Gap Year - What Should I Do? (Stats Inside)

[Aigle]

Hello All,

I will be taking a gap year until I apply for MD and DO schools, but I am very worried about my chance of getting in. Therefore, I would like to increase my chances of getting into these schools. I have also not taken the MCAT yet and will be in July. I know I will have to work on my science GPA and I have been debating applying to Post-Baccalaureate programs, but I fear it may be too late to apply for the Fall and I can't seem to find many programs that do not require the MCAT. Please provide some light to my situation and give me some advice as to what steps I should take.

Cumulative GPA: 3.4
Science GPA: 2.6
NO MCAT - Taking it in July

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[LongTimeLurk]

Hello All,

I will be taking a gap year until I apply for MD and DO schools, but I am very worried about my chance of getting in. Therefore, I would like to increase my chances of getting into these schools. I have also not taken the MCAT yet and will be in July. I know I will have to work on my science GPA and I have been debating applying to Post-Baccalaureate programs, but I fear it may be too late to apply for the Fall and I can't seem to find many programs that do not require the MCAT. Please provide some light to my situation and give me some advice as to what steps I should take.

Cumulative GPA: 3.4
Science GPA: 2.6
NO MCAT - Taking it in July

You have no chance for MD, save your money.

For DO you need to retake all science coursework with C or lower grades. Strengthen your sGPA then study haaard for MCAT. Postpone your scheduled exam.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

Hello All,

I will be taking a gap year until I apply for MD and DO schools, but I am very worried about my chance of getting in. Therefore, I would like to increase my chances of getting into these schools. I have also not taken the MCAT yet and will be in July. I know I will have to work on my science GPA and I have been debating applying to Post-Baccalaureate programs, but I fear it may be too late to apply for the Fall and I can't seem to find many programs that do not require the MCAT. Please provide some light to my situation and give me some advice as to what steps I should take.

Cumulative GPA: 3.4
Science GPA: 2.6
NO MCAT - Taking it in July

Zero chance at MD, possible chance at DO, not likely to get much love from most official post-bac programs, thought you could DIY it at your local university. You will probably be taking a few gap YEARS to pull yourself out of the GPA hole.

What other credentials are you bringing to the table? volunteering? clinical exposure? research?

 

[Aigle]

Well I just graduated and that too with a non-science degree, so I haven't had a chance to take any science courses besides the pre-reqs. Does that make a difference? I have started applying to Post Baccs and will be taking classes if anything to improve my science GPA. Also, I have volunteering in India as well as hospitals near by. I also have done research for 2 years with professor at my school and have had a couple of science related internships since freshman year of college.

Does it make a difference that I'm a non-science major when I apply to post baccs?

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Definitely retake classes as others have mentioned. Make sure to get some awesome clinical experiences to go along with it. Your numbers will never be amazing but the rest of your app can be if you work at it.

 

[BeancheBlanco]

I don't think you have "no chance" at MD schools. You just have to take a couple gap years. If you score well on the MCAT and get a bunch of A's in upper level bio classes, then I'm sure many MD schools will consider you. But doing both of those is no easy task, especially if your sGPA is a 2.6. DO school is more likely and practical.

 

[LongTimeLurk]

I don't think you have "no chance" at MD schools. You just have to take a couple gap years. If you score well on the MCAT and get a bunch of A's in upper level bio classes, then I'm sure many MD schools will consider you. But doing both of those is no easy task, especially if your sGPA is a 2.6. DO school is more likely and practical.

There is no chance at md. It is nearly impossible to raise that gpa significantly enough to be acceptable for allopathic schools. DO grade replacement makes process much more attainable.

 

[QofQuimica]

There's no chance at anything unless the OP learns how to do well in science classes.

OP, I agree that you are unlikely to be ready to apply to med school in one year. The problem is that right now you are not prepared to excel in a science postbac. For that reason, I suggest that you not go to school full time this year. Instead, get a full time job, and start by retaking one science class where you got a low grade. Your goal that first semester is to get one A in one science class. Once you do that, take two classes the next semester, and continue increasing the class load from there as you are able. But don't increase your class load beyond your ability to make As in all of the classes. You absolutely must learn the study skills needed to excel in science classes if you hope to make it through a med school curriculum.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Goro]

Acing a SMP program and scoring well (>33) on MCAT would make OP a credible candidate for those MD programs that reward reinvention, like, say, Tulane or Drexel, even Case.

Concur 100% with my learnred colleague Q, and OP should keep in mind that this entire process is a marathon, not a sprint.

There is no chance at md. It is nearly impossible to raise that gpa significantly enough to be acceptable for allopathic schools. DO grade replacement makes process much more attainable.