Excited about DO but out of my reach?

[NontradPreDO]

Hello all,

I am now into the second semester of my DIY post-bacc to raise my horrendous 2.6ish cGPA from 2005 (basically no sciences except a big fat D in Bio and a C in Gen Chem sustained as a young, dumb 18-year-old freshman year). I am on track to pull off an A in Biology and a B in Gen Chem this semester.

I also have recently started working as a medical scribe in the emergency department at my local hospital and I love, love, love it. Never a dull moment and fascinating to watch how doctors perform physical exams and go about completing medical decision making. My favorite doctor to work for is a DO--he is actually the head of the ED (and people think DOs aren't real doctors!) and a fantastic clinician. I am now more than ever sure that being a DO would be a huge honor and what I want to do.

HOWEVER, even with careful grade replacement, it seems from what I read on here that DO school stats are skyrocketing and I'm going to get left in the dust GPA-wise even if I can raise it over 3.0 and have good clinical experience and (potentially) get a great MCAT score.

What can I do to maximize my chances, given all of this? What is the GPA target I should shoot for? Any other things I could add to my app to be more competitive?

Thank you!

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[DNC127]

If you can get your GPA above 3.2 and get a 505+ you will get into a D.O school if you have decent EC's. Realistically you could possibly get into a new school with a little bit lower stats, but I would shoot for 3.2+ an a 505+.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Hello all,

I am now into the second semester of my DIY post-bacc to raise my horrendous 2.6ish cGPA from 2005 (basically no sciences except a big fat D in Bio and a C in Gen Chem sustained as a young, dumb 18-year-old freshman year). I am on track to pull off an A in Biology and a B in Gen Chem this semester.

I also have recently started working as a medical scribe in the emergency department at my local hospital and I love, love, love it. Never a dull moment and fascinating to watch how doctors perform physical exams and go about completing medical decision making. My favorite doctor to work for is a DO--he is actually the head of the ED (and people think DOs aren't real doctors!) and a fantastic clinician. I am now more than ever sure that being a DO would be a huge honor and what I want to do.

HOWEVER, even with careful grade replacement, it seems from what I read on here that DO school stats are skyrocketing and I'm going to get left in the dust GPA-wise even if I can raise it over 3.0 and have good clinical experience and (potentially) get a great MCAT score.

What can I do to maximize my chances, given all of this? What is the GPA target I should shoot for? Any other things I could add to my app to be more competitive?

Thank you!

*sigh* No one thinks DOs aren't "real" doctors. They either haven't heard of a D.O. or they think they are socially and intellectually inferior to their M.D. counterparts.

First things first, what did you do before you took on your scribe job? What happened in undergrad that allowed you to make such horrible grades? What did you major in with that GPA? You have barely any science courses? If so, that is a MAJOR bonus for you. It will take you 2-3 years assuming you have 120+ credits for a bachelors degree already, but steady A's will get you a competitive GPA, then your focus will be on your MCAT. ECs aside, a competitive GPA CAN BE around 3.2+ with an MCAT of 503+. Take this with a grain of salt, because that is not necessarily competitive, but it what I have been seeing from very good applicants who have been accepted with stats like these. In order to pull this off you need to have good interviewing skills, a good background, very good ECs, and some truth to what made you switch directions. This is all arbitrary, so don't take it as the words to follow. The best advice I can give you is to do your VERY best from here on out and when it comes time to apply, well, you should be good.

P.S. I just noticed you are in a post-bacc program so you can't change that undergrad GPA, however I am not going to edit it just in case someone is in a situation for which it may apply, but for you specifically I would definitely make ALL A's from here on out and nail a 4.0 post-bacc. I would preferably go for a real masters degree rather than just taking GPA boosting classes. Look into Health Care Administration or something in that area since you aren't heavy in the sciences, yet.

 

[Dr. Janitor]

Get those pre-reqs done, do well in them. If your gpa is still below 3.2-3.4 range, consider doing a SMP (USF, PCOM, LMU-DCOM to name a few). Do well in your SMP (3.7+) and that gpa will outshine your ugrad performance. Crush MCAT.

 

[Alienman52]

Hello all,

I am now into the second semester of my DIY post-bacc to raise my horrendous 2.6ish cGPA from 2005 (basically no sciences except a big fat D in Bio and a C in Gen Chem sustained as a young, dumb 18-year-old freshman year). I am on track to pull off an A in Biology and a B in Gen Chem this semester.

