that it would look bad on my post bacc taking intro courses.

I don't know that I have the best advice here, but I would start by evaluating how strong your foundation is in math/statistics. If you aren't concerned with the cost and you aren't in a rush to hurry through the postbacc, then I do not see that it would hurt you to take the intro course followed by the appropriate level statistics class.

If you are strong in math then you may breeze right through the 200 level course without the intro. Read the course descriptions for each and see how you feel. Others on here may have some better advice for you too. Do what you think it going to be the most advantageous for you in terms of helping build your GPA and application. Best of luck!!!

P.S. I also want to stress though that it is important that you take upper level math and science courses. This is how you are going to prove you can handle the rigor of an MD/DO program, but so much material build upon itself so that is why I asked how your foundation was in stats. This isn't a sprint so take your time and be wise with your decisions.

 

[D&DUU]

Okay I feel a bit late but I am also a person that belongs in this thread. I recently graduated from a 4 year university and I didn’t do so well mostly because of personal issues of anxiety and dealing with abuse. My cGPA is 2.8 & science GPA is 2.5. I have one F and some D’s. I have retaken my F & busted out an A and I am planning on working on my D. I’ve taken my MCAT and only pulled out a 500 but it was enough to boost my confidence to apply to masters programs. I haven’t heard back from the schools so I’m guessing my chances of acceptance is low and I am trying to create a back up plan since I’ve already had a gap year (graduated I. 2018). I was thinking of doing a DIY post bac at a small 4 year unvi in my hometown. I didnt formally major in a science degree and because of that I may go in and get another undergrad degree in science. I’m just so confused on what to do because of how bad my GPA is. I’m stuck on pursuing masters (which doesn’t affect my uGPA & pre reqs) or just retaking my pre reqs I bombed and adding upper level sciences classes to fix my transcript. Is anyone else in this predicament?

 

[nGozz]

Has anyone had trouble doing a DIY postbac?

I can't seem to get into classes because I have over 90 credits and it places me in "open enrollment", all the classes are full at that point.
I made a thread asking for help in the "Postbac Program" section of the forum without replies and was wondering if anyone has encountered anything like this.

 

[EcstaticBroccoli]

Okay I feel a bit late but I am also a person that belongs in this thread. I recently graduated from a 4 year university and I didn’t do so well mostly because of personal issues of anxiety and dealing with abuse. My cGPA is 2.8 & science GPA is 2.5. I have one F and some D’s. I have retaken my F & busted out an A and I am planning on working on my D. I’ve taken my MCAT and only pulled out a 500 but it was enough to boost my confidence to apply to masters programs. I haven’t heard back from the schools so I’m guessing my chances of acceptance is low and I am trying to create a back up plan since I’ve already had a gap year (graduated I. 2018). I was thinking of doing a DIY post bac at a small 4 year unvi in my hometown. I didnt formally major in a science degree and because of that I may go in and get another undergrad degree in science. I’m just so confused on what to do because of how bad my GPA is. I’m stuck on pursuing masters (which doesn’t affect my uGPA & pre reqs) or just retaking my pre reqs I bombed and adding upper level sciences classes to fix my transcript. Is anyone else in this predicament?

Hey Im in a similar position as you..im 26 years old and graduated college 5 years ago with a 3.0 GPA and a 2.7 sGPA. I also was really confused on how to proceed given that I kept hearing about DIY post baccs, SMPs etc. Your main goal right now is going to be to fix your GPA. Like you mentioned acceptance into a masters program to fix your GPA is hard because alot of them have GPA cutoffs and are competitive to get into. So in my opinion you should look to do a DIY postbacc or a formal post bacc if you can get into one. I was a bio major so its harder for me since ive taken most of the science classes already but for you it should be no problem. Apply to that 4 year university and start taking a bunch of science and math courses to pick up your GPA. I would retake any classes that you scored less than a C in as long as they are science courses. This is obvious but you really want to get straight A's and aim for that 4.0 GPA. Since your an underdog you need to go above and beyond and prove that you are capable to succeed in med school. If your still getting B's in these courses its not going to look that great so make sure you are prepared to study your tail off and identify any issues with your studying habits. Your going to want to take courses until you pick up your cGPA and sGPA to at least a 3.0 since most med schools wont even look at your application if you are below that 3.0 cutoff. Once your at a 3.0 thats when you take your MCATS (since your MCAT scores only last for 3 years before they expire.) Im not at the MCAT stage yet but in my head I need to aim for a 510+. I think a 500 is not a competitive score coming from someone who is trying to reinvent themself. You got this though dont worry. Keep working hard and you will get there.

 

[EcstaticBroccoli]

Has anyone had trouble doing a DIY postbac?

I can't seem to get into classes because I have over 90 credits and it places me in "open enrollment", all the classes are full at that point.
I made a thread asking for help in the "Postbac Program" section of the forum without replies and was wondering if anyone has encountered anything like this.

Have you tried looking at other schools? Im doing a DIY post bacc now and i looked up every school within a 30 min drive from me and looked at all of the courses each school had to offer that I could still take and made a list. Even if that means taking a few classes at 1 school and a few at another. Whatever gets the job done.

