Low GPA entrance success to Carribbean?

[vbpatel]

I graduated this year from the University of California Irvine with a 2.4 GPA and failed miserably to get into any US pharmacy school...so I was curious, dependant on a decent/above average MCAT score, do you think I would have a chance in getting into SGU, or any of the top 4 carribbean MD programs?

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[Meatwad]

Honestly, probably not SGU. Their average is around a 3.4/26 these days, however most students are not neatly within this range. Anecdotally, it seems most students at SGU fall into 3 categories:

1) Impatient students; plenty of kids heading to SGU are feeling the effects of the increased competition for getting into med school here in the US. I've met people who have, at least claimed, to have competitive GPAs and MCAT scores (>/=3.5, >/=29). Some of them were waitlisted and didn't want to reapply, some were just outright rejected. I think this is the minority, but certainly a growing minority.

2) Low MCAT; this is also a form of impatience. The reason SGUs average GPA is pretty decent (3.4 or so) is because a lot of 3.6+ students decide to go to SGU after they get killed by the MCAT. If you have a 3.6 or so, SGU will pretty much overlook your MCAT. They aren't desperate for students, though, so you'd still want to have over a 22 or so to get in with a good GPA.

3) Low GPA; along with low MCAT applicants, this is probably another popular reason for going there. When I say low, I am talking around 3.0-3.1. Usually students this low seem to have really competitive MCAT scores (30+s).

Now, others will probably chime in about how they had a friend that got in with a 2.4/20. These people are outliers, and probably got in back in the day. SGU is definitely a good school if you want to go to the Caribbean, but as I mentioned earlier, they aren't hard-pressed for quality applicants. Pre-meds falling into the aforementioned 3 categories usually pick SGU as their first-choice. So in all honesty, I do not think you'll get into SGU.

AUC and Saba are also quality schools, but without a really awesome MCAT (over 30, definitely), I don't see them accepting you either. They will have no troubles filling their few hundred seats per trimester with students that have >3.0, >24 MCAT scores, which most schools apparently feel correlates with success in med school. By accepting someone who they feel has a good chance of flunking out, they are going to lose revenue that they would have had if the student had stayed in the curriculum. Economically, it makes sense to accept stronger students.

I do think, however, if you can get a 30 on your MCAT, you can get into Ross. It's a good school, no doubt, and gets you where you want to go. Since they were bought by DeVry, though, they have been hitting some rough spots. Their clinical affiliations are a nightmare these days, so I've been told. Classes are getting bigger, I believe. I think Ross' all-encompassing drive for profit is convincing them to accept students with lower GPAs and MCAT scores than the other established Caribbean schools.

Does this mean Ross is any less of a good school? Not at all. Ross produces doctors of high quality every year. There is no hand-holding, however; they will accept you even if your stats are crap, but if you flunk out, they could care less. Ross is a beacon of hope for those who screwed up or goofed around during the first couple of years of college, but soon realized their potential and got their act together. Ross gives those students a chance. If this is not you, and you maintained a <3.0 consistently over 4 years and have not done an overhaul of the way you learn and study, Ross might still take you; but you will probably not leave with a Ross diploma. Just a lot of debt.

Think long and hard about why you did so poorly in undergrad. Also, it's disturbing that just because you didn't get into pharm school that you want to go to med school now. Medicine is a backup now? Be careful; this is something that will encompass your life completely if you were to get into med school. You will work a lot of hours for many years, so you better love it. Whether you like it or not, medicine will define who you are for some time. I think going into the field because you couldn't get into a pharmacy school is a setup for disaster.

Take some time off, take some science classes to try and boost your GPA, and if after the next couple of semesters or so you can get all A's, kill the MCAT, and still love medicine after shadowing and volunteering, apply to some schools. Best of luck.

 

[Meatwad]

Also, check out valuemd.com There are a lot of Caribbean students that hand out there. Honestly, I bet they'll tell you what I've just told you as well. They have a "what are my chances," thread for each school, so you might want to head over there and post your stats. Without an MCAT score, though, it's impossible to accurately gauge your chances. A 2.4/42 will give you a very likely possiblity of getting into somewhere like Ross, whereas a 2.4/22 will probably keep you out of even the mid-level Caribbean schools (St. Matthew's, MUA, AUA, etc.).

 

[Meatwad]

Something to remember is that if you go to certain medical schools in the Caribbean, you won't be able to practice in all 50 states. Do thorough research before going there.