I also have recently started working as a medical scribe in the emergency department at my local hospital and I love, love, love it. Never a dull moment and fascinating to watch how doctors perform physical exams and go about completing medical decision making. My favorite doctor to work for is a DO--he is actually the head of the ED (and people think DOs aren't real doctors!) and a fantastic clinician. I am now more than ever sure that being a DO would be a huge honor and what I want to do.

HOWEVER, even with careful grade replacement, it seems from what I read on here that DO school stats are skyrocketing and I'm going to get left in the dust GPA-wise even if I can raise it over 3.0 and have good clinical experience and (potentially) get a great MCAT score.

What can I do to maximize my chances, given all of this? What is the GPA target I should shoot for? Any other things I could add to my app to be more competitive?

Thank you!

One thing that you mentioned that I think will actually save you (apart from what you may think) is your lack of science courses. When applying to medical school your GPA is broken into a few categories outlined below in order of increasing importance:

nsGPA (non-science), cGPA (cumulative), sGPA

Since you don't have a lot of science courses (granted the 2 you do have stink) you'll be able to pull up your science GPA to new heights that you may have never thought possible even with a D and a C. For example, if you didn't even bother retaking those classes, and scored 4 A's in addition to these, your sGPA would come out to a ~3.17, and that's WITHOUT retakes. It's important that you retake those courses, and even if you made a B in them both, and made A's in 4 other courses, you'd have a ~3.67sGPA which is very competitive for DO schools.

In closing, take advantage of grade replacement, and rock the MCAT. Don't let your past determine your future. Keep at it!

Good luck to you OP.

 

[SailorHg]

I started this process with a 2.37. With a DIY post-bacc for pre-reqs and grade replacement, I finally have a cGPA just over 3.0. I'm applying this cycle! I'll let you know how it goes, but if I can do it, anyone willing to work for it can.

But as other posters have said, the MCAT will make or break you.

 

[Wiggly Tuff Da Ruff]

Hello all,

I am now into the second semester of my DIY post-bacc to raise my horrendous 2.6ish cGPA from 2005 (basically no sciences except a big fat D in Bio and a C in Gen Chem sustained as a young, dumb 18-year-old freshman year). I am on track to pull off an A in Biology and a B in Gen Chem this semester.

I also have recently started working as a medical scribe in the emergency department at my local hospital and I love, love, love it. Never a dull moment and fascinating to watch how doctors perform physical exams and go about completing medical decision making. My favorite doctor to work for is a DO--he is actually the head of the ED (and people think DOs aren't real doctors!) and a fantastic clinician. I am now more than ever sure that being a DO would be a huge honor and what I want to do.

HOWEVER, even with careful grade replacement, it seems from what I read on here that DO school stats are skyrocketing and I'm going to get left in the dust GPA-wise even if I can raise it over 3.0 and have good clinical experience and (potentially) get a great MCAT score.

What can I do to maximize my chances, given all of this? What is the GPA target I should shoot for? Any other things I could add to my app to be more competitive?

Thank you!

Hello, as someone who went on a similar journey, you CAN do this. The key thing for you right now is to make sure you raise your GPA enough to pass the auto-screening. Do your best, aim for that 4.0. What happened in 2005 happened already, you can't change it, but you can change what your grades are right now. Show that you turned it around and prove to adcoms that you have matured. Gratz on getting the scribe job though, what a great experience Try doing some volunteering, maybe at the hospital you're working at?

 

[kelminak]

Hello all,

I am now into the second semester of my DIY post-bacc to raise my horrendous 2.6ish cGPA from 2005 (basically no sciences except a big fat D in Bio and a C in Gen Chem sustained as a young, dumb 18-year-old freshman year). I am on track to pull off an A in Biology and a B in Gen Chem this semester.

I also have recently started working as a medical scribe in the emergency department at my local hospital and I love, love, love it. Never a dull moment and fascinating to watch how doctors perform physical exams and go about completing medical decision making. My favorite doctor to work for is a DO--he is actually the head of the ED (and people think DOs aren't real doctors!) and a fantastic clinician. I am now more than ever sure that being a DO would be a huge honor and what I want to do.

