LOW GPA but still hopeful

[HopefulThinking DO]

What are my chances to get into a DO program? What programs would accept me? Or should I apply to post bacc/ or masters program?

I have a 2.88 GPA. BS in Human Biology. I have not taken the MCAT (January 2019). I am 26yrs Female African American. I have well over 2000 hours of clinical experience (paid, nonpaid/volunteer).

I was a High-school science teacher for 2 years. This semester I am taking Biochemistry, Epidemiology and study for MCAT (plan on applying to Master of Biomedical or post-bacc to gain acceptance into DO school which is my ultimate dream). I am also considering PA school as Plan B


I want to remain hopeful but my dreams seem like they are drifting further away from me each day. I need advice. Any suggestions for academic enhancement program. I scrawled the internet for countless hours maybe someone can shed some new light on me.

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[theITcrowd]

If you can get your GPA above 3.0 then you should be able to leverage the fact that you're a URM for at least the low to mid tier DO schools (and maybe the HBCUs, but I'm not sure about that). A post bacc would definitely be within reach.

 

[Faha]

You need to take enough undergraduate level science courses to increase both your sGPA and cGPA to 3.0. Once you do that if you score 500 or higher on the MCAT then you could receive interviews at some DO schools and possibly some MD schools.

 

[Sandbagger]

Hey HopefulThinking DO,

I'm a non-traditional applicant myself and in a similar situation as you (low GPA, around that age). I first wanted to let you know you're not alone in the process and there are a lot of us that are trying to make our dreams come true!

I'm by no means, an expert, but from what I've gathered consulting various people and researching online, it seems like the first step is to definitely try and raise that GPA of yours up a little. It sounds to me like a post-bacc would be a better fit for you than a masters. Me personally, I'm doing a DIY post-bacc tailored to my own needs for personal and financial reasons.

As the other posters previously mentioned, if you can manage to get that GPA above 3.0 and obtain a solid score on the MCAT, I think you have more than a realistic shot! If it's truly you're dream, you won't let anyone tell you otherwise and you'll work for it in the end. One other small note to consider is your sGPA (did you do poorly in your pre-reqs the first time around, and confident you can do better this time, etc).

We're all in this together. Best of luck! I'll be rooting for you.

 

[Goro]

What are my chances to get into a DO program? What programs would accept me? Or should I apply to post bacc/ or masters program?

I have a 2.88 GPA. BS in Human Biology. I have not taken the MCAT (January 2019). I am 26yrs Female African American. I have well over 2000 hours of clinical experience (paid, nonpaid/volunteer).

I was a High-school science teacher for 2 years. This semester I am taking Biochemistry, Epidemiology and study for MCAT (plan on applying to Master of Biomedical or post-bacc to gain acceptance into DO school which is my ultimate dream). I am also considering PA school as Plan B


I want to remain hopeful but my dreams seem like they are drifting further away from me each day. I need advice. Any suggestions for academic enhancement program. I scrawled the internet for countless hours maybe someone can shed some new light on me.

No med school is doing you any favors by accepting you when your GPA screams "unable to handle med school".
Read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[atomi]

You need to be honest with yourself about why you have a low gpa. Was it because you didn’t study or because you tried fairly hard and that was the best you can do?

Passing board exams needed to get into residency requires an enormous academic effort. I have seen questionable admits who failed step 1 twice (like didn’t even come close to passing).

$150k and three years of you life down the drain.

 

[NurseJesstoDrJess]

What are my chances to get into a DO program? What programs would accept me? Or should I apply to post bacc/ or masters program?

I have a 2.88 GPA. BS in Human Biology. I have not taken the MCAT (January 2019). I am 26yrs Female African American. I have well over 2000 hours of clinical experience (paid, nonpaid/volunteer).

