Feeling lost and unsure what to do?

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HopefulDO25

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Hi guys so I'm about to graduate college in 6 months ( 2 quarters left) and I'm not sure what to do. I'm going to graduate with a cumulative gpa of around 3.3-3.4 (maybe a little higher as I'm taking humanities courses) and my sgpa is around 2.8. As some may know I went through a lot of hardships from depression, family issues, etc. I realize I have no LOR or honestly any idea on what to do besides I want to give this my all. I have a few years of hospital volunteering and I'm a officer in a club and involved in clubs. I can also ask for a LOR from one of my humanities professors this year. I know post bacs are an option but I don't know which ones are good. Im going to graduate from a UC school so preferably a post bac in california although I'm willing to move states. Which post bac programs are good academic record enhancers? CSULA, san fran state, east bay, UCLA? I don't want to take an overly challenging one as my gpa is on the line. I'm so lost right now and I'm not sure what to do. Someone please point me in the right direction and help me choose the best path. I really need your guys help. Also I'm planning to take physics (my last pre req) at a CC near me due to money issues. (one semester of physics)
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First, raise that sGPA to >3.0 - you can do this as a DIY post-bacc at your current college/CC or enroll in a formal post-bacc (others may chime in on quality.)

Throughout now until you're accepted/matriculate into medical school, continue volunteering in both a clinical and non-clinical setting (service towards the lesser fortunate is looked upon favorably.) Shadow doctors (aim for at least 50 hours, of which includes primary care) (if possible, shadow a DO.) And try to gather 1 physician, 2 science, and 1 non-science LORs as that will cover the general basis of most if not all DO schools.

Afterwards, you'll have the MCAT to tackle and aim for the highest score possible (508+ to be competitive for all DO schools.)
 
I agree with the above comment in regards to taking a few extra science courses to boost your sGPA. I do not think a post-bacc would be necessary. I'd do the math if I were you and see just how many credits you would need to bump up that sGPA to at least a 3.0, then start looking at classes available at your local CC. Plan on one or two gap years to build some more clinical & non-clinical experiences, regardless if they are volunteer or paid. Lastly, it looks like you already have a non-science LOR; focus on getting one more from a science professor. Ideally one or two additional LORs will come from your experiences during your gap year(s). Feel free to message me if you have anymore questions.
 
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Reverb said:
I agree with the above comment in regards to taking a few extra science courses to boost your sGPA. I do not think a post-bacc would be necessary. I'd do the math if I were you and see just how many credits you would need to bump up that sGPA to at least a 3.0, then start looking at classes available at your local CC. Plan on one or two gap years to build some more clinical & non-clinical experiences, regardless if they are volunteer or paid. Lastly, it looks like you already have a non-science LOR; focus on getting one more from a science professor. Ideally one or two additional LORs will come from your experiences during your gap year(s). Feel free to message me if you have anymore questions.
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Hey first of all thanks for replying! It really means alot. I was wondering if it is okay if I do a DIY post bac at a CC? I'm going to graduate from a UC so I was wondering if they care if I do it at a CC because it's less rigorous or whatever. I was thinking of retaking my pre reqs at a CC and taking a few upper div science courses at a cal state. And should i retake courses at a community college I got a C in (Gen chem 2, ochem these were the two classes i got a C in) and I got a B- in two courses. What should my gameplan be in terms in courses I should take? Should I retake my C courses AND finish Physics and then after pile a few extra courses to show the admins I can handle it? And as mentioned before I still have 2 quarters left of physics to finish. If you could kind of give me a general guideline would be much appreciated! Thanks alot again!
 
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Dylan82318 said:
Hi guys so I'm about to graduate college in 6 months ( 2 quarters left) and I'm not sure what to do. I'm going to graduate with a cumulative gpa of around 3.3-3.4 (maybe a little higher as I'm taking humanities courses) and my sgpa is around 2.8. As some may know I went through a lot of hardships from depression, family issues, etc. I realize I have no LOR or honestly any idea on what to do besides I want to give this my all. I have a few years of hospital volunteering and I'm a officer in a club and involved in clubs. I can also ask for a LOR from one of my humanities professors this year. I know post bacs are an option but I don't know which ones are good. Im going to graduate from a UC school so preferably a post bac in california although I'm willing to move states. Which post bac programs are good academic record enhancers? CSULA, san fran state, east bay, UCLA? I don't want to take an overly challenging one as my gpa is on the line. I'm so lost right now and I'm not sure what to do. Someone please point me in the right direction and help me choose the best path. I really need your guys help. Also I'm planning to take physics (my last pre req) at a CC near me due to money issues. (one semester of physics)
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Don’t fret. Ad Coms love stories like yours. Definitely plan on a MHS or something though to boost that GPA. You definitely can do it.

Do look around at some med schools that might have MHS programs. I know for example, my school has an MHS program that is sort of a bridge to the DO program depending on how you do. I’m sure it’s not the only one of its type either. Happy to give you more info on it if you want in a PM. I would also recommend getting a job scribing if you can. I did it for 5 years or so and the connections I made have been invaluable and also have provided me with very very strong physician LORs.

I believe in you. Hard work pays off my friend!!
 
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Dylan82318 said:
Hey first of all thanks for replying! It really means alot. I was wondering if it is okay if I do a DIY post bac at a CC? I'm going to graduate from a UC so I was wondering if they care if I do it at a CC because it's less rigorous or whatever. I was thinking of retaking my pre reqs at a CC and taking a few upper div science courses at a cal state. And should i retake courses at a community college I got a C in (Gen chem 2, ochem these were the two classes i got a C in) and I got a B- in two courses. What should my gameplan be in terms in courses I should take? Should I retake my C courses AND finish Physics and then after pile a few extra courses to show the admins I can handle it? And as mentioned before I still have 2 quarters left of physics to finish. If you could kind of give me a general guideline would be much appreciated! Thanks alot again!
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Keep in mind that retaking courses will not replace the initial grade you received. Schools will simply average the two grades if you choose to retake a course. Taking science classes at a CC shouldn't hurt you, assuming you already graduated from your UC school. CC credits while being enrolled in a state university definitely could hurt you.

I'd recommend you run the numbers using the "SFSU GPA Calculator" (just google it) to run some hypothetical situations regarding your cGPA and sGPA. For instance, "What will be my final graduating GPA if I get a B+ in physics?" or, "How many credits of A do I need to get my sGPA to a 3.1?", etc.

Also, I feel inclined to ask, how exactly did you calculate your sGPA?
 
Reverb said:
Keep in mind that retaking courses will not replace the initial grade you received. Schools will simply average the two grades if you choose to retake a course. Taking science classes at a CC shouldn't hurt you, assuming you already graduated from your UC school. CC credits while being enrolled in a state university definitely could hurt you.

I'd recommend you run the numbers using the "SFSU GPA Calculator" (just google it) to run some hypothetical situations regarding your cGPA and sGPA. For instance, "What will be my final graduating GPA if I get a B+ in physics?" or, "How many credits of A do I need to get my sGPA to a 3.1?", etc.

Also, I feel inclined to ask, how exactly did you calculate your sGPA?
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I calculated my sgpa by calculating it by points and units i.e. B+=3.3 A=3.7 and counting science courses so I have around a 2.7 sgpa. (excluding math since I think for DO it doesn't count?) my final cgpa will probably be around a 3.4-3.45 since im a humanities major when i graduate. so it's okay if i do my ENTIRE post bac course load at a CC? or should i take some post bac courses say at cal state la? also should i retake the courses I got a C or B- in? any courses i should take?
 
Do not retake anything C or higher
 
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oh kk cool so would you suggest just taking upper div courses and finishing off physics in my diy post bac? also what do you think about doing my post bac at a CC rather than a state school? or should i do some at a cal state and some at a CC? money is tight right now and some post bac programs could easily cost 30k.
Magus5454 said:
That’s what I said
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Dylan82318 said:
oh kk cool so would you suggest just taking upper div courses and finishing off physics in my diy post bac? also what do you think about doing my post bac at a CC rather than a state school? or should i do some at a cal state and some at a CC? money is tight right now and some post bac programs could easily cost 30k.
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CC credits are ok, but not looked at as well as 4 year classes. However, with the cost of CC in CA I can see why you want to. I went to Cabrillo for my first 3 years and with no income even the meager tuition was waived
 
What do you think about doing like most of my post bac courses at a CC but doing a few (maybe 2-3) at a cal state or UC? I would take the post bacc courses at a cal state/uc after taking my CC courses?
Magus5454 said:
CC credits are ok, but not looked at as well as 4 year classes. However, with the cost of CC in CA I can see why you want to. I went to Cabrillo for my first 3 years and with no income even the meager tuition was waived
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Dylan82318 said:
What do you think about doing like most of my post bac courses at a CC but doing a few (maybe 2-3) at a cal state or UC? I would take the post bacc courses at a cal state/uc after taking my CC courses?
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To echo that which has already been stated, DO NOT retake a course you got a C in.

Also, it really comes down to the amount of credits you are going to take. I wouldn't mix & match between CC and university credits, that begs the question by adcoms, "why not take all the classes at the university since he was enrolled there?" You need to determine how many science credits of A's you need to get that sGPA up to a 3.3. I say that because you need to assume you may end up with an A- or B+ in some of the classes you end up taking so aiming for a 3.3 is a bit of a saftey net. On the bright side, since you are a humanities major, it shouldn't be too hard to get your sGPA up. Science majors in your position often have to take twice as many classes considering their sGPA is riddled with subpar performances in many science courses. Lets say you have 40 credits contributing to your sGPA, that means you only need 12 credits to get your GPA up to a 3.0.

So...how many crdits do you actually have factoring in to your sGPA as of right now?
 
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Reverb said:
To echo that which has already been stated, DO NOT retake a course you got a C in.

Also, it really comes down to the amount of credits you are going to take. I wouldn't mix & match between CC and university credits, that begs the question by adcoms, "why not take all the classes at the university since he was enrolled there?" You need to determine how many science credits of A's you need to get that sGPA up to a 3.3. I say that because you need to assume you may end up with an A- or B+ in some of the classes you end up taking so aiming for a 3.3 is a bit of a saftey net. On the bright side, since you are a humanities major, it shouldn't be too hard to get your sGPA up. Science majors in your position often have to take twice as many classes considering their sGPA is riddled with subpar performances in many science courses. Lets say you have 40 credits contributing to your sGPA, that means you only need 12 credits to get your GPA up to a 3.0.

So...how many crdits do you actually have factoring in to your sGPA as of right now?
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well not including math since DO schools don't count that as sgpa i think? As of right now I have 48 science credits. I won't have to take too many courses to raise it to a 3.0 it seems. If you were me how many science courses would you take if you were in my position assuming I get mostly A's and maybe one or two A-/B+? And since I don't have to take too many courses to fix my spga assuming i do really well would you take the entire post bacc at a CC? (community college a few miles from my hometown)
 
Does that 48 count the 8 credits of physics you have left? If not, then lets assume you get A's in both, and now your 2.70 is up to a 2.89. So lets say you graduate with a 2.89 and decide to take 15 credits of science credits and manage to get an A in all of those classes, now you're sitting at a 3.12. An additional semester of 15 more credits of A will land you at a 3.27.

So, you need to decide what path you are going to take. You will most likely not be able to take 30 credits of upper division science credits at a CC. If you do well on your MCAT, you really just need to get to a point where you wont be auto-screened for your sGPA. I honestly have no idea what that magic number is but I can guarantee you that it varies from school to school.

For your sake, I'm hoping @Goro might be able to give you some insight on what you should be aiming for in regards to a sGPA.
 
Reverb said:
Does that 48 count the 8 credits of physics you have left? If not, then lets assume you get A's in both, and now your 2.70 is up to a 2.89. So lets say you graduate with a 2.89 and decide to take 15 credits of science credits and manage to get an A in all of those classes, now you're sitting at a 3.12. An additional semester of 15 more credits of A will land you at a 3.27.

So, you need to decide what path you are going to take. You will most likely not be able to take 30 credits of upper division science credits at a CC. If you do well on your MCAT, you really just need to get to a point where you wont be auto-screened for your sGPA. I honestly have no idea what that magic number is but I can guarantee you that it varies from school to school.

For your sake, I'm hoping @Goro might be able to give you some insight on what you should be aiming for in regards to a sGPA.
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OP needs to have 1-2 years of 3.76+ GPA in upper level science classes.
 
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Goro said:
OP needs to have 1-2 years of 3.76+ GPA in upper level science classes.
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Thanks! How many units wold that be for 1 year? like 40 units? I'm also considering podiatry. what gpa/units should i go for?
 
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Dylan82318 said:
Thanks! How many units wold that be for 1 year? like 40 units? I'm also considering podiatry. what gpa/units should i go for?
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3.2 and 495 will make you competitive at most podiatry schools. There are only 9. 2 being in California. Shadow a pod and see if you enjoy it!
 
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Dylan82318 said:
Hi! Are those gpas science gpas or cumulative or all other gpa? also do podiatry schools count math as sgpa? thanks!
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Do what @Goro said. Read his guide on premeds that need reinvention. With an sGPA above a 3.0, gaining more clinical, nonclinical and DO shadowing experience, you could have a good shot at DO schools, with a decent MCAT of course... I don't think you need to look into podiatry schools yet... lol
 
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Angus Avagadro said:
No shame in being a DPM. They get paid the same as ortho and lots of surgical procedures if you are inclined toward surgery. Never give up, never surrender.
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Would it be giving up if OP decided to pursue DPM instead of an MD or DO?
 
chemdoctor said:
Would it be giving up if OP decided to pursue DPM instead of an MD or DO?
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End goal is to be a doctor right? A surgeon? A clinician? Expert within your scope of practice? Make bank while helping people? DPM offers all of these. OP don't let Ego get into the way of reaching your goals. Shadow Shadow Shadow. Good luck!
 
