Did I kill my chances for good?

[Caysaene]

I'm wondering if there's even a point in me pursuing med school - I'd prefer MD, but I'm fine with DO school as well, especially since my in-states are UW and PNWU.

So my cGPA right now is a 2.65. However, until this last quarter it was a 3.0 - there were several extenuating circumstances this spring that caused my GPA to plummet drastically. The four-year university I am transferring to this fall agreed, and kept my admission valid.

I can't really retake the classes at the previous CC since I will no longer be a student and don't really have the money to do so (I'm a financial aid student kind of thing). I have about 55ish/60ish semester credits - I'm transferring over as a junior. I've already outlined my next three years and plan to graduate with a degree in biology, the general version. I kind of have an idea of what ECs I need - I'm already volunteering at a hospital (hope to move into a clinical position soon) and hope to get into a few clubs and get involved at my to-be four-year university.

Prior to my spring quarter my grades had been fairly good - 3.5+ when carrying heavy credit loads (18+). If I can continue my previous academic success (3.9+ for three years in mostly science classes), will I be able to possibly get into an MD school?

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Edit* Saw that you are a rising junior.

With 60-65 more credits of straight A's you would raise your gpa to a 3.3-3.4. So basically if you can do well the next 2 years you'll show the medical schools you are competent and along with a good mcat 30+. You will be able to get into a MD school. However 60 credits of pure 4.0's is a bit utopian since your gpa was a 3.0 prior to your bad spring. Anyways I would say that if you can get your gpa up to a 3.0+ with a good mcat you'll be able to get into DO. However in most cases unless you manage the 4.0 you'll be needing a post-bacc opportunity or SMP to make better your chances.

 

[Caysaene]

Basically you'll need to either re-do all your classes with low grades. Or you'll need to get your gpa up to a 3.0 and then get a 30+ on the mcat and apply to SMP's.

Since you're reluctant to retake classes I would recommend making up for that spring's grades now so you can get into an SMP.

Good Luck

I've got over 100 credits to take (semester credits) to finish my degree, so there is more than enough time to bring up my GPA - and I'm not against doing a post-bac or going DO.

I'm not against re-taking - it's just difficult because those classes I took at my CC aren't offered at my "new" college. It was only three classes I did so bad in, and at least one of those I do plan to re-take. I might be able to re-take another if it counts...the third I have no idea if it will or not, since it's the middle sequence of an A&P course and my four-year university only offers one semester of A&P.

I traditionally have done well in science classes - I enjoy them and for the past year have been getting stellar grades in them. It was this quarter with a friend's suicide, another got arrested for prostitution, my house flooded and we lost everything, etc, that things went downhill and I couldn't handle the stress. I also had two friends whose husbands got arrested for domestic violence and helped them get back on their feet.

Just worried I ruined everything - hoping several years of a 3.9+ in difficult science classes will redeem myself.

Also...how many credit hours should I shoot for a semester? I'm hovering around 15 with three science classes a semester, but should it be higher? I don't have many gen-eds to take, almost all the classes I have left to take (over 95%) are science.

EDIT: To the 3.0 comment, I've been repairing previous GPA damage fresh out of highschool for over a year now - straight 3.5+ across the board for the past year and a quarter. That's why my GPA is so low - I am capable of hard work. Just started off bad and had trouble adjusting to college.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I've got over 100 credits to take (semester credits) to finish my degree, so there is more than enough time to bring up my GPA - and I'm not against doing a post-bac or going DO.

I'm not against re-taking - it's just difficult because those classes I took at my CC aren't offered at my "new" college. It was only three classes I did so bad in, and at least one of those I do plan to re-take. I might be able to re-take another if it counts...the third I have no idea if it will or not, since it's the middle sequence of an A&P course and my four-year university only offers one semester of A&P.

I traditionally have done well in science classes - I enjoy them and for the past year have been getting stellar grades in them. It was this quarter with a friend's suicide, another got arrested for prostitution, my house flooded and we lost everything, etc, that things went downhill and I couldn't handle the stress. I also had two friends whose husbands got arrested for domestic violence and helped them get back on their feet.

Just worried I ruined everything - hoping several years of a 3.9+ in difficult science classes will redeem myself.

Also...how many credit hours should I shoot for a semester? I'm hovering around 15 with three science classes a semester, but should it be higher? I don't have many gen-eds to take, almost all the classes I have left to take (over 95%) are science.

