GPA < 3.0 chances?

[choclea420]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello, I am a fourth year undergrad student with a cumulative GPA less than 3.0 (on a 4.5 scale of University of Manitoba). I got a score of 24 on my 1st attempt at MCAT for which I did not prepare much. I am planning to re-write my MCAT. I have extensive hospital and other volunteer experience Also, I am a Canadian citizen. I want to be realistic and explore my options of getting into a med school.

1. Would it be better to continue taking more courses (or repeating the ones I have already taken) and get better grades to improve my GPA? (Some schools like mine look at best 3 years regardless of how many courses one takes)

2. Is there any possibility of me getting into a U.S medical school with my current GPA and an improved MCAT score? If so, which U.S schools accept Canadian citizens?

3. Would applying to Caribbean med school (SGU, ROSS, SABA) be the best option at this point?

Is there any other option that I am unaware of? Really need to figure this out before I declare my graduation.

Thanks.

 

[flodhi1]

Hello, I am a fourth year undergrad student with a cumulative GPA less than 3.0 (on a 4.5 scale of University of Manitoba). I got a score of 24 on my 1st attempt at MCAT for which I did not prepare much. I am planning to re-write my MCAT. I have extensive hospital and other volunteer experience Also, I am a Canadian citizen. I want to be realistic and explore my options of getting into a med school.

1. Would it be better to continue taking more courses (or repeating the ones I have already taken) and get better grades to improve my GPA? (Some schools like mine look at best 3 years regardless of how many courses one takes)

2. Is there any possibility of me getting into a U.S medical school with my current GPA and an improved MCAT score? If so, which U.S schools accept Canadian citizens?

3. Would applying to Caribbean med school (SGU, ROSS, SABA) be the best option at this point?

Is there any other option that I am unaware of? Really need to figure this out before I declare my graduation.

Thanks.

1) If you're going to apply to MD or DO it's better to join a SMP program.

2) I consider myself an optimistic guy but quite frankly as a Canadian with a GPA < 3.0 even with a ridiculously high MCAT score > 35 you will most likely get rejected by US MD schools.

3) Applying to Caribbean would not be the best option, work on your application to bring your GPA > 3.0 and then retake the MCAT score >28 and apply to DO schools.

Good luck

 

[choclea420]

1) If you're going to apply to MD or DO it's better to join a SMP program.

2) I consider myself an optimistic guy but quite frankly as a Canadian with a GPA < 3.0 even with a ridiculously high MCAT score > 35 you will most likely get rejected by US MD schools.

3) Applying to Caribbean would not be the best option, work on your application to bring your GPA > 3.0 and then retake the MCAT score >28 and apply to DO schools.

Good luck

Thank you, Flodhi1 for drawing my attention to the option of joining a SMP program. I read up a few threads on the forum to figure out what exactly SMP meant and read that it would be hard to get into a SMP program with GPA < 3.0. So, I will take a few more undergraduate courses to bring my GPA over 3.0.

Another question though is that do Canadian Schools have this program? Will I be able to get into a US school's SMP program just as easily as a US citizen/PR?

After raising my GPA post the SMP program, will the Med schools consider both my undergrad gpa as well as the SMP gpa? How does it work out?

Sorry for the chain of questions.

 

[flodhi1]

Thank you, Flodhi1 for drawing my attention to the option of joining a SMP program. I read up a few threads on the forum to figure out what exactly SMP meant and read that it would be hard to get into a SMP program with GPA < 3.0. So, I will take a few more undergraduate courses to bring my GPA over 3.0.

Another question though is that do Canadian Schools have this program? Will I be able to get into a US school's SMP program just as easily as a US citizen/PR?

Sorry for the chain of questions.

One of the main reasons why I said that you're chance at a US MD school is shot is pretty much because you're not a US citizen or a Green card holder and your stats are low. You're a Canadian citizen and Canadians tend to have very competitive numbers. Therefore, Canadians are expected to have higher stats than their counter parts from the US. Same can be said concerning SMP programs. US citizens will have an easier chance of getting into a SMP program than you will. However, do not lose hope and apply to SMP programs, if that does not work out then take upper division Science courses in your undergrad and get all As. I think upper-division Science classes will strengthen your application more than a regular Masters degree and will be a lot cheaper too. The MCAT should be the easiest to figure out. You just need to put in a lot of effort and get that score to as close as a 35 as you possibly can. This journey will be hard but nothing is impossible 👍

 

[TriagePreMed]

It's simply not going to happen for you (MD). You need to decide if you want to try for DO, which would entail repeats and a better MCAT, or you can take your chances in the Caribbean.

 

[flodhi1]

It's simply not going to happen for you (MD). You need to decide if you want to try for DO, which would entail repeats and a better MCAT, or you can take your chances in the Caribbean.

OP retaking courses will substantially increase your GPA assuming you get an A of course and should be your main priority IF you apply to (DO) Osteopathic schools.

 

[Catalystik]

OP retaking courses will substantially increase your GPA assuming you get an A of course and should be your main priority IF you apply to (DO) Osteopathic schools.

The reason being that AACOMAS, the DO application service, only counts the most recent grade if you retake for the same credits or greater.

Have you looked at the Canadian equivalent for SDN at www.premed101.com?

Other threads of interest:
DO Canadian practice info: http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16718

DO for Canadians SDN thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=739482

 

[tiedyeddog]

Absolute no-go for US allopathic. Do DO programs accept international students?