I was a High-school science teacher for 2 years. This semester I am taking Biochemistry, Epidemiology and study for MCAT (plan on applying to Master of Biomedical or post-bacc to gain acceptance into DO school which is my ultimate dream). I am also considering PA school as Plan B


I want to remain hopeful but my dreams seem like they are drifting further away from me each day. I need advice. Any suggestions for academic enhancement program. I scrawled the internet for countless hours maybe someone can shed some new light on me.

I am a RN, upper end of my 30s and have decided to purse going to medical school. I will not go into details because my purpose is sacred and while I appreciate advice, I will not tolerate negativity nor anyone trying to deter me from my dream because they don't think I would be good enough.

If this is truly your passion...PURSUE IT. It will require tons of sacrifice and effort so be certain this is what you want to do. You must be realistic and transparent with yourself. I have degrees in sociology and nursing. My nursing grades are great but the grades from my first degree are average so I have decided to apply to a masters program. Post bacc wouldn't benefit me because I have waaaay too many college hours (started in 1999), so I believe a graduate gpa is a better option for me.

My parents would always tell me two things:

1. Nothing beats chance but a try!
2. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as you finish!

I wish you well on your journey girl!

Sent from my SM-N950U using SDN mobile

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

WesternU will bend over backward to get you into their program. They might force you to do the 1 year masters before admitting you to the DO class, but that's a small hurdle. Being AA makes it very easy to get into Western

 

[HopefulThinking DO]

Hey HopefulThinking DO,

I'm a non-traditional applicant myself and in a similar situation as you (low GPA, around that age). I first wanted to let you know you're not alone in the process and there are a lot of us that are trying to make our dreams come true!

I'm by no means, an expert, but from what I've gathered consulting various people and researching online, it seems like the first step is to definitely try and raise that GPA of yours up a little. It sounds to me like a post-bacc would be a better fit for you than a masters. Me personally, I'm doing a DIY post-bacc tailored to my own needs for personal and financial reasons.

As the other posters previously mentioned, if you can manage to get that GPA above 3.0 and obtain a solid score on the MCAT, I think you have more than a realistic shot! If it's truly you're dream, you won't let anyone tell you otherwise and you'll work for it in the end. One other small note to consider is your sGPA (did you do poorly in your pre-reqs the first time around, and confident you can do better this time, etc).

We're all in this together. Best of luck! I'll be rooting for you.

Thank you for kind words of encouragement! How is your process going?

 

[HopefulThinking DO]

I am a RN, upper end of my 30s and have decided to purse going to medical school. I will not go into details because my purpose is sacred and while I appreciate advice, I will not tolerate negativity nor anyone trying to deter me from my dream because they don't think I would be good enough.

If this is truly your passion...PURSUE IT. It will require tons of sacrifice and effort so be certain this is what you want to do. You must be realistic and transparent with yourself. I have degrees in sociology and nursing. My nursing grades are great but the grades from my first degree are average so I have decided to apply to a masters program. Post bacc wouldn't benefit me because I have waaaay too many college hours (started in 1999), so I believe a graduate gpa is a better option for me.

My parents would always tell me two things:

1. Nothing beats chance but a try!
2. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as you finish!

I wish you well on your journey girl!

Sent from my SM-N950U using SDN mobile

Thank you girl for your encouragement ! It is a long road ahead of us and I am confident we will get there. How is your journey to Dr. coming along?

 

[_Cloud9]

You got this still! Just focus on improving that GPA - and it will be much more rewarding in the long term. Medical school is very tough and competitive and you want to make sure that you are able to keep up. If this is where you want to head towards then do everything you can to get there

 

[Stellaartwa]

OP - I love your story. Very compelling. You were a high school teacher? Excellent! 2000 clinical hours? Great. You're on the right track. How did the MCAT go?

I think you should take at least 1 full-time year of post-bacc courses (24-30 or so credit hours, all BPCM) and do well. When I say do well, I mean you need to get As. It's imperative that you prove to yourself and the adcoms that you can succeed in hard science courses as that's what med school will require. Get a 507+ on the MCAT and I believe that you'll get into a DO or state MD school.