Looking for Hope

[Hopelost?]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello all, and thank you for reading this post.

I am a bit desperate for information, as I am trying to plan out the next several years of my life.


I graduated in 2012 with a BA in Biology. I did very poorly in college(2.5GPA), as I did not take it seriously at all.

I had to repeat a several classes, and once I got my act together, I have repeated them in a single semester (got Bs in those)

Anyways. I have now been out of college for a several years now, and have worked full time since. Now that I am older, I am regretting making all those mistakes, and would like to

Eventually get into a DO program. Is all hope lost? I feel like although I have this huge red mark on my academic past, there surely has to be a way to somehow redeem myself, maybe doing a post bac program or something. I really feel like not all hope is lost, and would really like for someone to take a gamble on me.
What should I do?

Should I set up an appointment with an admission counselor at a school I would like to attend, and see what they say?

Is all hope lost?
I feel quite hopeless, but still don’t want to completely give up on any kind of success.

Also, I am almost 30 years old, am I wasting my time? Am I completely hopeless, someone please help with any kind of information.

 

[coogs08]

Don't feel like all hope is lost! I am in a somewhat similar situation, although I studied mechanical engineering not bio/chem...I am also 30 and working full-time with a family. I graduated with a <3.0 cum. gpa as I didn't take school seriously at all either.

What I am currently doing is an informal post-bacc and taking all the pre-reqs required and doing my best to make all A's in them. Since you are interested in going to a DO school, you should feel even better, as their grade replacement policy will prove to be very beneficial for you. I would suggest that you re-take all the courses you got lower than a B in and you'll see that your GPA will significantly improve on the DO application.

While you're taking classes, perhaps begin shadowing a doctor and volunteering in a clinical setting for a couple hours per week. Then study your butt off and get a 30+ on the MCAT and I guarantee you will be a competitive applicant. Best of luck 🙂

 

[Fedaykin]

Is all hope lost? No. Almost no student is in such a poor situation that they can improve their application to a point at which they'd get accepted. The question is whether the hole is so deep that the amount of work you'd need to do to climb out of it is either unfeasible or for you makes the endeavor no longer worthwhile.

My undergrad GPA was about the same as yours. I remember it's a 2.5X. I don't even remember the last digit; at this point, it kinda doesn't really matter that much. My undergrad GPA is bad, leave it at that. At 24 I was unemployed and looking for a job to replace the one I was laid off by in a career I was morose about. I gave up and made a plan to get into medical school. The short version: it would take about 10 years and cost about $100,000 in new student loans. It also came with a decent chance it just wouldn't work and leave me with a ton of debt and no better employability to show for it. If any of that doesn't jive for you, sorry. That's just reality for the situation.

I'm 29 now. It's been 5 years since that decision and I've gone from a really crappy situation to being in a kickass PhD program that I love. I'm not in yet, but I've managed to get into one program that when I started this process probably wouldn't have given me the time of day. So that says something, in my mind.

 

[Fedaykin]

Don't feel like all hope is lost! I am in a somewhat similar situation, although I studied mechanical engineering not bio/chem...I am also 30 and working full-time with a family. I graduated with a <3.0 cum. gpa as I didn't take school seriously at all either.

Worthwhile to point out that there's low, and then there's low. With a 30+ MCAT, over the last three years, there have been 34 applicants in his GPA range and 6 have gotten in. I know these numbers because I'm in the same boat. [note, this is non-URMs]

 

[coogs08]

Worthwhile to point out that there's low, and then there's low. With a 30+ MCAT, over the last three years, there have been 34 applicants in his GPA range and 6 have gotten in. I know these numbers because I'm in the same boat. [note, this is non-URMs]

You're right, but the OP specifically stated DO schools. There's no reason he/she couldn't get the GPA way up by using grade replacement. Going from a 2.5 to a 3.0+ by replacing C's, D's and F's with A's should be quite attainable. But like you also stated, it all depends on how much work you want to put in.

 

[Fedaykin]

You're right, but the OP specifically stated DO schools. There's no reason he/she couldn't get the GPA way up by using grade replacement. Going from a 2.5 to a 3.0+ by replacing C's, D's and F's with A's should be quite attainable. But like you also stated, it all depends on how much work you want to put in.

Ah! Valid point, I'd missed that. Long day.

Just out of curiosity, do you know if anywhere there's a DO equivalent of the AAMC tables that tabulate acceptance rates by MCAT and GPA? I feel like their should be but I have trouble navigating AACOM's website.

 

[coogs08]

Ah! Valid point, I'd missed that. Long day.

Just out of curiosity, do you know if anywhere there's a DO equivalent of the AAMC tables that tabulate acceptance rates by MCAT and GPA? I feel like their should be but I have trouble navigating AACOM's website.

