Graduate or extend bachelors

[Antbition]

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Hey everyone, I'm currently approaching the last year of my undergraduate degree with futute aspiratons of attending a DO med school and my gpa is very low so I plan on retaking classes I did bad in.

What I'm trying to decide is whether I should graduate first and do an DIY post bacc or just extend my bachelor's degree to being a 5th year senior(let's say surplus credit charges are not an issue)
Or does it not make a difference?
Thanks.

 

[Falcons22]

Depending what your GPA is, you may not get into a graduate program. Most masters programs require a 3.0 undergrad gpa. However, you could do a postbacc at some DO schools, depending on your GPA. When you say a very low GPA I think of below a 2.8, so if that is the case, retake only necessary classes that you got below a C in (chemistry ones, physics, biochem, genetics, microbo), then do a postbacc or masters and kill it there.

 

[abn632]

Which is cheaper - retaking classes at your UG or at a community college? Go with the cheaper option. Don't do a masters until you've fixed your GPA. Since I assume you're considering a SMP, don't do a SMP unless that SMP has a strong link to the med school you're interested in.

 

[WhyDoWeFall]

I would say re-take those classes and stay an extra year. Then if you still need it, go do a Masters instead of a Post-bac unless you are deadset on a school that has the conditional acceptance from the post-bac to Med School like Drexel. I did a Masters because that adds another degree in and you would be able to concentrate on higher learning classes with the added bonus of concentrating more on research if you need it. That's what helped me when I had a lower GPA but that was also during the days of when UMDNJ would replace your Undergrad GPA with your Masters GPA (which they don't do now). Also turned out to be much cheaper for me.

 

[Antbition]

What about the informal DIY post bacc option, where I retake classes I did bad in and since I'm applying AACOM it would fix my gpa and I not have to go through a master program?

 

[Antbition]

Also my gpa is a 2.5 currently, so too low for a normal post bacc program. I'm not sure if I can get it high enough for a master's program by the time I graduate.