I Could Use Some Advice

[SilentSoldier]

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Okay so this is my first post/thread so let me make it good.

I'm currently a 5th year transfer student a University of California school and I plan on applying to med school for fall 2010 so here's my problem. I'm a bio and psychology double major with my bio GPA being 2.6 and my pysch GPA being 3.5. The thing is, I could graduate this year with as a bio major and psych minor with an overall GPA of 3.3 if my grades go the way I want them too. Or, since I could finish my bio classes, the school will let me stay another year and finish up my psychology classes for the double major. Should I stay the 6th year and complete the double major, perhaps take some more bio classes even though the major will already be fufilled, or should I focus on the MCAT, my extracurriculars, research, and letters of rec (I'm looking at 5 strong letters, including 2 from doctors that used to be on admissions boards for schools) and just graduate this year?

If I stay, I could probably study abroad over the summer in Spain at a research lab, be more productive on campus (I'm a Resident Advisor, have done numerous community service events and I'm very active within my fraternity in a good way).

I'm just so hung up on the GPA thing that I feel like even if everything else is stellar I still won't get in. So I could use some help.

And I apologize for the essay. 😛

 

[GoSpursGo]

Honestly, do whatever will let you graduate with the higher cGPA and BCPM GPA. Most likely, I would imagine that would be the 6th year option.

What is your BCPM GPA (biology, chemistry, physics, math)? Med schools won't care what your major GPA is, and most of your psych classes won't count for this GPA. If your BCPM GPA is lagging, you might want to especially make sure to take some more upper division bio classes.

In any case, make sure you rock that MCAT and do as well as possible (read: 4.0) on your remaining coursework. A 3.3 overall GPA isn't dismal, but it's far below the average acceptee score at most schools.

 

[SilentSoldier]

Since my major is biology, would my whole school of biological sciences GPA be counted towards my BCPM, or should I look at the one year bio with lab, one year of calculus, two years of chem (general and o-chem), and one year of physics (the minimum requirements for medical school)? If that's the case, that GPA would look much better, but I doubt that is the case.

 

[Catalystik]

All Biology classes, Chemistry classes, math and Physics classes will be included in your BCPM GPA, not just the prerequisite classes.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Since my major is biology, would my whole school of biological sciences GPA be counted towards my BCPM, or should I look at the one year bio with lab, one year of calculus, two years of chem (general and o-chem), and one year of physics (the minimum requirements for medical school)? If that's the case, that GPA would look much better, but I doubt that is the case.

Just to pile on top of what Catalystik said- every class you've ever taken within the biology, chemistry, physics, and math departments counts into your BCPM GPA; for example, I minored in math, so all of my upper division math courses (Cal III, Stats, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra) factored into my GPA even though they aren't remotely med school pre-reqs. So all of your upper division bio courses will factor into this GPA.

 

[SilentSoldier]

So say this scenario happens.

I pull off 4.0s for the rest of the year and bring my GPA to 3.3-3.4 and my science GPA to 2.7-2.8 and knock the MCAT out of the park (37+), a good list of ECs including clinical exposure and volunteering experience plus some strong LORs (I'm hoping for 5 by the time I graduate) and me being a URM. What would my chances be for MD schools for class of 2014?

I'm thinking about doing a post bac program as well, but I'm not sure about the whole staying another year and finishing a double major thing yet.

Its also a very broad question so I apologize in advance.

 

[flip26]

So say this scenario happens.

I pull off 4.0s for the rest of the year and bring my GPA to 3.3-3.4 and my science GPA to 2.7-2.8 and knock the MCAT out of the park (37+), a good list of ECs including clinical exposure and volunteering experience plus some strong LORs (I'm hoping for 5 by the time I graduate) and me being a URM. What would my chances be for MD schools for class of 2014?

I'm thinking about doing a post bac program as well, but I'm not sure about the whole staying another year and finishing a double major thing yet.

Its also a very broad question so I apologize in advance.

If you do ALL of that, you MIGHT be a good candidate for an SMP (do you know about these special "post bacc" programs?), but you are not in good shape for MD...maybe DO, but not MD...

Oh, and MUCH easier said than done on straight As and rocking the MCAT...

 

[Catalystik]

So say this scenario happens.

I pull off 4.0s for the rest of the year and bring my GPA to 3.3-3.4 and my science GPA to 2.7-2.8 and knock the MCAT out of the park (37)

This plan would work if your BCPM GPA weren't so low. You need to raise it by taking science and math, not by taking more psych classes. I'd suggest you spend an extra year taking upper-level science classes and delaying graduation. A psych minor isn't going to help you, as As there will only raise your overall GPA.

 

[SilentSoldier]

If you do ALL of that, you MIGHT be a good candidate for an SMP (do you know about these special "post bacc" programs?), but you are not in good shape for MD...maybe DO, but not MD...

Oh, and MUCH easier said than done on straight As and rocking the MCAT...

I'm pretty confident in my ability to do well on the MCAT given the right class (I've signed up for Princeton Review) and with my EC and research/clinical experience to be qualified for MD. I'm just so hung up on the GPA that it seems like I have perfect everything else and still not get in. And I know that there are people that have perfect everything and don't get it, but I'm sure you understand my frustration here.

And DO is out of the question, I've worked with some DOs and the experience has been less than satisfactory.

I don't know much about SMP, is there a difference between that program and a standard post-bac program?

 

[Mobius1985]

I don't know much about SMP, is there a difference between that program and a standard post-bac program?

Read sticky #5 first in the postbaccalaureate forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71


Also, read this essay about one perspective in redeeming a low GPA: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=122852

 

[flip26]

And DO is out of the question

In that case, you are eliminating the far more likely path to becoming a physician...I place the chances that you will be entering an MD school in 2010 at around 1 to 2 percent...maybe less than that...

 

[SilentSoldier]

Read sticky #5 first in the postbaccalaureate forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71


Also, read this essay about one perspective in redeeming a low GPA: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=122852

Thanks, I'll probably be going the post bac route. and as far as the DO school thing, there's just some very personal reasons why that route isn't an option for me.