Keep going or not?

[Tennisqueen]

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Any input is much appreciated!

I am going into my final year of undergrad for chemical engineering and have a cGPA 2.9 and sGPA 2.7 and was wondering if there is any chance for me. I have plenty of shadowing hours and hospital volunteering hours. Also I have been in a research lab for the past 2 years and a Texas resident.

My current plan is to take the MCAT in December and apply for SMP programs for the following year after graduation. I'm not sure if an SMP is worth it or if retaking physics 2 and genetics would help. My ultimate goal is MD but would also apply for DO. Let me know your thoughts because I am stumped on what to do.

 

[Mecidimes]

Honestly I think you may have a shot if your MCAT is good and you explain why your GPA has taken hits. If you had to work your way through college or do something that took up a lot of your time, I would explain that, especially if you can apply as a student under disadvantageous circumstances. DO is easier to get into than MD, so I would suggest you apply for both. DOs are every bit as good as MDs, according to what I've been told, but also have manipulation training on top of their standard curriculum.

 

[gyngyn]

Any input is much appreciated!

I am going into my final year of undergrad for chemical engineering and have a cGPA 2.9 and sGPA 2.7 and was wondering if there is any chance for me. I have plenty of shadowing hours and hospital volunteering hours. Also I have been in a research lab for the past 2 years and a Texas resident.

My current plan is to take the MCAT in December and apply for SMP programs for the following year after graduation. I'm not sure if an SMP is worth it or if retaking physics 2 and genetics would help. My ultimate goal is MD but would also apply for DO. Let me know your thoughts because I am stumped on what to do.

TX puts a lot of store in gpa's.
With re-takes and a good MCAT you could be ready in a year or so for OOS DO schools (TCOM doesn't have grade replacement).
Have you identified an SMP that will take you with your gpa?

 

[italiancowgirl]

A major question is, why is your gpa low? If it is explainable and you can show an upward trend and rock the mcat it *could* be manageable. Post bac courses can definitely help though. GL!

 

[samac]

I think people are giving you a false sense of hope. You must get your GPA above a 3.0 or you're very unlikely to pull an acceptance from MD or DO programs.

 

[LilKangaroo]

Work as an engineer for 5 years and then apply.

Like @samac said, your GPA is very low. I have noticed that the further out from school you are, the easier it is to get into medical school with poor GPAs. Make that engineer money, keep exploring medicine, and then try your chances at applying to med school.

That's what I would do. You do you, tho'.

 

[Goro]

You need to demonstrate that you can survive a medical school curriculum. So far you have yet to do that.


This is a good plan. SMPs are auditions for med school. Ace them and MCAT and there are MD schools (and all DO schools ) that reward reinvention.

My current plan is to take the MCAT in December and apply for SMP programs for the following year after graduation. I'm not sure if an SMP is worth it or if retaking physics 2 and genetics would help.

Your fastest route is to retake all F/D/C science coursework and apply to DO schools.

My ultimate goal is MD but would also apply for DO.