How to overcome a low gpa?

[Bob_Johansson]

If I do well the next year, i can get my gpa up to 3.2. i understand that this is close to the cut-offs for many schools. How can I overcome this low gpa and try to get into medical school?

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[Turkeyman]

High MCAT, good LORs, and some good clinical/research experience

 

[MoosePilot]

Ditto plus you could spend some years doing post bacc to bring it up.

If your MCAT doesn't suck, that's not unrealistic to get into schools, though.

 

[sidewalkman]

True, you could always do a SMP if you don't get in

 

[AmateurChef]

Is your BCMP GPA much different from your overall GPA?

 

[Bob_Johansson]

no, my sci gpa is pretty much the same. i would prefer to go to medical school directly after undergrad tho. is that to far fetched a dream?

 

[pistachio]

This is directly from my undergrad's pre-health advising center:

"Admission to highly competitive medical schools (including Duke University School of Medicine) requires an excellent record in science and mathematics courses (>3.6 science GPA) and solid MCAT scores. Acceptance to many state medical schools and less competitive private schools has been possible for students whose science GPAs were a bit lower (e.g., 3.2-3.4). Applications to medical schools from seniors whose science GPAs are below 3.0 have rarely been successful, and those whose applications are successful are generally those students who have shown a strong improvement in their sophomore and junior years, or junior and senior years in the case of those who delay their applications."

So if you are accepted obviously depends on where you apply and how you've done your last two years. I, for one, graduated in 2002 with a 2.79, and was basically laughed at.

If you are hoping to go to some better schools, my best advice to you is to take a year and work at a university in research or something clinically related. Most schools will pay for tuition while you are an employee, so you can take classes for free. In that way, you will have an additional year to show an upward trend, and the further you are removed from undergrad the less weight they place on your performance there. In the meantime, you will be getting research experience (something I personally feel all physicians should have) and you will also be able to get a good letter of rec from whoever you are employed by. I would advise you to take classes in physiology and biochemistry, as these are the most helpful for the MCAT. Alternatively, you can take some classes that will prepare you for med school, like anatomy, histology, neuroscience, etc. Realistically, you're going to be "in class" in some form or another for the rest of your life while you practice, so another year now isn't the end of the world.

In short, I think your best bet is to take a year or two and improve what you have to offer to the med schools. While a 3.2 is not insurmountable by any means, you will have to do well on your MCAT, and do not neglect to prepare for interviews - the human aspect is very important.

 

[Peterock]

This is directly from my undergrad's pre-health advising center:

"Admission to highly competitive medical schools (including Duke University School of Medicine) requires an excellent record in science and mathematics courses (>3.6 science GPA) and solid MCAT scores. Acceptance to many state medical schools and less competitive private schools has been possible for students whose science GPAs were a bit lower (e.g., 3.2-3.4). Applications to medical schools from seniors whose science GPAs are below 3.0 have rarely been successful, and those whose applications are successful are generally those students who have shown a strong improvement in their sophomore and junior years, or junior and senior years in the case of those who delay their applications."

So if you are accepted obviously depends on where you apply and how you've done your last two years. I, for one, graduated in 2002 with a 2.79, and was basically laughed at.

If you are hoping to go to some better schools, my best advice to you is to take a year and work at a university in research or something clinically related. Most schools will pay for tuition while you are an employee, so you can take classes for free. In that way, you will have an additional year to show an upward trend, and the further you are removed from undergrad the less weight they place on your performance there. In the meantime, you will be getting research experience (something I personally feel all physicians should have) and you will also be able to get a good letter of rec from whoever you are employed by. I would advise you to take classes in physiology and biochemistry, as these are the most helpful for the MCAT. Alternatively, you can take some classes that will prepare you for med school, like anatomy, histology, neuroscience, etc. Realistically, you're going to be "in class" in some form or another for the rest of your life while you practice, so another year now isn't the end of the world.

In short, I think your best bet is to take a year or two and improve what you have to offer to the med schools. While a 3.2 is not insurmountable by any means, you will have to do well on your MCAT, and do not neglect to prepare for interviews - the human aspect is very important.

Hmm... I wonder where you graduated from? BTW you should really just go to a public university for a year and crank out a 4.0 with almost no work. Anyway, I don't think most people can get into low level medical schools with 3.1-3.4's unless they have huge MCATs or come from certain top ranked undergrads.

