I could use some advice.

[storm king]

Hi all,

I'm a first-time poster here, but I've been perusing the various forums on this site here and there.

After graduating over six years ago, I've decided to do a bit of exploring outside of the medicine path. A serious health issue caused me to take some time off from school in the early undergrad years, and changed my perspective on the entire hamster-wheel crap the other pre-meds around me were stressing over. I took an interest in something else, took it easy, graduated, and have been working full-time doing research in neurobiology since. I wanted to see if doing grad work in biology was something I was interested in, and the years just blew by to this point--where I've decided that medicine is what I feel to be my true calling.

All my pre-reqs are done, and I just recently received a 31 on the MCAT. However, I'm buried in a deep hole by a less-than-stellar GPA that hovers around a 3.0-3.1. My little "reset" at university seems to be worse to get away from than having a criminal record.

If any of you have a similar story, or even some input on how I should proceed, your advice would be much appreciated. My current financial situation is such that any decision I make must be fruitful in one way, or another. I've looked at SMP's, post-bacs, masters programs, etc. I'm confident that I would do well in either of those if I were studying full-time. However that would entail a large change from having regular income, to living on loans.

My understanding is that studying a "useful" masters and doing well does little to negate a ****ty undergraduate GPA. Similarly, an SMP would cost nearly as much, and is of little use outside of being another chance to grovel at the feet of admission committees. After all these years, would taking time off from work and doing undergraduate classes that show an upward trend in my scores be a better solution for my problem?

Cheers,
S K

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[OneTyme]

Your undergrad GPA needs to be higher, it sounds like you know that though. Takes classes and get A's. If you retake a class and get a better grade that will replace your old grade for DO schools. Ideally you could really boost that GPA by retaking old classes.

Dont think of it as groveling. Think of it as proving yourself. You need to show an admissions committee that you have what it takes to pick out a hard but attainable goal, go after it, and arrive at your destination.

I say, just my opinion mind you, that you combine retaking old classes that you did subpar in and taking new science based classes (do well ofcourse!). Then have all you application materials ready to submit the moment the servers open the year you are applying.

Applying to med school is like voting..... Do it early and do it often!

 

[mommy2three]

if your pre-reqs are done i would suggest you look into the smp route.

when looking, you want one that has a good placement rate (places a high percentage of their garads in either their program or another program) as well as a high retention rate (most who enter the prgram graduate)

imho a post-bacc will not help you since you have already completed your pre-reqs...it may if they have not been recently done since i think most med schools require prereqs to be w/in 5 yrs but are willing to waive that if you ahev had more recent upper level classes in the same areas.

i am an smp grad who is now in med school...

smps are a last ditch effort. be prepared to work. i got into a program with a lower mcat than you and acout the same cum gpa. but much like med school, apply early and often.

if you have any questions, send me a message i will be happyto answer them.

welcome and good luck on your journey.

 

[storm king]

if your pre-reqs are done i would suggest you look into the smp route.

when looking, you want one that has a good placement rate (places a high percentage of their garads in either their program or another program) as well as a high retention rate (most who enter the prgram graduate)

imho a post-bacc will not help you since you have already completed your pre-reqs...it may if they have not been recently done since i think most med schools require prereqs to be w/in 5 yrs but are willing to waive that if you ahev had more recent upper level classes in the same areas.

i am an smp grad who is now in med school...

smps are a last ditch effort. be prepared to work. i got into a program with a lower mcat than you and acout the same cum gpa. but much like med school, apply early and often.

if you have any questions, send me a message i will be happyto answer them.

welcome and good luck on your journey.

Thank you all for your kind responses.

I received my BA over 6 years ago, but only recently completed one of the pre-reqs (while working more than full time, so no A's there ).

Would most adcoms completely blow me off since most of my pre-reqs are from so long ago? If so, the SMP would probably be the correct path. I'm pretty set on applying to DO schools only, if that makes any difference.

I'm confident that if I do an SMP, I will do well. I don't have the same distractions I had during the undergrad years. My only concern is the cost--I can't work full time (at least not in science) and focus on classwork at the same time. Perhaps applying one round, and doing the SMP if all fails would be the way forward.

The other issue is the MCAT. I'm OK with my score, even though I feel I could have done better (didn't pace myself well, and had to quickly "guesstimate" the last passage in each section ). If I do a 2 year SMP, I might have to re-take the dreaded exam. I really do not want to put myself though that again.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I'm not sure what an SMP is??? Maybe that's before my time???

So, I graduated with my BS degree with a GPA of 2.7, science GPA of 2.5

Had lots of life issues, surgery, marriage, kids, mom died, etc. End result, took 7 years off after graduation, much like the OP's story. Similar circumstance I believe.

What I did was work 3/4 time 4 days a week to pay the bills.
Did my own post bacc the other 3 days a week. Took all the pre-req's I needed to take over to fix those grades. I didn't need to take any biology over but in one year I took the following:

Organic I/II
Organic Lab
Physics I/II with lab
Chem I/II with lab
Biochem

SO 4 clases each semester came out with a 3.9 overall that year.

My MCAT score was 24

It took me 3 years of applying to get accepted. I never did anything to change my application during those three years except change my personal statement.

You can do it, it takes perseverence. Keep trying, getting into medical school is like the lottery, the more chances you buy the more likely you are to win. Apply early, apply broadly. Use your personal statement to make them want to meet you, when you get that interview, be confident and don't act like you have a plan B. There is no plan B, you will be a doctor and if that school won't take you, somebody will.

Good luck.