 

[nGozz]

Have you tried looking at other schools? Im doing a DIY post bacc now and i looked up every school within a 30 min drive from me and looked at all of the courses each school had to offer that I could still take and made a list. Even if that means taking a few classes at 1 school and a few at another. Whatever gets the job done.

Definitely agree whatever gets the job done.
Is this happening to you too though? Too many credits puts you in the open enrollment spot, hard to get in, etc?

Originally it took me 3 semesters to take Anatomy before I got in, but this was in a small town with nothing around for miles.

Now I live in Los Angeles and I am going to try to get in to whatever CC has an open spot for the classes I need, but LA is packed full of people so I'm afraid the same thing will happen, I'm currently enrolled in 2 CC "systems" which have a few CC in their umbrella each so to speak.

I haven't had the chance to attempt to get classes yet, the date is in about a week for open enrollment, but I'll take whatever I can get.

 

[etp123]

Now I live in Los Angeles and I am going to try to get in to whatever CC has an open spot for the classes I need, but LA is packed full of people so I'm afraid the same thing will happen, I'm currently enrolled in 2 CC "systems" which have a few CC in their umbrella each so to speak.

If you live in Los Angeles and have transportation, you might want to look at UCLA/UCLA Extension. You can take UCLA classes via something called "concurrent enrollment" run through UCLA Extension, but Extension also offers evening/weekend classes for the same pre-reqs for much cheaper. In my experience with concurrent enrollment, pre-req classes aren't always full (though it depends on the quarter/prof), and you are given sort of "last pick" for scheduling. The other drawback is it is much more expensive per credit than CC.

 

[D&DUU]

Hey Im in a similar position as you..im 26 years old and graduated college 5 years ago with a 3.0 GPA and a 2.7 sGPA. I also was really confused on how to proceed given that I kept hearing about DIY post baccs, SMPs etc. Your main goal right now is going to be to fix your GPA. Like you mentioned acceptance into a masters program to fix your GPA is hard because alot of them have GPA cutoffs and are competitive to get into. So in my opinion you should look to do a DIY postbacc or a formal post bacc if you can get into one. I was a bio major so its harder for me since ive taken most of the science classes already but for you it should be no problem. Apply to that 4 year university and start taking a bunch of science and math courses to pick up your GPA. I would retake any classes that you scored less than a C in as long as they are science courses. This is obvious but you really want to get straight A's and aim for that 4.0 GPA. Since your an underdog you need to go above and beyond and prove that you are capable to succeed in med school. If your still getting B's in these courses its not going to look that great so make sure you are prepared to study your tail off and identify any issues with your studying habits. Your going to want to take courses until you pick up your cGPA and sGPA to at least a 3.0 since most med schools wont even look at your application if you are below that 3.0 cutoff. Once your at a 3.0 thats when you take your MCATS (since your MCAT scores only last for 3 years before they expire.) Im not at the MCAT stage yet but in my head I need to aim for a 510+. I think a 500 is not a competitive score coming from someone who is trying to reinvent themself. You got this though dont worry. Keep working hard and you will get there.

Thank you! I’m definitely looking forward to finally able to prove myself academically. I never really had the opportunity to study in undergrad due to my personal issues but now that it isn’t a problem anymore I am excited to see how I can perform when I’m actually able to do it the right way!

 

[Dr. Let 'er Buck]

Has anyone had trouble doing a DIY postbac?

I can't seem to get into classes because I have over 90 credits and it places me in "open enrollment", all the classes are full at that point.
I made a thread asking for help in the "Postbac Program" section of the forum without replies and was wondering if anyone has encountered anything like this.

My school is the only college for MILES, and I struggled getting into classes I needed.

Then I realized that our Honors program students get priority registration. I joined that (fortunately my GPA and everything was high enough). At that point I could easily get into whatever classes I wanted. If your CC of choice has one, look into Honors.

 

[deleted92121]

Just wanted to throw my hat in the ring.

cGPA: 2.35
sGPA: 2.4
MCAT: 514 (edited due to incorrect/updated score)

Graduate program/SMP: start this summer.

10+ years medic including level II trauma and flight. Non science research. Volunteer work. Educator positions. Involved with triage protocols, emergency operations, trauma center development. LOR from three DO I’ve worked with closely including faculty member.

 

[ppushpak]

Hope this encourages some of you to keep faith!

Graduated from a top 25 University in 2017 with a 2.96 cGPA and 2.7+ sGPA and 511 MCAT (127/126/128/130)

Did a 1 year post bacc at VCU (CERT Program) in 2018-2019 and received a 4.0 with 27 total credits (all sGPA)

Received my first and only interview in August 2018 at VCUSOM in and received acceptance to VCUSOM on February 1st

 

[premedbrah]

Just wanted to throw my hat in the ring.

cGPA: 2.35
sGPA: 2.4
MCAT: 511

Graduate program/SMP: start this summer.

10+ years medic including level II trauma and flight. Non science research. Volunteer work. Educator positions. Involved with triage protocols, emergency operations, trauma center development. LOR from three DO I’ve worked with closely including faculty member.

What's the program if you don't mind me asking?

