I Do Not Know What to Do

BU Medical Sciences
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well I guess my question is did you not know a rough estimate of your sGPA before you applied? you sound like you had no idea whatsoever it would be that low

<3.0 sGPA is a bad sign and you might be screened out, but i'm not an expert on the topic so maybe there are schools that wouldn't. if you are as ready as you think you can be for the MCAT then go ahead and take it; if you do well enough you may be competative for DO schools
 
Most schools I applied to do not screen

I have no more money to apply D.O.

FML
 
how did you formulate school list without MCAT? how did you do on Official AAMC Practice Test?
 
gyngyn said:
That science gpa is not likely to be associated with success.
This seems like a good time to stop and re-tool your strategy.
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Okay, what does that entail? Should I look into SMPs? Will I be a re-applicant if I stop now?
 
azolesoul said:
Okay, what does that entail? Should I look into SMPs? Will I be a re-applicant if I stop now?
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You will be a re-applicant at any school to which you submitted a primary but state public schools tend to be more tolerant of missteps.

A sustained period of academic excellence in the sciences can salvage your future.
 
gyngyn said:
You will be a re-applicant at any school to which you submitted a primary but state public schools tend to be more tolerant of missteps.

A sustained period of academic excellence in the sciences can salvage your future.
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Okay, what does this mean? What exactly must I do?
 
azolesoul said:
Okay, what does this mean? What exactly must I do?
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Provide us with more context of your situation so that we can give you advice. What was the reasoning for the poor grades? What is your grade trend? How many schools did you send your primary to? Why are you shocked at your GPA? Shouldn't this be known before applying to something like this?
 
Why did you even apply this year? I thought (according to your WAMC post in April) you were taking the MCAT next year. Why did you all of a sudden decide to rush things? You knew your GPA was not great then and it (for what ever reason) is considerably worse now. You were advised to to do some post bacc work. Why did you decide to take the MCAT now and apply now?

What should you do?...you should go back and read the advice you got back in April in your WAMC thread. Fix your GPA with a DIY post bacc and kill the MCAT next year.
 
azolesoul said:
My poor grades are due to depression and poor family circumstances (i.e. I have the capability but life got in the way).
Freshman- 4.0s, 4.0c
Sophomore- 3.07s, 3.07c
Junior- 3.25s, 3.50c
Senior- 2.42s, 2.42c

I sent my primary to 16 schools (FAP)

I knew my cumulative was about a 3.3 but I'm really shocked my science is below 3.0.
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This trend is not consistent with a desired outcome in this cycle.
Your record needs at least a year of A's in the sciences and an MCAT consistent with success before an attempt at the application.
 
You should call AAMC and see if you can withdraw before it transmits to schools (so maybe you won't be a reapplicant) and see if you can get any type of refund.

Losing your money would suck. I wish you asked these questions before blindly applying.

BTW, SMPs are rigorous and I've seen Goro say a GPA of 3.7 is what's expected. If you mess up an SMP there may be no coming back. I think you need to figure out why earned the GPA you have before signing up for any type of program.
 
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azolesoul said:
Okay, and how do you propose I pay for that (you get no financial aid for this)? In addition, I've taken almost all the science I can at my school so, go back and take what exactly? Why wouldn't I just do an SMP. Better yet, why don't I just take the MCAT and see what happens?
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Medical school is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not take the MCAT until you are completely ready, most schools don't average or superscore. If you take it now and do as poorly as your grades suggest you will, it will stick with you even if you take the MCAT again and do very well. With the strong downward trend, your chances are below even those with the same GPA (most people applying with that GPA have a strong upward trend).

Sometimes you just need time. In high school, I had to drop a bio class after like a week and a half because I was failing (and how could I ever be a doc if I couldn't pass high school bio?) It took it again with the same teacher next year and got the highest score in the class! I really didn't do much different the second year, either. I just needed time. Give yourself time.
 
azolesoul said:
I DON'T HAVE MONEY- this is not a motivation issue, it's a financial one.
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I understand that, but medical schools don't really care that you can't afford an SMP. The adversity question can only make up for so much. If you need to work, work. It's best if you can find work in a clinical area, but it's fine if not. Schools that don't prescreen will send you secondaries which will cost you even more money. You will do better investing that money in something to bring your GPA up. To be honest, if you keep going down the path of applying this cycle you will just keep digging yourself into a hole. You need to pull yourself out of this hole ASAP to move forwards with your life.
 
Get a full time job at a University that has benefits that would allow you to take classes. I know at the university I work at, you can take 2 classes a semester for free if you are an employee. This will also allow you to save up some money (and beef up your ECs working in clinic/research) so that when the time is right to apply, you will have money saved up to apply to many schools (both DO and MD).

Do not take the MCAT until you show consistency in your grades. This is not going to be a quick fix. You should aim at applying in minimum 2 years.
 
azolesoul said:
Okay, and how do you propose I pay for that (you get no financial aid for this)? In addition, I've taken almost all the science I can at my school so, go back and take what exactly? Why wouldn't I just do an SMP. Better yet, why don't I just take the MCAT and see what happens?
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Stop acting helpless. Maybe you need a break from the internet to go through these emotions. Many formal post-bac programs are federal aid eligible.

I explained above why an SMP should be a well-thought out decision due to the rigor and "one shot only" idea.

You NEVER want to take the MCAT just to see what happens. Are we really having this convo? I'm not convinced you actually want to be a doctor if you just want to wing EVERYTHING.
azolesoul said:
The system will not let me withdraw--how screwed am I?
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Call AAMC.
 
Withdraw your application, bump up your GPA by taking few semesters of science/biology classes with a near-4.0 GPA, take MCAT when you are ready, and apply to MD and DO based on your MCAT score.
 
