downward trend post-bacc gpa

[bluehamster]

i started out my post-bacc w/a 4.0gpa. mostly b/c it was intro classes and i only took 3.

however, after 3 more semesters, my gpa is now a 3.6. i haven't taken the mcat yet but i was wondering what i should do about the downward gpa trend and if it is going to prevent me from being accepted to a US med school. i don't know what to say about why it went downward except that life got busy.

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[relentless11]

i started out my post-bacc w/a 4.0gpa. mostly b/c it was intro classes and i only took 3.

however, after 3 more semesters, my gpa is now a 3.6. i haven't taken the mcat yet but i was wondering what i should do about the downward gpa trend and if it is going to prevent me from being accepted to a US med school. i don't know what to say about why it went downward except that life got busy.

Thats not too bad of a downward trend. Just says that you got A's in the easy classes (as it should be), and was above average in the harder classes. There's a reason why most applicants get in with a 3.4-3.6 GPA. Nobody expect you to get a 4.0 or hold one.

The more important question is how low was your undergrad GPA? In all honesty, I think you can still make a good case with a 3.6. Just don't get any C's and drop the GPA any further. Good luck!

 

[DrMidlife]

I'll buy that downward trend if you're selling. If you're at a decent school taking hard classes, 3.6 is well above the bar. Prove your credentials with a solid MCAT and do us all proud.

Best of luck to you.

 

[njbmd]

i started out my post-bacc w/a 4.0gpa. mostly b/c it was intro classes and i only took 3.

however, after 3 more semesters, my gpa is now a 3.6. i haven't taken the mcat yet but i was wondering what i should do about the downward gpa trend and if it is going to prevent me from being accepted to a US med school. i don't know what to say about why it went downward except that life got busy.

Your current post bac GPA is fine. Keeping a 4.0 is nice-especially if you are doing "damage-control of your undergraduate GPA- but not essential. The important thing is to keep striving for the highest grades that you can achieve.

When MCAT prep time comes around, prepare thoroughly, take the test and don't worry about "your trend". In the end, you can only do your best. Another caution, don't load up on coursework if you are working. It is far better to have higher grades that more hours per semester. Slow down and do high quality work. In the end, it is the overall number that counts.

 

[queenbee]

oh, i hope that someone that is further along in this process will tell me that i'm still in good standing for a med school... MD, DO, Caribbean, whatever! just get me in... i am really determined to do this.

my undergrad: 3.39 (math major), graduated 2001.

i just finished these prereqs: inorganic chem, bio, and physics. i just have the orgos left. my postbac gpa thus far (without the organic classes) = 3.78.

i'm so afraid that organic chem will bring down my gpa.... tell me that organic chem won't kill me!

 

[gotmeds?]

i'm so afraid that organic chem will bring down my gpa.... tell me that organic chem won't kill me!

It won't. It'll just kill your GPA.

I kid, I kid. Seriously, though, I think that as a post-bacc student, you have to do well in your classes, especially if you're taking a reduced courseload. I had a pretty crappy undergrad GPA (significantly worse than yours). Even with something like 60 units of post-bacc work, I was only able to bring it up to a 3.6. What helped me get into med school was having straight As for those 60 units (and a 4.0 BCPM GPA).

Regardless of whatever else is going on in your life, concentrate on getting good grades. I ended up quitting my job and taking out loans to do just that, and I have no regrets about it. The amount of money I'm getting in grants/scholarships from med school is significantly more than the amount of loans I took to get there.

 

[bel15]

i'm a newbie to all this. but from your post, it sounds like schools take into account your undergrad gpa and then average that with your postbacc grade??? is that the case or am i misunderstanding something?

 

[DrMidlife]

i'm a newbie to all this. but from your post, it sounds like schools take into account your undergrad gpa and then average that with your postbacc grade??? is that the case or am i misunderstanding something?

i had a 3.4 undergrad, and am doing not so hot into my second term of postbacc classes, so the whole gpa thing has me quite concerned.

Don't fret too much - just keep at it. Yes, all your undergrad grades are averaged with your postbac/undergrad grades. I'm in the same situation as you (grades a bit off in postbac) and the advice I received from multiple directions was to keep it above a 3.0 and finish with a strong upward trend. Like me you might need to take an extra term or two of upper div science to prove the point, or consider an SMP. If you want it bad enough, you can do it.

Best of luck to you.