GPA remediation necessary?

[colucho19]

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Hello everyone! -Sorry for the lengthy post.

I am looking into applying for next cycle but was wondering if I could get some insight regarding my grades and GPA.
Overall, I will be graduating with a cGPA of ~3.55 and sGPA of ~3.5 as well. I'm a chemistry major and psychology minor from a state school.
My biggest concern is the downward trend noted in my GPA, I finished the first two years at rigorous Honors program at a community college with an overall 3.73 GPA, I then transferred to a bigger school to complete my degree and will be finishing with a 3.45 GPA for my last two years. Many factors have affected my academic performance, my family and I are recent immigrants from South America. Our financial situation worsened during the past few years and I have had to work 40+ hours per week to help support them plus many other bumps in the road that are part of the recent immigrant experience. But I guess things like that could be seen as "just excuses".

I have had lots of clinical exposure and research experience with one publication and have been scoring very well on my MCAT practice tests.
My last semester at school will be completed with all A's but I still wonder if an SMP or post-bac would be necessary to show competency in upper-level science. Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated!

 

[Goro]

Everything will depend upon your MCAT score. It might be prudent to apply to an SMP in the same cycle as when you apply the med schools. You WILL need DO schools on your list. Chances for MD will be best with your state school.

Watch out for CARS.

Also, learn how to make good choices and balance your time. When the workload in helping your family grew too much, you should have withdrawn from several classes. You will NOT have this luxury in medical school

 

[colucho19]

Everything will depend upon your MCAT score. It might be prudent to apply to an SMP in the same cycle as when you apply the med schools. You WILL need DO schools on your list. Chances for MD will be best with your state school.

Watch out for CARS.

Also, learn how to make good choices and balance your time. When the workload in helping your family grew too much, you should have withdrawn from several classes. You will NOT have this luxury in medical school

Thanks for the input! So far I have scored 515-518 in my practice tests for the MCAT so I hope to do as well in the actual test.
I would’ve dropped classes for a much more manageable course load but the only way I could afford undergrad was through a school grant that required me to take a certain amount of classes every semester.
Any advice in the setting of not being able to apply to any MD schools within my state? Due to citizenship restrictions, not every school considers me a qualifying applicant. I have reached out to over 60 schools (Both MD and DO) and have compiled a list of those that would let me apply but none of them are within my state.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for the input! So far I have scored 515-518 in my practice tests for the MCAT so I hope to do as well in the actual test.
I would’ve dropped classes for a much more manageable course load but the only way I could afford undergrad was through a school grant that required me to take a certain amount of classes every semester.
Any advice in the setting of not being able to apply to any MD schools within my state? Due to citizenship restrictions, not every school considers me a qualifying applicant. I have reached out to over 60 schools (Both MD and DO) and have compiled a list of those that would let me apply but none of them are within my state.

Move? 🙂

All kidding aside, and to build on what @Goro said, if you are not eligible for the enhanced admission chances given to IS applicants, you are going to be at a serious disadvantage in applying to MD programs, which will likely be fatal with your grades. You not only have to overcome a downward trend; you also have to deal with the fact that your better grades were received at a community college, which is perceived to be easier than a 4 year school (even a so-called rigorous honors program). If you can't position yourself to be considered IS at any MD programs, you just might have to accept that you'll probably be a DO, and not waste time or money pursuing something that will in all likelihood be low yield for you (an OOS MD admission).

 

[Goro]

Thanks for the input! So far I have scored 515-518 in my practice tests for the MCAT so I hope to do as well in the actual test.
I would’ve dropped classes for a much more manageable course load but the only way I could afford undergrad was through a school grant that required me to take a certain amount of classes every semester.
Any advice in the setting of not being able to apply to any MD schools within my state? Due to citizenship restrictions, not every school considers me a qualifying applicant. I have reached out to over 60 schools (Both MD and DO) and have compiled a list of those that would let me apply but none of them are within my state.

Invest in MSAR Online and target schools that have a median GPA for acceptees close to your own. Pay very careful attention to the IS/OOS ratios, and many states favor the home team.