 

[GoodLawd]

Agree - not only with MCAT but higher end courses rely on lower level knowledge; can't cook before you know what a cup is

I would disagree I got a C's in Bio, Gen Chem but A's in all of my upper levels (biochem, mol-gen, Ochem, microbio, and cell bio). Just depends on the person.

 

[dhanjals]

I am looking for some insight right now.

So I did not do so hot in my undergrad. I ended up with a 2.8 cGPA and a 2.7 sGPA. I graduated this past may
I scored a 507 on my MCAT recently.
My EC's are good as well as a ton of volunteering hours and clinical hours. I have shadowed a bunch of doctors in my area (Both DO and MD
I have been published once and in the process of another publication
And I have gotten amazing letters of rec from the doctor I shadowed as well as my research professor and a couple of med school professors (does this increase my chances if I am applying to the medical school associated with my alma mater?).

I am not sure what I should do. medical school is my dream and its the only thing I can see myself doing. Should I apply for an SMP? I am mainly looking to apply locally to DO schools. I have thought about the Caribbean (my brother went there and is in residency at the moment) but I don't know where to go from here

I am looking to apply to MSU COM or Wayne State MD
If anyone has experience at Wayne State BMS or how it works that would be great!

 

[deleted967981]

I am looking for some insight right now.

So I did not do so hot in my undergrad. I ended up with a 2.8 cGPA and a 2.7 sGPA. I graduated this past may
I scored a 507 on my MCAT recently.
My EC's are good as well as a ton of volunteering hours and clinical hours. I have shadowed a bunch of doctors in my area (Both DO and MD
I have been published once and in the process of another publication
And I have gotten amazing letters of rec from the doctor I shadowed as well as my research professor and a couple of med school professors (does this increase my chances if I am applying to the medical school associated with my alma mater?).

I am not sure what I should do. medical school is my dream and its the only thing I can see myself doing. Should I apply for an SMP? I am mainly looking to apply locally to DO schools. I have thought about the Caribbean (my brother went there and is in residency at the moment) but I don't know where to go from here

I am looking to apply to MSU COM or Wayne State MD
If anyone has experience at Wayne State BMS or how it works that would be great!

How many credit hours do you have? A DIY postbacc would be cheaper then an SMP, and you might only need a semester or two to get above a 3.0 and past DO screens.

 

[dhanjals]

How many credit hours do you have? A DIY postbacc would be cheaper then an SMP, and you might only need a semester or two to get above a 3.0 and past DO screens.

I have 120 credits at the moment. Im okay with taking the risk of an SMP and the money at the end of the day.

 

[deleted967981]

I have 120 credits at the moment. Im okay with taking the risk of an SMP and the money at the end of the day.

Your call of course, but know that you only need 24 hrs of 4.0 to bring your cGPA to 3.0, and probably only a few more to bring your sGPA up.

SMPs are high risk, high reward. I would avoid the Caribbean, but that’s your call as well. Good luck!

 

[etp123]

I am looking for some insight right now.

So I did not do so hot in my undergrad. I ended up with a 2.8 cGPA and a 2.7 sGPA. I graduated this past may
I scored a 507 on my MCAT recently.
My EC's are good as well as a ton of volunteering hours and clinical hours. I have shadowed a bunch of doctors in my area (Both DO and MD
I have been published once and in the process of another publication
And I have gotten amazing letters of rec from the doctor I shadowed as well as my research professor and a couple of med school professors (does this increase my chances if I am applying to the medical school associated with my alma mater?).

I am not sure what I should do. medical school is my dream and its the only thing I can see myself doing. Should I apply for an SMP? I am mainly looking to apply locally to DO schools. I have thought about the Caribbean (my brother went there and is in residency at the moment) but I don't know where to go from here

I am looking to apply to MSU COM or Wayne State MD
If anyone has experience at Wayne State BMS or how it works that would be great!

If you can do DIY postbac to pull your GPA up, do that first. Or heck, maybe you'll find an affordable postbac program. A good SMP performance is nice but lots of schools have 3.0 GPA screens and your SMP performance isnt going to help you get past those screens. DO schools factor your grad GPA (SMP) into your cumulative GPA but MD schools do not. SDN will always recommend against the carib. Undoubtedly, there will always be people who make it through like your brother, but there are so many more who don't. You'll always have a much higher likelihood of being unsuccessful if you start in the carib vs if you are able to start at a US MD/DO school. Good luck my friend

 

[Pwny]

Was sitting here trying to get through coursework, when I became overwhelmed with fear and anxiety of not making it to med school. I immediately scrambled onto SDN to find this thread! I just wanted to express a HUGE thank you to everyone who has shared their stories. Today was a day I needed some extra inspiration to keep chuggin' along.

Where I'm at in my journey: Finishing up a two year post-bacc with a 3.8 GPA, which will bump up my 2.5 cGPA to a 2.8 cGPA . My calculations indicate it would take another 1.5 years to hit a 3.0 cGPA, so I'm planning to do well on the MCAT and apply broadly to DOs and state schools in 2020.