Ouch. It's too bad that your GPA trajectory is downward instead of upward...

You'll need about 2-3 years of solid academic success to redeem yourself as well as a demonstrably stable record of emotional health. Yeah, life gets in the way, but you need to demonstrate that you can now handle it and not be derailed. That's going to take time --

I like the 'work for a university' idea, and think that would be a very practical path --
 
azolesoul said:
My poor grades are due to depression and poor family circumstances (i.e. I have the capability but life got in the way).
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Have you gotten help for depression? Have you seen someone? Because if you are going to blame your downward trend on circumstance, you better have concrete evidence to show that you have been able to correct those issues.

And school/application aside, get your mental health straightened out before you jump into a post bacc or smp or whatever you decide to do if you haven't
 
russian-tried-to-dig-a-hole-through-the-earths-crust-19814112.png
 
azolesoul said:
You people are very unrealistic- you know how hard it is to get a job let alone one at a specific place?

Forget this, I'm going to grad school.

Thanks!
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"Getting a job at a university that generally designs jobs for students is much harder than getting into medical school. You all are the unrealistic ones!"
 
azolesoul said:
I DO WANT to pursue medicine but if I'm as hopeless as everyone one here suggests, what is the point?
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NOBODY said it is hopeless. People said you will not get in this year. People said that when you first posted on this site. YOU chose to ignore them.

People say you need a couple years to take some upper level science classes to show that you can handle academics of medical school.
 
azolesoul said:
I DO WANT to pursue medicine but if I'm as hopeless as everyone one here suggests, what is the point?
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No, no. I said STOP ACTING HELPLESS. Nobody said hopeless.

People have run down ideas to help you be successful but you're stuck in your feelings of defeat and self-pity. Again, take a break from the net! After wallowing for a short period of time, comeback and construct and execute a plan! We need more minorities in medicine. I'm rooting for you, but only you can do the work!
 
azolesoul said:
Look guys, I have been studying for the MCAT and I just moved my date back a little. If I were to get a good score, and I worked on my GPAs, what GPA should I try to achieve BEFORE applying?
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Your GPA as a whole is pretty much wrecked. You need to take 30+ credits (1 years worth) of upper level science classes and get a 3.7+ to show that you aren't the same student who got a 2.4 senior year. Essentially, a good MCAT score and a years worth of 3.7+ upper level science classes MAY convince a school that you can handle a med school curriculum
 
azolesoul said:
You people are very unrealistic- you know how hard it is to get a job let alone one at a specific place?

Forget this, I'm going to grad school.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Not to quote Coldplay but "nobody said it was easy." We SDNers are just trying to help you improve your chances down the line which entails being honest just as a physician identifies the problem and works with the patient on how to best solve the problem (often, over a long period of time!). Your problem is your gpa but mainly science GPA. So follow the advice above about pursuing a do-it-yourself postbacc. I personally work, had to retake my MCAT TWICE and took one of the 4 (bio, orgo, physics, chem) courses after work this year and it was hard! But I did it! There are financial resources out there for taking more undergrad classes, perhaps at a local college. I would talk to their financial aid office about options. Above all, you need to be your own advocate.

As far as getting a job, you need A job. You don't need to land the head coordinator position at Sloan-Kettering. You just need something that will allow you to save up.

If getting into med school (forget even earning that MD or DO degree) was a walk in the park, the whole world would be old ladies in tracksuits and ankleweights. If this is your dream, don't give up. But if you are giving up, perhaps this isn't your passion.
 
azolesoul said:
Look guys, I have been studying for the MCAT and I just moved my date back a little. If I were to get a good score, and I worked on my GPAs, what GPA should I try to achieve BEFORE applying?
Click to expand...

Yeah, the point of post-grad work isn't to bring your GPA all the way back up (med schools expect it to be too sunk for that so they make allowances). It's supposed to show them you understand it now, so you need an SMP/post-bacc GPA slightly above their normal range, not the overall!

It will be your second chance, but you won't get a third one. Make sure you are ready to knock it out of the park.
 
First you need to calm the heck down. You can still make it to Medical school but it's going to take you a little longer than the traditional folks. You must address and fix whatever issues that caused you to have a subpar science GPA. You need to plan out a post-bac that will consist of mostly upper level science courses.

You need to take new challenging classes and maintain As in all of them. A masters or smp will have no effect on your undergrad GPA. Undergrad GPA is King. Do not rush your preparation for your Mcat. You have a lot of growing up to do. You want quick gratification... you have to work very hard when you truly want something.
 
azolesoul said:
What if I went back and got a second bachelors (I'm interested in physics)? A physics bachelors would allow me to improve my science GPA and work on more ECs.
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This is not an efficient way to address your deficit.
I have not found physics to be a real gpa booster for those who have struggled in the sciences.

If physics is what you enjoy and do well in, there is nothing wrong with changing gears, though.
 
azolesoul said:
What if I went back and got a second bachelors (I'm interested in physics)? A physics bachelors would allow me to improve my science GPA and work on more ECs.
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You do not necessarily need to get a full bachelors. ~30+ credits would be good
 
azolesoul said:
Look guys, I have been studying for the MCAT and I just moved my date back a little. If I were to get a good score, and I worked on my GPAs, what GPA should I try to achieve BEFORE applying?
Click to expand...


I have a friend who took almost 150+ hours to make his GPA better and did a TON of research and clinical jobs. It took him a couple more years than the traditional applicant but guess what? He got into a top 10 school. He made no excuses for himself. He is a minority and disadvantaged but he didn't make any excuses for himself despite the odds that were against him. Have good mindset instead of lashing out. Do hard work. It will get you there.
 
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