Is it over before it started?

[mikeknicks]

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After a 5 year hiatus I have decided to go back and finish my undergrad degree with the intention of working my ass off and trying my best to get into med school. Unfortunately when I was in school I hardly went to class and failed out of school with impressively low grades. A 1.2 Gpa to be exact

My grades were as follows.

13 F's (Two Science, none pre-reqs)
2 D's
1 D+
1 C+
4 C's (One Science, not a pre req)
1 B+
4 B's
1 A

I have Recently re-enrolled at a local community college and took four classes last semester getting A's in all four classes. After another semester I will have received my AA and will transfer to a 4 year school to get my bachelors.

What I was curious to know is if there is any chance at all to salvage my past mistakes and get into med school in the United States. I hate to be penalized because I was young and stupid and took for granted the opportunity that I had.

If anyone could shed some light on this dim situation it would be a real help.

Thanks!

 

[DrMidlife]

Option #1: move to Texas, get a job to establish residency, and then do academic fresh start. Clean slate. Start your undergrad over (arguments abound about whether you can start over before the 10 year waiting period is up). Only valid inside Texas.

Option #2: focus on DO schools, which do GPA calcs including only the new grade if you repeat coursework. Repeat most or all of your grades C or lower.

Option #3: get your cumulative undergrad GPA to 3.0 (no retake forgiveness), and/or do multiple university/undergrad hard science years at a very very very high GPA. Get above a competitive MCAT score (32+). Do an SMP while applying to your state's MD school(s).

None of these are guaranteed.

You probably can't get your old school to convert those F's to W's or I's, but you should try anyway.

Best of luck to you.

 

[take the shot]

After a 5 year hiatus I have decided to go back and finish my undergrad degree with the intention of working my ass off and trying my best to get into med school. Unfortunately when I was in school I hardly went to class and failed out of school with impressively low grades. A 1.2 Gpa to be exact

My grades were as follows.

13 F's (Two Science, none pre-reqs)
2 D's
1 D+
1 C+
4 C's (One Science, not a pre req)
1 B+
4 B's
1 A

I have Recently re-enrolled at a local community college and took four classes last semester getting A's in all four classes. After another semester I will have received my AA and will transfer to a 4 year school to get my bachelors.

What I was curious to know is if there is any chance at all to salvage my past mistakes and get into med school in the United States. I hate to be penalized because I was young and stupid and took for granted the opportunity that I had.

If anyone could shed some light on this dim situation it would be a real help.

Thanks!

Dude, definitely go after med school if that's your dream. I am a 2nd year med student and am very focused and disciplined...NOW. Trust me, there was no one more immature and irresponsible than me as an undergrad. Nothing was more important than partying and guys (o: On the application where it says "explain any grade less than a B" I was cringing as there were so many!

But I became a single parent and grew up. I took classes and worked my butt off to do exceptionally well. Trust me when I tell you admissions committees will be willing to overlook your past as "youthful immaturity" if you change your ways and really kick butt. You also need to retake any science courses that you did poorly in. I am glad you are switching to a university as this looks better for you than a community college.

Get involved with volunteering, try to do research in something you love (doesn't matter what it is, just decide what you're passionate about), and get a good MCAT score. You just need a record that says: I really want this, I'm really smart and capable, I'll do whatever it takes to be there.
Wish you the best of luck

 

[mikeknicks]

From reading these forums a lot of people mention that its near impossible to get a med school to even look into your application if you have below a 3.0 average. I calculated that even if I get A's in every class I take till I graduate I will only have a 2.7 gpa. Is there anything I can do to ensure my app doesn't go straight to the shredder?

 

[take the shot]

From reading these forums a lot of people mention that its near impossible to get a med school to even look into your application if you have below a 3.0 average. I calculated that even if I get A's in every class I take till I graduate I will only have a 2.7 gpa. Is there anything I can do to ensure my app doesn't go straight to the shredder?

Repeat the courses that you received a C or less

 

[mikeknicks]

Repeating courses would help me for only DO school where you can retake classes for higher grades, correct?

 

[Lijia4]

Really, anything below a 3.0 is likely to be passed up for both DO and MD schools, unless you have other amazing stats and your application is otherwise solid. You could start forming relationships with advisers at med schools you're interested in and ask them what they want to see from you/applicants in similar situations.

