How to increase undergrad GPA?

[Healthcare102]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello everyone, I have an undergraduate GPA of about 3.1. I was a double major in social sciences and secondary education with a minor in criminology. I've onky taken 1 science class (biology) which i recieved an A- in. I struggled throughout school with ADD and realized that what I was going for was not where my heart was set and I was interested in medical but it was too late to switch out.

Anyways between not enjoying my major and add I only have a 3.1 which I feel stupid for because its low. I know I am not competitive for most programs and they would probably laugh in my face.

So my question is, is there a way to raise my undergraduate GPA? Should/ can I get a second bachelors and if so would it count?

 

[cjcarter]

Retake any C/D/F's and apply DO.

 

[kraskadva]

Any additional UG-level courses that you take will be factored into your cumulative UG gpa.
For DO, if you retake a course for the same credit hours, they will only use the best score in your calculations. MD averages all together, even retakes.

When you say:

I've onky taken 1 science class (biology) which i recieved an A- in.

Do you mean you've only taken 1 science (BCPM) class total?
Or do you mean you've taken the other pre-reqs as well, but Bio was the only one you did well in?

If the former, you have to take the pre-reqs before MCAT & applications anyway, so with all As in those courses, you should see a gpa boost.
If the latter, to retake and go DO would be your best bet.

It's certainly possible to do a second bachelors, but not necessary.

 

[Healthcare102]

Any additional UG-level courses that you take will be factored into your cumulative UG gpa.
For DO, if you retake a course for the same credit hours, they will only use the best score in your calculations. MD averages all together, even retakes.

When you say:

Do you mean you've only taken 1 science (BCPM) class total?
Or do you mean you've taken the other pre-reqs as well, but Bio was the only one you did well in?

If the former, you have to take the pre-reqs before MCAT & applications anyway, so with all As in those courses, you should see a gpa boost.
If the latter, to retake and go DO would be your best bet.

It's certainly possible to do a second bachelors, but not necessary.

It is the former. so yes I would still have to take the prerequisites. But even if I do get fantastic grades on prereqs or a post bacc program would it effect my under graduate GPA? Or would it just be "in addition" to my undergrad GPA and my undergraduate GPA would still be taken into account?

 

[kraskadva]

It is the former. so yes I would still have to take the prerequisites. But even if I do get fantastic grades on prereqs or a post bacc program would it effect my under graduate GPA? Or would it just be "in addition" to my undergrad GPA and my undergraduate GPA would still be taken into account?

This is what the grade calculation reporting looks like on AMCAS (numbers deleted). Since you already have a degree, any other classes you take from now on will all get put into the Postbacc line, whether it's just the basic pre-reqs or a whole 'nother degree. Adcoms can see the breakdown by year and can go back and look through the whole list of classes if they want. They will see the individual numbers and the total cumulative which averages Fr, So, Jr, Sr, & PB all together.

So, for MD, more classes won't change your previous grades, but they will change your cumulative gpa. For DO, you can retake other coursework for grade replacement.
And if you don't have any other previous BCPM classes, AND you do super well in everything going forward(which will pretty much be science classes exclusively), then you'd have a really super sGPA to help mitigate your less than super cGPA.

 

[Healthcare102]

This is what the grade calculation reporting looks like on AMCAS (numbers deleted). Since you already have a degree, any other classes you take from now on will all get put into the Postbacc line, whether it's just the basic pre-reqs or a whole 'nother degree. Adcoms can see the breakdown by year and can go back and look through the whole list of classes if they want. They will see the individual numbers and the total cumulative which averages Fr, So, Jr, Sr, & PB all together.

So, for MD, more classes won't change your previous grades, but they will change your cumulative gpa. For DO, you can retake other coursework for grade replacement.
And if you don't have any other previous BCPM classes, AND you do super well in everything going forward(which will pretty much be science classes exclusively), then you'd have a really super sGPA to help mitigate your less than super cGPA.

Thank you for this information! So do they ultimately look at your BCPM grades and AO grades separately? Or do they combine them and look at your total overall GPA?

 

[kraskadva]

So do they ultimately look at your BCPM grades and AO grades separately? Or do they combine them and look at your total overall GPA?

Yes and Yes.

Every school is different and every adcom is different. They see what's in that chart, which as you see has BCPM, AO and Total columns.
What they choose to use or emphasize from that is going to vary slightly.

 

[DepressedEngineer]

Honestly, the myth of the only med students accepted that have 4.0 gpas is baloney...You could do it especially since science gpa is factored separatly....