Keeping it real

[Gateway1234]

Hey!

So I'm here to get some sound advice on what my next move should be.

Feel free to keep it blunt with me.

So basically my stats are horrible but I am determined to become a physician. I have a 2.84 cumulative gpa and no MCAT score as of yet. I was an cell and molecular biology major and sociology minor graduated last May. I have a C- in gen chem 2, a D in orgo 1 &2, a C- in physics 2 and a D in biochemistry. (I warned you) I am not financially in a place to retake classes at a 4 year university or community college.

Other than my grades I have the extracurricular, research and volunteer hours needed for my application.

At this point I am currently working full time at a physicians office. I am itching to get back to school and get on with my medical school journey. Preferably to start this September or January.

I was wondering what my next step should be considering I cannot retake any courses and pay out of pocket it would have to be a degree granting program that offered financial aid.

I was looking into postbaccs and smps but I don't want to waste any money applying if my application is not going to qualify. I was also thinking of applying to regular grad school to possible complete a masters in biology. Additionally I was thinking of working on my application to apply to podiatry school. NYCPM has a application that is due in November so that you can start in January. I was wondering if I study and take the MCAT this summer and do really well on it and apply would I have a chance at acceptance.

Any and all answers are welcome.

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[dr.phoot]

Welcome to the podiatry subsection!

Here's the thing, it's a requirement that you have at least a C- in the prerequisites. You don't meet that minimum so if there's anyway you can repeat your D's in orgo?

I know with most schools you can register for classes and if you don't pay, they just hold your transcripts until you pay. This mean you can keep paying $5, $10, $20, etc even AFTER the semester ends all the way up until you pay your bills. Assuming you wanted to get your app completed by September, you could squeeze orgo in during the summer and just make payments until you pay it all off in September and have the school send your transcript. That's just one plan.

Plan two, get into a masters or post-bacc. You could email program directors prior to enrollment and ask about your chances before you spend money for something you won't be accepted to. There are programs that are more lenient than others and your 2.8 is wayyyy higher than what I finished with but I found a grad program that took me on conditional acceptance.

Either one of these plans you'll have to do well on your MCAT though. Just an FYI

 

[jelly-b]

If your sGPA is similar to your cGPA, I think you have a good shot at podiatry school if you do well on your MCAT. Studying aiming for a 500+.

Check this year's acceptance stats thread for encouragement when you're struggling. A couple of us got accepted with below 3.0 GPAs.

[EDIT] Oops, I missed the part where you got below C's in your prereqs. I skimmed over it because I had some too. I agree w/ dr.phoot in that you're gonna have to at least retake those if you want to attend pod school.

 

[dr.phoot]

If your sGPA is similar to your cGPA, I think you have a good shot at podiatry school if you do well on your MCAT. Studying aiming for a 500+.

Check this year's acceptance stats thread for encouragement when you're struggling. A couple of us got accepted with below 3.0 GPAs.

^^^^ pretty much this. It's just his D grade in those prereqs that could be a problem

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

^^^^ pretty much this. It's just his D grade in those prereqs that could be a problem

Is it a C- thats required or a C? I thought pre reqs have to be at least a C?

 

[dr.phoot]

Is it a C- thats required or a C? I thought pre reqs have to be at least a C?

I used to think so too, but check this out from NYCPM website:

I believe there's about two / three more schools that accept a C- but I cant remember if it's stated on their site, or they told me that in an email.

 

[Pod267]

Considering that you were a science major, you must have had to taken a load of science courses in order to graduate. What is your sGPA? Most schools will see the the cGPA and will question your ability to pass pod school but they'll get a better idea of who you are as an applicant if you have a better sGPA than your cGPA. Tbh, I'm not sure how you were able to graduate as a science major when you have received a D in BOTH organic 1 & 2. As a science major, don't you need to pass your courses in order to continue on? (no offense, just really trying to wrap my head around your situation). As you mentioned, you stated that you're in no financial state to retake classes, but to be considered for post-bacs or master's, I feel like you need better stats to get into those programs. Anyway, I believe that you do need to retake classes and do well on the MCAT if you want better chances of being accepted. Pod school may be easier to get into compared to MD/DO schools, but it sure is damn just as hard to graduate from it. Having said that, make sure you're entering podiatry bc you want to actually become a podiatrist, not just because it's easier to get into. My 1 cent.

 

[dr.phoot]

but to be considered for post-bacs or master's, I feel like you need better stats to get into those programs

there are so many ways around this barrier when you really think about. Some examples:

(1) OP could just enroll in a second bachelor's program at a cheap state school and major in something like chemistry. He can bypass all the general ed requirements. And just (re)take the prereqs and some upper-level chemistry courses. Once he has about 1 full year (add summers) under his belt, he can leave and not actually finish that second bachelors degree. For records and technical classifications sake, because he already had a bachelor's degree before he started his second bachelors that he wont finish, it will be considered a post-bac when his enters his grades in the application! (this route lets you bypass having to apply to an "official" post-bac program, retake classes, and just get a certificate)

(2) Your grades suck but you want a masters degree? No problem! You can start out by taking classes as a non-matric to show the committee of the department that you can handle graduate work. After a semester, or two, of classes as a non-matric and pulling B+ to A grades, you can apply for official admissions and get in. Alternatively, you can try to get into a "softer" science masters and then for your electives, try to take really challenging science classes that you are permitted to take. There are so many programs out there that are so forgiving of students having a bad undergrad. In his case he claims he has research and some extracurricular on his resume too. Get a professor to write something nice about you and supplement it with a good GRE score and you can get into grad school.

(3) If you're willing to go the road less travelled by, there are legit & reputable online masters programs--yes, they even give financial aid because they are an actual accredited school--that will give people like OP a chance. Programs range from Bio all the way to English. If you choose this route, dominate your MCAT and maintain a 3.5+

Here's a cut & paste from what an online MS Kinesiology program is opened to doing for a low gpa student:

Admission Requirements

The Office of Graduate Studies requires a 2.0 undergraduate GPA for admission into the Graduate School. Students seeking graduate admission for an M.S. in Kinesiology must have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75. International Students must have an IELTS score of 6.5 or above. Students who fail to make this requirement can submit the following materials along with their application packet in order to be reviewed on a probationary basis:

• Email address of references for whom your program advisor may contact
  
  
• Statement of purpose (i.e., Why do you want to receive a master’s degree in kinesiology? And why did you choose UCM to receive this degree?)

• 
  just do some google searching, outside the box thinking, draw some plans, and in a year you could be starting pod school. There are ways around your financial barrier. If you (are willing to) give more details, maybe I can point you in some directions

 

[ksucpm21]

I've learned that the schools don't really care about shadowing and ECs (I've seen people get accepted who only shadow for 20 hours ). They really only care about your grades and MCAT. It really stinks but it's the truth. Just work hard and try to retake as much as you can!

 

[CappnNono]

So some schools do accept c- (like NYCPM) but some schools do not (like western). The cheapest route would be to retake the classes you got d's in at a cc. As long as you don't flunk your mcat you'll probably get in somewhere.

 

[burritodoc]

Pod school may be easier to get into compared to MD/DO schools, but it sure is damn just as hard to graduate from it. Having said that, make sure you're entering podiatry bc you want to actually become a podiatrist, not just because it's easier to get into. My 1 cent.

Just want to emphasize this too! Your opening post didn't say much about podiatry specifically. Also want to point out that technically podiatrists are not seen as "physicians" everywhere. In California we are still working towards getting DPMs a physician and surgeon's certificate which would pay us equally to MD and DOs. Hopefully this will happen within a few years! There are more similarities than differences, but podiatry school still isn't quite the same as medical school.