Low GPA, potential low MCAT, what to do?

[cali415]

Hi,

Posted this under someone else's thread, but was recommended that I start a new one.

So here's my story:

I'm new to posting on this site and I'm actually in the same boat as hopef. I have a similar GPA (roughly around 3.2 for science and 3.3 cummulative). I just sat for the MCAT today and already planning on retaking ASAP (hopefully early July). I haven't been scoring that great on the practice exams, somewhere around the lower 20's, and not feeling super confident about the exam I took today.

The only difference is that I'm working on my MS in biology, and will be done in the summer this year. I've taken a year of post-bacc courses (all science courses) after undergrad before the master's program, I have good ECs, LORs, etc. I've seen posts about admissions not looking at graduate GPAs, etc., but not sure what to make of it. Although they may not consider graduate level GPAs, having done something like a master's counts for something, right?

My plan was to apply this year, as early as possible, but now that I feel my application package isn't as 'good' as I'd thought it'd be. Was considering only applying to MD programs, but seems like I might not have a chance. Probably not even with DO programs.

Any advice would be truly appreciated. Just feeling discouraged and really don't want to wait another year to apply. Thanks!

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[cali415]

got a reply from klmnop:

two things
first, you are most likely going to have to wait another year since you are not confident about you mcat... suck it up, most matriculants aren't 22
second, i don't understand why you didn't void your mcat if you didn't feel confident about it

I would be an older applicant, since I'm over 25, and the reason I didn't void my exam was that it's really hard to gauge whether I was actually confident or not. I've taken many practice exams and the ones where I felt very good about, I came out with a lower score than expected. On the other hand, the exams where I was feeling 'ehh' about, scores kind of caught me by surprise. But I mean no matter how good an exam went, you always have this feeling where you could've done better, especially with multiple choice exams.

Just wanted to know whether it would be worth retaking the exam in July and still try to apply this year? or would that just be too late of an application?

Thanks!

 

[Catalystik]

So the cGPA/BCPM is 3.3/32 includes undergrad and postbac work? Could you list the year by year GPA? I'm looking for one bad year with an upward grade trend vs mediocre grades throughout undergrad.

And your masters cGPA/BCPM is what?

It would help to know details of your "good ECs." Include months/hours of involvement, please.

Yes, a traditional masters counts for something, especially if it's in the hard sciences. Most med schools don't regard the graduate GPAs, but the degree generally gives one opportunities for researcha and teaching that help strengthen the application. A few allo med schools and a number of osteo med schools will take a grad BCPM into account.

Answers to the above will help us answer, "Just wanted to know whether it would be worth retaking the exam in July and still try to apply this year? or would that just be too late of an application?"

 

[cali415]

Thanks Catalystik for your input.

Well, according to the AMCAS calculator excel spreadsheet I found here on the forums, my GPA each year of undergrad has been pretty much consistantly a 3.0. (still having some trouble with whether some classes I've taken for my major, such as psychological stats, and other courses offered in through the psychology dept, should be included in the BCMP GPA, since they do involve aspects of biology and neuroscience). With my one year of post-bac work, (BCMP GPA is 3.6), that brings my undergrad sGPA to about 3.2-3.3.

My graduate degree is in Biology, with an emphasis on physio and behavioral bio. I've also taken courses and retaken courses that will not count toward my MS degree (ex. retaking Ochem II lab , taking extra courses like immunology, cancer biology, etc). Graduate GPA is 3.8, and I've only taken sciences courses and seminars, both grad level and upper-div undergrad.

My EC's include volunteer clinical research assistant at a government hospital for 3 years, working with the same PI and project, which includes some patient contact (mostly recruitment, interviews), 2nd author on 2 posters presented at a major medical conference, research experience (3 years bench work working toward my master's thesis), and 1 semester as graduate teaching assistant, teaching upper-div human physiology laboratory.

May also have my thesis published, and a possibility of having the mentioned posters written up and clinical volunteer research published as well.

 

[Catalystik]

Any coursework you took during grad school that was not required for the grad degree should also be listed as postbac. Psychological Statistics, even though it has a PSYC prefix, should be listed as MATH and included in the BCPM. Does that change any numbers?

How soon before you'd know if a publication submission was accepted?

So the Research looks terrific. You have some Teaching. You have some Clinical Experience through your research (can you estimate actual patient contact hours?). What is your other clinical experience? Do you have shadowing? Any leadership or nonmedical community service? Artistic Endeavors or Hobbies?