How can I bounce back/improve? SMP? Post-Bacc? Just MCAT?

[BlkStars21]

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[workaholic181]

I have recently completed a degree in health sciences, my GPA each year is as follows:

Year 1: 3.2 GPA (30 credits)
Year 2: 2.7 GPA (30 credits)
Year 3: 3.7 GPA (30 credits)
Year 4: 3.8 GPA (30 credits)
Year 5: 4.0 GPA (30 credits)

AMCAS
BCPM: 2.63 GPA
AO: 3.625 GPA

AACOMAS
Science 3.35 GPA
Non-Science 3.40 GPA

I took a couple of the med school pre-reqisites i.e. Chem 1 and 2, Orgo 1, Bio 1 and 2, Physics 1, and BioChem, still need to complete 1 or 2 English courses, Physics 2 and possibly Orgo 2

Options:
1.Taking 15-20 credits worth of upper level post-bacc courses between now and April 2018 within the department of Biology though my school as a non-degree student (informal post-bacc) and applying to medical schools in June 2018 while finishing the last of my pre-reqs from June 2018 - August 2018 OR
2. Completing my pre-reqs Jan 2018 - April 2018 and then enrolling in an SMP in August 2018

I will be re-writing my MCAT early 2018 (wrote in 2015 and scored a 496, focused on content review as opposed to practice questions and tests and have learned my lesson)

My apologies for the long intro but here are my questions:
1. In your opinion, which of my 2 options would you recommend and why?
2. If I were to gain a 3.7 - 4.0 GPA in the upper year science courses taken during the informal post-bacc in option 1, would my undergrad GPAs still prevent me from getting an interview at low-mid tier DO or MD programs?

It depends what your goals are. Your AACOMAS GPAs are totally fine for DO applications. Pending MCAT, you could simply finish your pre reqs, take the MCAT, and apply next year to DO schools and have a good shot.

Why is there such a discrepancy in your AMCAS sGPA? Did you fail a couple math classes?

If you want to be successful MD, you'd probably need an SMP. Despite your upward trend, a 2.6 sGPA is really going to dq you from a lot of schools. An elite MCAT coupled with this upward trend could maybe get you in somewhere, but it's unlikely.

If I were you, I would finish pre reqs and apply to DO schools next cycle.

Good luck OP!

 

[BlkStars21]

It depends what your goals are. Your AACOMAS GPAs are totally fine for DO applications. Pending MCAT, you could simply finish your pre reqs, take the MCAT, and apply next year to DO schools and have a good shot.

Why is there such a discrepancy in your AMCAS sGPA? Did you fail a couple math classes?

If you want to be successful MD, you'd probably need an SMP. Despite your upward trend, a 2.6 sGPA is really going to dq you from a lot of schools. An elite MCAT coupled with this upward trend could maybe get you in somewhere, but it's unlikely.

If I were you, I would finish pre reqs and apply to DO schools next cycle.

Good luck OP!

Thanks for your input!

Would applying right when apps open, 4 months before I finish my pre-reqs hurt me considering my grades situation ?

I have a small amount of courses that count towards my AMCAS sGPA since its only BCPM courses, and in that small amount of courses I got a couple Cs which tanked the GPA, those were also the only courses I did poorly in during my undergrad except for one other 3 credit course where I also got a C, everything else was basically an A/A+

If anyone else has other suggestions I am definitely open to hearing them!

 

[workaholic181]

Thanks for your input!

Would applying right when apps open, 4 months before I finish my pre-reqs hurt me considering my grades situation ?

I have a small amount of courses that count towards my AMCAS sGPA since its only BCPM courses, and in that small amount of courses I got a couple Cs which tanked the GPA, those were also the only courses I did poorly in during my undergrad except for one other 3 credit course where I also got a C, everything else was basically an A/A+

If anyone else has other suggestions I am definitely open to hearing them!

If you have only a pre req or two left to consider applying that early shouldnt hurt you. Your science and core GPAs are absolutely competitive for DO schools as they are now. MCAT is biggest question

 

[aformerstudent]

I'm past that stage where I post "If I get this or this GPA what will my chances be?" Get the GPA and MCAT and then check back.

Seriously, you have to do those things anyway and nobody can do that for you. You don't need anyone's advice that you need to get as high a GPA you can get and your MCAT needs to be well above average since you already have one score on file. SMP programs are going to want to see the GPA and MCAT as well so nobody can give you any real advice about that either.

Competition is intense. My advice is to think long and hard about "why medicine?" first.