HELP!! I need your honest opinion....

[DDS.230]

Hi guys, I am a very new member to this forum and need some help..

I recently graduated from UC Irvine '09 with one more fall quarter. with a B.A in Economics with an overall GPA of 2.88. I started out as a Biology major, but switched during my 2nd year so I have a couple classes down in my sciences. Haven't taken my MCATS yet.

I wanted to finish up my prereqs at a community college, and hopefully apply couple years from now.

What are the chances of me even getting hope to make it to a grad school in Califorina?? Assuming I get straight A's at either IVC or OCC. I am currently 22.

please help! an honest opinion would be very helpful..

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[bannie22]

Try some other part of the forums. THis is the pre-medical forum, probably not the best place to ask for advice on how to get into grad school.

 

[bravofleet4]

well i think the OP is asking about med school. otherwise, they would not have mentioned their intention to take the MCAT. Are you still near UCI? There is a support group on campus that meets weekly and they could help you out there. A 2.88 is very low and your first priority should be to get it above 3.2. The good news is your took very few science courses in college, so you can take them at the CC. I'm curious, though, do you even have the pre-req's like physics and org chemistry? A demonstration of rising gpa over time in your science courses could give the adcom's something to look at. In the meantime, don't even think about the MCAT. Just take the year off to improve your grades and load up on science courses.

 

[Doc Of Life]

your first priority should be to get it above 3.2.

3.2 is still relatively very very low, and I believe it would prevent you from getting into most med schools. I think 3.4 is more of a realistic bare minimum for US med schools. Though DO schools and Caribbean schools would probably take a 3.0.

The good news is your took very few science courses in college, so you can take them at the CC.

I disagree. I've heard that most schools don't look favorably on taking science classes or prerequisite classes at community college. Med school admissions people aren't stupid or uninformed, everyone knows that classes are significantly easier at cc.

A demonstration of rising gpa over time in your science courses could give the adcom's something to look at. In the meantime, don't even think about the MCAT. Just take the year off to improve your grades and load up on science courses.

This I totally agree with. If you can demonstrate that you were able to turn things around and really do well at hard courses for a couple of years, then ad coms will be much more willing to consider your application even though your record was bad for the first two years. And like bravofleet said, don't even worry about the mcat yet, you should just be focusing on raising your gpa and making sure you get A grades in science and pre req classes.

(Normally I'd advise people to keep part of their mind on the mcat material while they're taking the undergrad courses that apply to the mcat, but in your case you need to stay sharply focused on simply getting good grades.)

 

[Catalystik]

You don't just need "good" grades, you need to get straight As, full-time, for two years to get your cGPA to a 3.25 (as AMCAS would calculate it). If you can get your cGPA over a 3.0 and an MCAT score over 30, consider SMPs (Special Masters Programs) to have a shot at US allopathic med schools. With a 2.75 and a strong upward trend in GPA, there are some DO (osteopathic) schools that will consider you with a good MCAT score. If you aim for DO schools, they have a grade replacement policy that could get your application GPA up fast. If you retake a course where you got a poor grade with the same number of credit hours or more, they will only use the second grade (though the first is still listed on yoiur transcript).

There are two DO schools in California, and they may be your best chance of staying in-state, considering how uber competitive the MD schools are there.

 

[J ROD]

I dont see Cali happening with a MD unless you try a SMP...

3.3/34-35.....got a long way to go and MUST kill the MCAT.....for MD

I would focus DO if it was me...

 

[Gisele0820]

Catalystik:

"If you aim for DO schools, they have a grade replacement policy that could get your application GPA up fast. If you retake a course where you got a poor grade with the same number of credit hours or more, they will only use the second grade (though the first is still listed on yoiur transcript)."


Meaning start DO school, up your gpa with your year 1 grades and then transfer to allopathic for year 2 or 3?

 

[Appless]

Catalystik:

"If you aim for DO schools, they have a grade replacement policy that could get your application GPA up fast. If you retake a course where you got a poor grade with the same number of credit hours or more, they will only use the second grade (though the first is still listed on yoiur transcript)."


Meaning start DO school, up your gpa with your year 1 grades and then transfer to allopathic for year 2 or 3?

no this wouldnt happen. If you start at DO you stay there. Very rarely do schools take transfers. If you really dislike DO dont do it, just know that MD is going to be a near impossible pathway, especially if you want a UC school. Your GPA is just far too low and it woudl also depend what grades you got in your science classes. Regardless your plan should be 2 yrs of all A's at CC, try to take pre reqs at UCI through extension if you can. Then mcat and then do an SMP which you would hopefully be in 3.5 range with. With all that combined with the required volunteering/shadowing/clinical you would be in better shape. To get into MD with 4 years of subpar grades is hard, its going to take you a good 3 years to fix it if you want MD. Its a long hard road and personally I would go DO. Its the same thing in the end and they are easier to get into. DO schools take significantly lower mcats and you can do grade replacement and fix your GPA faster. THey are also more undersatnding of situations like youres and non trad students.

Also the prereqs and requirements for DO school and MD are about the same. SO its not like they would take your current GPa with no pre reqs or anything. What you stated above isnt possible

 

[Catalystik]

Catalystik:
Meaning start DO school, up your gpa with your year 1 grades and then transfer to allopathic for year 2 or 3?

Elijah05 is correct, that transfers from DO to MD are so rare as to not be worth mentioning. If you start DO, you will graduate a DO. You will have practice rights equal to an MD (plus some manipulative techniques in your toolbag).

To get into a DO school, the OP needs to improve the application GPA unless applying to one of the less-selective programs (in which case a strong science GPA is still essential), and grade replacement or new coursework are both ways to do this.

 

[Geekchick921]

Catalystik:

"If you aim for DO schools, they have a grade replacement policy that could get your application GPA up fast. If you retake a course where you got a poor grade with the same number of credit hours or more, they will only use the second grade (though the first is still listed on yoiur transcript)."


Meaning start DO school, up your gpa with your year 1 grades and then transfer to allopathic for year 2 or 3?

No. I have never heard of anyone transferring from a DO school to MD. What Catalystik is saying is that AMCAS and AACOMAS calculate GPAs differently, especially regarding retakes. AMCAS averages, AACOMAS replaces the grade with the better one.

Example: You got a C in Chem 101. Then you retook it and got an A. AMCAS will average the two and give you a B. AACOMAS will replace it completely with an A.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's how it goes. Thusly, the OP has a much better chance of being competitive at DO schools after some retakes and completing the pre-reqs, because their GPA will be calculated higher.

Not to get on a soapbox here, and it probably has to do with the fact that I grew up/live in the Philly area, which is very DO-friendly, but so many people here are hung up on whatever letters will be after their name that they lose sight of the fact that they will be a doctor either way. Going DO doesn't "condemn" you to primary care. I work in a hospital and we have DOs that are orthos, radiologists, anesthesiologists, ENTs, plastic surgeons, etc.

Apply to places you have a shot at getting into and be the best doctor you can be.

 

[Gisele0820]

Thanks for the clarification and the info on the grade calculations. In Minnesota I hadn't heard of a DO until I was 22. It wasn't until I moved to the south that I saw how common and readily accepted DO credentials are in other areas.