Thanks so much for all the support during the above difficult time-- I was in the middle of a pretty stressful semester (3 psychology classes, 1 physics retake that was kicking me in the butt), but was able to pull through and turn physics from formidable foe to an uh... formidable friend, haha.

I'll be finishing up what will hopefully be my last post-bacc class (biochem!) in 6 weeks. Although my goal is to earn a stellar MCAT score and apply in 2020, I've been reevaluating my plan and am unsure if I should stick with it based on some new information. I recently spoke to my alma mater's admissions, where I learned the school's GPA filter for screening is set at 2.6... without post-bacc work. This would mean the GPA I graduated with would determine whether I would be screened out or not in their first phase.

Has anyone else heard of other schools like this? I was under the impression post-bacc work would be factored into cGPA, so this may be an example where there are always exceptions. Learning this has honestly, thrown me off this past week... and I will admit, though it's probably not the wisest thing to have grown accustomed to, that in moments of severe stress and hopelessness something that has helped me was envisioning myself at my alma mater. But in reality, I'd be happy going anywhere that takes me!

Consequently, I also find myself a little lost as to where to go from here. Should I look into SMP and formal post-baccs now that my GPA is *marginally* better? Should I continue to aim high on the MCAT and apply in 2020 as planned? These are my current musings.

Anyway, you guys are truly the best-- you are determined, humble, encouraging, and inspiring individuals. It sounds like a cliche list of things I just listed, but it's true. I hope everyone is celebrating their achievements, whether you deem them as big or small, because those are the moments that keep us going! Here's to wishing those going through this process (especially the current app cycle) nothing but success! Keep up the good work, and stay strong!

 

[RocuROMANium]

Thanks so much for all the support during the above difficult time-- I was in the middle of a pretty stressful semester (3 psychology classes, 1 physics retake that was kicking me in the butt), but was able to pull through and turn physics from formidable foe to an uh... formidable friend, haha.

I'll be finishing up what will hopefully be my last post-bacc class (biochem!) in 6 weeks. Although my goal is to earn a stellar MCAT score and apply in 2020, I've been reevaluating my plan and am unsure if I should stick with it based on some new information. I recently spoke to my alma mater's admissions, where I learned the school's GPA filter for screening is set at 2.6... without post-bacc work. This would mean the GPA I graduated with would determine whether I would be screened out or not in their first phase.

Has anyone else heard of other schools like this? I was under the impression post-bacc work would be factored into cGPA, so this may be an example where there are always exceptions. Learning this has honestly, thrown me off this past week... and I will admit, though it's probably not the wisest thing to have grown accustomed to, that in moments of severe stress and hopelessness something that has helped me was envisioning myself at my alma mater. But in reality, I'd be happy going anywhere that takes me!

Consequently, I also find myself a little lost as to where to go from here. Should I look into SMP and formal post-baccs now that my GPA is *marginally* better? Should I continue to aim high on the MCAT and apply in 2020 as planned? These are my current musings.

Anyway, you guys are truly the best-- you are determined, humble, encouraging, and inspiring individuals. It sounds like a cliche list of things I just listed, but it's true. I hope everyone is celebrating their achievements, whether you deem them as big or small, because those are the moments that keep us going! Here's to wishing those going through this process (especially the current app cycle) nothing but success! Keep up the good work, and stay strong!

I have combed through every allopathic medical school website and have never found a single school that says what you underlined so I’m not going to waste my time worrying about that. I hope it isn’t true but we can’t do anything about it so just keep moving forward as planned. You got this! Just finish strong and prepare to slay the MCAT.

 

[Pwny]

I have combed through every allopathic medical school website and have never found a single school that says what you underlined so I’m not going to waste my time worrying about that. I hope it isn’t true but we can’t do anything about it so just keep moving forward as planned. You got this! Just finish strong and prepare to slay the MCAT.

Thanks for your feedback and positive words! It could be this person is more involved with reviewing apps after they pass the initial GPA/MCAT filter, so I have gone ahead and asked for a second opinion. Will keep the thread updated on the final verdict.

 

[NoMessEMS]

Well, I finally did it, friends. I got accepted to medical school after starting the journey with a 2.4! Keep working your butts off and supporting each other!

 

[Shotapp]

Well, I finally did it, friends. I got accepted to medical school after starting the journey with a 2.4! Keep working your butts off and supporting each other!

Congrats man! Your hard work and tenacity paid off. Keep grinding!

 

[Nugester]

Well, I finally did it, friends. I got accepted to medical school after starting the journey with a 2.4! Keep working your butts off and supporting each other!

Congratulations! Would you mind PM'ing me the school??

 

[Calizboosted76]

I'm about to restart my academic career as a pre-med Biochemistry student. I did terrible during my first undergraduate degree (2.25 final), but did a graduate (MSc) in IT Management and finished with a 3.6.

Because of the volume of classes I took as I meandered myself to finishing my UG, I have at least 80 hours I need to take to get my GPA remotely close to a 3.0 I am going to aim at acing everything in my path. I also am not against getting a MS if that may improve my chances. I will crush my MCAT. I will begin volunteering and shadowing this Fall, clinics hopefully by Spring. I plan to get a minor in Spanish to better support the immigrant community (I plan to volunteer with an immigrant resource center in my city this Fall and beyond).

I have a long road to getting myself out of hell, but I'm going to do it! My end goal is to pursue a MD/PhD program, possibly focusing in Endocrinology, Medical Genetics, or Pathology. If I only went an MD route, maybe Integrative Medicine. The fields are close to my heart due to the conditions I have to live with and endure. I want to help improve knowledge on those areas and maybe help improve the quality of life of children born with hereditary conditions like mine.

Start working on your research hours now as well.

 

[Short Stack]

Hey y’all so I need some advice.. my uGPA was around a 2.5 and my sGPA was around a 2.7. I applied to USF, Barry, and NSU biomedical masters programs and was denied from all of them.. I’m not sure what I should do next.. I was thinking about retaking some of my undergrad sciences at my local CC as a kind of DIY. Any idea how many courses I should retake before applying to another masters program with a chance at being admitted? Or does anyone know of any masters programs that usually admit students with lower uGPA’s? Strong LOR, EC etc. My end goal is also dental school not med school. Any advice helps thanks in advance.

 

[RocuROMANium]

Hey y’all so I need some advice.. my uGPA was around a 2.5 and my sGPA was around a 2.7. I applied to USF, Barry, and NSU biomedical masters programs and was denied from all of them.. I’m not sure what I should do next.. I was thinking about retaking some of my undergrad sciences at my local CC as a kind of DIY. Any idea how many courses I should retake before applying to another masters program with a chance at being admitted? Or does anyone know of any masters programs that usually admit students with lower uGPA’s? Strong LOR, EC etc. My end goal is also dental school not med school. Any advice helps thanks in advance.

Did you try calling the programs to see why they denied you? Your GPAs are probably a little low for SMPs so you may need to boost them to a certain level and then reapply. Some SMPs have minimum GPAs and/or MCAT scores to be accepted. You should go to the AAMC website and search for SMPs there and see if you can find any information for stat screens.

How many cGPA and sGPA credits do you currently have from undergrad?

 

[Crusty Cornelius]

Hello,

I am new to SDN. I have perused different forums for many different insights. It wasn't until I happened upon this topic that I was finally encouraged to make my own account. You see, I too am struggling with a low GPA.

I am not a traditional student because I didn't start college until I was in my mid 20's. I had to relearn a lot of stuff forgotten from high school. After changing schools, changing majors, repeating classes, combatting depression and even taking a semester off, I finally graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Integrative Physiology while going premed. Before I was a political science major and then an international affairs major after that. At that time I had about a 3.0 GPA without me even trying. When I realized how much I hated it, I decided to change to IPHY (integrative physiology). For the first time in my college career, I found myself loving what I was learning and actually studying very hard. Despite my efforts, my GPA continued to plunge. I often wonder if I made the right choice changing to IPHY.

In the end, I graduated with a 2.345 cGPA. I need to calculate my sGPA, but I assume it isn't that great. I am an extremely determined person who hates to give up. That's how I pushed myself through undergrad even though I was very depressed and losing hope. I am now 32 years old in a very big hole that I need to climb out of. I am taking OCHEM-2 over the summer now and will take biochem in the fall. That will be the end of material needed for the MCAT. I know my GPA sucks and will have to raise it, but I have come too far to not at least attempt the MCAT. I don't see myself being anything but a physician. I actually hope to be a neurologist because neurophysiology was my favorite IPHY class and one of the few physiology classes I got an A in. Then again, my mind might change when I get to clinical rotations. However, it is too soon for me to think of such things. Right now, I just hope to get some words of encouragement and perhaps some tips on what I should do next.

Sorry for the essay, but I felt compelled to give some background info. I am eager to hear from all of you out there! Thanks!

 

[Shotapp]

Hello,

I am new to SDN. I have perused different forums for many different insights. It wasn't until I happened upon this topic that I was finally encouraged to make my own account. You see, I too am struggling with a low GPA.

I am not a traditional student because I didn't start college until I was in my mid 20's. I had to relearn a lot of stuff forgotten from high school. After changing schools, changing majors, repeating classes, combatting depression and even taking a semester off, I finally graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Integrative Physiology while going premed. Before I was a political science major and then an international affairs major after that. At that time I had about a 3.0 GPA without me even trying. When I realized how much I hated it, I decided to change to IPHY (integrative physiology). For the first time in my college career, I found myself loving what I was learning and actually studying very hard. Despite my efforts, my GPA continued to plunge. I often wonder if I made the right choice changing to IPHY.

In the end, I graduated with a 2.345 cGPA. I need to calculate my sGPA, but I assume it isn't that great. I am an extremely determined person who hates to give up. That's how I pushed myself through undergrad even though I was very depressed and losing hope. I am now 32 years old in a very big hole that I need to climb out of. I am taking OCHEM-2 over the summer now and will take biochem in the fall. That will be the end of material needed for the MCAT. I know my GPA sucks and will have to raise it, but I have come too far to not at least attempt the MCAT. I don't see myself being anything but a physician. I actually hope to be a neurologist because neurophysiology was my favorite IPHY class and one of the few physiology classes I got an A in. Then again, my mind might change when I get to clinical rotations. However, it is too soon for me to think of such things. Right now, I just hope to get some words of encouragement and perhaps some tips on what I should do next.

