low GPA decent MCAT post bacc?

[SlickNinjaMD]

hey guys....

I have 3.3 both sGPA and cGPA in a not-so-great-ranked university in TEXAS....

I am planning on taking the january MCAT....so far I am scoring 32-34 ranges in my practices (both AAMC and PR tests)....so realistically if I were to score 31 or 32 on the actual MCAT....should I apply to SMPs? do post bacc? or apply to MEd Schools? I don't know where I stand with a decent MCAT score but low GPA? need suggestions.....

if I do postbacc then should i retake pre-med courses or do upper level?
my pre med grades were as following:
bio I = B
bio II = B
Physics I = A
Physics II = B
Organic I = B
Organic II = B
Chemistry I = B
Chemistry II = B

I slacked off too much and now realizing ...and I feel that if I retake all of those i can pull off As....but is that worth? or should i just take upper level science courses to further my abilities and potential?

any suggestion is appreciated....

many thanks in advance!

-NinJa

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[sgtbrushes]

Straight B's in all the pre-reqs sure isn't beautiful. Your cumulative and science GPA are decent, and with a 31 or 32 on the MCAT, you'll have okay credentials. How are your ECs? How are your interview skills? What intangibles do you bring to the table?

To answer your question, apply to med schools. You will be competitive for D.O. schools, but your GPA will hurt you for Allopathic schools. It can be done. Also, Allopathic schools don't use grade replacement, so if you retake any pre-reqs and get an A, you have simply taken the same course twice, gotten a B, then gotten an A (it will still raise your cumulative).

 

[SDSU EB]

From what I've heard from Deans of Admissions from UCSD and UCSF, your GPA could hurt you there, but it isn't horribly bad. What they're interested in is that you can prove that you can handle the science course work since that is what med school is all about.

If they see a less than stellar GPA, but they look at your individual grades and see continued improvement over your degree, they will understand. (They're example is that they would likely accept someone if they progressed from getting C's in science coursework to A's as they progressed through their degree)

Your grades aren't horrible, and not great. Just do well in your remaining science coursework. And your MCAT will also play a part, because that is their way of determining how much you really know from those courses.

Another thing to consider, if you can show that you were dedicated in your EC's (they want to see that you can commit and if you were at one place for a year or two, you'll know some people and they'll know you really well, their LOR will look way better than a professor you barely know) and you have stellar LOR's then you'll be fine.

Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[J ROD]

I would spend another yr doing upper level classes and getting more ECs in with that 32 MCAT.

If you get a 35 MCAT, then apply.


However, you do have a shot in Texas with your proposed stats....just not a really strong shot. I would take the extra year and apply strong....or just apply and prepare to take another yr if you need to.

Also, we need to know ECs to give you a full answer.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to What are my Chances.

 

[SlickNinjaMD]

First of all...thanks for your input guys....
also, sorry for posting it in the wrong folder...i m new at this...

As for my ECs...they are considerably very strong....even my advisors, peers, professors think that....i have done research at Baylor College of Medicine, scrubbed into surgeries...hospital volunteering...hold leadership positions in school organizations and much more...hold leadership position in off-campus international health organization.....

I know I have a shot at DO schools but I really want that to be my last option. I personally believe I have what it takes to be in a MD school.

I was thinking about applying this year....and in my gap year...I take post bacc courses at harvard extension? (would harvard extension be impressive? or should I just stay do them again in local state university?)

I know post bacc would add on to my undergrad GPA.. and doing a masters wouldnt...but what if I did a masters for 2 yrs and pulled off a 3.8+ GPA in masters...would that look good or post bacc is better?

Also...none of you mentioned anything about SMPs....what do you guys think about that for my situation? I only have one more semester left before i graduate...and it seems like i will be pulling off a 4.0 with all upper level science courses (i m a bio major)....so I might barely touch the 3.4 mark with that 4.0....so yeah...

what do you guys think now? (after knowing my ECs and other stuff)

thanks
-ninja!

 

[J ROD]

For SMP, you need a MCAT score...

 

[Stratego]

The path you take to medicine will depend on the MCAT score you get:

With a GPA of 3.3, you'd have a shot at the least selective MD schools with an MCAT of 34+. With a year of upper-level science classes and straight As (at your cheap state school is fine), you can get your cGPA to 3.4, and only need an MCAT of 33+. I would not suggest you repeat prerequisites where you got a B, BTW. You can adjust these numbers up or down depending on if you get straight As all your senior year as you imply.

With an MCAT of 30+, you'd have a good chance of getting into an SMP. An SMP will be very, very difficult to succeed in for a person who has been getting Bs in the sciences. If you don't have a GPA of 3.5+ in the SMP, you can probably kiss allo schools goodbye. But you still would have a chance at the more-selective DO programs.

With an MCAT of 28+, you have a good chance at getting into a DO program.

If I were you, I would spend a year taking an intense classload of upper level scince classes to prove to myself that I could get straight As with a difficult curriculum. If you can't do it on your own with classes you choose, you'll never be able to do it in med school. (And there would be no point wasting money on an SMP.) Then I would take the MCAT and follow a path determined by how competitive the MCAT score turned out to be.

A traditional masters degree won't help you get into med school. Don't do it unless you need a springboard to acquire research (sounds like you have that already), or you want to learn the material for its own sake.

 

[ziggyd0c]

hey just wanted to give you some hope:

i have a 3.3 sGPA and 3.4 cGPA, MCAT of 31 (10,11,10), applied early and all over the place (MD only, no DO) and i just got my first acceptance yesterday

 

[J ROD]

hey just wanted to give you some hope:

i have a 3.3 sGPA and 3.4 cGPA, MCAT of 31 (10,11,10), applied early and all over the place (MD only, no DO) and i just got my first acceptance yesterday

Congrats!!

It can happen...but I would feel much safer in the 33-35 range...but Tx you probably can go lower.....

 

[Stratego]

That's great news, ziggyd0c!

 

[shiftingmirage]

hey guys....

I have 3.3 both sGPA and cGPA in a not-so-great-ranked university in TEXAS....

Texas is very, very favorable to instate residents. If you get 30+ MCAT, apply to all the Texas schools. I would suggest applying to 5 or so OOS schools, but then you have to go through AMCAS which is separate from the Texas app which is kind of annoying. And apply early. GPA is a bit low, so you probably need the early advantage.