I need help what should I do?!?!?!

Started by UIC
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UIC

UIC

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Ok my chances at M.D school in the U.S is far out the window considering my stats are 3.05 sGPA and 3.2 cGPA. I had one bad semester which I totally screwed up where I took 18 credit hours of all science courses:

Physiology - B
Microbiology - C
Biochemistry - C
Physics - C
Physics Lab - C
Genetics - B

And on top of that I was working as an assistant manager at a restaurant. Ya you don't need to remind me how stupid I am.

I haven't written the MCAT yet, scheduled for August 20. My question is should I apply to the Carribean Medical school M.D this year and hope I get in. Or should I wait another year and apply for D.O school. I calculated that if I get a 4.0 GPA on my next 2 semesters, my Science GPA will improve to 3.15 and my my cGPA would improve to a 3.3 Even then , I may not be competitive enough and who knows if I might be able to get a 4.0 in both semesters. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to become a doctor and I feel helpless right now....
 
If you can get your GPA up to what you're thinking. You should be able to get in somewhere with a high 20s/low 30s MCAT and applying early and broadly. I would look at retaking some of those "C"s as well.

Personally I would avoid the Carribean, 20 years ago it may have been a better option but not today, imo.
 
MLT2MT2DO said:
If you can get your GPA up to what you're thinking. You should be able to get in somewhere with a high 20s/low 30s MCAT and applying early and broadly. I would look at retaking some of those "C"s as well.

Personally I would avoid the Carribean, 20 years ago it may have been a better option but not today, imo.
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The problem is my school won't let me repeat any courses which I recieved a C or higher. Only if I get a D they would let me repeat it which sucks.....
 
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UIC said:
The problem is my school won't let me repeat any courses which I recieved a C or higher. Only if I get a D they would let me repeat it which sucks.....
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Hit up your local CC, probably cheaper anyway.
 
Agree with MLT, spend this summer focusing on the MCAT and getting a good score. Retake a few of your C classes in the Fall and Spring at a CC, and apply to US schools next year early.
 
TrimtheChute said:
Agree with MLT, spend this summer focusing on the MCAT and getting a good score. Retake a few of your C classes in the Fall and Spring at a CC, and apply to US schools next year early.
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Thats what I want to but I have to take University in Fall and Spring since I haven't graduated yet. Unless I take the CC courses next summer and finish by June 23 which should give me some time to apply? Any other suggestions?
 
I agree if you get ur GPA up higher and get a good mcat (close to 30 if not higher) you have a chance at some of the newer DO schools. As for american MD schools......you will not get in with that GPA and an MCAT below 30. In fact it would take a very very high mcat to get you in. Of course extra cirriculars are also accounted for so if you have publications in research and all that will help. But you cant run away from the academic aspect of it. If you dont have a balance of gpa and mcat then you have to accel alot more in the other. So if you really want medicine, study for the mcat HARD! and try to rock it. if you get mid to high 30s you ll def get into DO school and may have a shot at MD.

And Carribean schools are not reccomendable but if thats what it takes then thats what you gotta do. Just remember that there are a few success stories out of those but alot of unsuccesful ones too. So weigh out your options and concentrate on the mcat because everyone gets into the carribean schools no matter what your stats pretty much.
 
If you have good ECs and a mid-high 20's MCAT, you should get in somewhere (provided you apply broadly and smartly). These people talking 30+ for MCAT to get in are insane, or at least misinformed. You do want to get your MCAT as high as possible (like everyone should). Your GPA is a bit low; I'd retake any classes that I could. Get a decent MCAT score, rehab your GPA, apply broadly, and you should be fine. Don't stress too much.
 
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okay...... here is my story and hopefully you feel better....

My GPA was essentially almost exactly the same as yours...my cum was 3.27 but my sGPA was 2.95! Yikes!

I took the MCAT twice, first time 29R, second time one month later 32S. (both with good distribution between subjects).

I graduated from a very respectable and well known university in California and have extracurriculars that would rival students going to UCSF or Harvard (my roommate with similar EC's is now at UCSF).

I applied to only MD schools the first time around, didn't get an interview at any of them, the 2nd time around I only applied to DO schools. I applied to 6, filled out 5 2ndaries....got 3 interviews and 3 acceptances.

I PERSONALLY don't think you should even consider the carribean for a few reasons. Firstly, the probability that you'll get a US residency is very slim already and will be REALLLY slim in 5-6 years when you graduate. Most carribean students (the ones that don't drop out, apparently a LOT drop out) go to Australia or the UK for residency. Secondly, you can't get federal student loans for offshore med schools, and some people found it very hard in this difficult economy to get private loans for 70k a year, EVERY year..(you have to reapply for a loan every year and some students had to drop out after 1 year, b/c they could not secure a loan the 2nd year). Lastly, carribean schools skew almost every statistic they have on their website (and give to current students) in their favor, so take those with a grain of salt. Also, the current students there have no real basis for the statistics either, how could they when most carribean schools don't even HAVE 3rd or 4th years to interact with, since the 3/4th years are away in a different country doing rotations!!!!. They have no idea who is actually getting into what residency and where. The students only have what the carribean med school posts, which is always skewed. Or the school only promotes its best students, which isn't going to be the case for 99% of the student body.

You can call me anti-carribean, but I'm not, I have a few friends going there right now and I hope they succeed, but don't just look at those great success stories that you hear about carribean schools, look at what the AVERAGE student does, and what he or he gets out of carribean schools. 🙂
 
radiodoc99 said:
Focus on a high MCAT and then take some grad courses and apply to DO
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I would not suggest grad classes. Graduate school GPA is not counted very heavily by adcoms mostly because they are very, very inflated. The exception would be a SMP.
 
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