Help with long term GPA improvement

[1988]

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Hi and thank you for taking your time to read my question.

I have been a bit distracted lately because I fear that I have messed up my undergraduate GPA and I want to take proper steps to fix it. I am a neurophys major with 113 credits entering my Senior year. I have a 3.2 cGPA and a 3.0 sGPA, and getting As the last semester and this summer session hasn't budged my GPA. I plan to take the MCAT this winter.

I can graduate on time but I want to take some more science classes and retake others. I am an out-of-state student so tuition is really expensive, but living there for two years I can change residency. On the other hand, I can go home and take courses at a local university as a post-bacc. I want to apply for the Georgetown SMP, but that will not affect my undergraduate GPA.

I can either apply for it after I graduate next year, if I do well on the MCAT, or take another year of classes in-state or out-of-state to further improve my undergraduate GPA. I'd like to keep MD as an option but I am looking at DO too.

Ahhhh! Please what should I do? Thank you 🙂

 

[camaras2480]

Hi and thank you for taking your time to read my question.

I have been a bit distracted lately because I fear that I have messed up my undergraduate GPA and I want to take proper steps to fix it. I am a neurophys major with 113 credits entering my Senior year. I have a 3.2 cGPA and a 3.0 sGPA, and getting As the last semester and this summer session hasn't budged my GPA. I plan to take the MCAT this winter.

I can graduate on time but I want to take some more science classes and retake others. I am an out-of-state student so tuition is really expensive, but living there for two years I can change residency. On the other hand, I can go home and take courses at a local university as a post-bacc. I want to apply for the Georgetown SMP, but that will not affect my undergraduate GPA.

I can either apply for it after I graduate next year, if I do well on the MCAT, or take another year of classes in-state or out-of-state to further improve my undergraduate GPA. I'd like to keep MD as an option but I am looking at DO too.

Ahhhh! Please what should I do? Thank you 🙂

Decide MD or DO.

If MD, go SMP. You don't need to fix your GPA further, since you are above 3.0 it seems. The SMP gives you a brand new GPA to present to adcoms, showing you can excel in medical school courses taken with the medical students.

If DO, go postbac. Their 'grade forgiveness' policy allows you to 'raise' your GPA much faster. When you retake a course (and you should retake any course C or lower, IMO), the DO application system (AACOMAS) only computes the newer grade into your GPA. The MD application system (AMCAS) averages the two grades, so it this is a more difficult route to raising your GPA.

Of course, the MCAT will help determine things too. If DO, and you have a 3.2/3.0, then a 30 should get you interviews. If MD, I don't think any MCAT will get you interviews.