Can you really be an MD if you had poor grades in undergrad?

[MrLogan13]

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I am confused here, you're telling me that someone who messes up in undergrad to where they have a GPA like the 2.3 mentioned in the OP can somehow, if they have changed and really want to be an MD, come back a few years later more mature and if they get into an SMP which they ace and get a nice MCAT score, they can get an MD admission somewhere?

I had a GPA of ~1.0 at one point before I got my act together. I didn't even do an SMP. So, yes.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I prefer to hear cold comments, that motivates me to be better. Does someone blowing smoke up my ass in the app process make be a better candidate? no.

In fact, during my Canadian apps, I intentionally ask people to say the meanest things they can and to hold nothing back. I couldn't care less what my +'s are, all I want are the -'s that I can improve on.

If people think SDN is bad, they need to experience the real world some more. There are many people that will tell it to your face that you have no chance. Some just don't want to hear it.

Pre-med advisers, particularly those have a vested interest in keeping the statistic "% of students from our school who get into medical school" as high as possible are notorious for saying unnecessarily harsh things.

Best example of this in my school from a couple years ago was our pre-med adviser telling one of the kids from our school with a 3.97/38 "You need to strongly consider DO programs because you don't have leadership positions". They got in a heated argument which ended in him saying "You know what, you're dead wrong and I'll see at my Harvard med school graduation in 5 years". Fast forward a year, the kid actually gets into Harvard and thinks it would be a funny idea to send a letter to the pre-med advisers house mail stating the following

"Dear Pre-med Advisor. You have been cordially invited to attend Person X's Harvard Graduation Ceremony in May 10th 2017. Your presence has guidance has been instrumental in Student X's journey and path to medicine. The award ceremony will consist of food drinks and many enjoyable stories. Please RSVP and confirm your attendance. A more detailed confirmation will be sent to you sometime within the next 4 years ".

Sure the kid might have some growing up to do along the way those next couple years and might not be the most respectful or humble person around, but it's still a classic story that just shows how bad pre-med advisers can be. Believe me, those who whine on SDN about it being too harsh have it pretty good. It's pretty easy to spot and disregard the uninformed and ignorant posts.

 

[GrapesofRath]

This doesn't even make sense. Why would a premed advisor tell someone with a 3.97/38 to apply DO? That person could easily apply MD and get in, which would make the undergrad institution look good. What benefit did the advisor have by telling him to apply DO?

That's kind of the whole point it didn't make sense. Some pre med advisers are just that harsh and delusional and seek out ways to tear down aspiring pre meds

 

[ClrkKnt]

Yes, you can be an MD with poor undergrad grades. Is it ideal? No. Does it make things much, much harder? Yes.

I had terrible undergrad grades because I didn't take my first couple of years of college seriously. I had about 30+ units of F's and D's. Dropped out of college and joined the military. Completely re-invented myself in that time and did very well in school after I got out. Did well on the MCAT (30+). I was fortunate enough to garner an acceptance last cycle. So it's definitely not impossible, but it's an uphill battle with the kind of grades I had that pulled my cGPA down.

What GPA did you end up finishing with? Mines is the opposite story of yours, I started off hot but then messed up in my final 2 years so my GPA is around a 3.3 right now with a downward trend.

 

[itsogre]

I think people who re-invent themselves and their GPAs/MCATs know more of what hope and redemption (and fear and uncertainty) mean to people than the traditional candidate. Fear and uncertainty and hope are probably the defining emotions associated with doctoring by the sicker patients.

 

[MrLogan13]

What GPA did you end up finishing with? Mines is the opposite story of yours, I started off hot but then messed up in my final 2 years so my GPA is around a 3.3 right now with a downward trend.

I had an undergraduate cGPA of just under 3.2, but I had a very steep upward trend (my university GPA was 3.7 when I graduated). A downward trend doesn't look as good as an upward trend, but either way, low stats is an uphill battle. I'm not going to say it's impossible, because it's not. But you need to be realistic about your chances and see what you can do to make yourself a more competitive applicant.

 

[SpicyFalafel]

I had an undergraduate cGPA of just under 3.2, but I had a very steep upward trend (my university GPA was 3.7 when I graduated). A downward trend doesn't look as good as an upward trend, but either way, low stats is an uphill battle. I'm not going to say it's impossible, because it's not. But you need to be realistic about your chances and see what you can do to make yourself a more competitive applicant.

How many credit hours did you finish to bring it up to 3.2? what was your major?

 

[MrLogan13]

How many credit hours did you finish to bring it up to 3.2? what was your major?

I had approximately 32-34 units of F's and D's the first time I tried college. After that, I did 136 units of community college (started as a nursing major, then changed to bio which required more classes). After that, I transferred to a University of California campus and completed another ~70 units to finish my B.S. in human biology.

 

[ClrkKnt]

I had an undergraduate cGPA of just under 3.2, but I had a very steep upward trend (my university GPA was 3.7 when I graduated). A downward trend doesn't look as good as an upward trend, but either way, low stats is an uphill battle. I'm not going to say it's impossible, because it's not. But you need to be realistic about your chances and see what you can do to make yourself a more competitive applicant.

Look, your accomplishments were impressive, you will make an amazing doctor and I am glad that you got into med school, thanks for sharing your story. Fortunately for you though, you made the cut off point for most med schools. Compared to what I see in real life where every guy I know that gets into med school has a 3.5+ GPA and a 30+ MCAT, your story is a miracle but it shows improvement during undergrad. You pulled your GPA up to over a 3.0 which makes the automatic cutoff point for most med schools so you did not completely mess up your undergrad years which this thread was aimed towards/

The one I read about in the OP and the one on the first page about the Duke student are the kinds of stories that get me scratching my head, that is what I call some serious re-invention to where you completely screwed up in undergrad yet did something to turn it all around.

 

[SpicyFalafel]

I had approximately 32-34 units of F's and D's the first time I tried college. After that, I did 136 units of community college (started as a nursing major, then changed to bio which required more classes). After that, I transferred to a University of California campus and completed another ~70 units to finish my B.S. in human biology.

Did those F's and D's were counted in your GPA calculations?. Are you student at DO or MD school. I have low GPA in my foreign credentials(science course work), but I can not see how long it is going to take me to boost mine up. I have finished 50 credit hours so far, do you think it doable if I double major? I can not erase my terrible foreign records.

Edit: Mind telling me what was your final sGPA after all that?