You'll definitely have the most benefit from your retakes with the AACOMAS system, but to be honest, your GPA is still likely to be below average for DO schools. If you are successful at changing things around and show a solid positive trend (such as all A's or a mix of As and B's), obtain a super competitive MCAT score, and have great EC's, it's still definitely doable. You have your work cut out for you, but you wouldn't be the first person to gain acceptance to a medical school after improving from an atrocious GPA, and you wouldn't be the last. Stay determined, stay positive, and form a smart strategy to get in 🙂 Networking goes a long way too---find someone (advisor, med school associate/faculty, practicing physician, etc) who will believe in you as much as I hope you believe in yourself. Let them in on how your academic and application process is going so they can see your growth as a student and come LOR time, give you an amazing recommendation that speaks to your strengths and turnaround.

Good luck!!

 

[cabinbuilder]

Since you have had a 5 year gap you really are starting fresh. Do really well in your current classes. Be strong in your pre-med pre-req's, do well on the MCAT, have a great essay and just apply. All of this what if, and I messed up previously, and I might not get in, blah, blah, blah is all talk unless you apply. You cannot go back, only forward. You have to prove yourself, be strong and don't dwell on a past you cannot fix.

In your PS don't apologize, just explain. We all have had bad grades in the past. It can be overcome. It will be overcome.

Do well, apply, and see what happens.

 

[MrPolarZero]

You need not to worry. Since a lot of the subjects that you have failed in are not prerequisites, these will not be credited in your new school. Though you will still take similar subjects to compensate.

 

[DrMidlife]

You need not to worry. Since a lot of the subjects that you have failed in are not prerequisites, these will not be credited in your new school. Though you will still take similar subjects to compensate.

Perhaps you need to worry more.

What the new school does to old credits is irrelevant with respect to med school admissions.

Med school admissions require you to submit every transcript you ever earned. MD schools will include every grade you ever earned in your GPA calculations. DO schools will not include repeated grades in GPA calculations. Med schools will do whatever they like with the full list of everything.

 

[shushumiga]

13 F's (Two Science, none pre-reqs) 😱

Now, from now on you have to do extremely well and show it on your application when you apply as well kill the MCAT and score anything above 30. Take all your pre-reqs as well as higher level bio courses, get involved in research, etc. It is a long road ahead of you.

 

[mikeknicks]

I appreciate all of the help guys. Would it behoove me to finish all of my classes and redo all of my d's and f's before applying. I feel that if I apply after my Junior year my gpa will be too low than if I wait to finish undergrad. Plus I could use the year off after undergrad to do more EC's and take more time to work on my apps as opposed to rushing though them while I am taking all of my classes.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Would it behoove me to finish all of my classes and redo all of my d's and f's before applying.

Yes, it would. As well as work through a 5th year of undergrad to continue to try to rehab your GPA. You need to take, and get all A's, in a whole lot of undergraduate credits.

 

[Clownball]

Start over. Do what everyone said regarding grades, MCAT, etc. Don't submit your old abysmal college transcripts and hope they don't do too much digging. If they do say, "I forgot" or "I didn't know." Those two phrases are magic and they will serve you well through your life.

 

[V5RED]

Start over. Do what everyone said regarding grades, MCAT, etc. Don't submit your old abysmal college transcripts and hope they don't do too much digging. If they do say, "I forgot" or "I didn't know." Those two phrases are magic and they will serve you well through your life.

Worst. Advice. Ever.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Start over. Do what everyone said regarding grades, MCAT, etc. Don't submit your old abysmal college transcripts and hope they don't do too much digging. If they do say, "I forgot" or "I didn't know." Those two phrases are magic and they will serve you well through your life.

Pre-allo is over there somewhere. Please don't come over to one of the more serious forums with advice this absolutely ****ty.

 

[0919mmk]

Start over. Do what everyone said regarding grades, MCAT, etc. Don't submit your old abysmal college transcripts and hope they don't do too much digging. If they do say, "I forgot" or "I didn't know." Those two phrases are magic and they will serve you well through your life.

Haha! Yeah I'm giving this guy the benefit of the doubt and assuming that this is not real advice. If it were real, it would literally be the worst advice you could possibly get. Do the opposite of this and you'll be just fine.

Actually while I'm commenting, let me just say to the OP that if you are serious about this and ready to get CRAZY academic for the next 6 years, you might be able to rehab your GPA enough to get in to a DO school (assuming literally almost straight A's and a killer MCAT). If Carribean schools weren't such a crap deal, I'd suggest you look in to those, but honestly I wouldn't even recommend that- too much of a risk:http://6medschool.blogspot.com/

Look at the allied health professions as well - that's good honest work, well paying, and more realistic. Sorry, definitely don't want to rain on your parade, and I'm NOT saying you can't do it, but all those F's, you know, you have to basically get straight A's from here on out to balance that out. Best of luck!