I haven't really looked to be honest...I just got into this game about 2 months ago 🙂 I'd definitely be interested in that though...let us know if you find something please.

 

[EsotericAlchemy]

There are many low GPA success stories on these forums. Search "low gpa" on here. DO programs also accept grade replacement!
You can take post baccalaureate classes to help raise the GPA. There are formal and DIY options. This option can take a while to raise your GPAs (science and overall).

There are also special masters programs (SMPs) where you can take classes alongside medical students. Some programs have linkage (ie. at completion if you do well, you get a seat in medical school). WesternU has such a program for pre-DO students.

In any case, there are avenues available for the low GPA student interested in medical school. It will take some real investment of time and hard work though. My suggestion is to start slow. Take some classes at a local university and shadow some doctors. Best of luck.

 

[el_duderino]

A year of grade replacement and your GPA will be usable.

 

[Goro]

Yup. AACOMAS's grade replacement policy does wonders for the old GPA. Now start shadowing some doctors, start MCAT prep, and doing your ECs. And some of my all-time best students have been in their 30s and 40s, so no fussing about your age either. Don't look back and keep your eyes on the prize.

A year of grade replacement and your GPA will be usable.

 

[Hopelost?]

Thank you everyone for the encouraging advise. I am making appointments with admissions officers for 2 schools, and will discuss with them the route. I will add more on here!

 

[StBernardsRule]

Is all hope lost? No. Almost no student is in such a poor situation that they can improve their application to a point at which they'd get accepted. The question is whether the hole is so deep that the amount of work you'd need to do to climb out of it is either unfeasible or for you makes the endeavor no longer worthwhile.

My undergrad GPA was about the same as yours. I remember it's a 2.5X. I don't even remember the last digit; at this point, it kinda doesn't really matter that much. My undergrad GPA is bad, leave it at that. At 24 I was unemployed and looking for a job to replace the one I was laid off by in a career I was morose about. I gave up and made a plan to get into medical school. The short version: it would take about 10 years and cost about $100,000 in new student loans. It also came with a decent chance it just wouldn't work and leave me with a ton of debt and no better employability to show for it. If any of that doesn't jive for you, sorry. That's just reality for the situation.

I'm 29 now. It's been 5 years since that decision and I've gone from a really crappy situation to being in a kickass PhD program that I love. I'm not in yet, but I've managed to get into one program that when I started this process probably wouldn't have given me the time of day. So that says something, in my mind.

You mean it took you $100k in classes before applying to medical school, correct?

If that's the case OP be aware a medical degree often has a cost of attendance of 4 years in excess of $300k. And when you are already starting with a very low GPA and pursuing DO schools you may not have options to especially cheap schools (some schools are of course cheaper than others, but there's no guarantee you'll get into the cheaper ones).

 

[Fedaykin]

You mean it took you $100k in classes before applying to medical school, correct?

Correct, though more precisely will have taken. When I eventually sit down to fill out AMCAS, that's where my educational debt will be. Because working in a lab precluded taking a job with significant hours I was borrowing both school costs and living expenses for my MS. Came out to be a little more than $40k/yr.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Okay, here's my story...

Graduated in 1999 with a BS in biomedical sciences. 2.78 GPA. Took ~90cr of PB work and got it up to a ~3.2. Accepted at 2 schools, had 5 II, but didn't fill out all my secondaries, and am now a 3rd year. It's possible, but it does take time, effort, money, and dedication. If you want your chances to be good, your PB work needs to be pretty much straight As. If not, your chances aren't gone, but they are lessened. Make sure your volunteer and EC stuff is top notch because you'll need any boost you can get that is within your control.

Best of luck

 

[soggydog]

There's always hope if you've decided that becoming a physician is the only path for you. It does take a lot of work and commitment. I finished undergrad with a <3.o GPA. Retook courses, finished an SMP program, and even retook the MCAT 4 times, and was accepted into a DO program. If you want to go to medical school, there's always a way to get there. Just keep your head up and keep moving forward!

 

[StBernardsRule]

There's always hope if you've decided that becoming a physician is the only path for you. It does take a lot of work and commitment. I finished undergrad with a <3.o GPA. Retook courses, finished an SMP program, and even retook the MCAT 4 times, and was accepted into a DO program. If you want to go to medical school, there's always a way to get there. Just keep your head up and keep moving forward!

Congrats on your acceptance.

If you don't mind me asking, were you working during this time as well?

 

[soggydog]

Congrats on your acceptance.

If you don't mind me asking, were you working during this time as well?

I've been chasing medical school for awhile now, so I've worked a few years here and there in between degrees. I do also have an MPH. I didn't work during my MPH or SMP.