Give up or keep going?

[whereismymap]

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hi everyone,

i'm desperately in need of some advice. I'm finishing up my 4th year in Canadian university and my performance up till last semester has been horrible. My CGPA has gone down each year starting from 2.5 in 1st year till 2.2 in my last semester. I range mostly in the C+ area and I have 2 failed courses. However, I'm desperately trying to bring myself to my senses and change my ways. This semester, if I do good in my exams, I am looking at a GPA somewhere around 3.6-3.7. I am planning to take a 5th year to bring up my GPA and do a Masters and then apply to Med School.

I am now, more than ever, willing to do whatever it takes to make it in. But what concerns me the most is that, doesn't matter how well I do in my 5th year and in Masters, it seems that my undergrad marks will still blow away whatever chance I might have. So, right now I have no idea what I should do to cover up my bad performance. From what I hear, I have zero chance of making it even if I do amazing from now on.

I would appreciate ANY advice you could give me as I dont know what to do. Also I have a year of research, but nothing significant that might strengthen my application. and I just finished my term as a VP for one of the university clubs.

Thank you, appreciate it.

 

[nycmed8]

hey. i know lots of people who did not do well as an undergraduate that did post-bac programs or masters programs with significant science coursework, that have been accepted to med school. You just have to show a very strong positive trend in your grades, and also provide an explanation for why your undergrad grades are low. med schools seem to be impressed by changes for the better. and don't worry about time restraints.... you are still young and there is DEFINITELY no need to rush applying to med school. goodluck.

 

[whereismymap]

hey. i know lots of people who did not do well as an undergraduate that did post-bac programs or masters programs with significant science coursework, that have been accepted to med school. You just have to show a very strong positive trend in your grades, and also provide an explanation for why your undergrad grades are low. med schools seem to be impressed by changes for the better. and don't worry about time restraints.... you are still young and there is DEFINITELY no need to rush applying to med school. goodluck.

Thanks for your encouragement... I have been really concerned recently because the thought of having messed up my chances of gettin in really makes me wish i could go back and wake myself up before things get this bad. I feel like I've been blind for the past 3 years and I finally got a direction. But it's sorta too late to realize where I wana go and it's gona be really hard to prove my worthiness and impress the people at med school in the coming years. And it's REALLY HARD to keep a positive attitude when everything seems lost and you dont know how it's gona be in the future. I just hope I can do enough to cover up my mistakes.

Cheers

 

[OrthoFixation]

You can do anything you set your mind to. You will likely need post grad work to be successful.

I must question your statements. You made a 2.2 last semester but are willing to do whatever it takes? Have you tried studying more? From 2.2 last term to 3.6/3.7 this term is a big swing. Are you projecting good grades or actually achieving them? I'm not saying you need a 4.0 cum, but you must have an upward trend if your serious.

You can do it. Just focus on your goals and still try to have some fun in the process. Stop to smell the roses, but PERFORM. You can't undo the past, only improve the future. Don't give up if you really want it.

 

[Law2Doc]

hi everyone,

i'm desperately in need of some advice. I'm finishing up my 4th year in Canadian university and my performance up till last semester has been horrible. My CGPA has gone down each year starting from 2.5 in 1st year till 2.2 in my last semester. I range mostly in the C+ area and I have 2 failed courses. However, I'm desperately trying to bring myself to my senses and change my ways. This semester, if I do good in my exams, I am looking at a GPA somewhere around 3.6-3.7. I am planning to take a 5th year to bring up my GPA and do a Masters and then apply to Med School.

I am now, more than ever, willing to do whatever it takes to make it in. But what concerns me the most is that, doesn't matter how well I do in my 5th year and in Masters, it seems that my undergrad marks will still blow away whatever chance I might have. So, right now I have no idea what I should do to cover up my bad performance. From what I hear, I have zero chance of making it even if I do amazing from now on.

I would appreciate ANY advice you could give me as I dont know what to do. Also I have a year of research, but nothing significant that might strengthen my application. and I just finished my term as a VP for one of the university clubs.

Thank you, appreciate it.

