Fixing Low uGPA through Post Bacc

[craziecrackers]

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Hey guys:

I was hoping you guys could help me with any advice. I finished college with a 2.3 cGPA (2.1 sGPA). Bad I know but I was way too distracted and disorganized in life. So after I finished, I took the MCAT three times and did not even break 30. I gave up on medical school dreams for awhile and worked a bunch of odd jobs after
Graduation. (I went from legal assistant to dental assistant, etc) until I finally settled on a job teaching the MCAT verbal (always been my strong suit, never scored less than a 10 in verbal), GRE, and SAT at Princeton Review. Now I also teach biology at a high school, but I never got rid of that medical school itch. I always knew I was smart, but I could never strap myself down to get to work, until now when I'm much older. I know it will be a long uphill climb but since I have some money now (started paying my ug loans and have some money in savings) I want to start post bacc in the next year or two and work my way back into the good graces of the medical school gods. What classes should I take that will help repair and ug GPA and reflect my willingness to work hard to get into med school. I double majored in college (neurobio and eng) and was thinking I should go back for a psych degree, or would it be better to just retake classes that I did badly in like orgo and physics?

Please give me advice on what post bacc path would help me most. Thank you!

 

[Leonid Rogozov]

10+ on verbal 3 times? What were you scoring on sciences?

To be honest with you I'm not entirely sure what could be done to improve your odds. The way you worded your post suggests that you wanted to go to med school while you were in college and yet you still let your gpa slide to < 2.5?

 

[craziecrackers]

As you can see this is the non-trad thread and there are many people here with different situations that can't be helped which has affected their ug gpa. I'm on here looking for advice and guidance, not judgmental posts about why my scores are what they are. Please move along if you don't have any helpful advice for me. And I think any situation can be improved if I'm willing to put the time and effort in. Like I said, I am a lot older now and my life is a lot different. I believe from reading stories from other posters that I have a chance. Any helpful advice is welcomed. Leave your snide judgements at the door.

 

[Leonid Rogozov]

As you can see this is the non-trad thread and there are many people here with different situations that can't be helped which has affected their ug gpa. I'm on here looking for advice and guidance, not judgmental posts about why my scores are what they are. Please move along if you don't have any helpful advice for me. And I think any situation can be improved if I'm willing to put the time and effort in. Like I said, I am a lot older now and my life is a lot different. I believe from reading stories from other posters that I have a chance. Any helpful advice is welcomed. Leave your snide judgements at the door.

🙄

Did it ever occur to you that maybe poor performance could be indicative of improper study techniques which need to be corrected? Enthusiasm, determination and poms poms are swell but that won't carry the water for you all by itself.

 

[Yellow Jacket]

I would go for a master's degree. If you get good grades, this would not only put your UG grades somewhat behind you, but also prove your determination and capability of handling medical school work.

 

[lunalight]

Hey guys:

I was hoping you guys could help me with any advice. I finished college with a 2.3 cGPA (2.1 sGPA). Bad I know but I was way too distracted and disorganized in life. So after I finished, I took the MCAT three times and did not even break 30. I gave up on medical school dreams for awhile and worked a bunch of odd jobs after
Graduation. (I went from legal assistant to dental assistant, etc) until I finally settled on a job teaching the MCAT verbal (always been my strong suit, never scored less than a 10 in verbal), GRE, and SAT at Princeton Review. Now I also teach biology at a high school, but I never got rid of that medical school itch. I always knew I was smart, but I could never strap myself down to get to work, until now when I'm much older. I know it will be a long uphill climb but since I have some money now (started paying my ug loans and have some money in savings) I want to start post bacc in the next year or two and work my way back into the good graces of the medical school gods. What classes should I take that will help repair and ug GPA and reflect my willingness to work hard to get into med school. I double majored in college (neurobio and eng) and was thinking I should go back for a psych degree, or would it be better to just retake classes that I did badly in like orgo and physics?

