How Do I Overcome a Low GPA If I Can't Transfer But Have To Move?

[DrBelle]

Sorry for the long post. I'm frustrated and trying to gather my thoughts

My undergrad school is a pretty great state school but I had to move back home and its now too far of a commute to be practical in any way. I was last there almost 2 years ago. Now I have so much work todo in order to have a chance at med school. We're looking at a 2.0 - 2.2 I think over 100 credits. In and out of school for years, trauma, lacked financial stability- just nothing but drama just trying to get to school. I am now stable and in the financial position to do nothing but school for a couple of years. I would need to do the equivalent of a 2nd bachelor's which is fine. My life is different now than it was then

I have not graduated yet. I am technically close to graduation so if I took the courses somehow elsewhere, I can have them transferred to my home institution and graduate with that abhorrent gpa.

Obviously I need a much higher undergrad GPA to apply for medschool.

But here is the issue. I can't seem to transfer to a closer 4 year school with that GPA. Its one of those extenuating circumstances that I have to over explain each time. I might be able to transfer to the professional studies parts of private schools but essentially I lose half those credits and now tuition is what.. around 25k a semester? Without any extra financial aid available to me this is potentially a disaster

If you graduate and are a nondegree or postbacc student, getting seats in premed classes in most schools around here are super difficult. Can't apply for any grad programs with that bad a gpa.

Can't move back because part of the reason I moved home is my health and safety. I can move out now but to be so far from my support system just sounds like a terrible idea.

So how do I get into a situation where I can do a few years of GPA repair and prerequisites and move on with my life? Even if I did all my prereqs at community college, I can't apply DO without redoing upper division classes that are lower than a C at a cc.

The only maybe option I've seen available to me for any sort of higher education so far is a super expensive masters program in nursing that would raise my income (yay). But thats extra time away from the groundwork I need for med school.
I know for a fact that I want to be a physician; nursing is just more of a detour away from what I'm trying to do. People are right when they say choose one or the other.

Everywhere you look is people telling you how there is no chance with a low undergrad gpa so I'm trying to position myself to raise it. But how?

I don't know what to do

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[etp123]

I think if you are very serious about pursuing med school, moving away from your support system is something you'll have to come to terms with, especially since you mentioned the opportunities are very slim where you are.

Graduate programs like master's wouldn't be helpful because you need those prereqs at undergraduate-level credit. Many schools consider graduate GPAs totally separate from undergraduate GPAs and seem to be viewed roughly the same as an extracurricular (unless it's an SMP).

If you're not ready to leave your support system yet, you could possibly try going for the nursing degree and work for a few years as a nurse to gain experience/money and then return to your pre-med journey afterwards.

There's pros and cons to each choice you have and I think you'll just have to weigh what you're willing to sacrifice. 1. Stay with your support but risk having to delay coursework due to seat unavailability (who knows, maybe won't even be an issue) 2. Leave your support system and physically put yourself in a place with better opportunity 3. Go for nursing and come back when you're ready 4. ???

It's possible for you to come back from your low GPA. Highly improbably? Yes. Going to take a ton of effort to redeem? Yes. But it's not impossible. A lot of us are just as stubborn and in the same boat as you (see the below 3.0 GPA thread and low GPA acceptances). Good luck to you!

 

[DrBelle]

Hi there thanks so much for the candid reply!

My transcript reads super high grades or complete wipeouts depending on whats going on. Things like traumatic events, subsequent health issues, serious financial instability vs stable or close enough conditions where someone can reasonably perform are reflected in my grades which is why some doors open when ordinarily they wouldn't. That said, I know I still need to establish my abilities in the long term which is what I want to do
My entire family and closest friends are completely adamant about me not returning to my home institution. Not a single one of them supports the idea and think things will go very poorly for me if I do. No one cares what I do with my life, they just want me to be healthy and safe. Its very difficult to defy the opinions of the people who know you best

I'm aware that a masters wouldn't help me in any way for Med School. The program I'm talking about would allow me to upgrade my nursing license and change my income in a year and a half. I'm trying to figure out if this is the smartest thing I can do in my position considering how expensive life is Especially since I know with absolute certainty I have no interest in nursing and I feel like I put of what I care about for so long. The idea of taking just about a 2 year detour before even getting back to prereqs and things? *shudders* I just turned 30 and am female with hopes of marriage and family one day. I don't feel like I can afford an expensive detour given all the work I need to do to prove I can even do this

I'm going to chew on these suggestions some more then map out an exhaustive list. Thank you again for hearing me out

 

[DrBelle]

so far one option I'm thinking of is I graduate in the next two semesters as strong as I can. Then apply for a 2nd Bachelors at new school. Very strong school, spoke to the Director about my circumstances and after we combed through it, she's encouraging me to follow through. I was lucky to talk to her today since apparently you can't get an appointment for a discussion until a month and a half from now
This school actually hosts a strong post bacc program for med school hopefuls as well as has its own medical school so the resources and faculty are there for me to finagle my way into the very best I can during my time there.

Sure, this will cost me a small mortgage or so. But I'm tired of feeling boxed out of what I want to be doing. My entire 20's was a never ending nightmare and I'm actually currently in intensive therapy because of it. Not being in my choice career is one of my great regrets that I am working on overcoming

Technically I can upgrade my nursing license online through credit by exam (8 exams and a clinical exam) so so long as I'm not trying to work as an RN in Cali anytime soon, I suppose this theoretically addresses my income and new small mortgage concerns for now.

just thinking out loud folks.