Low GPA - Engineering Major

[imagineMe]

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So, long story short (I'm sure there are probably a million posts like mine), I was an aerospace engineering major who didn't want to learn aerospace engineering. As a result, I didn't try very hard and ended up with an abysmal GPA (per AMCAS formula, sGPA = 2.78, oGPA = 2.63, cGPA = 2.68). I was pressured into aero-engineering by my father. He wanted to be an AE but couldn't so he wanted me to fulfill his dreams for him. I wanted to be a doctor...but whatever, I'm not bitter.

Now that I've been working for a couple years, I've decided to give it a shot and become a doctor. I'm going to take pre-med post-bacc classes at Harvard Extension and, assuming I ace 11 classes (44 credits), my sGPA will raise to a 3.4 and my cGPA will raise to a 3.0. I know I can get A's in these classes. The reason my undergrad GPA was low was because I just didn't care (incidentally I was ranked third in my high school graduating class, getting A's in AP chemistry, biology, physics, and calculus).

Assuming I get these grades and at least a 35+ on the MCATs (shooting for a 38), do I have any chance at an allopathic school?

Also, if you feel my chances are too low, can you post some suggestions on how to better them? Thanks!

(I know people talk about DO and Caribbean but I don't believe in the DO philosophy of medicine and I wouldn't trust a doctor who went to a Caribbean school - it'd be hypocritical of me to go to either one).

 

[theironmandan]

Your current GPA will get your app automatically trashed as is, however if you show a dramatic upward trend (as you said you would) and can pull your sGPA up to a 3.4 that would be good. A cGPA of 3.0 would be tough for MD schools, really really tough. A phenomenal MCAT would help your case but only so much when the average matriculant nationally is something in the ballpark of 3.5-3.6. Don't go to the Caribbean if you want to practice in the US. You might even need to take 2 years to get your cGPA up to maybe 3.3 or so which would be much better for applying to MD schools. Otherwise, I'd say go DO (I know you don't "believe" in it) because MD=DO.

Good luck

 

[imagineMe]

Thanks, IronMan. I was actually thinking about doing an extra year just to be safe and get the cGPA up higher. Classes at Harvard Extension are relatively cheap. The good news about H.Ex. is that they offer night classes - which means I don't have to quit my job to go to school. Do you think it will matter that I'd be working 40-hour weeks as a mechanical engineer while studying?

Right now, I'm clinging to the hope that, since the average GPA is 3.5-3.6 and I know there are a lot of 4.0's that get into medical school, there are some 3.0's that balance them out.

 

[theironmandan]

There are some 3.0's but think about it...the majority of 3.0's don't get in to MD schools so you want to help yourself as much as you can. Applying twice isn't worth it when you can apply smartly once

 

[shadowfox87]

I'd suggest you do some research on the caribbean. I am an EE and BME and I thought exactly like you once and was in the same state. However, it's not about the med school that makes the doctor but the student. Residency sponsors know this and this why they judge based on USMLE scores, not based on your school.

 

[omgyou8myrice]

FWIW, getting A's in AP high school classes isn't indicative of how well you'll do in college classes. AP high school classes are a joke.

 

[Mister Beausky]

I agree with theironmandan. And what you're saying is true too, imagineMe: there are some low GPAs that balance out the high ones getting into medical school. And it's also true that most 3.0 GPAs do not get accepted. However, that's when you look at all 3.0s. If you were to isolate the number of applicants with 3.0s who show an upward trend, a relatively high recent MCAT score, and extracurricular experiences that show a genuine interest in entering the medical field, then you're talking about people with 3.0s who have a much higher acceptance rate.

Your high school background and achievements in AP courses may or may not hold any weight at all in how you do with pre-med courses. Your standing in high school completely depends on how ambitious your peers were, and each AP course varies in difficulty dependent on the whim of the instructor. I would not step into your upcoming pre-med courses too confidently just because of this.

On the other hand, you know best how well you've handled all previous challenges up to this point. If you think that you could have aced difficult engineering courses with the right effort, then you might be right about being able to handle difficult pre-med courses with a real goal on the horizon. In any case, I would not let your current GPA hold you back from trying to get into med school. Remember why you're working hard, and do well in your classes. Then study very, very hard for the MCAT, again reminding yourself of your goal whenever you feel like slacking. When you get to the interviews, and they inevitably ask you about why you turned away from engineering, and why your grades were so low, you can give them pretty much the same reason you wrote in your post. And, you can point to your upward trend as evidence. If you've got all that down, I think you will compete well against all of the other applicants, regardless of what some GPA/MCAT absolutists on this forum will tell you. There are some med schools that might turn you away early, but there are many more that will view you positively as an applicant when they see this.

If you mean what you say in the OP, then don't let your fears of your chances stress you out and distract you from doing well. Do what you know needs to be done, and you'll be fine.

Best of luck!

 

[TriagePreMed]

I believe you will have a shot at allopathic with a 3.0 as a post-bacc student only if you have a steep upward trend (you will), incredibly high MCAT and great EC activities. However, the best way to "seal the deal" would be to enter an SMP and get high grades.

You should reconsider DO school. I also was troubled with the idea at first, but I learned more and more about it. The philosophy is nothing more than seeing a patient holistically, which many argue that it doesn't even show in your career. OMM has questionable elements, but it is only a few hours of training and you won't need it again. Certain parts of OMM are good, which have also been confirmed and studied at major research universities including Harvard. If you look at the trend of DO, it is increasingly becoming more science oriented and should be surprising for anyone that OMM will go through revisions in the future. Hopefully cranial osteopathy will disappear soon.

 

[imagineMe]

Hey everyone. First, thank you so much for your replies. I really appreciate your help and insight. Not sure if anyone cares, but I finished my first class (Chem 2) with an A. That was a nice little confidence builder for me, but next semester I'm tackling Organic Chemistry...wish me luck!

I'm a little worried about how long it's been since I've taken some of my undergraduate classes, though. Specifically, I'm talking about Physics I and II. I took them in Spring and Fall of 2005 respectively. Will they still be applicable even if I took them 6 years ago (keeping in mind that I'm still around 2 or 3 years away from even applying to medical school)?

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[CopaceticOne]

I'm a little worried about how long it's been since I've taken some of my undergraduate classes, though. Specifically, I'm talking about Physics I and II. I took them in Spring and Fall of 2005 respectively. Will they still be applicable even if I took them 6 years ago (keeping in mind that I'm still around 2 or 3 years away from even applying to medical school)?

I'm in a similar boat as you wrt old pre-reqs. For most schools this won't be a problem. There are the few (Duke, Cornell, Jefferson) where they won't accept pre-req's that old. So, before you apply, make sure you know what a school is looking for.

Good luck!