Last year: 2.77 GPA. This year: accepted to Med school
Started by UMP
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deleted106503
Crappy location? USF is in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, in Tampa, but Tampa is huge. It's like 20 min to the beach. Miami is right there for some of their buildings. I wouldn't go there for undergrad, but they have a really good hospital. Sort of like what you're saying with Wayne St and the EM area. You will find a lot of variety at Jackson Memorial (including gunshot wounds). 2nd busiest hospital in the national if I recall correctly.
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😍 I loved that.UMP you rock!!! Thanks for giving the nontrads some hope! Who cares about my W's and huge spans of time out of school. 😀 😍 Good luck as a physician!
This thread rocks.
and 😍 to us allErroneous! Erroneous on all counts!
-not listened to Law2Doc and all the nay-sayers😉
dude, this is 75% of the problem right here..good job👍
Ditto . . . . . . . . . . .
Law2Doc needs to stop being an dingus... there is no reason for someone to act like that on a forum like this where most of us are looking for support... his "SDN myth" happens every year and he needs to stop posting that.
Anyways, good luck to all of you guys, and thanks for the support 🙂
yes, I'm not particularly religious, but I am thanking him... it turns out all the screw ups I've had in my life were just to build me up to this 🙂
yes, i definitely remember your puke in mouth signature 😉 thanks for the congrats... how are you doing?
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Eric Lindros
Hey man, congrats on this accomplishment. I have to say though, I don't really think Law2Doc's advice is that far off, and he's definitely not being as dingus about it.
A 38 is an absolutely ridiculous score. It's virtually the top 1% in the nation, maybe better than that. I'm sorry, but with a score that good, you are bound to get in somewhere. You did, and I congratulate you.
Now, if Law2Doc did actually say that there are no 2.5 40 MCAT people in med school, well yeah that's just a dumb comment because there are. But come on, it's pretty foolish to NOT tell people they have virtually no chance with that low of a GPA for a few reasons
1) Your score on the MCAT is rare. Very rare, for obvious reasons.
2) The MCAT is a huge part of the proccess
3) Your GPA was a 2.77, but according to your MDApps, you have above a 3.0. I'm sorry, but I don't see the amazing story about getting into med school with above a 3.0 and a 38 MCAT. That's somone that I would expect to get in. I mean, call me crazy but that's just my opinion.
I don't have too much beef with Law2Doc's advice it is just his delivery... and I think what he needs to stress more is that you need to do post-bacc and do well on the MCAT rather than just writing you off as an idiot who won't make it...
Post-Bacc was absolutely curcial in my apps. You need to show 2-3 semesters of full loads at a great GPA to get you in.
The GPA is not that important... it's how you've been doing recently
congrats!!! you are my hero 🙂 we actually had similar situations..i had a similar gpa at u of michigan and then did a post back doing 30 + credits of post bacc work and hit the 30 on the mcat...finally got into my top med school (midwestern - ccom) ...congrats to you!! you're going to be a star in med school 😉
I got in to med school today. First interview: first acceptance.
What I did wrong:
-screwed around in college and got a 2.77 in 5 years
-7 W's in 5-6 different semesters
-academic probation
-failed a couple classes
-applied in november... screwed up AMCAS, not verified until december
-had a great time for five years in undergrad
What I did right:
-did an informal post-bacc with 36 credits at time of AMCAS, 48 with updated transcript at about 3.9 (most BCPM with a few 100 level GPA padders here and there)
-got a 38P on the MCAT after studying my ass off
-not listened to Law2Doc and all the nay-sayers
I read these boards religiously throughout the past year and drove myself crazy. I've started my share of "what are my chances threads?" and got a lot of laughs in my face. Freaked out about applying late. Freaked out about my low GPA. Freaked out about my W's. Freaked out about all of my red flags... Moral of the story? Don't take advice dispensed on SDN too seriously 👍 ... there are lots of exceptions like me, and you don't need to be a pre-med super-geek to get in to med school
BTW: pats on the back are welcome 🙂
I'm posting more to show the possible turn around in a short time. a 2.7 will generally not get you in to med school... but a good informal post-bacc GPA and a good MCAT will 👍 It took me two years after graduation to realize that this was possible, and I want to give others hope as well
I studied for 6 months for that exam while taking pre-reqs and Genetics... I worked my way from a 30 diagnostic to the 40s at that time... this test can definitely be taken down with ample studying
Just a comment- 31Q(not ridiculous) here. 2.01 original GPA- 3.97 PB GPA- 2.7 total GPA - 3.8 Science gpa. 5 interviews- 1 acceptance- 1 withdrawl waiting till March on 3. With time in between, success in that time, and a good upswing on grades some schools tend to be a little forgiving. Don't believe the hype! Congrats again!