Sorry for the essay, but I felt compelled to give some background info. I am eager to hear from all of you out there! Thanks!

You really need to raise you GPAs first before you make an attempt on the MCAT because an MCAT score is only good for 3 years. By the looks at your GPA, it's going to take you a while to raise it to a 3.0. Your GPAs is what I would address first.

 

[Crusty Cornelius]

Yes. I feared that might be the case. I guess I am being stubborn in wanting to the MCAT right away. Would you recommend I do a DIY postbacc, pursue a masters, or another bachelors?

 

[Nugester]

Yes. I feared that might be the case. I guess I am being stubborn in wanting to the MCAT right away. Would you recommend I do a DIY postbacc, pursue a masters, or another bachelors?

SMP with linkage (might be hard with GPA) or DIY with a great upward trend. Apply broadly, especially DO.

 

[Crusty Cornelius]

SMP with linkage (might be hard with GPA) or DIY with a great upward trend. Apply broadly, especially DO.

To my dismay, they recently added grade replacement to my university. I could've benefited from that sooner because it says that they only offer it to degree-seeking students. Up to 10 credits for grade replacement for undergrads and 6 credits for graduate students. It seems like I will get more "GPA bang for my buck" for doing the 10 credits of undergrad work. Would that be advisable? Would I need to finish the second bachelors or could I raise my GPA and apply to med school before finishing it?

 

[Shotapp]

To my dismay, they recently added grade replacement to my university. I could've benefited from that sooner because it says that they only offer it to degree-seeking students. Up to 10 credits for grade replacement for undergrads and 6 credits for graduate students. It seems like I will get more "GPA bang for my buck" for doing the 10 credits of undergrad work. Would that be advisable? Would I need to finish the second bachelors or could I raise my GPA and apply to med school before finishing it?

A smp or masters is not the next step (you're not going to be successful in a tougher academic environment when you're struggling at the undergraduate level). A DIY post-bac is the next step in your redemption journey. You don't need to complete a 2nd bachelors. You need to do a DIY post-bac of mostly upper level sciences (getting mostly if not all A's). Again, it's way too early to take the MCAT when your GPA is very low (don't put the cart before the horse).

 

[FuturePhysician_DO]

Well, I finally did it, friends. I got accepted to medical school after starting the journey with a 2.4! Keep working your butts off and supporting each other!

Yayyy!!! This is awesome!! Congratulations!!

 

[Calizboosted76]

To my dismay, they recently added grade replacement to my university. I could've benefited from that sooner because it says that they only offer it to degree-seeking students. Up to 10 credits for grade replacement for undergrads and 6 credits for graduate students. It seems like I will get more "GPA bang for my buck" for doing the 10 credits of undergrad work. Would that be advisable? Would I need to finish the second bachelors or could I raise my GPA and apply to med school before finishing it?

Grade replacement isn't a thing for medical schools anymore.

 

[RocuROMANium]

To my dismay, they recently added grade replacement to my university. I could've benefited from that sooner because it says that they only offer it to degree-seeking students. Up to 10 credits for grade replacement for undergrads and 6 credits for graduate students. It seems like I will get more "GPA bang for my buck" for doing the 10 credits of undergrad work. Would that be advisable? Would I need to finish the second bachelors or could I raise my GPA and apply to med school before finishing it?

Just so you know, your school may do grade replacement but medical school admissions for both MD and DO do not

Edit: @Calizboosted76 beat me to it

 

[SleepyInsomniac1]

Finally found a place with people in similar situation as me! I have a cgpa of 2.95 and an sgpa of 3.26 (AMCAS) and 3.36 (AACOMAS). My gpas may not look all bad. However, I have been in undergrad since 2012. I made plenty of mistakes in the past. I should be graduating in a couple of years. Hopefully my gpas will be even higher. Heres the kicker though, I have a total of 8 F's on my transcripts! If Im not giving up, Idk why anyone else would! I've questioned my ability to do this, sure. In the end, only one knows what they are capable of. Keep working hard friends! I know we can make it!

 

[Shotapp]

Finally found a place with people in similar situation as me! I have a cgpa of 2.95 and an sgpa of 3.26 (AMCAS) and 3.36 (AACOMAS). My gpas may not look all bad. However, I have been in undergrad since 2012. I made plenty of mistakes in the past. I should be graduating in a couple of years. Hopefully my gpas will be even higher. Heres the kicker though, I have a total of 8 F's on my transcripts! If Im not giving up, Idk why anyone else would! I've questioned my ability to do this, sure. In the end, only one knows what they are capable of. Keep working hard friends! I know we can make it!

I like that mindset. We're honestly competing against ourselves. Most of the time, I'm my own biggest critic. I'm going to see this journey to the end and so will the rest of us in this thread. Welcome fellow underdawg!