Please give me advice on what post bacc path would help me most. Thank you!

I would start by retaking the prereqs you did poorly in, then any other prereqs you have left, then move on to other non-prereq but app-friendly courses like biochem, genetics and physiology. I don't know about the masters since most of the courses you need are UG. I would wait on the MCAT until the tail end of your GPA repair so you have as much background as possible.

And, I'm sure it goes without saying, but kick the crap out of all your classes so no one who reads your app has a reason to question your ability, ambition, etc. 🙂

 

[EE12BMD]

Hey guys:

I was hoping you guys could help me with any advice. I finished college with a 2.3 cGPA (2.1 sGPA). Bad I know but I was way too distracted and disorganized in life. So after I finished, I took the MCAT three times and did not even break 30. I gave up on medical school dreams for awhile and worked a bunch of odd jobs after
Graduation. (I went from legal assistant to dental assistant, etc) until I finally settled on a job teaching the MCAT verbal (always been my strong suit, never scored less than a 10 in verbal), GRE, and SAT at Princeton Review. Now I also teach biology at a high school, but I never got rid of that medical school itch. I always knew I was smart, but I could never strap myself down to get to work, until now when I'm much older. I know it will be a long uphill climb but since I have some money now (started paying my ug loans and have some money in savings) I want to start post bacc in the next year or two and work my way back into the good graces of the medical school gods. What classes should I take that will help repair and ug GPA and reflect my willingness to work hard to get into med school. I double majored in college (neurobio and eng) and was thinking I should go back for a psych degree, or would it be better to just retake classes that I did badly in like orgo and physics?

Please give me advice on what post bacc path would help me most. Thank you!

1. If it will be 10 years from your bad grades to the year you apply, then move to Texas.
2. Retake and ace pre-reqs (47 hrs in TX) + another 43 to total 90 hrs.
3. Rock the MCAT
4. Invoke the Texas Academic Fresh Start and apply to the 8 state schools.
5. Cross your fingers and hope you're lucky...

Wish it was really that easy......

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Do you have to be a Texas resident to be able to invoke the Texas academic fresh start? I think you do, so factor that into the time table (i'm not sure though but pretty sure).

 

[TriagePreMed]

Honestly, the best thing you could do is find an alternative career. Coming from a 2.1 sGPA and making it into medical school will take many years of hard work and it could be that it won't pay off at all.

A US MD program is nearly unattainable for you. We're talking about raising your GPA to at least a 3.0, getting at least a 30 on the MCAT and 3.7+ on an SMP. This investment could be around 150k by the end of the day, since we have to factor about 3 years of post-bacc work, a year of SMP and living expenses. Any roadblock along this path could mean the end of your dreams. Personally, I believe this to be financially unsavvy.

Alternatively, there is the Osteopathic route. You'd need to retake every single low grade and get yourself to a 3.2 sGPA. At this point, with a decent 26+, gaining admissions to a newer DO program is certainly attainable. It would be recommended that you did some upper level work to show that your new GPA isn't only because you took each class twice, but even without extra work, you could still end up doing well in the application cycle. Try contacting LECOM-B. I know they have a post-bacc that gets rid of the glide year. That may be a good alternative.

But again, OP. I tell you that it's a lot better to find another career if you think you can be as happy. I have come back from a 2.7 GPA myself and the last 2 years have been very difficult. I've been barely able to make ends meet, I've had no time for activities outside of school work and volunteering. Then I did poorly on the MCAT and haven't had any luck this season. Roadblocks happen and that really sucks.

I would go for a master's degree. If you get good grades, this would not only put your UG grades somewhat behind you, but also prove your determination and capability of handling medical school work.

This is very bad advice as masters level work is considered to be inflated by the standards of most schools out there.

 

[EE12BMD]

Do you have to be a Texas resident to be able to invoke the Texas academic fresh start? I think you do, so factor that into the time table (i'm not sure though but pretty sure).

