Confused non-trad with low-GPA and high MCAT

[law2med1991]

Hi,

Summary: I received my MCAT scores today and got a 523 (128/132/130/132). I understand that this is a good score, but my GPA is the picture of mediocrity, so I'm not sure what to do. cGPA: 3.28; sGPA: 3.31; post-bacc GPA: 3.4

Back story: I was a lawyer at a high-end boutique law firm in Manhattan and decided to leave the law and pursue a post-bacc program to become a physician. I was always between law and medicine and ended up making the wrong choice by pursuing law! After a bunch of experiences with family in hospitals, I decided to take the plunge and quit my job to become a physician because seeing physicians at work really inspired me.

Since starting post-bacc my life has been pretty awful. In the two years that I've been a post-bacc, 2 aunts, my closest cousin, and my best friend on the planet died. My best friend was diagnosed with cancer and died about a month and a half later. This really threw me for a loop (understandably) and instead of dropping classes (not as understandable), I stayed in and totally bombed. After getting some mental health help, I have done way better and gotten As in all of my classes (including both sections of Orgo!). Unfortunately the bombing of classes really hurt my post-bacc GPA and, thus, my overall GPA. While losing so many people that were so close to me in such a short period of time hurt my GPA and was awful, it really has solidified my interest in medicine in the hope that I can somehow prevent other people from having to go through what I have been through.

I work as a chief scribe at an urgent care, so I have all the clinical background. I also have over a thousand hours of volunteering under my belt. I'm, strangely, the youngest person to ever be elected to an elected position in my county, so that, along with my having been a lawyer, are pretty good miscellaneous strengths. I don't have any science research under my belt, but I served as a research assistant for most of law school and have hundreds of hours legal research, but none of science. I'm not a URM and live in New York.

I think I have a good MCAT and extracurriculars, but my GPA is not good. I really have no idea what to do! I know most schools claim to look an applicant "holistically," but that seems not true with a GPA like mine. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks a lot.

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[sparkysparkyboomman]

I’n sorry to hear you’ve had such a rough time as of late!

I’m no expert, but with that MCAT, your GPA shouldn’t hinder you too much. Your GPA really isn’t terrible low, either.


Sometime with more expertise will probably chime in with useful comments but that’s all I have haha

 

[Bonne Nuit]

What do you mean by "bomb" - what classes were they, and what did you get in them?

If you earned less than a C in a prerequisite class, you'll need to retake.

 

[law2med1991]

Nothing below C, so I don't have to retake anything luckily!

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Nothing below C, so I don't have to retake anything luckily!

Then it is what it is. Since you have a strong upward trend in the higher division courses, you'll just have to play the hand you've got.

You should explain the reasons for your subpar marks in your personal statement. With your MCAT score and excellent ECs/background, you will still have schools interested in your application. Purchase a subscription to the MSAR and target the private schools where your GPAs are above the 10th percentile. Apply to all your state schools.

You'd be an excellent applicant for DO programs as well. Good luck.

 

[Faha]

You should be able to receive some MD interviews with your MCAT of 523. I suggest all these schools:
All 4 SUNY's
Albany
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Einstein
Rochester
Columbia
NYU
Mount Sinai
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
Seton Hall
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
NOVA MD
Miami
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Kaiser
California University
Your 523 MCAT will attract attention at some schools but it is difficult to predict which ones with your GPA. Apply in June and submit all your secondaries by July.

 

[Goro]

Hi,

Summary: I received my MCAT scores today and got a 523 (128/132/130/132). I understand that this is a good score, but my GPA is the picture of mediocrity, so I'm not sure what to do. cGPA: 3.28; sGPA: 3.31; post-bacc GPA: 3.4

Back story: I was a lawyer at a high-end boutique law firm in Manhattan and decided to leave the law and pursue a post-bacc program to become a physician. I was always between law and medicine and ended up making the wrong choice by pursuing law! After a bunch of experiences with family in hospitals, I decided to take the plunge and quit my job to become a physician because seeing physicians at work really inspired me.

Since starting post-bacc my life has been pretty awful. In the two years that I've been a post-bacc, 2 aunts, my closest cousin, and my best friend on the planet died. My best friend was diagnosed with cancer and died about a month and a half later. This really threw me for a loop (understandably) and instead of dropping classes (not as understandable), I stayed in and totally bombed. After getting some mental health help, I have done way better and gotten As in all of my classes (including both sections of Orgo!). Unfortunately the bombing of classes really hurt my post-bacc GPA and, thus, my overall GPA. While losing so many people that were so close to me in such a short period of time hurt my GPA and was awful, it really has solidified my interest in medicine in the hope that I can somehow prevent other people from having to go through what I have been through.

