Looking for some advice...

[davinci08]

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hello.
I have read through many posts and forums and I would still like some advice from someone.
so, here goes...
I graduated two years ago with a 3.0c gpa. I am not sure what my science gpa was back then. so, I had entered a smp after graduation to better my chances. but, I sincerely messed up my second chance. I have yet to graduate from this program. but, currently my gpa is 2.1c. the reasoning my gpa is low instead of higher is because I am working two jobs. I have to do this in order to pay my tuition and pay for food, etc. I graduate from this smp in about a year from now with possibly a 2.9 or 3.0 gpa if all goes well. but, that basically means I end up with the same gpa as undergraduate. i have not taken the mcat as of it. I read threads such as the one entitled "low gpa--what do I do thread", and posts about the carribbean medical schools, etc. what I am looking for is some advice. I know I can not do another smp program because that would be a waste of money and pointless. I do not want to go to the Caribbean if I can avoid it because of what I heard in some of the posts of it being a place where they just want your money type of thing. also, I did at least 100 hours of volunteer work and then I was hired by the hospital. so, one of my jobs is a data entry job for the hospital near me that deals with immunization records, etc for hospital employees. i have not shadowed a doctor yet. but, i will sometime around spring or summer of next year when i have more time...what should I do to increase my chances to get into a med school? any information would be greatly appreciated. please don't be too harsh. my college gpa suffered because of having a job as well. finding a balance between school and work is rather stressful for me.

 

[gyngyn]

What is your query, exactly?

 

[el_duderino]

What exactly makes you think you could handle medical school at this point if you're pulling a C average in an SMP?

 

[davinci08]

my query is whether I should just try to aim for a high mcat score and apply to med schools that accept 3.0 gpas or after graduating from smp decide to go to a different medical path?

 

[SnakeOilForSale]

I'm sorry. I really try not to be discouraging to the point of blissful optimism, but I have to be real with you: your chances are abysmal. Like you mentioned yourself, you screwed up your second chance to prove that you're able to handle scientific courses, and not only that, but have done even worse. Believe me, I do understand how hard it is to have to support yourself through college, I myself have spent a few semesters working 40-50 hours to even have the opportunity to save anything. It is difficult when you see not all, but most premeds afforded the chance to go to college without having to worry about funds.

However, the cruel reality is that working or not, your grades are the #1 most important thing. No matter your shadowing, volunteering, research, if you can't hack a certain level of academic achievement, it's near impossible to get accepted. The best option to continue pursuing this path would be D.O. with grade replacement for those science classes, but be careful not to sink more time and money into this retaking classes if the outcome is going to be the same. I wish I had better advice on this for you, but you really might want to consider alternative paths that you can still succeed in.

 

[davinci08]

ok. thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

 

[Holmwood]

hello.
I have read through many posts and forums and I would still like some advice from someone.
so, here goes...
I graduated two years ago with a 3.0c gpa. I am not sure what my science gpa was back then. so, I had entered a smp after graduation to better my chances. but, I sincerely messed up my second chance. I have yet to graduate from this program. but, currently my gpa is 2.1c. the reasoning my gpa is low instead of higher is because I am working two jobs. I have to do this in order to pay my tuition and pay for food, etc. I graduate from this smp in about a year from now with possibly a 2.9 or 3.0 gpa if all goes well. but, that basically means I end up with the same gpa as undergraduate. i have not taken the mcat as of it. I read threads such as the one entitled "low gpa--what do I do thread", and posts about the carribbean medical schools, etc. what I am looking for is some advice. I know I can not do another smp program because that would be a waste of money and pointless. I do not want to go to the Caribbean if I can avoid it because of what I heard in some of the posts of it being a place where they just want your money type of thing. also, I did at least 100 hours of volunteer work and then I was hired by the hospital. so, one of my jobs is a data entry job for the hospital near me that deals with immunization records, etc for hospital employees. i have not shadowed a doctor yet. but, i will sometime around spring or summer of next year when i have more time...what should I do to increase my chances to get into a med school? any information would be greatly appreciated. please don't be too harsh. my college gpa suffered because of having a job as well. finding a balance between school and work is rather stressful for me.

You have invested a lot of time and effort into pursuing this profession, and i want to commend you first for that.

Anyway, let's talk dirty details:

1) You've exhausted all your options for your GPA. You can only rely on your MCAT now for the academic portion of your application.

2) You may be hoping to do a superb job on the MCAT, but your GPA suggests you have a very shaky basis for the sciences. It may not be possible for you to perform well enough on the MCAT to compensate for the low GPA. And again, there are of course exceptions.

You can try and take the AMCAS practice test for the MCAT and see how you fare. Please refer to this chart to see where your estimated mcat score will take you: https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/2013factstable24.pdf .

3) There is an additional disadvantage in taking the SMP and doing poorly in it. The problem is, your performance in the SMP is somewhat predictive of your performance in medical school; the rigor of those upper division science courses are comparable to the course you will take in medical school (and again, I may be wrong. It may be easier. Someone please correct me on this). If you are struggling in the SMP, you will likely struggle in medical school as well. Adcoms may look at your SMP performance and predict that you're probably not going to make it through medical school. A strong MCAT score may not be enough to make up for this poor outlook.

4) Even if you get into a school, the worst case scenario is that you end up failing medical school, and now have to pay off an insane amount of debt. It is quite the gamble, and one that is not wise to take with the information you are given at the moment.



Overall, you can't go any further without first seeing your AMCAS practice MCAT scores. If you do well on it, then perhaps you should take the MCAT. If you do superb on the MCAT, the outlook is still poor, but you've got a chance.

If you don't do well on the practice test or your actual MCAT, save your money and look for other opportunities (and trust me, there are tons of other opportunities).

-Peace

 

[Boolean]

Unless you absolutely kill the MCAT, consider other career options.

 

[el_duderino]

I don't think there's really any MCAT score that can "make up for" dismal performance in an SMP.

A high MCAT score shows that your brain is capable of working at a pretty high level under some pressure.... for a few hours. OP's SMP GPA shows that he is unable to sustain academic performance in rigorous classes over the course of a semester or year.

MCAT and GPA go hand in hand. They demonstrate different things, and you need both.

 

[Goro]

I concur with my young colleage. OP, I have to be blunt and say that you have shown that not only can you not handle a medical school curriculum, but by going to an SMP while having a major distraction that prevented you from aceing the program (which is what you needed to do), you have displayed some very poor choice making. This is also a factor in Adcom decision making.

At my school, we routinely reject or low wait list people who get low B's in post-bac programs.

Therefore, do not bother with the MCAT, and think about alternative career options.

I don't think there's really any MCAT score that can "make up for" dismal performance in an SMP.

A high MCAT score shows that your brain is capable of working at a pretty high level under some pressure.... for a few hours. OP's SMP GPA shows that he is unable to sustain academic performance in rigorous classes over the course of a semester or year.

MCAT and GPA go hand in hand. They demonstrate different things, and you need both.