Importance of grades/GPA for self-designed postbacc

[WanderingDave]

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I graduated from a decent undergraduate college a few years ago with a GPA of 3.1~3.2. I did no science at all during that time. Then one day I woke up and decided I was going to try for medical school. So here I am as a non-degree student at my local state college, which is considered among the best in the state and has fiercely tough grading policies. I'm taking my sciences and math. I'm doing great in biology, finding it easy to learn, and really loving it. Wish I could say the same for the more "mathy" sciences. I'll be very lucky if I get high B's in Calculus II and Chemistry.

My status here is weird. Since I already have my BA, I'm enrolled officially as a Graduate Non-Degree Student. As such, the undergraduate courses I'm taking don't count towards my GPA here. But that's all I'm taking is undergrad courses! So I'll be submitting to the AdComs a transcript from this college with grades for each of my courses, then a GPA of zero.

So here's my question: Assuming I can work my butt off and do very well on the MCAT, are a lack of A's on my present science courses, save biology, going to make me a tough candidate for any US med school? Remember that I'm a non traditional student, who's already several years out of college.

 

[liverotcod]

So I'll be submitting to the AdComs a transcript from this college with grades for each of my courses, then a GPA of zero.

The AMCAS application will incorporate your current classes into your undergraduate cumulative as an additional post-bacc "year" - it doesn't matter how the school counts them.

So here's my question: Assuming I can work my butt off and do very well on the MCAT, are a lack of A's on my present science courses, save biology, going to make me a tough candidate for any US med school? Remember that I'm a non traditional student, who's already several years out of college.

A B or two might not kill your app. But the whole idea of post-bacc work is to add "wow" to your application. A 3.5 or so in post-bacc doesn't do that the way a 3.9 or 4.0 does. A mid to high 30s MCAT will definitely help, but if I were you, I would worry about having the same difficulties with Physical Science portion of the MCAT as in gen chem and math.

I don't mean to be discouraging, but I think that especially for non-trads who have a lot at stake, it's crucial to be completely - even brutally - honest with oneself. Are you maxing out your effort and using every resource to get As in the areas that are giving you trouble? That is, do you feel like your are performing at your top capacity?

An option you should definitely consider (and may already have) is osteopathic schools. These lead to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, which is fully recognized and licensed like an MD in the US.

Good luck, and keep asking questions. SDN - and the old hands here - has been a terrific resource for me in this grueling process.

 

[wendywellesley]

i'm in a very similar situation. i'm in my second year of a post-bacc (as a graduate non-degree student taking all undergrad classes) but i'm doing upper divisions since i fu*ked up basic sciences as an undergrad. from what i can gather from advisors is that you absolutly need to get A's as a post-bacc. ESPECIALLY since you have a weak undergrad gpa.

 

[sidewalkman]

So here's my question: Assuming I can work my butt off and do very well on the MCAT, are a lack of A's on my present science courses, save biology, going to make me a tough candidate for any US med school? Remember that I'm a non traditional student, who's already several years out of college.

Yes, yes it is. liverotcod is absolutely right. I think part of the reason why you may only be getting B's is because it sounds like you just want to go to med school - you don't know exactly what you want to do and where you want to go. I sucked it up in undergrad, then thought I'd do the post-bacc thing at a CC and still get away with being unfocused. Only after extensive soul-searching, volunteering, and employment did I find my way. Once I did that, I became 100% more motivated, and now am willing to do whatever it takes to get A's. Be honest with yourself, and remember - us nontrads have a very short leash. Good luck.

 

[junebuguf]

Grades arent the only thing...but if you had low numbers during undergrad, then your tolerances will be extremely low. You really need to strive for a 3.8 at least in post-bacc to make a strong impression. Also, like the other posters have said, you will have problems on the MCAT if you cannot master the material in class. Furthermore, a lot of these Gen Chem concepts continually creep into other courses you will have to take like Orgo (which is more like Physics in terms of concepts than Gen Chem) and Molecular Bio, Biochem, et, should you take these classes.

More than impressing ADCOMs, doing well in these classes should be about giving yourself confidence to get through med school. If you havent performed well before, you need to prove to yourself that you can do well in a rigorous curriculum before you worry about impressing ADCOMs.

Also, it doesnt matter what your local college classifies as your gpa. AMCAS has its own policies regarding what is and is not part of your undergrad gpa, and they even have their own grade point assignment policy. So if your school gives you 3.5 grade points for a B+, AMCAS will only give you 3.3