Do I have a shot?

[letmein145]

Whoever responds to this, please be brutally honest with me. I would rather hear that I have no shot (if that’s the truth) than to be given false hope. I’m basically looking for a reality check here. If anybody has gotten into post bacc/med school with a similar situation, please share your experience with me. With that said, let me give a little intro of myself.

Intro
1) I’m 26.
2) I graduated as a premed Bio major with a poor gpa (2.88 overall, 2.6 math/science). However I know I can do much better as a post bacc because I know my gpa does not reflect my knowledge of science courses. I’m pretty confident that if I took year’s worth of post bacc courses, that I could pull off a 3.9-4.0 gpa.
3) I have decent volunteer experience. I’ve worked as a clinic volunteer during college for two years, did research for 2-3 years, have done various outreaches in Mexico and Africa.

Right after college, I applied to Drexel’s post bacc and got waitlisted. I got rejected from UC Irvine’s post bacc cause I didn’t meet the minimum gpa requirement. Then after college…

After college
4) I took a couple courses (Anatomy and cellular neurobio and got A’s in both).
5) I got into an MBA program and will be finishing that in about a month. My MBA gpa is decent…about 3.7.
6) I don’t know if this makes a difference but I tutor a lot of high school and college level math and science.

I recently applied to some UC post bacc programs (UC Irvine, Davis, San Diego, and San Francisco and UCLA/Drew). I didn’t get into most of those and am just waiting to hear from Irvine and Drew. My current circumstances are preventing me from going out of state, so I have to stay in California.

Questions
The main question is this. If I don’t get into a formal post bacc, I’m debating whether I should or should not go through an informal post bacc (take upper div undergrad courses through extension programs at UCI, UCLA, or UC berkley).


1) If I take a year’s worth of post bacc’s (formal or informal), will that be enough?
2) If post bacc admissions don’t consider me to be a good enough candidate, will I be a good enough candidate for med school after I finish an informal post bacc?
3) Is there anything else that I could be doing? Does anybody know of any other programs that I could/should be looking into?

Thanks for hearing me out. I’m very driven to pursue med school with everything that I’ve got. But I’m at a point in my life where I can only continue to pursue it if I have a real shot at it. Thanks for listening!

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[hawk126]

I just finished my informal post-bacc and from those I've spoken with you need to take enough upper division science courses to establish an upward trend (read 4.0 for several semesters). Perhaps even more importantly you have to knock the ball out of the park on the MCAT. It also helps to establish residency in a state with several medical schools. Texas is a wonderful example... >5 med schools... 90% of admittees must be residents. In a state like Texas, California, New York, or Illinois your margin for error is greater.

 

[postbacker]

Hey OP: Where is the other thread that you or someone with identical stats started in the last day or so?

Starting multiple threads on the same topic is considered bad form on SDN...

 

[146233]

Hey OP: Where is the other thread that you or someone with identical stats started in the last day or so?

Starting multiple threads on the same topic is considered bad form on SDN...

It's right here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=413948
Please don't do that anymore, OP.

Love & hugs,
-z

 

[pumpkingirl41]

HI letmein145 vbmenu_register("postmenu_5280232", true); ,

I for one definitely feel you have every bit as much a chance as any other post bacc. Here are a few things I've observed along the way - just my perspective - might help.

Post-bacc programs, while helpful if you find one that really suits you, do not have the last word when it comes to who goes to med school. They tend to have super high standards based primarily on numbers and not knowing the entire person b/c that's the best way to promote their program - by being able to show statistically which med schools accept their students and how many of their students get in each year. So regarding numbers only, they don't want to take a chance on anyone that's not a fit.

I happen to feel that med school admissions committees themselves do not operate this way, and that you might actually be doing yourself a service and empowering your chances of getting into a good medical program that really works for your interests by finding an undergrad school that will allow you to take whatever coursework you need to strengthen your gpa and apply to schools you like. I think too that med schools are impressed by someone who's willing to go back over their own record and strive to improve areas of past weakness.

Having said that, a pre-medical advisor or committee can be of real value, for support, guidance and composite letters. On the east coast many schools without official post bacc programs still have very good undergrad pre-health advisors, so shop around a bit in CA where you are and see if you can't find a good fit. Remember, you want to feel really well represented by whatever institution you do you pre med coursework at, so if these official programs are snubbing you on grades only, don't go where you aren't well supported - find somewhere you ARE and go from there.

Just an opinion and certainly not meant to talk down pre med programs as many are very good, I think it depends on your situation and what will best enhance your chances of getting into a program you like.

Good luck!
Pumkingirl41

 

[pumpkingirl41]

HI letmein145 vbmenu_register("postmenu_5280232", true); ,

I for one definitely feel you have every bit as much a chance as any other post bacc. Here are a few things I've observed along the way - just my perspective - might help.

Post-bacc programs, while helpful if you find one that really suits you, do not have the last word when it comes to who goes to med school. They tend to have super high standards based primarily on numbers and not knowing the entire person b/c that's the best way to promote their program - by being able to show statistically which med schools accept their students and how many of their students get in each year. So regarding numbers only, they don't want to take a chance on anyone that's not a fit.

I happen to feel that med school admissions committees themselves do not operate this way, and that you might actually be doing yourself a service and empowering your chances of getting into a good medical program that really works for your interests by finding an undergrad school that will allow you to take whatever coursework you need to strengthen your gpa and apply to schools you like. I think too that med schools are impressed by someone who's willing to go back over their own record and strive to improve areas of past weakness.

Having said that, a pre-medical advisor or committee can be of real value, for support, guidance and composite letters. On the east coast many schools without official post bacc programs still have very good undergrad pre-health advisors, so shop around a bit in CA where you are and see if you can't find a good fit. Remember, you want to feel really well represented by whatever institution you do you pre med coursework at, so if these official programs are snubbing you on grades only, don't go where you aren't well supported - find somewhere you ARE and go from there.

Just an opinion and certainly not meant to talk down pre med programs as many are very good, I think it depends on your situation and what will best enhance your chances of getting into a program you like.

Good luck!
Pumkingirl41

 

[budhak0n]

Given the nature of a Post Bacc program, do certain med schools look at them with a bit of a slant because wouldn't it be in the "programs" best interest to ensure that their adult students provided they do the majority of the work be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to grading...

Not to say that a Post Bacc candidate who did C work would get A's simply for being in a POST Bacc but that a Post Bacc candidate who did A- or B + work might just get that extra umph b/c the undergrad institution knows how competitve the process is and would see no harm in pumping their numbers.

It's sort of like High school prep programs that graded on a 4.5 Scale and allowed their students to get an A+... all of the sudden the college admissions sees this kid with a 4.0 when in a standard program he or she may have had closer to a 3.75...

Also it's one of the reasons why I don't really fully comprehend the idea of definitive "cutoff" points as far as GPA is concerned. I've seen over and over again how people are stating that if you don't have a 3.5 or this or that .. your chances are not great ... etc...

Well how do you account for the I'm the little school in IOWA applicant who got a 3.98 throughout his college career because the only competition for his intellectual prowess was Cooter and Ike the shuffling mime.. whereas somebody who attended an IVY or a Large reputable state school like USC , Penn State or Texas took Calculus with 320 practicing engineers and whose A- would hold up against just about every small liberal arts college's A...

Sure it's a common argument over the quality of the undergrad program and reputation but just crossed my mind ... It's a heck of a lot harder to get that Supremely gifted GPA when you've got serious competiton for the curve whereas if you're the only bright bulb in a sea of C students.. etc etc ..

Just something to ponder those who believe there are ( which I do not doubt for many programs there are) Hard fast GPA cutoff points.

 

[budhak0n]

Letmein.. this is about all I can say about your "chances" because I like you have embarked on this attempt however I have a bit of a different perspective to it at this point.

