Is it still 1999?

[Teaser34]

Because my GPA from 1999 to 2001 is still haunting me. After dropping out with 40 credits of nearly pure Cs, including most of the basic sciences required for medical school, I went back to school, completed two bachelors degrees with about 3.78 GPA, and a masters in biochem with 3.83 GPA. But alas, my GPA from over a decade and half ago is still haunting my overall GPA. It's about a 3.1 or 3.2. Still pretty bad.

If I got a life sentence (20 years) for murdering someone I would be out in 2-4 years, but with the AMCAS I seem to be in permanent GPA jail.

My predicament is I have over 350+ undergrad credit hours from 13 colleges. Doing 12 hours of college credit with a 4.0 raises my GPA by 0.035 points about. Why does this also look bad, because I financed everything on my own and had to move due to work and cost of living? I already soul searched and don't feel I'm a nurse, AA, NP, perfusionist, PA, or respiratory therapist. My desire is to lead, work as a medical doctor, and I would make an excellent physician. I'm empathetic, quick to learn, work well with my hands, and love to integrate science with medicine. I also have worked in healthcare for 13 years. It is truly antiquated to think that my 19 year old self living on yams and beans because I was so poor and couldn't afford school, but tried because that is what everyone else did who I knew, that this is seriously keeping me down. I've been improving my GPA since 2004, but it seems like a neverending swamp of random classes, studying, and getting good grades. Although, I still get a thrill when I get an A on a test I studied hard for, and a belly ache when I see the bill. My peers I went back to school with have all graduated medical school, and I was performing at or above their level. But, my overall GPA is low, so I'm still considered a poorer choice of a student?

What to do? A low GPA post-bacc or another undergrad degree, like in Math to get my sGPA up higher, that would have to be cheap and probably online because I work to pay back my loans? Do I just apply with this low GPA and mediocre MCAT scores? Why does the AAMC keep people like me in academic jail? I've improved a ton, mostly with just getting a good paying job, but I'm just not good enough...because...because....why? Also, I plan to count myself as disadvantaged, so I don't know if that matters at all.

It's frustrating that I cannot recover from this GPA. If I wasn't working three part time jobs to make rent, food, and tuition, I would have been able to study better and more. In fact, once I did have an okay paying job and was able to afford groceries, I did great in school.

So I know I probably sound a little bitter, I'm not sure if I do. Does anyone have any suggestions or even empathy might help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dwgrubbs1s]

Some M.D. schools will overlook the bad past, note the upward trend, and you will be okay. As far as which M.D. schools are this forgiving, I am not sure and maybe someone else on here has better knowledge of that than I. However, I do know most D.O. schools are quite more forgiving of bad past. Your not doomed from medicine (My personal opinion). Do you have an MCAT score? This will play a large role as well.

 

[kamakazi5]

With a good MCAT you would have a great shot at a good number of DO schools. I feel for your situation but you still have options.

 

[CLB_MD]

I probably am in no place to give advice as I am a current applicant with no MD interview invites this cycle, but I would hold off the AMCAS application until you can get your GPA up to at least 3.3 (maybe 3.25 if you're adventurous). Also, DO schools do grade replacement, so that might be something you want to look at. In the meantime, a DIY post-bacc and some good EC should help. What is your MCAT?

 

[CLB_MD]

Some M.D. schools will overlook the bad past, note the upward trend, and you will be okay. As far as which M.D. schools are this forgiving, I am not sure and maybe someone else on here has better knowledge of that than I. However, I do know most D.O. schools are quite more forgiving of bad past. Your not doomed from medicine (My personal opinion). Do you have an MCAT score? This will play a large role as well.

One of the adcoms on here (forget which) mentioned Columbia and Duke being schools that reward GPA reinvention.

 

[dwgrubbs1s]

I probably am in no place to give advice as I am a current applicant with no MD interview invites this cycle, but I would hold off the AMCAS application until you can get your GPA up to at least 3.3 (maybe 3.25 if you're adventurous). Also, DO schools do grade replacement, so that might be something you want to look at. In the meantime, a DIY post-bacc and some good EC should help. What is your MCAT?

Grade replacement is done. AACOMAS just released a statement on this a week or so ago. So now GPA calculation will be the same as for M.D. (may be some slight differences, would have to check specifically).

 

[CLB_MD]

Grade replacement is done. AACOMAS just released a statement on this a week or so ago. So now GPA calculation will be the same as for M.D. (may be some slight differences, would have to check specifically).

The end of grade replacement is like losing your "get out of jail free" card.

 

[kraskadva]

Because my GPA from 1999 to 2001 is still haunting me. After dropping out with 40 credits of nearly pure Cs, including most of the basic sciences required for medical school, I went back to school, completed two bachelors degrees with about 3.78 GPA, and a masters in biochem with 3.83 GPA. But alas, my GPA from over a decade and half ago is still haunting my overall GPA. It's about a 3.1 or 3.2. Still pretty bad.

If I got a life sentence (20 years) for murdering someone I would be out in 2-4 years, but with the AMCAS I seem to be in permanent GPA jail.

