Do I have a chance?

[iaros]

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I need your help!
I have a cGPA of 3.36 but my science GPA is 2.45 from a competitive university. I have taken most of my premed requirements (and got a couple grades in the C range) except physics and am currently in a very competitive community service program for two years. I am trying to figure out whether or not I still have a chance of getting into med school if I completed a postbacc program. I need some advice as to what type of postbacc program (formal or informal in California or East coast anywhere) would be right for me to even have a chance of applying. I do have clinical experiences such as hospital volunteering, some research, internships, and shadowing.

 

[badb100d]

I never like to say that anything is out of the question because I do believe that people are capable of remarkable transformations if the will and desire is strong enough. In your case the battle may be a bit more difficult since you have completed nearly all of the pre-med requirements. Unfortunately you also have some C's in those classes that will bog down your application. One thing you should probably decide first and foremost is whether you are interested in pursuing a DO degree or MD degree. Both will let you practice medicine. These options have been discussed ad nauseam on the forum so just do a search to learn more. In your case DO may be more beneficial because if you retake classes you got C's in and get much better grades (all A's) these new grades will replace the old ones instead of just getting averaged as they do for MD schools. For both options you'll definitely need to improve your science GPA.

A formal postbac may be a bit of a reach for you at this time and is really not necessary. There are some GPA enhancer programs you could look into but I'm not familiar with them. Perhaps someone else could comment on that. If you have a local school that you are comfortable with (preferably a 4 year college) you can simply retake the courses there and complete whatever you are missing. I don't know how many credit hours you have, but be forewarned that it could take a lot of additional classes to bring your science GPA up to where it needs to be. In addition to retakes you may need to add some upper-level science courses. Also, you really need to perform in your postbac work - A level work all the way. Your EC's sound good though.

 

[deleted248403]

1) You will need to retake all Cs in prereqs
2) Consider doing an SMP to prove you can handle upper level science courses, esp if you want MD
3) Rock the MCAT

Your sGPA is going to kill you unless you repeat the Cs and get As, take upper level sci courses and rock them, and then rock the MCAT. A 2.45 sGPA would indicate you can't handle undergraduate-level science, let alone medical school level science. You need to do #1, #2 and #3 to prove them wrong.

 

[iaros]

I never like to say that anything is out of the question because I do believe that people are capable of remarkable transformations if the will and desire is strong enough. In your case the battle may be a bit more difficult since you have completed nearly all of the pre-med requirements. Unfortunately you also have some C's in those classes that will bog down your application. One thing you should probably decide first and foremost is whether you are interested in pursuing a DO degree or MD degree. Both will let you practice medicine. These options have been discussed ad nauseam on the forum so just do a search to learn more. In your case DO may be more beneficial because if you retake classes you got C's in and get much better grades (all A's) these new grades will replace the old ones instead of just getting averaged as they do for MD schools. For both options you'll definitely need to improve your science GPA.

A formal postbac may be a bit of a reach for you at this time and is really not necessary. There are some GPA enhancer programs you could look into but I'm not familiar with them. Perhaps someone else could comment on that. If you have a local school that you are comfortable with (preferably a 4 year college) you can simply retake the courses there and complete whatever you are missing. I don't know how many credit hours you have, but be forewarned that it could take a lot of additional classes to bring your science GPA up to where it needs to be. In addition to retakes you may need to add some upper-level science courses. Also, you really need to perform in your postbac work - A level work all the way. Your EC's sound good though.

Thank you for your advice.

As for retaking courses and taking advanced courses, would CUNY (in NY) and/or Cal State schools be okay? Money is an issue so those schools would be my top choices...

I am planning on taking some summer classes this year and next summer then probably spend a whole year taking more classes after my service is done...What do you think?

 

[badb100d]

Just thought I should re-emphasize what robflanker said, because I think I was a bit wishy-washy in my earlier post. You should definitely retake the courses you got a C in. The advice about an SMP is also solid, I would investigate that option although you do have money concerns so you may find the cost prohibitive.

I think on the forum you will find some people backing the formal postbac programs and others supporting the cost-effective state school option. My background is with a formal program, but have seen lots of posts from successful applicants who've gone the informal route. So I'd say to do what you are most comfortable with. As long as you are going to a 4 year school (not a community college) and making awesome grades (A's, A's, A's) I don't think med schools will have a problem with that. Long story short, you should be fine at CUNY or Cal State. As a NY'er I have some familiarity with the CUNY system and know that you may have trouble getting into some classes due to the large number of students. I have been told if you apply as a degree student vs. non-degree you'll get better priority during registration. In your case since you need quite a number of classes to do GPA repair it may not be a bad idea to get a 2nd bachelor's degree. Something to consider.

As for summer courses, I'd be cautious starting out with them as the pace can be insane. Some people like the intense focus of them, others don't. Since the main goal of your schooling will be to improve your GPA I would just finish off your service commitment and then concentrate on school during the normal academic year. Don't rush, investigate fully all the options (DO vs. MD, SMP vs. more undergrad work vs. 2nd bachelor's etc.) and then get started. Good luck!

 

[scarshapedstar]

 

 

[iaros]

Thank you for your replies. I definitely will give some admissions officers a call to find out what I can do to fix my mess.

scarshapedstar: Just to clarify, you did an informal postbacc and took upper level classes instead of retaking them, right?

 

[badb100d]

I think scarshapedstar took graduate level courses, which are even higher than the undergrad upper-levels. This would probably be more like what an SMP would be. The general concensus I've seen on the forums has been that a stellar grad school GPA does not trump a lousy undegrad GPA unless it's from an SMP. It looks like scar got some very specific advice for the school he or she was interested in. Unless you're hell bent on a specific school/geographic region you should make your application as broadly appealing as possible. IMO that means either doing the SMP to prove your academic abilities or retaking courses and doing additional upper level undergrad courses since that GPA is calculated separately and weighed more heavily. So definitely go and ask around before starting.

 

[deleted248403]

forget undergrad classes iaros - you will never be able to save your sGPA that way

 

[iaros]

forget undergrad classes iaros - you will never be able to save your sGPA that way

Don't I need a competitive gpa for SMPs too? 😕

 

[scarshapedstar]

 

 

[DrMidlife]

I brought up the possibility of an SMP to the med school but they said it wasn't any better than what I'm doing, also the only one in the area is at Tulane and it's expensive.

For the record, Tulane ACP is the cheapest SMP. $12,500 tuition.

 

[deleted248403]

Don't I need a competitive gpa for SMPs too? 😕

Your cGPA will get you into an SMP. Your sGPA will keep you out of medical school. An SMP will help off set your sGPA