congrats to you, too!!! I'm glad there is some forgiveness in this process
Congratulations UMP!!!
damn, man. congrats!
I congratulate you on the post-bac hard work, the great MCAT score, and your realization that so many people on this board don't know anything about what they are commenting on.
As for being truly inspirational, I don't know that your progress qualifies. A 38 on the MCAT can get almost anybody into some school. Moreover, you apparently jacked off all though college and pulled a terrible gpa. But you had that internal potential all along. You were, in the most literal sense, an underachiever in that you were not achieving what you otherwise.
Some kids try really hard for four years and get similar grades to you. Those are the kids that need a reality check because they are not going to wake up one day and be intelligent enough to be a doctor. Harsh, perhaps, but true. Those kids are not going to ace their post-bac, pull down a 35+ MCAT, and get accepted to a MD school.
So you are an exception, but not because you got into school with such a low gpa. Most people with low gpas can't get a 38 MCAT if they got paid to take the test.
You are an exception in that you are that rare kid who snaps out of his masturbatory college years to perform at potential. It's undoubtedly an uphill climb and a laudable acheivement.
Yeti! I like that. I posted this because when I first started all this I posted on a few boards and the only feed back I got was maybe I could get in somewhere outside the US, but give up hope here. I stopped looking at the forums- studied, volunteered, shadowed and waited for my MCAT score. If I had listened to the non support I would not be going to Med School here next year. People at some Med schools realize people change! Yeti out!
According to L2D, you are a myth. I will think of you as a Yeti.
i completely agree... i had a 1500 on the SATs, so I really did just jack off in college. The potential was there, the work ethic wasn't. I didn't put a single week during my undergrad career where I made all of my classes. I think I went to about 5-10% during my whole time there... I've missed assignments, exams, etc.... I think there are many in my situation, though. Many that played around with themselves in college and didn't take school seriously... If the potential is there you can do it. If you struggled to get your 2 point something then you are dead in the water...
I tried to use as many different masurbatory references as you did... is something on your mind ? 😕 😉
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I deleted it... 😉 people with low verbal reasoning scores were interpreting my thread as racist.... 😳
There were semesters where I didn't even know what classes I had registered for until finals week. I would find out what classes I had, talk to the teacher, and take the final without cracking open a book. Somehow I managed to hang in there and get an undergrad degree. Ridiculous 😀
Congratulations. I don't even have an MDapps profile or talk to much about my ECs/stats because I know I probably don't "measure-up" on this boards. I got in this year too 🙂 and all I have to say is that we all do things our own way and many of us succeed! Good luck to you and I wish you success.I got in to med school today. First interview: first acceptance.
What I did wrong:
-screwed around in college and got a 2.77 in 5 years
-7 W's in 5-6 different semesters
-academic probation
-failed a couple classes
-applied in november... screwed up AMCAS, not verified until december
-had a great time for five years in undergrad
What I did right:
-did an informal post-bacc with 36 credits at time of AMCAS, 48 with updated transcript at about 3.9 (most BCPM with a few 100 level GPA padders here and there)
-got a 38P on the MCAT after studying my ass off
-not listened to Law2Doc and all the nay-sayers
I read these boards religiously throughout the past year and drove myself crazy. I've started my share of "what are my chances threads?" and got a lot of laughs in my face. Freaked out about applying late. Freaked out about my low GPA. Freaked out about my W's. Freaked out about all of my red flags... Moral of the story? Don't take advice dispensed on SDN too seriously 👍 ... there are lots of exceptions like me, and you don't need to be a pre-med super-geek to get in to med school
BTW: pats on the back are welcome 🙂
I'm disappointed you didn't jump at the opportunity to have some fun with that guy's reply. You should've said it was all a dream.
yeah, pre-meds are pretty gullible... that would've been quite the mind-screw for him, huh? I think he's going to Wayne next year, so I didn't want to make enemies this early 😉
Although I go to USF, I can comment on this issue a bit. USF is one of the youngest undergrad institutions of the majore undergraduate institutions in Fl. It was originally built with the intention of serving commuter students and not built with the typical college traditions that you find at schools like FSU, UMiami, or UF.