My predicament is I have over 350+ undergrad credit hours from 13 colleges. Doing 12 hours of college credit with a 4.0 raises my GPA by 0.035 points about. Why does this also look bad, because I financed everything on my own and had to move due to work and cost of living? I already soul searched and don't feel I'm a nurse, AA, NP, perfusionist, PA, or respiratory therapist. My desire is to lead, work as a medical doctor, and I would make an excellent physician. I'm empathetic, quick to learn, work well with my hands, and love to integrate science with medicine. I also have worked in healthcare for 13 years. It is truly antiquated to think that my 19 year old self living on yams and beans because I was so poor and couldn't afford school, but tried because that is what everyone else did who I knew, that this is seriously keeping me down. I've been improving my GPA since 2004, but it seems like a neverending swamp of random classes, studying, and getting good grades. Although, I still get a thrill when I get an A on a test I studied hard for, and a belly ache when I see the bill. My peers I went back to school with have all graduated medical school, and I was performing at or above their level. But, my overall GPA is low, so I'm still considered a poorer choice of a student?

What to do? A low GPA post-bacc or another undergrad degree, like in Math to get my sGPA up higher, that would have to be cheap and probably online because I work to pay back my loans? Do I just apply with this low GPA and mediocre MCAT scores? Why does the AAMC keep people like me in academic jail? I've improved a ton, mostly with just getting a good paying job, but I'm just not good enough...because...because....why? Also, I plan to count myself as disadvantaged, so I don't know if that matters at all.

It's frustrating that I cannot recover from this GPA. If I wasn't working three part time jobs to make rent, food, and tuition, I would have been able to study better and more. In fact, once I did have an okay paying job and was able to afford groceries, I did great in school.

So I know I probably sound a little bitter, I'm not sure if I do. Does anyone have any suggestions or even empathy might help.

I just got in to both a MD and DO school with a 3.1 gpa (2.6 1st Bacc 2006, 3.9 2nd Bacc 2015). It can be done. Roll over to the non-trad forum, search for the below 3.0 success stories thread, @DrMidlife 's how-to's for gpa repair (in the stickies somewhere I think) and any list posted by @Goro of schools that reward reinvention.
Plan accordingly. It's possible, and you've already done a lot of the work to get there.

 

[holdthemayo]

I probably am in no place to give advice as I am a current applicant with no MD interview invites this cycle, but I would hold off the AMCAS application until you can get your GPA up to at least 3.3 (maybe 3.25 if you're adventurous). Also, DO schools do grade replacement, so that might be something you want to look at. In the meantime, a DIY post-bacc and some good EC should help. What is your MCAT?

OP has so many credits it is not realistic to advise him/her to get the GPA up to a 3.3 prior to applying.

I just got in to both a MD and DO school with a 3.1 gpa (2.6 1st Bacc 2006, 3.9 2nd Bacc 2015). It can be done. Roll over to the non-trad forum, search for the below 3.0 success stories thread, @DrMidlife 's how-to's for gpa repair (in the stickies somewhere I think) and any list posted by @Goro of schools that reward reinvention.
Plan accordingly. It's possible, and you've already done a lot of the work to get there.

This is good advice. I also got acceptances to MD and DO schools with a 3.1 GPA that was brought down by a disastrous Freshman GPA from more than 10 years ago. I would not have been able to do it without the advice in the NonTrad forum.

Your race isn't over yet OP. You have already done the work to show that you aren't the same student now that you were in 1999 (when most of Pre-Allo was in kindergarten). Make sure the rest of your application is solid. DO schools and several MD schools will look at the whole picture. They will still see 1999, but they will also see everything you've done since then.

Some helpful threads:

Low GPA success stories: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...ntrads-already-accepted-to-med-school.675835/

From @DrMidlife: It says guide for reapplicants, but is good will help you avoid mistakes that get applications rejected: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/drmidlifes-reapplication-dissertation.942893/

 

[libertyyne]

I understand the terrible frustration. You are not the same person you were in 99. Now as for advice. Upward trends will show your reinvention. Also kill the MCAT to show that you are capable of handling medical school. That is all the schools want to know if you will be able to handle school. The MCAT and upward grades will show that ability.
Steps
Make sure your app has everything needed in terms of ECS
Craft a narrative of reinvention
Murder MCAT 516+ will help your cause.
Apply broadly.

 

[Teaser34]

so lets get a breakdown of your academics year by year and, more importantly, your non - academics for the past nearly 20 years.

My non academics are working in the clinical lab and as a phlebotomist, volunteering several ERs, and working as a volunteer in an international NGO filling some leadership positions at that organization. I'm starting a family soon, so I've cut back on volunteering a little but still run an art therapy group on the rare occasion, work full time as well. I really want to do an EMT, but am waiting until the MCAT is over to sign up. Year by year, my GPA started getting better in 2004 when I had a job that paid enough to support myself without extreme stress. Every semester has been between 4.0 and 3.5, except one semester in 2009 when I ended up moving because a roommate was stealing my sentimental and personal belongings. That semester i got 3.29. Some of my education has been online for convenience and cost. None of the prereqs have been online.

Thank you.

I have been entering my courses and GPA for each into an Excel spreadsheet, similar to how the application asks, if that is of interest.

 

[freak7]

I understand the terrible frustration.

Someone's worked in customer service.