You can possibly still rehabilitate your GPA for med school, but just be aware that it is going to be a many year journey, based on your low GPA starting point. Do what you can now to get your GPA up as high as possible by graduation - even if it means postponing prereqs till later. You may also be better served taking a few years after college and before masters working (perhaps in something health care related) and then taking a stab at a lengthy masters or postbac in sciences -- that way you are approaching it with a fresh and more focused perspective, and can better chalk up the prior bad grades to a lack of maturity and study skills. The danger of charging through with a 5th year and masters now is that if you continue your struggling ways you can pretty quickly eliminate your chances.

 

[japhy]

it can be done, but it will require a herculean effort.

first off, get your grades turned around. nothing spells doom like a perpetual downward trend. if you have to take masters work, by all means do it. also, study like a banshee and rock the mcat (or whatever test is necessary for a canadian school). if you can kill this test, you can demonstrate to the adcoms that you can handle the rigors of med school.

finally, you need to have some stellar ec's (and by stellar i mean being president of a small african nation). load up on the research (get that nobel), volunteer work and leadership roles. the more the better - but don't let it interfere with your grades.

i came back from a sub 3.0 gpa to pull my grades up (in sophmore year) to a much more respectable number.

but you have to commit to a few years of serious hard work.

 

[SmartAlek]

Your situation sounds similar to my own. This is my 5th year in college and I will be graduating in May. I have not yet applied to med school. Post Bacc programs and special masters programs are great. I opted not to enroll in either of these programs because I felt that if I completed the program and still did not get into medical school then I would be out a year or more and not have gained any specific experience or degree to help me get a job. Therefore, because I have a great interest in public health, I applied to and was accepted to Emory School of public health epidemiology department. This way I will get a masters that will be valuable in showing that I can do well in classes plus it will allow me to get a job in a field that I like should I not be accepted to med school on my first try. I know that epi is not very biological science intensive, but I do plan to crush the MCAT at whatever cost! Plus I am open to any other opportunities to show off my science ability. And it wont hurt that I will have opportunities to work at the CDC, American Cancer Society, or Emory Medical Science which will be great for experience. Good luck and never, ever, ever give up!

 

[prince_moses]

Its not about how hard you fall, what really matters in life is how fast you get up. We all have a finite time here on earth and its not worth anguishing over past mistakes in life 🙄

 

[bioteacher]

You have your work cut out for you.

I had a 32 MCAT score, seven years teaching experience, 2 years research experience. A 3.8 teaching credential GPA and recently an "A" in second semester organic chemistry. I applied to 47 medical schools and only got one interview....waitlisted. I did get into a DO school and two post-bacc programs.

I too had a low GPA and got a 3.6 GPA for my last four trimesters. (1.3 years) and it only brings up the GPA a little since it is being averaged with 2.7 years of bad grades).

You really need to start over and kick ass. You will need a spectacular turn around to get into a worthwhile master's program. You can't even afford "B's" at this point.

 

[Lindyhopper]

Consider a DO post-bacc. Not that hard to get in & from there you can usually informally link into the parent program. Also consider a Carib. school. But before you invest all this time & money, you have to get your study habits squared away.

 

[fever5]

if you have to take masters work, by all means do it. also, study like a banshee and rock the mcat (or whatever test is necessary for a canadian school).

as a canadian, for the record, Canadian schools (many require MCAT) are extremely competitive...(30+ with near perfect GPAs)

BUT PLEASE don't focus on applying to foreign countries yet! Do an awesome job post grad, work hard on EC's like volunteering in a hopsital, and get a great MCAT score.

FOCUS on your dream. i have absolutely no doubt you can do it but you'll have to stop wasting energy worrying about it and just go down the long road. whats done is done. thats life. but its far from over so go for it!

"if you want the rainbow you have to first put up with the rain" - anonymous

 

[prince_moses]

as a canadian, for the record, Canadian schools (many require MCAT) are extremely competitive...(30+ with near perfect GPAs)

BUT PLEASE don't focus on applying to foreign countries yet! Do an awesome job post grad, work hard on EC's like volunteering in a hopsital, and get a great MCAT score.