The football team is not much older then the amount of years I've been at USF, they don't even have their own stadium but rather share the Tampabay Bucs stadium, they didn't start becoming more known in terms of research until the last decade to decade and a half although 15 years is probably too generous a figure. Even the frat/sorority houses are a new edition at USF. The medical school is awesome even though its been around only since the 70's but the main campus still has a lot of improvement to go. The education standards of the undergrad campus are not always on equal footing with UF and UMiami either in terms of a lot of things. Even the student union was pretty small and not as much of a student hang out as it could be until recently when they started construction to improve that. It is only since I've been here that they they've gotten several new research buildings, a student union in the works, new frat/sorority housing, a football team that is now moving on up, and all the other essential things that people like to enjoy in the college life. The typical college atmosphere however was not present as much in the past with the old focus being on commuter students and nontrads.
to the OP, where did you do your infromal post-bacc. did you just take classes from a community college or what.
at a cheap local state school... don't do classes at community colleges, I've heard from admission directors they don't like it
Congrats on the acceptance but I have never seen people say 'you'll never get into med school'. It's typically, "you'll never get in with those stats".
And I'd say that someone with a 2.7 such as yourself is, statistically, less likely to get a 37 MCAT then someone who had a 4.0 because the 4.0er have a history of good studying habits. That's why there isn't the advice for people with subpar GPA to 'kick butt on the MCAT'---at least I don't give that advice by itself. Because it's not logical to assume that someone with a below average GPA will be able to do well on the MCAT---or at least well enough to compensate for such a low GPA>
I also give advice based on outliers (which, you have to admit, you are somewhat of one), I go by the general trend, which is that most people who did poorly in undergrad was doing something wrong and need to get their acts together, they need to bump their GPA AND do well on the MCAT, and that typically, *most* do not hit a 37 on their MCAT.
That is why people on the SDN forum will tell you you really pull a high GPA than what you did, simply because most people don't have the potential to pull off such a high MCAT score.
I hope your story is an inspiration to others, but I also want to caution people that it is somewhat rare to find someone who screwed around in college but kicked ass on teh MCAT to such a degree that a brief post-bacc will suffice for med school. I dont' see that as a case, in my own experience, nor in the experience of most of the med students at my school.
I don't want to give false hope simply because I saw a few people succeeding against the odds. I want to give advice that will apply to a broad range of people (i.e bring up your GPA, do well on the MCAT, no shortcuts to med school etc).
Again, congrats. Just remember that you're good fortune was brought to you in part because you are a far smarter individual than many others.
And I'd say that someone with a 2.7 such as yourself is, statistically, less likely to get a 37 MCAT then someone who had a 4.0 because the 4.0er have a history of good studying habits. That's why there isn't the advice for people with subpar GPA to 'kick butt on the MCAT'---at least I don't give that advice by itself. Because it's not logical to assume that someone with a below average GPA will be able to do well on the MCAT---or at least well enough to compensate for such a low GPA>
I also give advice based on outliers (which, you have to admit, you are somewhat of one), I go by the general trend, which is that most people who did poorly in undergrad was doing something wrong and need to get their acts together, they need to bump their GPA AND do well on the MCAT, and that typically, *most* do not hit a 37 on their MCAT.
That is why people on the SDN forum will tell you you really pull a high GPA than what you did, simply because most people don't have the potential to pull off such a high MCAT score.
I hope your story is an inspiration to others, but I also want to caution people that it is somewhat rare to find someone who screwed around in college but kicked ass on teh MCAT to such a degree that a brief post-bacc will suffice for med school. I dont' see that as a case, in my own experience, nor in the experience of most of the med students at my school.
