Graduating with low s/cGPA...what's next?

[AWMederoo]

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Sorry if this thread is similar to others.

I'm graduating in one semester and am interested in applying to DO schools within 1-2 years, but need to improve my GPAs before I can do so confidently. My sGPA is 2.9 (C+ in gen chem 1, physics 1, and bio 2 (f'ing plants...)). I still need to take physics 2, but am waiting to take it at another school because the physics program at my undergrad is not good.

My cGPA is 3.25. I am an EMT. I have some lab experience (1.5 years as a minor research assistant), and am the PI for a behavioral pharmacology study this next semester.

This is what I'm thinking about doing next:
1) Getting a job as a research assistant preferably at a medical school
2) Retaking gen chem 1 and physics 1
3) Shadowing a DO

That should bring my sGPA to about a 3.25 as well, and I'll hopefully by then have my name on 1 or 2 papers.

Assuming I pull off a 30 on the MCATs what are my chances of getting in, and does my plan sound promising?

 

[Instatewaiter]

Sorry if this thread is similar to others.

I'm graduating in one semester and am interested in applying to DO schools within 1-2 years, but need to improve my GPAs before I can do so confidently. My sGPA is 2.9 (C+ in gen chem 1, physics 1, and bio 2 (f'ing plants...)). I still need to take physics 2, but am waiting to take it at another school because the physics program at my undergrad is not good.

My cGPA is 3.25. I am an EMT. I have some lab experience (1.5 years as a minor research assistant), and am the PI for a behavioral pharmacology study this next semester.

This is what I'm thinking about doing next:
1) Getting a job as a research assistant preferably at a medical school
2) Retaking gen chem 1 and physics 1
3) Shadowing a DO

That should bring my sGPA to about a 3.25 as well, and I'll hopefully by then have my name on 1 or 2 papers.

Assuming I pull off a 30 on the MCATs what are my chances of getting in, and does my plan sound promising?

1) Assuming a 30 on the MCAT is a pretty big assumption given you have a 2.9 in your sciences- not impossible...

2) By the time you apply next year, I very highly doubt anything will be published. However being a research assistant will help you regardless and those publications will help for residency applications.

3) Make sure to have enough clinical experience

 

[AWMederoo]

Right, but presumably by retaking first semester chemistry and physics, along with an MCAT prep course, a 30 won't be unreasonable. I already have 100+ hrs volunteer experience as an EMT, but would like to have some in the hospital as well. I'll also have to count on good LORs...

Also, my main mistakes in the premed curriculum were during my freshman and first semester sophomore year. Is it too late to redeem myself after graduation without doing an SMP ($$)? I have considered a masters in neuroscience (my major), but don't know how much that will help.

 

[Chowda]

I was in a similar situation. Graduated with a 2.96 sGPA but managed to bring it up to a 3.2 after 1 quarter of retaking science classes I got C's in. I'm also an EMT and have done lab research. Retaking classes will be the fastest way to raise your GPA if you're going the DO route because of grade replacement. I scored >30 on the mkitty but it took me two tries. Give yourself some wiggle room just in case you need to retake the cat.
Hope is not lost. If you can do well on the MCAT I doubt you'll need to do a masters before med school. I've been accepted to KCUMB and have turned down multiple interviews despite my low GPA. Keep focus, kill the cat and try to get that sGPA above the 3.0 mark and you'll have a shot. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. 👍

Here's my timeline:

(2010)
5-27: MCAT round 1
6-? : Graduation
7-30: primaries submitted
9-3 : MCAT round 2
10-15 : secondaries submitted
12-17: accepted

I retook classes this past Fall 2010 (yes, during the application cycle). Re-taking classes prior to applying might have been a better idea, but things seemed to work out in the end.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

I also had a rough undergrad sGPA even after some retakes, so I opted to do a 1 year biology master's degree. When I got in after the first semester's grades came through, I dropped the program 🙂

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

I'm graduating in one semester and am interested in applying to DO schools within 1-2 years, but need to improve my GPAs before I can do so confidently.

If you need to bring up your grades, why not delay graduation? That way you can take additional classes and they will still count for your undergrad (not post bacc) GPA.

1) Assuming a 30 on the MCAT is a pretty big assumption given you have a 2.9 in your sciences- not impossible...

2) By the time you apply next year, I very highly doubt anything will be published. However being a research assistant will help you regardless and those publications will help for residency applications.

3) Make sure to have enough clinical experience

👍 👍

Publications usually take a long time! Get the study approved by IACUC, buy/breed the animals, do the research (repeat this step several times), write the paper, have it torn to shreds by your reviewers, re-write it... some projects can take years and still never get published!

So my recommendation to the OP is to shoot high for the MCAT but also try to bring your GPA up above even the 3.25 that you mentioned.

 

[AWMederoo]

That way you can take additional classes and they will still count for your undergrad (not post bacc) GPA.

Publications usually take a long time! Get the study approved by IACUC, buy/breed the animals, do the research (repeat this step several times), write the paper, have it torn to shreds by your reviewers, re-write it... some projects can take years and still never get published!

So my recommendation to the OP is to shoot high for the MCAT but also try to bring your GPA up above even the 3.25 that you mentioned.

I may be wrong, but if I do not enroll in a post-bacc, and instead redo a few premed courses, DO adcoms will replace my new grades for the old ones when calculating my undergrad GPA, right?

You're right about the publications. I'm just getting my current project approved my IACUC. My hope is that I will be working in a lab that has either already completed this clerical work or has a remarkable turnaround time for approvals and animal deliveries, etc.

Finally, would a masters in neuroscience help for med school? I'd imagine it would be kind of similar to tulane's MS in pharmacology. Either way, I'm fairly certain it is going to be awhile (2-3 yrs) before I'm sitting in a med school classroom.

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

I may be wrong, but if I do not enroll in a post-bacc, and instead redo a few premed courses, DO adcoms will replace my new grades for the old ones when calculating my undergrad GPA, right?

That's my understanding as well, but I don't know enough grade replacement to say anything more it.

But I would encourage you not only to look into your options for grade replacement, but also to do what you can to raise your overall GPA by taking additional classes. Try for some microbiology, anatomy, physiology, or similar courses that would raise your GPA a bit on top of any replaced grades.

Finally, would a masters in neuroscience help for med school? I'd imagine it would be kind of similar to tulane's MS in pharmacology. Either way, I'm fairly certain it is going to be awhile (2-3 yrs) before I'm sitting in a med school classroom.

So many things help a med school application. I feel that the right question is not "would this help?" but rather "is this the most efficient route?"

A master's in neuroscience might help you get into medical school, but so would a Masters in Public Health. So which should you choose? I would choose an MPH. It shows that you're really interested in health, which could help get you into medical school. An MS in Neuroscience shows you're really interested in neuroscience, but that doesn't tell whether you want to go MD/DO or PhD. So when ad adcom person is looking at their application, an MPH shows that you've been doing health school for a couple of years, whereas an MS in neuroscience could give the impression that you weren't sure if you wanted medical school or graduate school.

MPH programs can also be shorter (sometimes) than MS programs. Another thing to consider.