I realize this. If my Goal is to become a doctor and I do not have the Science pre requisites necessary for admission into Med Schools in the United States, my "chances" are ZERO.

If I take the classes and do well ( I can not "assume" that I will all of the sudden produce a perfect 4.0 Record.. my undergraduate GPA says otherwise).. do I think I'll be a better student years later ? Absolutely.

Do I think I was often a total slacker in Undergrad? absolutely.

Do I think that the toughest academic year I've ever experienced was my Junior year in a high school Prep... You're darn right and this includes Law School

Do I think that I coasted and that It's something that I'll have to explain and not only explain well but EXCEL at giving reasons why I should even be "considered" over somebody who from day one has never made a serious mistake on their academic record? You're gosh darn right.

Think about it. If there are 100 seats for xYz school and there are a ton of applicants.. A large number of those apps will be students who were exceptional high school students like myself.. who didn't SLACK off in undergrad... who didn't show signs of immaturity... who didn't change their major from engineering to liberal arts... etc etc etc... And in order for me to get a slot at one of these schools I not only years later have to provide evidence that I'm dedicated to the work and CAPABLE .. but that I am more worthy than another person or persons who do not have the blemishes on my record.

That being said. Am I powerless? Absolutely not. Will I ever succeed If somebody tells me I have no shot and I quit? Well that's about the ONLY way to get a GUARANTEED sure fire Certain Answer.

If you quit then you know your answer.. and it's the number one cause of attrition for med school applicants.. They simply quit. Hey it's not for everyone.

 

[letmein145]

Letmein.. this is about all I can say about your "chances" because I like you have embarked on this attempt however I have a bit of a different perspective to it at this point.

I realize this. If my Goal is to become a doctor and I do not have the Science pre requisites necessary for admission into Med Schools in the United States, my "chances" are ZERO.

If I take the classes and do well ( I can not "assume" that I will all of the sudden produce a perfect 4.0 Record.. my undergraduate GPA says otherwise).. do I think I'll be a better student years later ? Absolutely.

Do I think I was often a total slacker in Undergrad? absolutely.

Do I think that the toughest academic year I've ever experienced was my Junior year in a high school Prep... You're darn right and this includes Law School

Do I think that I coasted and that It's something that I'll have to explain and not only explain well but EXCEL at giving reasons why I should even be "considered" over somebody who from day one has never made a serious mistake on their academic record? You're gosh darn right.

Think about it. If there are 100 seats for xYz school and there are a ton of applicants.. A large number of those apps will be students who were exceptional high school students like myself.. who didn't SLACK off in undergrad... who didn't show signs of immaturity... who didn't change their major from engineering to liberal arts... etc etc etc... And in order for me to get a slot at one of these schools I not only years later have to provide evidence that I'm dedicated to the work and CAPABLE .. but that I am more worthy than another person or persons who do not have the blemishes on my record.

That being said. Am I powerless? Absolutely not. Will I ever succeed If somebody tells me I have no shot and I quit? Well that's about the ONLY way to get a GUARANTEED sure fire Certain Answer.

If you quit then you know your answer.. and it's the number one cause of attrition for med school applicants.. They simply quit. Hey it's not for everyone.

Well, I'm extremely motivated to pursue this. I'll drop 100 grand at a post bacc and spend the next 10 years if I could afford the time and the money to do so. However, the thing for me right now is that I'm about to get married soon, so I have to think about my future family. Can I support my wife if I'm in school? no. Am I wiling to do it if all I have to do is one year of post bacc and get into med school right after? yes, because then my wife will just have to support me til I get out of med school. But if it takes me 4-5 years just to get into medical school, then no...I can't put my wife through that. If I were single, then you would see me on this forum day in and day out til i turn old and gray or til I get into med school. That's why i need to see if i have a real shot to turn my gpa around in 1-2 years. Cause if I don't then I have to move on....not because I'm one to quit, but because I need to do what's best for my future family even if it means sacrificing what I've been wanting to do since I was a little kid.