I don't want to give false hope simply because I saw a few people succeeding against the odds. I want to give advice that will apply to a broad range of people (i.e bring up your GPA, do well on the MCAT, no shortcuts to med school etc).
Again, congrats. Just remember that you're good fortune was brought to you in part because you are a far smarter individual than many others.
Congrads goes to show if you work hard enough you will get their eventually.😉
Congratulations to the OP!!!! 
Keep in mind, for those in here that are in a similar situation as UMP, that without a postbac, the odds of getting into med school are stacked against you (not impossible...just extremely difficult).
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106
For those who may have to apply/reapply after improving their grades. Good luck everyone and congrats again!!!!
Ps...have you written your name followed by , MD after it yet to see how it looks? 😀
Keep in mind, for those in here that are in a similar situation as UMP, that without a postbac, the odds of getting into med school are stacked against you (not impossible...just extremely difficult).
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106
For those who may have to apply/reapply after improving their grades. Good luck everyone and congrats again!!!!
Ps...have you written your name followed by , MD after it yet to see how it looks? 😀
Congratulations to the OP!!!!
Keep in mind, for those in here that are in a similar situation as UMP, that without a postbac, the odds of getting into med school are stacked against you (not impossible...just extremely difficult).
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106
For those who may have to apply/reapply after improving their grades. Good luck everyone and congrats again!!!!
Ps...have you written your name followed by , MD after it yet to see how it looks? 😀
heh... no, there are four other doctors in my family with the same name and everyone insists on not being called Dr. (last name). I think I'll do the same, it seems fairly pretentious
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yes... I think underachievers can all do this. People who work hard and get a sub 3.0 probably will not be able to.
Lol sounds good.
But anyways congrats. Many have told me that I wouldn't get accepted into med school as well, but I think with the right mindset and with a good amount of research into the pathways that can help a student get where he or she wants, there may be a good chance that their pursuits have not been done in vain. Congrats again!
Congrats!!
You're obviously smart...and the GPA was probably an effort thing like you said...you had two chances to show you were capable (mcat and postbacc) and rocked em both 👍
There are some people who are just not academically inclined, whatsoever, and would have a hard time proving themselves in any manner...they still need to hear the reality checks...even if they're harsh, L2D style 😛
You're obviously smart...and the GPA was probably an effort thing like you said...you had two chances to show you were capable (mcat and postbacc) and rocked em both 👍
There are some people who are just not academically inclined, whatsoever, and would have a hard time proving themselves in any manner...they still need to hear the reality checks...even if they're harsh, L2D style 😛
I would think people who struggle to pull a 2 point don't suddenly think they can be doctors near the end of their career... it's mostly the people who screwed around in college and now want to correct these problems. Like me 😉
You rock. The crazy thing is that you are obviously more talented and intellegent than most matriculants at med schools, as evidenced by your recent coursework and MCAT score, yet the average matriculant probably had an easier time getting in despite the fact that your best (3.9 and 38) rocks the average matics best (3.64 29.5 or whatever.) Oh well, med schools prefer the "never-screwed up" type to the "screwed up but now I am serious" or the "I didn't even know what med school was my first year of college" type. Hell, when I began college, I thought that you went into medical school straight out of high school if you wanted to be a doctor. I thought after you graduated, you were done. I didn't have any desire or exposure to medicine when I began, and as far as I was told, a 3.0 was a good gpa (it is to many non-pre-meds especially at community colleges). Because of various experiences throughout college however, I decided to persue medicine and become educated about the process. Now that I know how important grades are, I work my a** off and pull around a 4.0. The point is, your gpa doesn't neccessarily reflect your potential. It sucks to be constantly out performing my peers in my prerecs (setting curves) while knowing that they will have a much easier time getting accepted. I think you are an inspiration to all of us who know that we have the potential yet for extenuating circumstances, have great adversity gpa-wise to overcome. Now if you bust your a** and your best is a 3.0 and a 27, well then you really might want to consider new career options (DO, PA, etc.) UMP you will be a great doctor and I congratulate you for your aceptance.
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