HOWEVER, even with careful grade replacement, it seems from what I read on here that DO school stats are skyrocketing and I'm going to get left in the dust GPA-wise even if I can raise it over 3.0 and have good clinical experience and (potentially) get a great MCAT score.

What can I do to maximize my chances, given all of this? What is the GPA target I should shoot for? Any other things I could add to my app to be more competitive?

Thank you!

I'm coming from a 1.9 friendo, I'm sure you'll be just fine. Shoot for as high as you can get it. There's no magic number that will get you in. Higher is always better.

 

[Peach Newport]

DO stats are rising. This is true. But if you get straight As in your last 25-30 credits you'll be competitive if your MCAT is good.

Please be warned. If you are doing a post-bacc or masters to get into any medical school, you really need As. A 50/50 mix of As and Bs isn't gonna cut it in post-grad work. The standards are much higher post-grad because medical schools know you're trying to get into medical school.

Also, getting straight As in a full-time undergrad course load is about as much work as just PASSING in medical school.

 

[NontradPreDO]

DO stats are rising. This is true. But if you get straight As in your last 25-30 credits you'll be competitive if your MCAT is good.

Please be warned. If you are doing a post-bacc or masters to get into any medical school, you really need As. A 50/50 mix of As and Bs isn't gonna cut it in post-grad work. The standards are much higher post-grad because medical schools know you're trying to get into medical school.

Also, getting straight As in a full-time undergrad course load is about as much work as just PASSING in medical school.

Do you mean post-grad work as in a formal program requires As? Because I am just taking undergrad classes.

 

[NontradPreDO]

Thanks, and good luck to you as well.

I'm coming from a 1.9 friendo, I'm sure you'll be just fine. Shoot for as high as you can get it. There's no magic number that will get you in. Higher is always better.

 

[NontradPreDO]

Hello, as someone who went on a similar journey, you CAN do this. The key thing for you right now is to make sure you raise your GPA enough to pass the auto-screening. Do your best, aim for that 4.0. What happened in 2005 happened already, you can't change it, but you can change what your grades are right now. Show that you turned it around and prove to adcoms that you have matured. Gratz on getting the scribe job though, what a great experience Try doing some volunteering, maybe at the hospital you're working at?

Thanks for your input! I was actually looking into volunteering.

 

[NontradPreDO]

One thing that you mentioned that I think will actually save you (apart from what you may think) is your lack of science courses. When applying to medical school your GPA is broken into a few categories outlined below in order of increasing importance:

nsGPA (non-science), cGPA (cumulative), sGPA

Since you don't have a lot of science courses (granted the 2 you do have stink) you'll be able to pull up your science GPA to new heights that you may have never thought possible even with a D and a C. For example, if you didn't even bother retaking those classes, and scored 4 A's in addition to these, your sGPA would come out to a ~3.17, and that's WITHOUT retakes. It's important that you retake those courses, and even if you made a B in them both, and made A's in 4 other courses, you'd have a ~3.67sGPA which is very competitive for DO schools.

In closing, take advantage of grade replacement, and rock the MCAT. Don't let your past determine your future. Keep at it!

Good luck to you OP.

Thank you for your reply and that is true, I don't have a lot of science courses to retake and am starting fresh in some other ways. I think there is a projected grade spreadsheet floating around here somewhere that I need to complete.

 

[NontradPreDO]

*sigh* No one thinks DOs aren't "real" doctors. They either haven't heard of a D.O. or they think they are socially and intellectually inferior to their M.D. counterparts.

Yes, that is what I meant! Thank you for clarifying.

First things first, what did you do before you took on your scribe job? What happened in undergrad that allowed you to make such horrible grades? What did you major in with that GPA? You have barely any science courses? If so, that is a MAJOR bonus for you. It will take you 2-3 years assuming you have 120+ credits for a bachelors degree already, but steady A's will get you a competitive GPA, then your focus will be on your MCAT. ECs aside, a competitive GPA CAN BE around 3.2+ with an MCAT of 503+. Take this with a grain of salt, because that is not necessarily competitive, but it what I have been seeing from very good applicants who have been accepted with stats like these. In order to pull this off you need to have good interviewing skills, a good background, very good ECs, and some truth to what made you switch directions. This is all arbitrary, so don't take it as the words to follow. The best advice I can give you is to do your VERY best from here on out and when it comes time to apply, well, you should be good.