I work as a chief scribe at an urgent care, so I have all the clinical background. I also have over a thousand hours of volunteering under my belt. I'm, strangely, the youngest person to ever be elected to an elected position in my county, so that, along with my having been a lawyer, are pretty good miscellaneous strengths. I don't have any science research under my belt, but I served as a research assistant for most of law school and have hundreds of hours legal research, but none of science. I'm not a URM and live in New York.

I think I have a good MCAT and extracurriculars, but my GPA is not good. I really have no idea what to do! I know most schools claim to look an applicant "holistically," but that seems not true with a GPA like mine. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks a lot.

The discordance in the GPAs will be an issue.

The relatively low post-bac performance will also be an issue. Successful reinventors tend to have GPAs > 3.7

Very sorry to hear of your woes, but your judgement may also be considered as an issue. Staying in classes and trying to bulldoze your way through when you're not at your best is not looked upon highly.

Chances will be best with DO schools and your state MD schools.

 

[law2med1991]

Thanks for the help, all. I kind of assumed I'd be going DO from the get-go because my GPA before post-bacc was not great and I literally had no science. I also know they are more receptive to reinventions. I think I'm going to mostly apply DO, with my state's MDs and a few other private MDs!

 

[acstylin]

For what it's worth, I got a 514 on the MCAT and have a 3.05 GPA due to bad grades 20 years ago. My GPA over the last 80 credits is 3.7. I applied to a about 40 schools, mostly MD. I have 5 rejections and 6 interview invites so far; 4 DO and 2 MD. One MD interviewer (who couldn't see my GPA or MCAT) said I had one of the best apps he has seen in a while. I'm not bragging, I'm trying to show a real example of what I experienced. The schools that want people like you will appreciate your experience. It's not a lie. The ones that don't... well you wouldn't want to go there anyway. Apply. Tell your story. People will appreciate it and invite you or will judge you by your GPA and reject you. You'll be fine in the end.

 

[Palmyra]

Apply broadly if you have the means to do that, otherwise apply to local MD and DO schools - your stats really aren't bad at all. It is definitely not the norm, but some people get accepted with 494s and 3.0. Use your personal statement and secondaries to talk about the struggles you've faced and how you've grown from them if possible, and I think you'll do just fine. You might want to consider the west coast as well, the culture out here (in my experience) is more forgiving and laid back.

 

[NTF]

I would include Cincinnati as well. They accept decent percentages of OOS applicants.

 

[StarSpangled]

For what it's worth, I got a 514 on the MCAT and have a 3.05 GPA due to bad grades 20 years ago. My GPA over the last 80 credits is 3.7. I applied to a about 40 schools, mostly MD. I have 5 rejections and 6 interview invites so far; 4 DO and 2 MD. One MD interviewer (who couldn't see my GPA or MCAT) said I had one of the best apps he has seen in a while. I'm not bragging, I'm trying to show a real example of what I experienced. The schools that want people like you will appreciate your experience. It's not a lie. The ones that don't... well you wouldn't want to go there anyway. Apply. Tell your story. People will appreciate it and invite you or will judge you by your GPA and reject you. You'll be fine in the end.

My story is also very similar to acstylin. I agree that you should tell your story and tell it well, really reflect on your experiences. Apply MD as early as the cycle opens, I would bet money you get multiple MD school IIs. Save the DO money and only apply if you’re not getting IIs by the fall.

Really sorry about you best friend. Good luck to you!

 

[operaman]

I think you’ve got a decent shot but the discordance is going to raise a lot of eyebrows. You are someone who has a very high risk of not completing medical school - successful professional whose grades took a big hit during the relatively stress free time of post bacc. When the pressure cooker really gets going, people an easy out like going back to a nice law practice are often the first to go. We lost a few like this from my Med school class!

Obviously you have the chops to get it done. You’ll need a convincing story and a wide net. Most of all you need to be really sure you’re willing to endure the slog and see it through.

 

[law2med1991]

I

I think you’ve got a decent shot but the discordance is going to raise a lot of eyebrows. You are someone who has a very high risk of not completing medical school - successful professional whose grades took a big hit during the relatively stress free time of post bacc. When the pressure cooker really gets going, people an easy out like going back to a nice law practice are often the first to go. We lost a few like this from my Med school class!

Obviously you have the chops to get it done. You’ll need a convincing story and a wide net. Most of all you need to be really sure you’re willing to endure the slog and see it through.

I am definitely in this for the long run, but was told to not bash my former career in my essay. I don't know how to assuage those fears without being like "I felt like my soul was being sucked out of my body when I was an attorney for very rich people." haha

Thanks all.

 

[DO_or_Die]

You definitely have a chance, your MCAT is killer.