Help!!!

[RebeccaMED]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello everyone, i'm new to this thread and had a couple questions i was hoping some of you could answer for me. Well basically i wanted to know what you thought my chances would be of getting into Med School with an avg 2.9 and a bcmp 2.8. I'm willing to do whatever it takes so i am open to any suggestions you may have. I know that they offer post bac courses but the schools in my area have no such programs, so what do you guys think of going the informal route? Appreciate any and all input. Thanks in advance.

 

[CrazyTulip]

Hello everyone, i'm new to this thread and had a couple questions i was hoping some of you could answer for me. Well basically i wanted to know what you thought my chances would be of getting into Med School with an avg 2.9 and a bcmp 2.8. I'm willing to do whatever it takes so i am open to any suggestions you may have. I know that they offer post bac courses but the schools in my area have no such programs, so what do you guys think of going the informal route? Appreciate any and all input. Thanks in advance.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=280835

 

[Jacks Mannequin]

Hey, I'm new to this thread too! 😉

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

Hello everyone, i'm new to this thread and had a couple questions i was hoping some of you could answer for me. Well basically i wanted to know what you thought my chances would be of getting into Med School with an avg 2.9 and a bcmp 2.8. I'm willing to do whatever it takes so i am open to any suggestions you may have. I know that they offer post bac courses but the schools in my area have no such programs, so what do you guys think of going the informal route? Appreciate any and all input. Thanks in advance.

Hello!
How far along are you in undergrad?

The usual advice is to get both GPA's up as high as possible, with the very minimum being 3.0 in both areas (overall and sci gpa). Something to consider, if you haven't already, is going to a D.O. school instead of an M.D. school. Check out the Pre-DO forum, especially the FAQ thread near the top.

The upside to applying to D.O. is that your retake grade will be the only grade considered for your GPA... that is to say, you can turn your C's and D's into A's and watch your GPA improve drastically (a lot easier than doing it for M.D. schools, which will just average your grades for your GPA... for instance, a C and an A is about the same as having a B).

Anyway, if you're obsessed with becoming an M.D., your options are post-bacc (I don't know how adcoms look at informal vs. formal), SMP (Special Master's Program, at places like Boston University and Georgetown), or some other Master's program. Understand that doing any of these does not necessarily erase a "poor" undergrad record, but supplements it. Hopefully adcoms will look more at these grades as being indicative of your academic acumen.

Good luck to you!

 

[RebeccaMED]

Hello!
How far along are you in undergrad?

The usual advice is to get both GPA's up as high as possible, with the very minimum being 3.0 in both areas (overall and sci gpa). Something to consider, if you haven't already, is going to a D.O. school instead of an M.D. school. Check out the Pre-DO forum, especially the FAQ thread near the top.

The upside to applying to D.O. is that your retake grade will be the only grade considered for your GPA... that is to say, you can turn your C's and D's into A's and watch your GPA improve drastically (a lot easier than doing it for M.D. schools, which will just average your grades for your GPA... for instance, a C and an A is about the same as having a B).

Anyway, if you're obsessed with becoming an M.D., your options are post-bacc (I don't know how adcoms look at informal vs. formal), SMP (Special Master's Program, at places like Boston University and Georgetown), or some other Master's program. Understand that doing any of these does not necessarily erase a "poor" undergrad record, but supplements it. Hopefully adcoms will look more at these grades as being indicative of your academic acumen.

Good luck to you!

Thanks soo much Oculus. I have already graduated with a BS in Biology. Pursued a MBA for a year and decided that it wasn’t for me. (Got good grades though. GPA 3.6ish) I realized Medicine is my calling. Never considered DO schools, will look into that. In regards to the DOs i was curious to know if there are limitations on the residencies you can do. Thanks again.

 

[lilnoelle]

Thanks soo much Oculus. I have already graduated with a BS in Biology. Pursued a MBA for a year and decided that it wasn’t for me. (Got good grades though. GPA 3.6ish) I realized Medicine is my calling. Never considered DO schools, will look into that. In regards to the DOs i was curious to know if there are limitations on the residencies you can do. Thanks again.

This question will get a variety of responses depending on whether you are on the pre allo or pre osteopathic board. I've spent time on both, so will try to combine as much as possible. If you are trying to go into a super competitive residency (plastics, dermatology, opthalmology) you will have a hard time getting into a residency from an osteopathic programs. That being said, there are people who've done it. They are usually extremely bright and do very very well on the USMLE. It is very possible to get into most residencies from an osteopathic program. It is very easy to get into primary care residencies from a DO program. DO's also can go into osteopathic residencies... (I'm not sure what the difference is between an osteopathic and allopathic residency) Osteopathic concepts are especially helpful for someone who wants to go into sports medicine and other fields in which manipulation would be beneficial.

 

[LizzyM]

You need to show that you have the ability to perform well in the classroom. This usually means at least a 3.0 - 3.2 gpa overall, the average for applicants admitted to med school these days is much higher than that (3.6-3.8, IIRC). You have a tough, up-hill climb and the "tried and true" way that people have done it is with a post-bach or SMP. This may mean giving up your job, moving closer to a school that offers a post-bach and going back to school full-time (along with research, volunteer work, etc that makes for a well-rounded application) for 1-2 years to do the required courses and prepare to take the MCAT.