 

[Bob_Johansson]

Hmm... I wonder where you graduated from? BTW you should really just go to a public university for a year and crank out a 4.0 with almost no work. Anyway, I don't think most people can get into low level medical schools with 3.1-3.4's unless they have huge MCATs or come from certain top ranked undergrads.

you mean top ranked ones that inflate grades? and yeah, you're right tho...getting a 4.0 at a public uni. is really easy, no sweat. which i'm sure you know because you've spent time at both top-tier as well as public universities.

 

[bbas]

no, my sci gpa is pretty much the same. i would prefer to go to medical school directly after undergrad tho. is that to far fetched a dream?

Are you set on going to an allopathic school, or would you consider an osteopathic school? I'm not saying that you couldn't get into an allopathic school, but the osteopathic schools are known for not placing as much emphasis on GPA.

 

[bwells46]

If I do well the next year, i can get my gpa up to 3.2. i understand that this is close to the cut-offs for many schools. How can I overcome this low gpa and try to get into medical school?

Do a master's program, do well on the MCAT, get great LORs, and do some research that you can get published. You'll get in.

 

[Bob_Johansson]

Are you set on going to an allopathic school, or would you consider an osteopathic school? I'm not saying that you couldn't get into an allopathic school, but the osteopathic schools are known for not placing as much emphasis on GPA.

yeah i wanna do allopathic...but i can see what you're saying.

also i was checking out some schools, and their avg gpa's were around 3.5, doesnt that mean that they must be letting in people with lower gpas than that. cause for all the people that get in with 3.8's, there must be at least a few getting in with 3.2's rite? or am i just being too optimistic?

 

[MrTee]

Why don't you look at mdapplicants.com and search for low gpa people and see what kind of stuff you'll need to get into the kinds of schools you're aiming for?

 

[Bob_Johansson]

^^that site makes me sad...from what i'm told, its not a good representation of the total matriculant pool

 

[MrTee]

But if you search for the low gpa folks, it should give you an idea of what to expect as far as schools willing to interview/accept you. Don't go searching for acceptances to your dream school, because they'll all pretty much be 3.9+, high 30's mcat people.

 

[MrTee]

I just did a quick search on there for 2005: under 3.3 gpa returned 108 accepted applicants this year, and under 3.2 gpa returned 50. Surely that can't be all that discouraging. In fact, I'd say it's pretty encouraging.

 

[Peterock]

you mean top ranked ones that inflate grades? and yeah, you're right tho...getting a 4.0 at a public uni. is really easy, no sweat. which i'm sure you know because you've spent time at both top-tier as well as public universities.

Hmm, yeah, funny you mentioned that b/c it is true.
Top 10 ranked (non-grade inflating private): 3.2
Random public (all 200 to grad level bio) : 4.0

Yeah, funny how I can speak for both sides since I've been to both. Hopefully, you're at a school where you know you can downgrade to an easier place.

 

[nina512]

I graduated with a 3.2/30 MCAT, and I had to apply twice. Even with 3 yrs research experience and a few publications, I didn't get interviews.

I applied again after doing a 1yr Master's and I eventually got in this year.

So my advice, take additional coursework, probably through a Master's program, and rock the MCAT and get a 30+ score. And in the mean time, don't forget to participate in clinically related ECs (which is equally important).

Good luck!

 

[jammin06]

I'm hoping that some strong EC's will make for a second look at my application and intrigue schools to invite me to interview

 

[KingTutATL]

^^that site makes me sad...from what i'm told, its not a good representation of the total matriculant pool

I agree. Seeing people with those 4.0's and 35+ MCATs and seeing all the rejections scares the hell out of me.

 

[sunnyjohn]

3.2 GPA and set on applying right out of undergrad?

Well, this should be your motto: "KNOW YOUR ENEMY."

Get a copy of the MSAR (do a search). Read it carefully.

Do well on the MCAT. Very well.

Apply to a wide variety of schools.

Don't pull a "David Letterman." It should not be exclusively a top ten list.

Get a few outstanding LOR's (do a search). Your EC's (search) should also set you apart.

Do some research on post-bacc and SMP programs. (Do a search for post by SDNer legends like Singing Devil, liverotcod and "the official low GPA thread").

Throw this in the mix and apply to some of these programs while applying for med school. If you don't get in to med school the first time, an SMP or post-bacc acceptance will be your saving grace.

Learn to pray and develop your belief in luck and faith. You'll need them.

 

[Law2Doc]

i would prefer to go to medical school directly after undergrad tho. is that to far fetched a dream?

