Low BCMP, high GPA/MCAT, need advice

[elephunt]

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Hey all,

I'm a post-bacc/non-trad/grad student, getting ready to send in the good ol' AMCAS, and I have a dilemma: I have an okay undergrad GPA (3.6 by AMCAS calculations, 3.8 according to my university, which kindly redlined half of my freshman year when I was an engineering major--see below; I ended up as an Econ/Communications major) and did really well on the MCAT (38Q--I know, I can't believe it); I also have a 4.0 graduate and post-bacc GPA. HOWEVER, when I was an undergrad I started out in engineering, hated it and never went to class...unfortunately, most of the classes were math and science, with the result that my BCMP is 3.3. I also had some health problems during school, so I have quite a few incompletes (that I completed the next semester) and some retakes (easier to retake the class than try to finish the incomplete when you've missed half of the semester.) So, I have two questions: First, how much is the low BCMP going to factor in compared to my GPA's and my MCAT scores? When you're a grad/post-bacc, do adcoms look more at your grad or undergrad GPA? Anyone know how schools look at this? And second, should I mention/explain my undergrad problems in my personal statement? I don't want to come off as whiny, and the health problems I had have greatly improved since then so I don't want adcoms to think I can't "handle" med school...any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[efex101]

I am pretty sure that adcoms tend to look more at undergrad gpa than grad but I could be wrong. There is really nothing you can do about the low gpa from eons ago so I would not focus too much on that in the PS just maybe briefly. If your gpa has increased substantially in recent years that is a major plus adcoms do like upward trends and they do realize mistakes from long ago are that ....long ago. This said, somes schools "may" initially just cut you out as an applicant based on GPA for some do have strict number based criteria Vandy comes to mind....

 

[sunflower79]

Unless you wanna go to harvard, don't even sweat it. If it's one thing premeds need to learn, it's to take things in stride.

My numbers were not quite as high as you, but even so I was pleased with my choice of schools. But to answer your question, undergrad gpa counts more than grad, since inflation is more of an issue for the latter. Still, if your overall gpa is solid then you have even less to worry about.

Yes, you probably wanna briefly describe your health problems in your PS, as well as how you overcame them, to show that it's behind you. They're gonna see it on your transcript anyway, better not to leave them wondering.

good luck 🙂