Depression and Bad GPA

[vigs1234]

I am 24 and going back to take my pre-reqs My GPA was a 2.76 in college without any science courses and and long stint with depression. Now healthy, will Med School admissions look poorly on my undergrad or will they be forgiving? Do I have a chance? I also have two years of patient care experience. Note:my post bac so far is a 3.91

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[spicedmanna]

I am 24 and going back to take my pre-reqs My GPA was a 2.76 in college without any science courses and and long stint with depression. Now healthy, will Med School admissions look poorly on my undergrad or will they be forgiving? Do I have a chance? I also have two years of patient care experience. Note:my post bac so far is a 3.91

Keep up the great post-baccalaureate performance. Schools take academic impovement into account. Just keep gettin' those A's until you drive your GPA up as high as it will reasonably go. As to a chance, well, it's hard to gauge without an MCAT score. Do well on your MCAT, apply broadly, and early.

 

[vigs1234]

Any advice is welcome

 

[braluk]

You have an excellent chance. Make sure you don't dwell in depth in your personal statement about depression- a few confirmed adcom members have said it could be a stigma. Explain it and move on quickly. Good luck!

 

[trustwomen]

I am 24 and going back to take my pre-reqs My GPA was a 2.76 in college without any science courses and and long stint with depression. Now healthy, will Med School admissions look poorly on my undergrad or will they be forgiving? Do I have a chance? I also have two years of patient care experience. Note:my post bac so far is a 3.91

You should be fine if you keep your postbac high (A range) and do well on MCAT. You may have to pick your schools correctly though, and don't dwell on the depression. You might even want to say that you weren't serious/mature before and grew up a lot since (evidence: postbac), because that is more "one-time" and "ancient history" than depression (which could recur and screw up med school, esp. with the added stress, and which might scare off adcomms).

 

[awk]

Why do so many people say the same thing about depression affecting their grades. I don't understand how you maintained a high 2 GPA if you were so ill. Sounds like a scam to me.

 

[vigs1234]

yeah its scam I have papers, doctors, and counselors all in my pocket

 

[rewopswaj]

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[RxnMan]

Why do so many people say the same thing about depression affecting their grades. I don't understand how you maintained a high 2 GPA if you were so ill. Sounds like a scam to me.

A whole lot worse things can happen to you when you experience garbage like depression as a ugrad student...

OP - always be positive in your statement. You can say you were diagnosed (if this is the case,) but do not dwell on it in your essays and always always always be positive. Always emphasize how you've made improvements and are working harder. You can talk about your past, but it should be factual, impersonal - you're only trying to give your readers context into your app.

Keep working hard on your post-bacc. Also start saving $$$ because you're probably going to have to apply to a large number of schools - a lot of schools will put your app in the round file if you're below 3.0. Really, you need to 'slip by' those schools and look like, at least on paper, those kids who haven't had the difficulties you have. It's not fair, but that is how the admissions game is set up.