help!!!!

[jjoe00]

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hi i have posted on here as to my dilema on what to do, gpa is shot to heck 2.5 - 2.65 ish and iam at a complete loss, everyone say oooh do a masters, take classes , for one i would do the masters if only some one will take me, i have applied to a bunch of ms no one is interested in me and to take classes is a pain, cos the school i plan on taking it only allows you to take 2courses a semester which is a bummer cos i thought the whole point was to prove you can handle a bunch of science courses at one time, in addition, the tuition for that is a lot. sooo i was thinking about just getting another bs degree just to get some science classes and finanacially it will be affordable, i know there ia athread on that here so if someone has the link pls post it. My other question is what are other science alternate degrees. my first bs was in biology. gpa 2.65 .In short if you were me what will you do????

 

[southpawcannon]

Only do the masters if someone will take you...hmm...that's like a potentially new employer knowing your performance at your previous job was not quite up to par for the new job, and so he gives you a shot to do something to improve your knowledge and skills through a few options, but you say to him 'unless you guarantee me a position.'

First things first. Stop being overly anxious. There are some people out there who have had as bad of GPA as you have(with and without unusual circumstances) who knew what they had to do and did it. If you have finished your degree, then I'd recommend a second BS as long as your first degree wasn't science-related. You will need a lot of credit hours to bring the GPA up to something respectable and be able to have a comparison of what went wrong before, why and how you corrected your mistakes to do better. Once you have that degree finished, and have the GPA in better standing, people will then consider you for grad school. Again, make it science related, mostly with upper levels and do some research with a professor or other students. Some MS programs, particularly Biology, can be done in a year and a half. So, I don't know your age, how far along in your coursework you are, but those are my suggestions. If you feel it is too cumbersome a challenge to take on, you will need to reconsider your career goals. Notice I never told you, 'You'll never get in with that GPA' or 'Maybe a Caribbean school' which tend to be cliches on SDN. If you want it enough, you'll get it. But you bet you are going to work your ass off for the next 3-4 years to get your GPA looking good again.

Good Luck

 

[awk]

If you are too lazy to hit the shift key you probably won't be able to raise that GPA. You need to complete a masters. Keep applying. I don't understand how taking additional courses would be a "pain" but getting a new degree wouldn't.

 

[jjoe00]

i meant it is a pain because there is no finanacial aid avail and it is expensive, like i said earlier on i acn only take 2 classes a semester at that rate it will take me close to 2-3 years to see any improvement and a couple of admission officers told me they would need to see upward tren in a full course load of science classes.. so does it not defeat the point of me takin 2 classes a semester because ofcourse i am going to do well as opposed to if i took a second degree or something there would be financial aid and i would be able to take a bunch of science course but the problem is my first degree was in biology so........ i am screwed and that is what i meant when i said takin classes is a pain..... n one no of a program that willtake a 2.5, thanks for your input

 

[southpawcannon]

please add some grammar quality to your post, especially if you ever plan on taking the MCAT. You wrote the longest run-on sentence known to man. While reading the sentence, I was picturing you giving me your explanation, and it was mentally exhausting trying to keep up. I had to read it over a couple of times to get the jist of what you trying to convey. Again, being I still don't know anymore info from the second post compared with your original, I can't really be of much help in providing direction aside from what I already stated.

 

[t33sg1rl]

i meant it is a pain because there is no finanacial aid avail and it is expensive, like i said earlier on i acn only take 2 classes a semester at that rate it will take me close to 2-3 years to see any improvement and a couple of admission officers told me they would need to see upward tren in a full course load of science classes.. so does it not defeat the point of me takin 2 classes a semester because ofcourse i am going to do well as opposed to if i took a second degree or something there would be financial aid and i would be able to take a bunch of science course but the problem is my first degree was in biology so........ i am screwed and that is what i meant when i said takin classes is a pain..... n one no of a program that willtake a 2.5, thanks for your input

It's fine that you can only take two classes at a time. Take two classes in the fall, and two in the spring. You'll then be in good shape to apply for master's programs.

If you want to complete a second Bachelor's degree, I'd strongly recommend taking some English composition courses. Physicians need to have excellent written communication skills, and while all med students are capable of learning the science, those students incapable of writing a clear H and P really struggle in their third and fourth years. Most doctors, even family physicians, will publish at least a handful of scholarly articles in their medical carer... so decent writing skills are not optional.

 

[jjoe00]

southpawcannon that was uncalled for yes my post was a little over the place but yeah i knw how to speak and write quality english ...... this is just a post but anyways my reply was intended for akw so... but once more thanks for the input though

 

[DrLizzie]

Hi,
With a 2.6ish GPA, I can understand why you have a hard time getting in to a master's program. Yes, people tend to say 'apply to a master's if your GPA is low'. I agree, but why whould anyone think that getiing in to a grad program has much lower standards than a med school? Yes, they do probably require a lower GPA, but with a 2.6 GPA you would probably need to contact the faculty and ask for an interview so that they can actually meet up with you because I strongly feel that you would have a continued hard time of getting an acceptance to a grad program. If you are looking for a science master's degree, contact the PI/faculty that you are interested in working with and explain your situation. Ask if it's possible for you to come in and talk to them, and maybe then you could convince them of giving you a chance to start the program. Most science based research programs require a faculty to take on a student as their advisee, and then it's usually just paperwork to get in.

Also, I would suggest a Post-bac program if you already have a science degree from undergrad. I think those programs are geered for those that have had low science grades. I think in your situation that it would work in your favor, and if you really are ready and willing to work hard to get in to med school, then this would be the program for you.

Good luck!

 

[jjoe00]

thank you dr lizzie i already have 2 interviews in the process of getting set up now with 2 schools concerning my issue. i spoke with one over the phone she said that if i get a masters that shows definate improvement provided i my gpa is good.she also told me to take a bunch of classes at least 15hrs too as an option but going that route is proving difficult because i can only take 2 at a time and they are expensive. But i hear you and i will go and talk to them, explain myself, maybe then i may have a chance. Thanks!!!!