Gap Year, mcat prep, 3.5 gpa

[sunnyfebruary13]

I'm a biology major graduating in December and recently decided that I actually want to go to medical school. My undergrad gpa is low (3.5), which is mostly due to being extremely depressed the first two years of college and not being able to really do anything. I still need to take biochem and i want to retake the classes i did worst in: ochem 1 (C+), ochem 2 (C), and stats (C). I can't change my undergrad gpa, but I think they can still see the grades I get as a nondegree student. I haven't done any shadowing since high school because I thought I wasn't going to go to med school. but now I have about a year and a half to do that, take the other classes, and study for the mcat. I'm just wondering what my chances will be of getting in with a low gpa and how I can make my application better. I do have an upward gpa trend after the first two years. Also, are there mcat classes or tutoring so you don't have to do it all yourself? I don't really remember physics and i forget a lot of chemistry details, especially since your memory kinda sucks when you're depressed.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I'm a biology major graduating in December and recently decided that I actually want to go to medical school. My undergrad gpa is low (3.5), which is mostly due to being extremely depressed the first two years of college and not being able to really do anything. I still need to take biochem and i want to retake the classes i did worst in: ochem 1 (C+), ochem 2 (C), and stats (C). I can't change my undergrad gpa, but I think they can still see the grades I get as a nondegree student. I haven't done any shadowing since high school because I thought I wasn't going to go to med school. but now I have about a year and a half to do that, take the other classes, and study for the mcat. I'm just wondering what my chances will be of getting in with a low gpa and how I can make my application better. I do have an upward gpa trend after the first two years. Also, are there mcat classes or tutoring so you don't have to do it all yourself? I don't really remember physics and i forget a lot of chemistry details, especially since your memory kinda sucks when you're depressed.

You can be competitive for DO programs and some MD programs with a 3.5 and a decent MCAT. You’re not in terrible shape as is. If you want to be more broadly competitive for MD programs, you should do some post bac work to improve your GPA as much as possible.

You should only retake classes in which you earned a C- or lower. Rather than retaking organic chemistry and stats, you should instead take and ace upper division science courses to show that you can handle the difficult material. Medical schools will see (and consider) your post bac grades and upward trends are always a plus.

You can pay for MCAT prep classes or private tutoring, although these options get expensive. A lot of people are successful with self-studying (a vastly cheaper option), even if they’ve forgotten the core material. Check out the MCAT forums for recommendations and strategies.

You will also need to have a minimum of 100 hours clinical experience (volunteering or paid), a minimum of 100 hours nonclinical volunteering (working with disadvantaged folks is a plus), and 40+ recent hours of shadowing (I recommend at least 40 hours with a primary care physician and then as many additional hours in specialties as you want). Where do you stand with your ECs?