 

[Member03405]

Finally taking the plunge after looking at this forum for years! Just seeing this thread honestly makes me feel a little better because my grades sure do not. I took most of my science courses early on in college and bombed but did very well in OT school. Worked ~4 years then back for an MS in Clinical and Translational Science. I now work full time for a CTS organization based at that university (I coordinate our pilot grant program which sponsors biomedical research across the state, including all 3 med schools). Recently took Biochem and got an A, which was encouraging considering the workload of a summer course with a job. Only course missing is OChem 2 but I actually took a Brief OChem course before OChem 1. It was 4 credits with a lab so I technically have 8 credits. I know OChem 2 is preferred but not all schools require it and I honestly don’t know how I could take it with a full time job and no evening options locally. Am I crazy thinking I could get by without it?

• BS in Exercise Physiology (3.25 but only 2.98 w/o grade replacement), Masters in Occupational Therapy (3.94), MS in CTS (4.0)​
• uGPA: 3.28. Note that this includes many credits from my OT degree. The first 2 years were undergrad and the last year grad.​
• sGPA: 2.81 with a strong positive trend after my BS.​
• Overall GPA: 3.40​
• Currently studying for the MCAT with a late January target since I work full time.​

Experience

• OT at an inpatient rehabilitation facility (neuro, cardiac, ortho, etc). Adults and peds. Leader of the Brain Injury team by the end of my time there. Also led community TBI support group.
• OT rotations included acute care, SNF, and a short-term non traditional placement at a prison
• Attend several ECHO Project sessions (mostly Infectious Disease, Psychiatry, Heart Failure, and Chronic Pain). It’s a nationwide program remotely connecting specialists at large medical centers with rural primary care providers so the sessions include lectures on specific topics and real clinical cases. Should end up with at least 50 hrs and could have more if necessary.
• About to start volunteering with a street medicine program affiliated with the local med school.
• Did the occasional Ronald McDonald house-type service and Habitat for Humanity but limited hours. Plan to do more of that once I’m done with the MCAT.
• TA for anatomy cadaver lab in OT school and currently running writing accountability groups for faculty to promote research publication, especially for clinicians.
• CTS MS required 9 credits of research. Mine focused on analyzing previously collected data so I got 3 pubs (1x1stauthor) and a poster at a national conference out of it.

Talked to my local MD program and they didn’t seem to think I was completely off my rocker. This honestly surprised me as I viewed DOs as a stretch and barely dreamed of MDs even being on the table at all. They recommended taking Biochem, which I did, and really focusing on the MCAT. Sorry for the novel but would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you!

 

[Member03405]

Finally taking the plunge after looking at this forum for years! Just seeing this thread honestly makes me feel a little better because my grades sure do not. I took most of my science courses early on in college and bombed but did very well in OT school. Worked ~4 years then back for an MS in Clinical and Translational Science. I now work full time for a CTS organization based at that university (I coordinate our pilot grant program which sponsors biomedical research across the state, including all 3 med schools). Recently took Biochem and got an A, which was encouraging considering the workload of a summer course with a job. Only course missing is OChem 2 but I actually took a Brief OChem course before OChem 1. It was 4 credits with a lab so I technically have 8 credits. I know OChem 2 is preferred but not all schools require it and I honestly don’t know how I could take it with a full time job and no evening options locally. Am I crazy thinking I could get by without it?

• BS in Exercise Physiology (3.25 but only 2.98 w/o grade replacement), Masters in Occupational Therapy (3.94), MS in CTS (4.0)​
• uGPA: 3.28. Note that this includes many credits from my OT degree. The first 2 years were undergrad and the last year grad.​
• sGPA: 2.81 with a strong positive trend after my BS.​
• Overall GPA: 3.40​
• Currently studying for the MCAT with a late January target since I work full time.​

Experience

• OT at an inpatient rehabilitation facility (neuro, cardiac, ortho, etc). Adults and peds. Leader of the Brain Injury team by the end of my time there. Also led community TBI support group.
• OT rotations included acute care, SNF, and a short-term non traditional placement at a prison
• Attend several ECHO Project sessions (mostly Infectious Disease, Psychiatry, Heart Failure, and Chronic Pain). It’s a nationwide program remotely connecting specialists at large medical centers with rural primary care providers so the sessions include lectures on specific topics and real clinical cases. Should end up with at least 50 hrs and could have more if necessary.
• About to start volunteering with a street medicine program affiliated with the local med school.
• Did the occasional Ronald McDonald house-type service and Habitat for Humanity but limited hours. Plan to do more of that once I’m done with the MCAT.
• TA for anatomy cadaver lab in OT school and currently running writing accountability groups for faculty to promote research publication, especially for clinicians.
• CTS MS required 9 credits of research. Mine focused on analyzing previously collected data so I got 3 pubs (1x1stauthor) and a poster at a national conference out of it.

Talked to my local MD program and they didn’t seem to think I was completely off my rocker. This honestly surprised me as I viewed DOs as a stretch and barely dreamed of MDs even being on the table at all. They recommended taking Biochem, which I did, and really focusing on the MCAT. Sorry for the novel but would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you!

Shameless bump. Could I get away with not taking OChem 2? Do you honestly think MDs are possible (regardless of organic)?

 

[Dr.Gains]

Shameless bump. Could I get away with not taking OChem 2? Do you honestly think MDs are possible (regardless of organic)?

