D in two pre med courses

[premed2013]

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I got a C and a D+ in biochem 1 and 2. A D+ in physics II. For all my other pre-med courses I have mostly B's with a couple of A's. I am studying for the MCAT this summer but do these three grades pretty much ruin my chances at med school? I now have a cumulative GPA of 3.23 when it was 3.5-3.6 my freshman and sophomore year. I did extremely poorly my junior year. Should I study my ass off for the MCAT and retake biochem and physics II? I am taking a year off. Any advice?

 

[StarlingForce1]

Are you going to be a senior this fall, or have you already graduated?

 

[premed2013]

I will be a senior this fall. I still have a chance to raise my G.P.A.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I got a C and a D+ in biochem 1 and 2. A D+ in physics II. For all my other pre-med courses I have mostly B's with a couple of A's. I am studying for the MCAT this summer but do these three grades pretty much ruin my chances at med school? I now have a cumulative GPA of 3.23 when it was 3.5-3.6 my freshman and sophomore year. I did extremely poorly my junior year. Should I study my ass off for the MCAT and retake biochem and physics II? I am taking a year off. Any advice?

a cumulative GPA of 3.2 pretty much does kill your chances for allo. I mean, a very, very low number of people get in with GPA's that low but for all intents and purposes it gives you impossibly low odds.

You could do one of three things, I believe:

1. SMP
2. Retake those classes and apply DO (grade replacement).
3. Get 35+ on the MCAT. Might be enough to get you in somewhere?

 

[tiedyeddog]

I will be a senior this fall. I still have a chance to raise my G.P.A.

Have you calculated how much your GPA will rise if you get straight A's til graduation?

 

[StarlingForce1]

What is your undergrad major?

 

[premed2013]

I am a chemistry/history double major. If i get straight a's for two semesters I will end with a GPA of around 3.4. What is SMP?

 

[StarlingForce1]

Do you have any bio besides the pre-requisites? You could take some intermediate level bio to up your science GPA, but don't overburden yourself with a course that you don't think you will be able to get an A in. Your senior year, if you wanna so this right, will be spent in the library. I would recommend a biochemistry or molecular bio course since you have a solid(I assume?) background in chemistry. Maybe a physiology course if you don't have to take it the same semester you retake physics (you should retake physics) get A's in some bio electives; it will benefit not only your sGPA, but will strengthen your abilities for the preclinical curriculum, to some extent.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I am a chemistry/history double major. If i get straight a's for two semesters I will end with a GPA of around 3.4. What is SMP?

3.4 is on the edge of workable. SMP is a special master's program. Usually it is taken at a medical school and is a mix of graduate school and medical school classes. Some SMP's used to have an auto-in in the associated medical school if you earned a certain grade cutoff.

The downside is that they can be extremely expensive and they are HARD, you're competing with medical students.

 

[StarlingForce1]

Let's be honest though; a lot of MD programs report a matriculation GPA range of 3.0-4.0. With that in mind, it is not impossible to get accepted to MD school X with a 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, as long as everything else is stellar. However, I am not sure that the sub-3.3 acceptees have unremediated grades of C and/or D in their pre-requisites, so definitely retake these.

 

[Catalystik]

You could also consider a fifth year of college.

 

[tiedyeddog]

You could also consider a fifth year of college.

This might be the best idea. I am sure you'd be up neat a 3.5ish if you aced it for here on out.

 

[Verum]

You could also consider a fifth year of college.

What is the difference between that and a SMP/Post-Bacc?

 

[Charles Darwin]

Or you could retake those courses you bombed and apply DO.

 

[MedPR]

FWIW, 30 science credits of A's raised my sGPA from a 2.65 to a 3.00 and my cGPA from a 2.88 to a 3.12. I had 120 credits before taking the most recent 30.

 

[StarlingForce1]

What is the difference between that and a SMP/Post-Bacc?

Post-bacc: you did miserably in the pre-reqs, or never took the pre-reqs. Undergraduate coursework that up's your GPA if you do well.

SMP: some are designed like a post-bacc, others are graduate school courses, others you take classes alongside medical students in year 1. You do an SMP if you were undergrad science major, did OK (not necessarily stellar) in pre-reqs or undergrad in general, to show medical schools you are capable of making the grade and that you have what it takes (academically) to succeed in a medical curriculum. This is usually the best route if you have a solid (3.3 or higher GPA) and need that extra push to be considered competitive.

 

[LittleDandelion]

I thought most med schools require at least a C in pre-reqs, so you will have to retake Physics II already.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

As a reapplicant this cycle who has been through being waitlisted, then working after college, than going to a master's in science, and now finally reapplying, I think I can give you some solid advice since I was in a similar situation. Either way you have GPA repair to do. If you have a stellar MCAT it might be worth applying now if you can afford it. Otherwise, I think the best option in retrospect would be what someone previously mentioned, that is to do a 5th year of college and retake courses you can and just take easy As to boost your GPA. It's probably cheaper than any post-bacc or master's program and if you take easy courses you can boost your GPA significantly. The bottom line is school's need that GPA up for their ranking stats.