With SGU, you can practice in all states, and I believe with others as well. If you want a quicker way to get your GPA to 3.0, retake your science classes and apply to osteopathic schools (they only count the retakes). But with a 3.0, you'll still have a lot of trouble unless you nail the MCAT.

The re-takes + applying to osteopathic schools is good advice. Obviously, this should be your first goal. If this doesn't work out, and you are rejected from every DO school, then apply Caribbean.

Give yourself at least years of re-taking classes and taking new science courses in order to get your GPA up to an acceptable number. If you aren't willing to invest 2 more years in order to save yourself a lifetime of headache, then... good luck with trying to be a doctor, man.

 

[jon stewart]

if that doesn't work DO, Caribbean then you can go back to India. The money making scheme that is the Caribbean spreads to Indian schools too. You show the $$, they will let you in. Be warned though, coming back here and practicing will take a lot of work. How did you manage a 2.4 GPA? Did retake any of your classes? What was your major? Did you try in school? I can understand if you screwed around and thats why you have poor grades, but if you studied really hard and still managed that then maybe there is something wrong.

 

[jon stewart]

Honestly, probably not SGU. Their average is around a 3.4/26 these days, however most students are not neatly within this range. Anecdotally, it seems most students at SGU fall into 3 categories:

1) Impatient students; plenty of kids heading to SGU are feeling the effects of the increased competition for getting into med school here in the US. I've met people who have, at least claimed, to have competitive GPAs and MCAT scores (>/=3.5, >/=29). Some of them were waitlisted and didn't want to reapply, some were just outright rejected. I think this is the minority, but certainly a growing minority.

haha, i keep wondering everyday. I am actually taking two years off from the normal applicant (those that apply in the summer before senior year) to get everything ready so i can apply here. I could have bailed and opted for the islands, I can understand though, some poeple just want to get on with their lives. Lets hope my persistence is worth it...

 

[Meatwad]

haha, i keep wondering everyday. I am actually taking two years off from the normal applicant (those that apply in the summer before senior year) to get everything ready so i can apply here. I could have bailed and opted for the islands, I can understand though, some poeple just want to get on with their lives. Lets hope my persistence is worth it...

I think you are, as do many others. I respect anyone that goes to medical school, US or Caribbean, and makes it through. However, I think the student who does a post-bacc, SMP, or whatever, and waits years to get into a US school, gets a lot of props for determination in my book. I think adcoms respect that as well.

 

[Flopotomist]

One other major consideration is why the undergrad GPA was so low to start with. Some people just lack the discipline / ability to perform at the level required in medical school. Do some honest self-evaluation before spending several hundred thousand dollars chasing something. It would stink to be in that much debt, and then be unable to pass boards.

 

[ShyRem]

I personally know someone who went to AUC with a 2.5 GPA and a 19MCAT. I also know someone who went to SGU with a 2.1 GPA and a 22 MCAT. Last I heard, one was repeating first year and the other failed out.

So possible? yes. Hope you do better than they did.

 

[Meatwad]

I personally know someone who went to AUC with a 2.5 GPA and a 19MCAT. I also know someone who went to SGU with a 2.1 GPA and a 22 MCAT. Last I heard, one was repeating first year and the other failed out.

So possible? yes. Hope you do better than they did.

Must have been extenuating circumstances for their grades (at least this is what they told the admissions officers), they knew someone in the admissions office, or had the most ridiculously magnetic personality in the world. If you check an old thread in the Caribbean part of this board (~2 months old), there was someone with around a 3.0, something like a 34 on the MCAT, who had a 2.9 in an SMP. Obviously, a 2.9 isn't great, but it's roughly a B average in US medical school classes. It obviously proves that one can pass the material. This person was rejected from SGU, citing that their undergrad GPA was too low; they said raise it to a 3.3 minimum then reapply.

Like I said earlier, I believe one or two people might get in with ridiculous grades, but gone are the days when it is likely.

 

[beepbeep]

i agree with phlopotomist. a lot of people act like gaining admission to med school is the final goal. it's not--- and it only gets more challenging from that point! remember, med school is going to be much more difficult than undergrad, and your poor gpa indicates that you'll be entering with a very weak foundation. you are very realistically heading towards the "worst case scenario" for a med student -- a TON of debt and no MD. i read somewhere that only ~50% of foreign med students match back to the US, and if you are entering a foreign med school with much lower stats than your classmates... well, you know where i'm going with this. sorry to be so harsh, but it is MUCH better for you to critically evaluate yourself and your career choice before getting yourself into a nightmare situation.

 

[cheezer]

ugh