FOCUS on your dream. i have absolutely no doubt you can do it but you'll have to stop wasting energy worrying about it and just go down the long road. whats done is done. thats life. but its far from over so go for it!

"if you want the rainbow you have to first put up with the rain" - anonymous

That is soooooooo true Canadian Med schools are so hard to get in it seems like they dont even want students, but never give up man, everyone is gonna go through this unless u have a perfect 4.0 with perfect MCAT.

 

[wannabeapharm]

To get in med school after a low gpa in undergrad do you suggest persuing a masters and working on pre reqs concurrently or just soley focusing on pre reqs? If the masters route is good, what degree would you suggest? I had thought about MBA or MS in science with possibly healthcare concentratio since I have a BBA


I was just curious as well b/c I've a low 2.7 gpa

 

[Law2Doc]

To get in med school after a low gpa in undergrad do you suggest persuing a masters and working on pre reqs concurrently or just soley focusing on pre reqs? If the masters route is good, what degree would you suggest? I had thought about MBA or MS in science with possibly healthcare concentratio since I have a BBA


I was just curious as well b/c I've a low 2.7 gpa

An MBA makes absolutely no sense for you. You have to prove you can excel in the sciences. Finish the prereqs and then, depending on what your credentials are, do a masters (MS) in hard sciences (or go to a SMP program).

 

[Kazema]

I think you've got a much better chance of getting into a US school than a Canadian one. I've heard that Canadian schools stress GPA much more than the MCAT.

You're not out of the running though, make sure your really improve (you'd better be getting all A's by your last semester), and realize that a post-bac/SMP may be necessary. I went from about a 2.4 to a 2.9 in two years, and at every interview was asked why I had underperformed and what I did to turn it around. Also, it will be easier to raise your GPA for DO schools because they calculate grades differently - they only count the most recent grade for any given course. So if you fail one course and then retake it for an A, they only count the A. So that's something you can consider as well.

Other than that, really focus on making at least one other aspect of your application incredible. You need to set yourself apart in a positive way to make up for your GPA.

 

[AllSmiles66]

i've been focusing so much on my past mistakes that its been hard to move on...combined with the fact that i became extremely unconfident in myself...

i'm just wondering, if you don't have a certain overall/science QPA, does that basically mean you need to do a post bac?

what would you all say would be the minimum GPA?

also, what hard science wouLd be the bestto enroll in?

 

[kenshinoro2004]

post undergrad grades will not help your gpa in the eyes of medical schools..thus the role of post-bac programs, which allow you to add undergrad grades (at least at many of them). You need 2 years of 3.8-4.0, otherwise, save your money and time.. even if you got in, you wouldn't have the work ethic to survive..it only gets harder. Good luck.

 

[horizontalchew]

hi everyone,

i'm desperately in need of some advice. I'm finishing up my 4th year in Canadian university and my performance up till last semester has been horrible. My CGPA has gone down each year starting from 2.5 in 1st year till 2.2 in my last semester. I range mostly in the C+ area and I have 2 failed courses. However, I'm desperately trying to bring myself to my senses and change my ways. This semester, if I do good in my exams, I am looking at a GPA somewhere around 3.6-3.7. I am planning to take a 5th year to bring up my GPA and do a Masters and then apply to Med School.

I am now, more than ever, willing to do whatever it takes to make it in. But what concerns me the most is that, doesn't matter how well I do in my 5th year and in Masters, it seems that my undergrad marks will still blow away whatever chance I might have. So, right now I have no idea what I should do to cover up my bad performance. From what I hear, I have zero chance of making it even if I do amazing from now on.

I would appreciate ANY advice you could give me as I dont know what to do. Also I have a year of research, but nothing significant that might strengthen my application. and I just finished my term as a VP for one of the university clubs.

Thank you, appreciate it.

Seriously bud, not everyone is meant to be a doctor.

go to PA school.

 

[horizontalchew]

Seriously bud, not everyone is meant to be a doctor.

go to PA school.

or if your heart is set, go to DO school.