Getting in someplace allopathic in the US with a 3.2 is not far fetched if you live in the right state which gives you a shot at a state school with lower averages - otherwise I think you have a little work to do. Honestly, if you want a strong chance of getting into an allopathic US med school, your best bet is to find someplace where you can take some more classes (5th year undergrad or a postbac) and goose up your GPA a bit. But bear in mind that GPA is just one stop on this train -- You also need solid ECs and LORs and a kick-ass PS, and then need to do decently on the MCAT, and thereafter interviews. All of these things can help or hurt your admissions chances, so there may be more reasons for taking the extra year to get your house in order than just the GPA rehab.
The important thing is not to rush things and end up with a mediocre app just to get it out the door. The average age of your med school class (whereever you end up) will almost certainly be a few years older than the age of those matriculants coming right out of college, and that's because many many people will be taking the postbac and life experience routes to improve their applications. These people are doing what needs to be done to ensure admission -- Why not join the crowd?

 

[sandros1]

To continue the low GPA idea, I have a 2.6 from a small private liberal arts college but that was 8 years ago. I'm now holding a 3.96 from a huge state university. My overall GPA is coming up, but i'm banking on the fact that I have 6 years of life experience that has not been at all traditional. I'm also banking on the fact that I'm 8 years away from my undergrad, and planning on getting another bachelor's and studying like mad for the MCAT's. Thoughts on the huge delay? Will the delay help in weighting the current GPA (from a huge public school) over the overall cum? Thanks for any knowledge.

 

[Law2Doc]

To continue the low GPA idea, I have a 2.6 from a small private liberal arts college but that was 8 years ago. I'm now holding a 3.96 from a huge state university. My overall GPA is coming up, but i'm banking on the fact that I have 6 years of life experience that has not been at all traditional. I'm also banking on the fact that I'm 8 years away from my undergrad, and planning on getting another bachelor's and studying like mad for the MCAT's. Thoughts on the huge delay? Will the delay help in weighting the current GPA (from a huge public school) over the overall cum? Thanks for any knowledge.

The time will definitely help if you have been doing interesting and impressive stuff in the interval, and schools will certainly weight the grades you are getting in your current bachelors as significantly more important than the low GPA you got 8 years ago. But schools will never "totally" overlook the undergrad GPA, and so you will hopefully be able to pull the overall cum (then & now) to a level deemed palatable -- Meaning that if your overall GPA with both bachelors is still below a 3.0, it might be tough even if you were an A student in this bachelors go around.

 

[sandros1]

The time will definitely help if you have been doing interesting and impressive stuff in the interval, and schools will certainly weight the grades you are getting in your current bachelors as significantly more important than the low GPA you got 8 years ago. But schools will never "totally" overlook the undergrad GPA, and so you will hopefully be able to pull the overall cum (then & now) to a level deemed palatable -- Meaning that if your overall GPA with both bachelors is still below a 3.0, it might be tough even if you were an A student in this bachelors go around.

I certainly plan on doing enough coursework to increase my cum to 3.0 or better. I don't plan on applying until next year, so time is on my side. Is age a factor? I'm 30 now, but from what I've seen that does not appear to hinder an applicant much at all. Also, my undergrad GPA was effected by the death of a friend my freshman fall. I pulled a 1.8 with a long absence that semester and never truely recovered. I did have a steady increase (along with a 4.0 on my undergrad thesis - a graduation requirement). Lots of work ahead though for sure. Thanks for the insight.

 

[rugirlie]

Hmm, yeah, funny you mentioned that b/c it is true.
Top 10 ranked (non-grade inflating private): 3.2
Random public (all 200 to grad level bio) : 4.0

Yeah, funny how I can speak for both sides since I've been to both. Hopefully, you're at a school where you know you can downgrade to an easier place.

Ignore him..... he's just bitter

 

[Law2Doc]

I certainly plan on doing enough coursework to increase my cum to 3.0 or better. I don't plan on applying until next year, so time is on my side. Is age a factor? I'm 30 now, but from what I've seen that does not appear to hinder an applicant much at all. Also, my undergrad GPA was effected by the death of a friend my freshman fall. I pulled a 1.8 with a long absence that semester and never truely recovered. I did have a steady increase (along with a 4.0 on my undergrad thesis - a graduation requirement). Lots of work ahead though for sure. Thanks for the insight.

I wouldn't worry about your age -- lots of people in the applicant pool will be older than you. You probably won't be the oldest in your class whereever you attend. Good luck!

 

[Peterock]

Ignore him..... he's just bitter

Ignore her, she's just naive. She doesn't know any better.

 

[rugirlie]

Ignore her, she's just naive. She doesn't know any better.

