MD & DO Do I have a Shot?

[Ocp05928]

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I am current 4th year (one year behind becuase I realized I had a passion for the medical field). I started off at a small community college where I had a 3.56 GPA and transferred to a larger, top ranked public university. I struggled the first year and my GPA suffered. However I realized that I needed to change things that caused me to fail and also that becoming a physician is what I want to do. So my cGPA is currently a 3.00 and my sGPA is 2.90. I have showed an upward trend, with the following grades: Chem 1 C- (retook for B+), Chem 2 A (transfered credit), Physics 1 C+, Physics 2 B+, Orgo 1 D (Retook for B), Biol 1 B-, Biol 2 B+. I am currently in Orgo 2, and Biochem. I have around 50 shadowing hours and 50 volunteer hours. I am an Eagle Scout. I am also heavily involved in a club on campus that focuses on children infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. I have also done undergraduate research in a pathology lab for the past 4 semesters (2 years). I am also a teachers assistant for Physics 1 as well as a grader for Biology 2. I have not yet taken the MCAT, I am planning on doing so this summer 19. I am trying to decide if I should take a gap year or apply broadly the next cycle. I am not concerned with DO vs MD, nor the level of prestige of the medical school I attend. My goal and passion is to become a physician, and medical school is just a barrier that I must cross in order to do so. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Faha]

You need to increase your sGPA to 3.0 in order to have a chance at some DO schools. Post your MCAT score here in the future with an updated GPA.

 

[candbgirl]

So do your GPAs include every clas you have ever taken? This includes both grades from every class repeated? If not refugee your GPAs. Then you will know how much work you need to do to get your GPAs up to be competitive aomeplaces.

 

[Ocp05928]

So do your GPAs include every clas you have ever taken? This includes both grades from every class repeated? If not refugee your GPAs. Then you will know how much work you need to do to get your GPAs up to be competitive aomeplaces.

Yes, this includes all grades; including repeated grades.

 

[candbgirl]

You have lots of work to do. Think about a gap year so when you do apply it’s the best possible application possible. You have to get your GPAs up. And of course there is the MCAT. Do you have any physician shadowing? You need around 50 hours including some in primary care. What exactly do you do for/with the HIV/AIDS kids? Your GPAs are too low for MD and awfully low for DO. So focus heavily on your grades. As @Faha said , let us know when you have your MCAT score and your final undergrad GPA. Good luck.

 

[Ocp05928]

You have lots of work to do. Think about a gap year so when you do apply it’s the best possible application possible. You have to get your GPAs up. And of course there is the MCAT. Do you have any physician shadowing? You need around 50 hours including some in primary care. What exactly do you do for/with the HIV/AIDS kids? Your GPAs are too low for MD and awfully low for DO. So focus heavily on your grades. As @Faha said , let us know when you have your MCAT score and your final undergrad GPA. Good luck.

As stated in the original post, I have 50 hours of direct physician shadowing. This was some in a general hospital while a majority was in a children’s hospital. I obtained a role on a committee that deals with the children directly. The children are in a major city about 1 hour away from our campus, so we drive to pick them up and spend time with them in an attempt to eliminate the stigma they face at school. All of the kids face some sort of bullying due to HIV/AIDS. In addition to that, we also fundraise year round to pay for the kids to go to summer camp that is sponsored by a sister organization. I know my grades are extremly low for MD. I actually like the DO approach to medicene a bit better than MD, so becoming a DO would be ideal for me. I know the schools focus on grades and MCAT, however they are moving towards an emphasis on other things as well. I guess my question would be , am I a candidate to gain admission to medical school even with a below average GPA? Or how high should I get it to become a competitive applicant?

 

[candbgirl]

schools do consider the whole application but many schools have filters of preset GPAs that you have to get through before your whole application is considered. I’m not sure how many MD filters you’d get through with your current GPAs. A 3.0 cGPA and a 2.9 sGPA are too low for MD and awfully low for DO. So you need to do something about your GPAs. It will be hard to move your GPAs at this point but you have to somehow get them both above a 3.0 and then go from there. At that point it won’t be so much about raising your GPA as it will be proving to ADCOMS that you are up to the rigors of med school. That might happen after several semesters of straight A work in upper level science courses. Despite all of your interesting and good ECs you haven’t proven that you can handle medical school course work.

 

[Ocp05928]

Would a SMP benefit me? I have several science classes left. So I should be able to bring the both above a 3.00 but only in a range of 3.00-3.20. If so, what are the benefits? Ive been searching around online, and have only just discovered the idea. Or would trying my luck before SMP be a better idea? Or would it all depend on my MCAT score? I’m trying to decide if I should take the MCAT in time for the next cycle or not. Any information is helpful. I’m meeting with my pre-health advising office tomorrow, and would just like to go in with some knowledge and plans to run by them as well. Thank you!

 

[muffinbakinginprocess]

Would a SMP benefit me? I have several science classes left. So I should be able to bring the both above a 3.00 but only in a range of 3.00-3.20. If so, what are the benefits? Ive been searching around online, and have only just discovered the idea. Or would trying my luck before SMP be a better idea? Or would it all depend on my MCAT score? I’m trying to decide if I should take the MCAT in time for the next cycle or not. Any information is helpful. I’m meeting with my pre-health advising office tomorrow, and would just like to go in with some knowledge and plans to run by them as well. Thank you!

Some SMP programs have connections with medical schools so it might work in your favor if you achieved a 4.0 GPA in the SMP. The down side is, you have to get a 4.0 or else it will be a waste of time and money.

 

[Goro]

Some SMP programs have connections with medical schools so it might work in your favor if you achieved a 4.0 GPA in the SMP. The down side is, you have to get a 4.0 or else it will be a waste of time and money.

I agree

 

[Ocp05928]

I agree

In your personal opinion, what would you recommend to do given my situation?

 

[Goro]

In your personal opinion, what would you recommend to do given my situation?

read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention