Low GPA.. with Grade Distribution

[alwayshop]

BCPM: 2.75
Cumulative GPA: 3.00
Major: Statistics
Institution: Top Public, MPH Yale

Gen. Chem B-
OChem I D
OChem I B+ RETAKE
Ochem I Lab A-
Physics I B
Biology I F
Biology I Lab F
Biology I C RETAKE
Biology I Lab C RETAKE
Biology II C+
Calculus I B+
Calculus II C+
Calculus III A
Linear Algera C+
Stat Intro C+
Stat Upper Div A-
Stat Upper Div C
Stat Upper Div A
Stat Upper Div A
Stat Upper Div A
Stat Upper Div A

As you can see, I failed Ochem I, retook, got a B. Then I failed Biology I, retook, and got a C in both lecture and lab. Overall, undergrad was a blur. I was working many hours to support myself and went through lots of emotional problems throughout college. But in the end, it was the lack of focus that ruined me.

Post-Bac
After 4 years of taking post-bacc courses simultaneously with a full-time job, I was able to receive straight A's in 45 units and bring up the GPA to:

BCPM: 3.25
Cumulative GPA: 3.30
Grad GPA: 4.00
MCAT: 38

I have been working in a hospital setting with a specialty in clinical quality improvement for the last two years and have decided that I want to go to medical school. I am currently 29. Could anyone give any realistic chances for admission into a MD school?

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[NephrologyMD]

BCPM: 2.75
Although you have an amazing MCAT, those failed science courses are not disregarded by the med schools... you would have a much better chance at DO

 

[deleted248403]

Slim to no chance at an MD school right now.

Those 45 units of post-bac work you took - were any of them science classes? Because if you are referring to the 45 units as part of the MPH then it doesn't count. MPH won't make up for the fact you have poor grades in calc, bio and orgo (I know you took retakes but an F to a C isn't really cutting it)

 

[Catalystik]

Cs in Biology without some upper-division Bio As to redeem them doesn't look good. Adcomms would want to see evidence that you might survive their Bio-heavy curriculum in med school before they'd give you a chance. The MCAT is terrific, and shows you understand the material, but day-to-day excellence in classroom work is important to them. With your 3.3 ucGPA and high MCAT, you'd theoretically get past screening to have the whole application reviewed, but as you are right now, I don't see a med school taking a chance on you, unless the postbac included successful science coursework you haven't mentioned. I'd say overall chances are less than 10% based on the information you provide.

 

[alwayshop]

Just a clarification, all those post-bacc units were upper-division BCP classes such as Biochem, Developmental Bio, Genetics, Cell Bio, Neurobio, etc.

I'm not sure what to do at this moment and kind of feel stuck.. what I'm worried about is the retakes and the still bad grades in Ochem and Intro Bio.. any advice?

 

[Catalystik]

I thought Stat=Statistics. But if you got As in upper-level science classes as you listed, then that changes the picture. Don't worry about the retakes as they are redeemed.

Now your odds with 3.3/38 are 61% for an acceptance using AMCAS stats from the last three years to go by: http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

With such discordant stats, be sure to apply broadly to schools with a reasonable level of selectivity.

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