EDIT: To the 3.0 comment, I've been repairing previous GPA damage fresh out of highschool for over a year now - straight 3.5+ across the board for the past year and a quarter. That's why my GPA is so low - I am capable of hard work. Just started off bad and had trouble adjusting to college.

Sorry original post was incomplete and I changed it to better explain what you can do. I would say that with another 100 credits of an average of 3.8, I calculate your gpa will be at 3.4. So I can say that you're on the road to being competitive. Just keep on getting good gpa's and a with an upward trend your bad gpa during that one spring will be mitigated.

Good Luck.

 

[Caysaene]

Sorry original post was incomplete and I changed it to better explain what you can do.

Thanks. Hopefully I'll be able to work my booty off and adcoms will see that I really, really want this. Now, just to figure out how to get research work and to grow some balls to ask for shadowing experience...one step at a time, hah. And I really do appreciate the good luck - I'm really shy and am nervous to finally get the ball rolling.

Anyone else have any tips?

 

[ModelOD]

To be blunt with you my best advice that I can give you is don't F*** around. Too many people come onto these forums with hopes and dreams of becoming doctors with these awful stats. Most say that they "will" get 4.0s from here on out to improve their GPA's. Most of them don't...

Do whatever it takes to get those 4.0's. Even if it takes becoming a hermit and not going out. Study study study...

Do work son. I'm pulling for you...

 

[sphun65]

To be blunt with you my best advice that I can give you is don't F*** around. Too many people come onto these forums with hopes and dreams of becoming doctors with these awful stats. Most say that they "will" get 4.0s from here on out to improve their GPA's. Most of them don't...

Do whatever it takes to get those 4.0's. Even if it takes becoming a hermit and not going out. Study study study...

Do work son. I'm pulling for you...

This is actually an excellent post.

There will be no bleeding heart ADCOM waiting to see your application, when you do apply. Unfortunately for you, your circumstances mean nothing compared to your baseline (GPA, MCAT) stats. If you do not pull off a very high GPA over the next 2 years (3.8-3.9+) your chances will be low. If you do not increase your GPA drastically, your only chance at admission will likely be a miracle MCAT score.

I'm guessing I have read incorrectly, but you mentioned that you had an academic record of 3.9+ at some point. I'm unsure how this could be possible with a 2.6 GPA. The series of F's that you must have obtained to get to this point, if this is true, will be hard to overcome. If you have more than one F, you must retake those. I apologize if I have read incorrectly or missed something.

There can be no excuses going forward. Be honest with yourself and be ready to make sacrifices. GOOD LUCK

 

[Caysaene]

To be blunt with you my best advice that I can give you is don't F*** around. Too many people come onto these forums with hopes and dreams of becoming doctors with these awful stats. Most say that they "will" get 4.0s from here on out to improve their GPA's. Most of them don't...

Do whatever it takes to get those 4.0's. Even if it takes becoming a hermit and not going out. Study study study...

Do work son. I'm pulling for you...

I'm a girl.

I don't plan to - I've always been a serious student but due to deep depression I crashed and burned this past spring. Yes, I do have an F on my record. Yes, I do plan to retake them at my four-year university and rock them.

This summer is my first break from academics in over 10 years - burn out played a major role in it. I've used this time to gain some perspective and learn how to avoid it - I think that's especially essentially important in medicine.

To explain the GPA - I didn't do super-well my first year of college. First quarter was a 1.84 because I thought I was too smart to study (high school has nothing on college). Got fairly mediocre grades the next few quarters until I started turning things around that summer. Pulled a 3.7 and grades have been that high over a year later until now, but due to my large amount of credits there (ended up with 113 quarter credits but not all transferred to my four-year university on semesters) it took a while to raise my GPA. It's only this last quarter that caused the huge drop.

I don't plan for adcoms to be sympathetic - I do plan to prove to them that with my more recent coursework, that I /can/ handle this stuff. If it means going DO, I will.

As for the MCAT...I do plan to "rock" it. I'm an avid reader (I've heard that helps with the verbal?) and plan to put in at least three months of study for it.

Also - I'm already a hermit. My "friends" are...beyond annoying. I have a handful that are nice, but most are busier than I used to be and probably about as busy as I will be except with non-school things. Hermit-ing comes naturally to me when it comes to school.

Thank you guys for your help and for your honesty - it's nice to know as long as I work my ass off (who needs one anyways) that I really do have a shot.

 

[ModelOD]

Good to hear. I know that it will be a couple years till you apply but let me know how it goes and if you have any questions! Best of luck!