GPA too low?

[kmagine22]

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Hi there! I'm looking for some feedback on my chances in getting in to medical school. I graduated from an ivy with a liberal arts degree. I was a D1 rower in college. After graduating I did a year of service at a rural health clinic through Americorps. I organized medical outreach to migrant seasonal farmworkers, and taught chronic disease management classes.

Currently, I'm working as an ED medical scribe and taking post-bacc classes at Portland State. I've gotten a high GPA in my coursework so far, and hope to have improved my sGPA by the end of this summer to 3.0 (I will have finished all pre-reqs by that point). I've been debating how many more classes to take to keep improving my science GPA. I'd like to think that if I do well enough on the MCAT, and have an upward trend with my GPA, then I will still have a chance at getting in somewhere. This Fall, I'm hoping to get a full time job working in the world of health tech/innovation research (working at an EHR company etc), and am planning on studying for the MCAT to take it next spring & apply in the class of 2019 cycle.

Is my GPA too low to get in to med school? Would it be better to take another year of extra science courses (a&p, molecular bio, microbio etc) to improve my GPA? I have research experience/numerous volunteer hours, pretty good letters of rec etc...

 

[Faha]

If you can raise your sGPA to 3.0 and score over 500 on the MCAT then you would have a chance for interviews at some DO schools (at least 12 that I can think of). There will also be several new DO schools opening by 2019. A higher MCAT (508) and you can add more DO schools. You may need a DO LOR for some schools. If you are interested in MD schools then another year of doing well in science courses would help along with a high MCAT score.

 

[Neuro25_]

If you can raise your sGPA to 3.0 and score over 500 on the MCAT then you would have a chance for interviews at some DO schools (at least 12 that I can think of). There will also be several new DO schools opening by 2019. A higher MCAT (508) and you can add more DO schools. You may need a DO LOR for some schools. If you are interested in MD schools then another year of doing well in science courses would help along with a high MCAT score.

You have an interesting story and there are MD schools with a focus on recruiting physicians for rural medicine like Tufts Maine track especially. I think with a strategically picked list of schools, a decent MCAT score, and a strong PS/LOR's, you can carry a strong appeal. Good luck!