Yep, gotta be a Tx resident... and not a one yr resident....
OP said he has an engineering degree, Houston is the best place in the country for engineering work and pay...so this could be done... Get a job here, buy a condo (ties to the state) make money and take classes semi part time..(10hrs/semester) This will take 3 yrs...
Or lets say his last year of ug was good, those yrs can count towards the 90 hrs. Its a rolling 10yrs for the fresh start program. Another way to look at it is...redo classes he did poor in to make up the 90 hrs... this way he can apply to DO programs outside the state and benefit from the DO grade replacement in addition to the fresh start... There are options.....

Oh.. and there are 2 more Tx MD schools under planning.. UT -Austin (this has a great chance of happening) and UT- RIo Grande area...

 

[phant0m0o0o]

I second the option of going Texas fresh start. I am applying this cycle but if unsuccessful have already begun initiating fresh start. You only have to be a resident for 1 year prior to initiating and will clear your slate of all courses 10+ years ago. I timed mine to remove only the 2 semesters of straight F's that I started college with. Also texas has the most forgiving medical schools with a good range from low to top tier medical schools and they are cheap to boot. Application is also very cheap. Not a day I do not regret moving here to further my medical school aspirations.

 

[craziecrackers]

Thanks guys for all of your advice! Luckily I do live I'm Texas. Been here all my life. Here goes nothing 🙂

 

[CastleG8]

I have have the Texas Fresh Start in my pocket and ready to use next Summer. If used now it would change my cGPA from 2.84 to a 3.85(with ~58 credit hours retained). I am saving it for enrollment at the cc. I am hoping it doesn't reflect too negatively during an interview, such as being an attempt to hide my past. Rather I just don't want to be screened automatically.

I basically started from scratch 2 years ago, but I carried 48 credits for a technology certificate and a semester of 5 F's, because I never showed up and joined the military instead. Those mistakes nearly prevented me from even making this attempt because I had to craw my way up from a 1.8 GPA @ 48 credit hours.

Anyone else in a bad situation should research the Texas Academic Fresh Start. It might be a viable alternative for you considering how cheap tuition in-state is, and we have 7 Med schools(I think) using TMDSAS that are In-state friendly. I think BCM is the exception.

http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/medical/texasAcFrshStrt.html

Academic Fresh Start might be my saving grace for in-state tuition. Else I will apply DO out of state and pay those crazy oos rates

 

[EE12BMD]

I have have the Texas Fresh Start in my pocket and ready to use next Summer. If used now it would change my cGPA from 2.84 to a 3.85(with ~58 credit hours retained). I am saving it for enrollment at the cc. I am hoping it doesn't reflect too negatively during an interview, such as being an attempt to hide my past. Rather I just don't want to be screened automatically.

I basically started from scratch 2 years ago, but I carried 48 credits for a technology certificate and a semester of 5 F's, because I never showed up and joined the military instead. Those mistakes nearly prevented me from even making this attempt because I had to craw my way up from a 1.8 GPA @ 48 credit hours.

Anyone else in a bad situation should research the Texas Academic Fresh Start. It might be a viable alternative for you considering how cheap tuition in-state is, and we have 7 Med schools(I think) using TMDSAS that are In-state friendly. I think BCM is the exception.

http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/medical/texasAcFrshStrt.html

Academic Fresh Start might be my saving grace for in-state tuition. Else I will apply DO out of state and pay those crazy oos rates

Good to hear and best of luck!
Yep you can't beat the in-state tuition, and the 90% in state pref. I counted Tech as 2 schools since both locations (Lubbock and El Paso) are seperate schools (kinda like the UT system - San Antonio, Houston, UTMB, SWestern) and their combined enrollment is over 250. El Paso is having an LCME visit soon and their enrollment may increase 25-50% in the next 2 - 3yrs...
So with 8 state schools, 2 more state schools on the horizon, 1 private (BCM), Texas is the place to be.... however, please don't move here for another 2 yrs... I need to apply while the pool is smaller....🙂