Low GPA at start of 2nd year undergrad

[jchap925]

Hi, so I am going into my sophomore year and was concerned how an average 1st semester and really poor 2nd semester will possibly impact my chances of getting into a competitive MD/PhD or MSTP program down the road. Fall of my freshman year I did okay and only got a 3.28 with a B- in Gen Chem 1, B+ in Lab and B in calculus 3. However, 2nd semester I had a really rough time between some family circumstances, changes in some medications I was on, and not changing my study and work habits to compensate for my personal issues (which I know is not an excuse for doing poorly, but it did make my semester extremely stressful and difficult). I got a 2.44 for the spring semester while getting a C in gen chem and C in intro bio, and B+ in a research class that I should have really gotten an A in, but my subpar final paper screwed my grade from all semester .

So I have a 2.89 overall, but just took organic chemistry at a private 4 year university back home this summer and received an A in both orgo 1 and 2, which won't be counted toward my undergrad GPA at my home university. While it is a good school, I'm worried that since it isn't as competitive as my school it might look like I tried to take the easy way out, instead of just trying to free up my schedule next year for more shadowing/research opportunities.

I plan on starting long-term research, and will already be a part of 1, possibly 2 published papers soon from my work in my freshman research class, and I am starting volunteer work at a hospital this upcoming semester as well.

I am just wondering how my early poor performance might look when applying to MD/PhD programs, and if there is something besides getting a really good MCAT score that I can work towards in order to give me a better shot at being a competitive applicant for some of the top programs.

I also go to WashU in St. Louis and have been told that there is a WashU bump, since our pre-med curriculum is pretty competitive and is known for prepping students extremely well for med school, but I am unsure how much this will help me with admissions, if at all.

Any help or advice is appreciated!!
Thanks!

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[s_med]

I am just wondering how my early poor performance might look when applying to MD/PhD programs, and if there is something besides getting a really good MCAT score that I can work towards in order to give me a better shot at being a competitive applicant for some of the top programs.

Yes -- get an A in every single class from here on out.

The maximum possible cGPA you can earn now is (2.89+4+4+4)/4 = 3.72, assuming you take the same number of credits per year for the next 3 years. Keep in mind that if you apply at the end of your junior year that your maximum possible cGPA on applications is even lower (3.63). This is approaching median status for applicants to MSTP, and is below average for matriculants. If you want a shot, you have to maintain a 4.0 average each year onwards.

It goes without saying that if you do not have an upward trend in GPA, your chances at funded MD/PhD are ~0.

I also go to WashU in St. Louis and have been told that there is a WashU bump

As I understand it this "bump" is primarily for students who have high GPAs, i.e. the rigor of the curriculum only gives you an advantage if you excel within it. However, programs and their admissions committees are all different and so it's possible some are more partial to WashU undergrad, even in circumstances where applicants do not excel.

PM me if you have more questions, I may be able to provide more specific information.

 

[Neuronix]

You are in a bad position currently. s_med did the math and is right on. You need to pull your cGPA up to 3.6+ in the next 2 years assuming you want to apply to MD/PhD out of Junior year. It's basically straight As from here on out.

WashU is not going to give you a significant bump. I mean maybe you can get into an MD/PhD program with a GPA of 3.4 or something, but that's with a high MCAT and good everything else. If you continue to hover around 3.0, even medical school is probably not going to be an option for you.

 

[Deus Ex Medicine]

There is still time to right the ship, but it's not going to be easy. I want to make one thing absolutely clear to you: a 2.89 is not going to get it done. You need to try to get all A's from now on, with EVERYTHING else on the wayside. You went from getting B's in 1st semester to getting C's in second semester. This is a disturbing trend that you have to rectify immediately.

Congratulations for getting A's in organic chemistry I and II!! The implications are the following:

1) This is phenomenal and solid evidence that you can handle these pre-med courses. Ochem is known to be a "weed out class" so the fact that you did well shows that you are very capable. I would consider asking your professors for a recommendation letter.

2) Medical schools look favorably upon "upward trends" in grades/GPA and are particularly forgiving about poor freshman years (due to the high school to college transition period). You will have ample opportunities to discuss this in your secondary applications when you apply to medical school.

What you need to do now is to translate your summer success to sophomore year. s_med was kind enough to do the math for you and this is the best advice that can be given: get all A's from now on. Don't volunteer, don't do research, just get A's. Spend your second year developing these time management and study skills and get back your health. Once you've established a full year's worth of A/A-, then you can add extra-curriculars like research and volunteer work to your schedule SLOWLY. It's better to have a 3.7 GPA and one publication than 3.0 GPA and 5 first-author publications. And its better to have a 3.7 GPA and a "summer research" lab experience that resulted in a poster session than a 3.0 GPA and multi-year research experience.

I'm a current MD-PhD applicant who did not have a great sophomore year and had to take a post-baccalaureate to fix this. Don't do what I did.

Your recent success shows potential to be a strong MD-PhD candidate and your early involvement with research is definitely going to help you. But, your grades need to improve first. Good luck!