I rather be naive and happy than in the know and ridiculously bitter (like say getting free tuition AND a stipend to go to med school but still being a crabass about the process)....

Give me the matrix anyday!

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

Ditto plus you could spend some years doing post bacc to bring it up.

If your MCAT doesn't suck, that's not unrealistic to get into schools, though.

if ur mcat is 30 + u should be ok

(i know from experience!)

 

[mshheaddoc]

no, my sci gpa is pretty much the same. i would prefer to go to medical school directly after undergrad tho. is that to far fetched a dream?

Just remember that med school is a marathon not a sprint. If you want it, you will do anything to get in. If that means applying and doing a SMP for a year or two "WHILE" applying I suggest you do it.


Mushy

 

[vivicaq]

The best advise i can give to those who believe that they have a low GPA is to directly consult the advisors at the medical schools they are interested in. I have listened to many people and they were wrong they had me on the verge of collapsing. Things were not as bad as they were being potrayed. Plus there are others things that are put into account not just the GPA and MCAT, however those numbers need to be decent enough to give the review board a reason to look at your application.

 

[Peterock]

I rather be naive and happy than in the know and ridiculously bitter (like say getting free tuition AND a stipend to go to med school but still being a crabass about the process)....

Give me the matrix anyday!

And I would rather my patients know that I didn't bull**** my way through undergraduate and medical school by getting an inferior education and playing a system that accidentally benefitted me.

Simply b/c I am no longer going to be poor does that mean I should stop caring about other poor people? There are plenty of deserving people getting dicked b/c of the absurdity of the process. Are you one of them? No? Didn't think so, so why do you care? Maybe it is you that is bitter.

 

[rugirlie]

And I would rather my patients know that I didn't bull**** my way through undergraduate and medical school by getting an inferior education and playing a system that accidentally benefitted me.

Simply b/c I am no longer going to be poor does that mean I should stop caring about other poor people? There are plenty of deserving people getting dicked b/c of the absurdity of the process. Are you one of them? No? Didn't think so, so why do you care? Maybe it is you that is bitter.

Oh please, don't play that I care about other peoples misfortune card with me.. you told me straight up that your bitter about your own situation... but in any case, no I am not bitter.. I have no reason to be even despite the fact that you think I bull****ted my way through ugrad and that I accidentally got into a decent med school.... as I said to you before, you must know way more than my school's adcom does.... And you know, even if thats the case, in the end, I'm still the happy one so I really don't care...

I am on cloud 9 about this upcoming august!

 

[LSU-Tech]

you mean top ranked ones that inflate grades? and yeah, you're right tho...getting a 4.0 at a public uni. is really easy, no sweat. which i'm sure you know because you've spent time at both top-tier as well as public universities.

right on brother

 

[Peterock]

Oh please, don't play that I care about other peoples misfortune card with me.. you told me straight up that your bitter about your own situation... but in any case, no I am not bitter.. I have no reason to be even despite the fact that you think I bull****ted my way through ugrad and that I accidentally got into a decent med school.... as I said to you before, you must know way more than my school's adcom does.... And you know, even if thats the case, in the end, I'm still the happy one so I really don't care...

I am on cloud 9 about this upcoming august!

You don't care so much you posted about me in a previous thread.
You don't care so much you took it upon yourself to contradict me and insult my character in this thread.
Gosh.... I'd hate to see what you did if you actually CARED!

Again, I say things for how they are and you bull****.... "you don't care", "you're not bitter", etc etc. Who really knows with you, I at least say what I mean.

 

[Centinel]

On a happier note, a Southern friend of mine made me sweet tea tonight!

 

[sunnyjohn]

On a happier note, a Southern friend of mine made me sweet tea tonight!

I *heart* sweet tea.

Did you have a sprig of mint?

Or a splash of Bacardi?

 

[rugirlie]

You don't care so much you posted about me in a previous thread.
You don't care so much you took it upon yourself to contradict me and insult my character in this thread.
Gosh.... I'd hate to see what you did if you actually CARED!

Again, I say things for how they are and you bull****.... "you don't care", "you're not bitter", etc etc. Who really knows with you, I at least say what I mean.

Ok I was gonna respond, but I'm not actually gonna say anything

 

[Centinel]

I *heart* sweet tea.

Did you have a sprig of mint?

Or a splash of Bacardi?

I guess you could call the bottle a 'splash' of Bacardi!

I'm from the West so I don't actually know how it's supposed to be taken. She gave me a lemon wedge; is it better with mint?