P.S. I just noticed you are in a post-bacc program so you can't change that undergrad GPA, however I am not going to edit it just in case someone is in a situation for which it may apply, but for you specifically I would definitely make ALL A's from here on out and nail a 4.0 post-bacc. I would preferably go for a real masters degree rather than just taking GPA boosting classes. Look into Health Care Administration or something in that area since you aren't heavy in the sciences, yet.

Thanks for your reply--before I started taking classes again I did alot of reflecting on what happened in my first BA program. I actually took a few "easy" classes last semester to get my confidence back up before diving into the hard sciences.

 

[NontradPreDO]

If you can get your GPA above 3.2 and get a 505+ you will get into a D.O school if you have decent EC's. Realistically you could possibly get into a new school with a little bit lower stats, but I would shoot for 3.2+ an a 505+.

What do you think would be decent ECs? I think my scribe job is great clinical experience and I do want to volunteer (non-healthcare related so as to not burn out). Currently setting up some shadowing with DOs for next month...is that too "cookie cutter"?

 

[ctran019]

Hello all,

I am now into the second semester of my DIY post-bacc to raise my horrendous 2.6ish cGPA from 2005 (basically no sciences except a big fat D in Bio and a C in Gen Chem sustained as a young, dumb 18-year-old freshman year). I am on track to pull off an A in Biology and a B in Gen Chem this semester.

I also have recently started working as a medical scribe in the emergency department at my local hospital and I love, love, love it. Never a dull moment and fascinating to watch how doctors perform physical exams and go about completing medical decision making. My favorite doctor to work for is a DO--he is actually the head of the ED (and people think DOs aren't real doctors!) and a fantastic clinician. I am now more than ever sure that being a DO would be a huge honor and what I want to do.

HOWEVER, even with careful grade replacement, it seems from what I read on here that DO school stats are skyrocketing and I'm going to get left in the dust GPA-wise even if I can raise it over 3.0 and have good clinical experience and (potentially) get a great MCAT score.

What can I do to maximize my chances, given all of this? What is the GPA target I should shoot for? Any other things I could add to my app to be more competitive?

Thank you!

Let me be the realistic one in this thread. A 3.2 gpa and a 505 mcat isn't likely to get you in anywhere. Those stats reside in the DO SMP range. I retook a majority of my science courses at a CC. Pulled off a 4.0 GPA while volunteering, teaching, scribing, and working a few other jobs. Also secured solid faculty LOR's and a DO LOR. In addition to that, I have a very compelling life story and reason for struggling during my undergrad (poverty and homelessness). I'm getting rejections left and right from all the established schools and my GPA with retakes is 3.5/MCAT 504.

Get your post-bac GPA as high as possible, wtf, no more B's. You have to smash that MCAT with a 507+ which will be very hard, good luck. Get that DO LOR. Then, I recommend you broadly apply and focus on the newer DO schools. Even after all this, you'll only have a mediocre chance of getting into one of the newer schools. It will be a long and difficult 1-2 years, but if you want it bad enough then you'll do what it takes.

Editted: grammer and content.

 

[NontradPreDO]

Let me be the realistic one in this thread. A 3.2 gpa and a 505 mcat isn't likely to get you in anywhere. Those stats reside in the DO SMP range. I retook a majority of my science courses at a CC. Pulled off a 4.0 GPA while volunteering, teaching, scribing, and working a few other jobs. Also secured solid faculty LOR's and a DO LOR. In addition to that, I have a very compelling life story and reason for struggling during my undergrad (poverty and homelessness). I'm getting rejections left and right from all the established schools and my GPA with retakes is 3.5/MCAT 504.

Get your post-bac GPA as high as possible, wtf, no more B's. You have to smash that MCAT with a 507+ which will be very hard, good luck. Get that DO LOR. Then, I recommend you broadly apply and focus on the newer DO schools. Even after all this, you'll only have a mediocre chance of getting into one of the newer schools. It will be a long and difficult 1-2 years, but if you want it bad enough then you'll do what it takes.

Editted: grammer and content.

Thank you for the input--you say that the established schools have rejected you but I see that you have been accepted to med school? Did you get into a newer school?