 

[wholeheartedly]

Start over. Do what everyone said regarding grades, MCAT, etc. Don't submit your old abysmal college transcripts and hope they don't do too much digging. If they do say, "I forgot" or "I didn't know." Those two phrases are magic and they will serve you well through your life.

I'll third this as the worst advice ever. They can easily check this through a national database, easily. If you are admitted and have failed to include a transcript they can dismiss you from the school, even if you've been there paid tuition. Please don't do that.

I think you can do this if you rock your classes from here on out and give a strong showing on the MCAT. Might need to do an SMP but don't give up on this yet.

 

[mikeknicks]

The four classes I have already taken are 4 that I got F's in and repeated them for A's. I am taking another 5 right now, and am poised to get a's in them as well. Once I get into the upper level at a 4 year school I can repeat the last 4 f's and retake the 3 d's and 5 c's I have, leaving me with an excellent recalculated gpa for DO schools. My concern is MD though. How do MD schools look at classes that have been retaken, does this factor into their decisions at all?

 

[MightyMoose]

I can relate very well with your situation, OP. I was in a similar situation when I went back to school, but I had a 1.4 GPA (pretty much the same GPA you're talking about). My college guidance counselors all told me to forget medicine, because it would never happen... Well, as of this year, I have proven them wrong. You can do it, but it will require A LOT of work.

It took me 5 years of classes going year-round (fall, spring, and summer) to bring my GPA up >3.5. I did quite a bit of leadership, worked full-time while going to school, and did all the standard hospital, shadowing, research, etc..

This is a VERY taxing process and it becomes easy to forget about why you are doing it, which is why I recommend volunteering at a local hospital throughout your second go at UG. Do at least 2-3 hours a week, which can help you make shadowing contacts and keep you directed towards your goal.

It can be done, but you aren't looking at starting medical school for >5 years, most likely closer to 6.

I also agree with the previous poster about Texas. Seriously consider this - I wish I had. Not only is the tuition less, but they are a little more flexible about in-state stats, and they have a ton of schools to apply to.

Best of luck and get ready for a VERY long uphill battle. But know that it is possible. 😉

 

[mikeknicks]

I looked into the texas option and from what i've read you need to be out of school for ten years before being allowed a "fresh start" so that is out of the question. Plus I dont really love the idea of moving to texas.

As far as tuition is concerned I am fortunate enough that money wont be an issue.

Also I have already began volunteering at a hospital by my house 8 hours a week, and have been for the past 2 months or so. I have also shadowed 3 doctors on 6 separate occasions. I am also in the process of looking for research opportunities.

I have absolutely no distractions as I have moved away from all of my friends who currently live in new york and I established residency in Florida. There are an abundance of medical schools here and it seems there are more opening regularly, including at Florida Atlantic University where I will be enrolling in after the summer. I have my mind set on this goal and nothing will stop me from reaching it.

Mightymoose, if you don't mind me asking where did you end up getting into med school and what was your mcat score?

 

[Sans]

This thread is fantastic and gives me a lot of inspiration. I'd like to reciprocate that to the OP and the others in this thread who face uphill battles...IF you are intelligent and truly have a passion for medicine, you can absolutely make it from almost any starting point. It doesn't get impossible until you start seeing people who have had problems IN med school, and even then there are some success stories to be found.

I actually just left a post-op appointment with my ENT, with whom I have been talking a lot about my decision to go to medical school. His words were, "If you investigate medicine and know that it is a passion for you, do whatever it takes to get there and you will NEVER regret having done it." He finished his residency in 1980.

Make sure you get as much exposure as you can so that you can confirm it as your passion (shadowing etc.) and don't listen to anything negative - all the best.

 

[Clownball]

I'll third this as the worst advice ever. They can easily check this through a national database, easily. If you are admitted and have failed to include a transcript they can dismiss you from the school, even if you've been there paid tuition. Please don't do that.

I think you can do this if you rock your classes from here on out and give a strong showing on the MCAT. Might need to do an SMP but don't give up on this yet.

Wow. You guys are easy. I was obviously joking, but...

I'm not aware of a "national database" of college transcripts. Would be really surprised if such an entity existed. If it does, two of my past colleges haven't bothered checking me because I've done this and no one's the wiser. That said...

I would never seriously recommend what I recommended with tongue firmly in cheek. There is far too much on the line to take a stupid risk like that, which is why I made it obvious at the end that I was joking.

 

[EdLongshanks]

I would never seriously recommend what I recommended with tongue firmly in cheek. There is far too much on the line to take a stupid risk like that, which is why I made it obvious at the end that I was joking.

I would keep my day job. Becoming a comedian on SDN is a non-starter. To much MCAT and not enough football makes Johnny irony-challenged.