Grade enhancement DIY post bac

[Chimichica]

This is for @DrMidlife or @Goro or anyone else...

Current situation is that I went to student affairs at my local Med school to let them see my grades, CV, etc., and just to chat. The advice I was given was to take a few graduate level courses to raise my GPA and show I can handle rigor. I have to do a DIY because I have to work and also I can't see myself paying for the (awesome but expensive) SMP at the local med school. Thus I will be going to take classes at my university.
sGPA 2.89 Technically I need about 20 credits to bring my sGPA to about a 3.2 (of course that's with a 4.0 from all post bac classes)
I already did my "hey I can do this!" classes at a CC and got a 4.0 in all of them. So...

1. Should I take a mix of let's say upper level (300 level) UG classes and lower level (no higher than 600 level) grad classes. Or should I do strictly grad classes. The plus side is that some of the classes for grad double as UG it's just a matter of payment of the class as either UG or grad.
**remember the point is to bring up my gpa while still working about 4 days a week**

2. On the AAMC site it lists a set of classes that qualifies for BPCM GPA. Some classes like ecology and zoology are listed (which I think is a joke when I have hemo and parasit classes that are actually relevant to the human body, but whatever... I don't make the rules) should I really be taking these classes (I mean entamology? Really?) , even though the point is to boost my GPA? I mean do adcoms actually care what the classes are at this point, or is it just a numbers game?

20 credits is all about I can afford out of pocket for grad classes, which is just below 10k. I know I can stretch it out longer but I really don't want to, If I can help it. This should give me one fall and one spring semester.

3. Hypothetically, if I am just looking to raise the hell out of my GPA and it is a numbers game...wouldn't I technically be better off taking easy entry level biochem and zoology and ecology and stuff like that. That count toward the BPCM. I could take more classes for the money even though they would be like 200 level UG classes. But is that a bad look?

For the record my UG major were all science courses. Rigorous ones at that. With an upward trend.

Thank you for your time.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gyngyn]

AMCAS does not include graduate grades in its calculation of undergraduate gpa. Undergrad gpa is the standard used to evaluate academic prowess at MD schools. Graduate grades are not included in evaluation of trend.

A sustained period of academic excellence in undergraduate courses and an MCAT consistent with success in your state is recommended.

 

[Goro]

If you can ace a post-bac or SMP, and ace mCAT as well, there are MD schools (and ALL DO) that reward reinvention.

Rigorous coursework doesn't have to be 100% related to human biology, although I prefer it.

This is for @DrMidlife or @Goro or anyone else...

Current situation is that I went to student affairs at my local Med school to let them see my grades, CV, etc., and just to chat. The advice I was given was to take a few graduate level courses to raise my GPA and show I can handle rigor. I have to do a DIY because I have to work and also I can't see myself paying for the (awesome but expensive) SMP at the local med school. Thus I will be going to take classes at my university.
sGPA 2.89 Technically I need about 20 credits to bring my sGPA to about a 3.2 (of course that's with a 4.0 from all post bac classes)
I already did my "hey I can do this!" classes at a CC and got a 4.0 in all of them. So...

1. Should I take a mix of let's say upper level (300 level) UG classes and lower level (no higher than 600 level) grad classes. Or should I do strictly grad classes. The plus side is that some of the classes for grad double as UG it's just a matter of payment of the class as either UG or grad.
**remember the point is to bring up my gpa while still working about 4 days a week**

2. On the AAMC site it lists a set of classes that qualifies for BPCM GPA. Some classes like ecology and zoology are listed (which I think is a joke when I have hemo and parasit classes that are actually relevant to the human body, but whatever... I don't make the rules) should I really be taking these classes (I mean entamology? Really?) , even though the point is to boost my GPA? I mean do adcoms actually care what the classes are at this point, or is it just a numbers game?

20 credits is all about I can afford out of pocket for grad classes, which is just below 10k. I know I can stretch it out longer but I really don't want to, If I can help it. This should give me one fall and one spring semester.

3. Hypothetically, if I am just looking to raise the hell out of my GPA and it is a numbers game...wouldn't I technically be better off taking easy entry level biochem and zoology and ecology and stuff like that. That count toward the BPCM. I could take more classes for the money even though they would be like 200 level UG classes. But is that a bad look?

For the record my UG major were all science courses. Rigorous ones at that. With an upward trend.

Thank you for your time.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[bluestrawberries]

AMCAS does not include graduate grades in its calculation of undergraduate gpa. Undergrad gpa is the standard used to evaluate academic prowess. Graduate grades are not included in evaluation of trend.

A sustained period of academic excellence in undergraduate courses and an MCAT consistent with success in your state is recommended.

How would you define this? Do you look for a certain number of years or credits? How many years or credits would "do the trick"?

 

[gyngyn]

How would you define this? Do you look for a certain number of years or credits? How many years or credits would "do the trick"?

It varies on the academic history of the individual candidate.

 

[Chimichica]

@Goro since DO is no longer doing grade replacement, would you say it is pointless to retake a class with a C? At best the grades will be averaged, so should one theoretically just focus on taking new classes.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Goro]

I can't recommend retaking a C grade anymore. Better to ace something new.

@Goro since DO is no longer doing grade replacement, would you say it is pointless to retake a class with a C? At best the grades will be averaged, so should one theoretically just focus on taking new classes.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk