Low grades in Pre-req courses and time out of school...does it matter?

[ClaudioAbbado]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello everyone,

Here is my situation with 2 simple questions.

1) I have an overall GPA of 3.68 and a science GPA of 3.62, but for alot of the 1st year pre-req courses I did really poorly with a grade of C+ (but nothing lower). Does this C+ during my 1st year pre-req courses like intro bio and intro chemistry hurt how they view my overall GPA? Since then, I have gotten mostly A and a few odd B+.

** I got a B.sc Honors in Molecular Biology, and most of the upper level science and biochemistry courses I aced.

2) I have graduated and been out of school for a year just to solely study for the MCAT. I wrote it 3 times in that gap year and achieved a score of 41R, will this "gap" year where I did nothing hurt me? If I don't get in this round, will a second "gap" year hurt me even more?


Thanks everyone!

-Claudio

 

[NickNaylor]

1) If you did poorly in pre-reqs and well in the rest of your classes, yes, I think that'll hurt you. Medicine is science-based... doing poorly in the fundamental science courses won't give adcoms a warm fuzzy feeling.

2) Many secondaries have a question that asks you to explain what you've been doing with your time if you've already graduated. Hopefully you'll have something to include in there besides studying for the MCAT.

 

[ClaudioAbbado]

1) If you did poorly in pre-reqs and well in the rest of your classes, yes, I think that'll hurt you. Medicine is science-based... doing poorly in the fundamental science courses won't give adcoms a warm fuzzy feeling.

2) Many secondaries have a question that asks you to explain what you've been doing with your time if you've already graduated. Hopefully you'll have something to include in there besides studying for the MCAT.

Thanks.

1) But remember, that was only the 1st year, all the subsequent 4 years of upper-level biology/chemistry courses I received mostly As and A-s and a few B+s. That 1st year I was just not adapting to the university environment. In the end, with my B.sc Honors in Molecular Biology with a SCIENCE GPA of 3.62, doesn't that show I AM academically capable?

2) Ok, but what if I truly tried to find a job, but could not find any?

 

[mspeedwagon]

1) It'll hurt a bit. The strong upward trend and high MCAT score will compensate for it, but it'll hurt to the extent it impacts your GPA.

2) You NEED to find a job. Knock at every hospital door. Find out if the public library is hiring. Look at big employers in your area. There is no way you can't find ANY job. Keep looking.

Thanks.

1) But remember, that was only the 1st year, all the subsequent 4 years of upper-level biology/chemistry courses I received mostly As and A-s and a few B+s. That 1st year I was just not adapting to the university environment. In the end, with my B.sc Honors in Molecular Biology with a SCIENCE GPA of 3.62, doesn't that show I AM academically capable?

2) Ok, but what if I truly tried to find a job, but could not find any?

 

[ClaudioAbbado]

Oh my god! Should I spend the summer retaking those 1st year pre-req courses then? I mean half of them I got C+.

 

[ThaliaNox]

Your overall GPA is fine. Schools will be a little uncomfortable with you getting Cs in your pre-reqs. Those classes are looked at the closest because everyone has them, so they make a good marker when comparing two applicants who may be different majors.

As far as taking a whole year to study for the MCAT, it won't go over well. If you couldn't find a job, you could have volunteered or done research. I'm sure most people could do really well if they had an entire year to exclusively study for the MCAT and didn't have to have a job. It screams privilaged on one hand and poor planning on the other.

Now, I'm not saying you won't get in. Just that these things might keep you out of contention for some schools you would otherwise have gotten into.

 

[ClaudioAbbado]

Ok, so my 3.68 cGPA and 3.62 sGPA will be a bit negative, but all I want is to get into ANY U.S. allopathic school (I'm instate for Nebraska)!!!

I don't understand why the adcom would look at 1st year grades so closely when I have taken much much more difficult 4th year level HONORS bio and chemistry courses in which I aced them all??? I spent 5 years in undegrad, so what if I did bad my 1st year, my last 4 years I did excellent!!

 

[MaryLennox]

i think the MCAT will cancel out the grades at mid-tier schools and you'll be able to get in. for 'top 20' schools you might have a hard time with all those C's but then again if you waste a bunch of time bringing that up, you'll have an application with great stats but nothing else, which wont necessarily help either (at top 20-type schools.) personally i'd stop freaking out about it and just apply broadly. i had 4 or 5 C's one of which was in a prereq and no one said a thing to me about it. also since it was in your first year i think its not such a big deal. if you meant what you said about wanting to get into ANY allopathic school, i think you can do that without too much trouble.

i mean isnt that the point of the MCAT? to be able to say, ok, sure, i did crappy in my freshman year because i was adjusting to college life. but clearly, i understand the concepts now.

you'll be fine. did you submit your AMCAS already? being early helps

 

[anbuitachi]

wow i think that 41 mcat score will definitely get you into a school,

 

[NickNaylor]

Yeah, I didn't mean to say you won't get into any school. You'll probably be more than fine. However in response to the question of "will it hurt," I think it's safe to say that it will.

You don't have much to worry about. The main thing that's a concern is what you've been doing in your gap year.

 

[ClaudioAbbado]

Yeah, I didn't mean to say you won't get into any school. You'll probably be more than fine. However in response to the question of "will it hurt," I think it's safe to say that it will.

You don't have much to worry about. The main thing that's a concern is what you've been doing in your gap year.

Both my parents are doctors, and I'm the only child, so they can more than adequately provide everything for me. As such, I spent this past year doing nothing but sitting at home and studying for the MCAT, in which I got a 38, 36, and finally a 41R.

However, I did make an effort to look for a job, especially a research job, but no one is hiring! I honestly spent 2-hours every day calling, e-mailing, looking for a job but there is simply none! I live in Omaha, Nebraska, which is not a big city or research center like Houston or New York.

 

[MaryLennox]

However in response to the question of "will it hurt," I think it's safe to say that it will.

I guess it probably depends on the school, with upper tiers being more picky. but i swear after this app cycle i wonder whether they even look at your individual grades very closely at all. out of all my interviews, i got exactly one comment on my grades, and it wasn't even true! ("your gpa is low but at least you have shown an upward trend.") actually, there wasnt an upward trend at all. did he even look at them?? i think these people are too overworked to analyze every single grade you've ever had, especially with record numbers of people applying every year. i am sure this year will break last years record.

edited to add: as far as the job situation goes, maybe expand your search a bit. you dont have to have a science job. i think plenty of schools like to see that you've had non medical experiences/ "real world" experience. i love talking about how my job as a bank teller made me more determined than ever to become a doctor because it was so boring. and i think the fact that i waitressed through college shows my ability to juggle responsibilities. In your case it would prove that you are motivated to do more than let mom and dad pay for stuff. (not saying that you arent, just how adcoms might see it.) So get whatever job you can. Being a server is a blast, and in my opinion its an experience every twenty-something should have. if you want a clinical job, get a crappy one. i got a job cleaning ORs and though it was not glamorous it was actually really fun and i got to meet doctors, watch surgeries, etc.

 

[ThaliaNox]

Both my parents are doctors, and I'm the only child, so they can more than adequately provide everything for me. As such, I spent this past year doing nothing but sitting at home and studying for the MCAT, in which I got a 38, 36, and finally a 41R.

However, I did make an effort to look for a job, especially a research job, but no one is hiring! I honestly spent 2-hours every day calling, e-mailing, looking for a job but there is simply none! I live in Omaha, Nebraska, which is not a big city or research center like Houston or New York.

As I said in a previous post, nothing was stopping you from volunteering somewhere to keep up your ECs. Did you keep any of your ECs up to date in the past year? Regardless of the fact that you didn't NEED to work, schools will expect you to have kept busy. The fact that you retook a 38 also just looks weird.

 

[ClaudioAbbado]

I looked for EVERY job that i could get, even janitor and McDonald jobs, but THERE ARE NONE!!

10% of Americans are unemployed, most of them highly experienced and skilled fighting for any job they can get. How do you expect a recent B.sc grad to get get any footing?

How did YOU get your jobs???

 

[Quester]

I looked for EVERY job that i could get, even janitor and McDonald jobs, but THERE ARE NONE!!

10% of Americans are unemployed, most of them highly experienced and skilled fighting for any job they can get. How do you expect a recent B.sc grad to get get any footing?

How did YOU get your jobs???

+1

I live in a major city and seriously even Starbucks isn't hiring. I'm hoping to land a job through friend's connections after school's done.

Hey OP, congrats on your MCAT scores. But dude, how'd you pull it off? I hear stories of people studying their @$$ off for a long time; yet, managed to get lower than 35.

 

[ThaliaNox]

I looked for EVERY job that i could get, even janitor and McDonald jobs, but THERE ARE NONE!!

10% of Americans are unemployed, most of them highly experienced and skilled fighting for any job they can get. How do you expect a recent B.sc grad to get get any footing?

How did YOU get your jobs???

Stop being defensive. You asked a question, we answered. You had many options besides paid employment and chose not to pursue them. Now we're telling you that you're going to have to take your medicine.