 

[zero_cool_ck]

hi everyone,

i'm desperately in need of some advice. I'm finishing up my 4th year in Canadian university and my performance up till last semester has been horrible. My CGPA has gone down each year starting from 2.5 in 1st year till 2.2 in my last semester. I range mostly in the C+ area and I have 2 failed courses. However, I'm desperately trying to bring myself to my senses and change my ways. This semester, if I do good in my exams, I am looking at a GPA somewhere around 3.6-3.7. I am planning to take a 5th year to bring up my GPA and do a Masters and then apply to Med School.

I am now, more than ever, willing to do whatever it takes to make it in. But what concerns me the most is that, doesn't matter how well I do in my 5th year and in Masters, it seems that my undergrad marks will still blow away whatever chance I might have. So, right now I have no idea what I should do to cover up my bad performance. From what I hear, I have zero chance of making it even if I do amazing from now on.

I would appreciate ANY advice you could give me as I dont know what to do. Also I have a year of research, but nothing significant that might strengthen my application. and I just finished my term as a VP for one of the university clubs.

Thank you, appreciate it.

out of curiosity, what university are u attending?

 

[SomeGuy]

Off the top of my head, I know that University of Western Ontario only looks at your marks from your last 10 courses (2 years usually), and UOttawa really focuses on your last year (basically, they'd weight the last year 50%, the second last year 33% and the third last year 16.6%). I'm pretty sure other schools will look in a similar manner.

PA schools don't exist in Canada.

I think in Ontario, something like 14% of applicants each year get a spot. That's a province-wide average, not an average for each individual school. And these are individuals who already have their 30+ MCATS (for schools that look at it) and 3.6 CGPAs.

The CGPA system pretty much works as follows: As long as you consistently get over 80 in the courses that the uni looks at, you'll be fine. As soon as you get a 65, you're going to need a couple 90s to make up for it.

http://www.ouac.on.ca/news/medappstats.html

 

[MeowMix]

A lot of the good advice given here is not really valid for Canadian schools, which run their applications process differently from US schools. For example, very few US schools have an absolute GPA or MCAT cutoff; many Canadian schools do. Also, it is near-impossible to get into some of the Canadian schools as an out-of-province applicant.

You need to find out what you have to do to make the GPA cutoff for any Canadian school, and which ones you stand a chance of getting into. A good resource is the Canadian equivalent of SDN,
http://p084.ezboard.com/bpremed101
You will notice there that many outstanding students with great experience do not even get interviews for Canadian med schools - the applicant pool is very very competitive.

Most Canadian schools add some extra to your GPA if you're in grad school and doing well. However, once you graduate from your grad program some will only consider your undergrad grades. Yes, this sounds f*cked up, but that's the way the system runs.

In my experience it is easier to get into US schools with a lower GPA than it is into Canadian schools. However, unless you are going to pull that average up, it's going to be hard to get into a US school as well. Yes, they like Canadians, but in general they like Canadians with high GPAs and MCATs. And it is going to be expensive.

 

[housecleaning]

or if your heart is set, go to DO school.

banned for suggesting DO school for the low-achievers. not surprising.

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Wow, i'm really impressed with some of the posts here and very dissapointed with others. Anyway, your background is startlingly similar to mine. I graduated with a GPA of 2.3 from the University of Colorado (aka Ski-U). Anytime I ever reiterated my desire to be a doctor people would openly laugh at me. Countless people have told me I couldn't do it and wont get in. I guess it just comes with the territory of underachieving. I went ahead and participated in full-time research for 2 year then enrolled into a post-bac for one year of full-time study followed by another year of part-time study while working full-time. So far I have completed 39 credits of post-bac work and have a 3.9 GPA in all post-bac work. This have only brought up my GPA to a 2.7 cum GPA. In August I will begin Georgetown's SMP and will be applying to medical school finally in June. The point of my post is that it is a very long and challenging road to overcome a low GPA. It's much harder now than it was while in undergrad simply because life starts catching up with you. All your buddies are pulling down 6 figure incomes, going out to sweet bars and nice dinners all the time while you are locked up studying. You can do it if you have the focus and it sounds like you do. In your case I would highly recommend a special masters program like georgetown or EVMS. If you do well you have practically cemented your way into medical school. Good luck and keep us up to date on your progress.

Tooth