Some schools require it, while other schools you can substitute biochemistry in lieu of Ochem 2. It really depends on the school, so you would have to manually check on each school's website that you are planning on applying to. I do think you might be able to get away with not taking Ochem 2, but it really comes down to your school list. If your state schools require it, then I would take it no doubt.

 

[Shotapp]

• BS in Exercise Physiology (3.25 but only 2.98 w/o grade replacement), Masters in Occupational Therapy (3.94), MS in CTS (4.0)​
• uGPA: 3.28. Note that this includes many credits from my OT degree. The first 2 years were undergrad and the last year grad.​
• sGPA: 2.81 with a strong positive trend after my BS.​
• Overall GPA: 3.40​
• Currently studying for the MCAT with a late January target since I work full time.​

Grade replacement doesn't exist anymore. Your undergrad GPA is kind of confusing. What is your cumulative GPA (Undergrad credits only. Don't include Grad credits)?
Your undergrad science GPA is 2.81 correct?
At this moment, your best option is DO (based on GPA only). It all depends on how you do on the MCAT. If you can get a +513, you should apply to all your state MD and several DO schools.

 

[Member03405]

Some schools require it, while other schools you can substitute biochemistry in lieu of Ochem 2. It really depends on the school, so you would have to manually check on each school's website that you are planning on applying to. I do think you might be able to get away with not taking Ochem 2, but it really comes down to your school list. If your state schools require it, then I would take it no doubt.

Thank you for the feedback! For OChem, I noticed some schools only require 4hrs, some 8hrs without specifics, some 8hrs with I and II. My state school is a little different and asks for 6 hours of lectures, 3 of which can be substituted by Biochem. Labs are counted separately altogether with 6 hours required and must be Biology, Biochemistry, Physics, Inorganic or Organic Chemistry (no specific course levels given).

 

[Member03405]

Grade replacement doesn't exist anymore. Your undergrad GPA is kind of confusing. What is your cumulative GPA (Undergrad credits only. Don't include Grad credits)?
Your undergrad science GPA is 2.81 correct?
At this moment, your best option is DO (based on GPA only). It all depends on how you do on the MCAT. If you can get a +513, you should apply to all your state MD and several DO schools.

Thanks! I know grade replacement does not count for anything, just mentioned it to show that I retook Ds at the time. I think my gpa is confusing bc my first 2 years of OT school were actually undergrad. It was a 3 year program with 2 years of prereqs so most people did not already have a bachelor. I checked my transcripts and those first 2 years are indeed officially counted as undergrad and we were awarded a generic bachelor before completing the 3rd year and earning our masters.

Undergrad GPA (undergrad only/no grad)= 3.28
Undergrad sGPA= 2.81. 2.46 post-BS EXPH -> 2.67 after OT school -> 2.81 after MS in CTS and Biochem course. I have 119 credits (heavily front loaded) so not exactly an easy to fix situation there.

 

[Shotapp]

Thanks! I know grade replacement does not count for anything, just mentioned it to show that I retook Ds at the time. I think my gpa is confusing bc my first 2 years of OT school were actually undergrad. It was a 3 year program with 2 years of prereqs so most people did not already have a bachelor. I checked my transcripts and those first 2 years are indeed officially counted as undergrad and we were awarded a generic bachelor before completing the 3rd year and earning our masters.

Undergrad GPA (undergrad only/no grad)= 3.28
Undergrad sGPA= 2.81. 2.46 post-BS EXPH -> 2.67 after OT school -> 2.81 after MS in CTS and Biochem. I have 119 credits so not exactly an easy to fix situation there.

Ok, I see the upward trend but you need to reach that magic 3.0 for your science GPA (science GPA is more important than cumulative). You can raise your science GPA by taking upper level biology courses at a local 4 year college (this is what most of us are doing since it's easier on the wallet as oppose to a smp). However, a smp maybe necessary to increase your odds for MD schools.

 

[Member03405]

Ok, I see the upward trend but you need to reach that magic 3.0 for your science GPA (science GPA is more important than cumulative). You can raise your science GPA by taking upper level biology courses at a local 4 year college (this is what most of us are doing since it's easier on the wallet as oppose to a smp). However, a smp maybe necessary to increase your odds for MD schools.

Unfortunately quitting my job is not an option at this time so taking the 23 credits hrs min (assuming all As) to reach that magic 3.0 would not only take forever, but would also likely not be possible. Neither the local 4 year university nor the smaller one about 40 minutes away offer many evening courses, let alone advance science ones. At this point, my plan was to 1) take Biochem, which I was able to swing somehow because it was short term and attendance not mandatory, and 2) genuinely dedicate myself to the MCAT. After that, seeing where the chips fall applying broadly.

If my application would truly be uncompetitive, I would of course rather save the time, effort, and money. However, given the reaction of my local program's advising office and the various stats I've seen on here, I'm starting to think it may be worth a shot IF I can get a decent MCAT score. If not, I would have to reconsider. Same if I don't get in anywhere. I'm not picky MD/DO and am trying to balance being realistic about my outside chances with financial/professional realities.