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OP, if you can hike up your GPA c/s to a 3.0 and score at least a 492 on the MCAT, I could see you getting into one of the bigger Pod schools. If you want your choice of Pod school, a 3.3+ and 495+ is gonna be needed, and even then, Pod schools are starting to get more competitive.

Dont kid yourself thinking Pod school is gonna be easier either. 3 DPM schools take the same exact classes as DO students literally side by side with them.

Ive personally met people with 2.8-2.9 science GPA get into Pod schools, but they usually had around a 500 MCAT to balance it out. Its really interesting how much of a revulsion there is to Podiatry school in the minds of aspiring premed/medical students. I have a feeling if Podiatry was a MD/DO specialty, much like Ophthalmology or Urology, it would be decently competitive. Its a good mix of procedural based clinical medicine with surgery involving all the bones, ligaments, and muscles your lower extremity heart desires.

I know of around 3 DPM students who decided to go the Pod route vs DO because of the surgery aspect, even though they had stats for DO school and got accepted (3.5 c/s, 504 MCAT). DPMs are doctors, and they are slowly starting to be accepted more into mainstream medicine. I have yet to meet anyone who took the DPM instead of the MD acceptance however.

I would encourage anyone who whiffs on the MCAT (especially multiple times) to consider DPM, as there are plenty of low scoring MCAT students who have become doctors through the DPM route when MD/DO wouldn't give them the time of day. A DPM can save a lot of limbs and by extension, lives. There is a stigma attached to it for sure, but if you can get past it, Podiatry is a very rewarding service profession that will give you a nice solid living (130K+) with the opportunity to make an impact on patients lives.
 
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The fastest way will be to do a program like the MSMS at Western that will funnel you directly into the DO program, but if cost is a factor, just do post-bacc classes on your own. Nobody cares about formal programs
 
Hey guys so my undergrad career is coming to an end and I'm thinking of courses to take at a CC for my DIY post bac. I calculated my sgp and its higher than I thought. It's 2.87. I only have 53 science credits since I'm a humanities major I only need to take around 30 credits ( 6-8 courses) The CC I'm looking at has enough classes. What do you guys think of the courses I want to take? : General anatomy, General ecology, General Microbiology, Physics 1 and 2 (since I didn't take them), General Zoology, and General Botany. Those are the only science courses really offered at the CC. Would taking these 7 courses be sufficient? Assuming I get a 3.5 in my post bacc work would I be competitive for DO school? Assuming I shadow, get letters or rec, good mcat, etc. With a 3.5 and 30 credits I would definitely have a science gpa over 3.0.
 
While I’m still in UG, I’ll try to help some, but definitely take advice from more experienced members as well.

Depending on what type of anatomy course you’re talking about — is it Anatomy & Physiology separate or a two-part sequence (A&P I & II)? If the former, I’d recommend that. As others mention, it may help with gross anatomy but you’d be scratching the surface at a CC. Also cellular bio over microbio if that’s possible, if not both. Then for physics, if someone w/ more exp wants to correct me, I’d say go for those if you have a strong math background right now to ace the sequence.
 
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I'm going to go against the grain a bit with this.

So if I understand correctly, by June you'll have a 3.5cgpa, a ~3.0 sgpa, no mcat, maybe a LOR or 2, and some minimal ECs? Think the primary option would be to take a year for some upper div science courses, some additional ECs (maybe something more outside the box?), and getting LORs before applying summer 2020.

The other option would be to do an MBS/SMP/whatever you want to call it. This is kind of dicey honestly, and you'd want to have a really strong positive gpa trend (last year at 3.7 or higher) before you make this call. But if you do one with really strong linkage (thinking cincinnati or evms), maybe that could work in your favour? Not an expert on either of those programs, so you'd have to do some research there. And honestly you'd still need an mcat, so not sure how you'd work that in. But if you link directly from masters to med school, could be worth it to do 5 years consecutively and have the security of knowing when you'll be done rather than more uncertainty.

Don't think its the primary option, but could be worth a punt. I'll let someone more experienced comment on how realistic that actually is.
 
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