Low Science Gpa Success Stories

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shan1997

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I have read some low GPA success stories but are there any Low SCIENCE Gpa Success Stories? Right now that a big factor holding me back and i would appreciae it if fellow SDNers could recount their success stories or someone they know who has gotten into medical school with a low science gpa ( in the range of 2.1ish-2.5 )

Thanks in advance

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2.1???? phrases you need to start getting used to:

"is there anything to do on this island?"

"another hurricane warning?"

"Why did the power go out again?"
 
Originally posted by southbelle
2.1???? phrases you need to start getting used to:

"is there anything to do on this island?"

"another hurricane warning?"

"Why did the power go out again?"

I'm afraid she's right. Not to be too brutal, but if you got around a 2.1 undergrad science gpa, and considering that the majority of the first two years of med school are upper level science classes.....you know...
 
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wow and i was going to post my science gpa (3.1) cause i thought it was very low compared to the average applicant...but a 2.1 to 2.5 sgpa range is quite low.

maybe someone on here knows someone who knew someone that got in with a sgpa in that range, but very much the exception and not the rule.

whoever you know with that sgpa should work to get that higher at least in the 2.8-3.0 range.
 
You need to do a post-bacc, and ace it. otherwise you're probably carribean bound.
 
2.1? Or 2.5? 2.5 is salvagable with a post-bacc and masters, though it'll still be hard. 2.1 is rather scary.. with a post-bacc and masters, that'll probably get you into one of the better Caribbean schools.

Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself? Overall GPA? What science courses you took. Did you fail any of them and took them over again?
 
A science GPA that low doesn't mean your stuck on an island, but it does mean you'll have alot of work ahead of you! Don't plan on going to a school in the US for quite awhile. You'll have to rock on the MCAT and quite a bit of time between you and that GPA. Basically you're going to have to re-do your sciences at some point.
This is a link to oldpremeds.com and a story that I think you will like alot about overcoming a REALLY low GPA.
Very inpirational
 
There is Hope There is hope and let the verbalassasin be the one to bring it to you. First off I know someone directly not through a friend or heard of a friend of a friend, but my best friend who has a 2.17 science GPA and he has recieved 2 interviews thus far. The schools may not be the most reputable but hell it is a medical school. He explained his situation on the personal statement and I guess some schools actually do read it. And if he does get in believe me I will have him give you the low down of everything. I do want to stress to you that there are some schools that are not just looking at the GPA some schools 4 in particular look at their mission first, letters of rec second, and mcat third, gpa last. thats unique because it leaves the other 121 MD schools to go gpa crazy. good look to the OP
 
Originally posted by southbelle
2.1???? phrases you need to start getting used to:

"is there anything to do on this island?"

"another hurricane warning?"

"Why did the power go out again?"


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Although this is completely rude and disparaging and completely unnecessary, I have to say this is the FUNNIEST thing I've read all day. Thanks (for what it's worth) southbelle.
 
Originally posted by southbelle
2.1???? phrases you need to start getting used to:

"is there anything to do on this island?"

"another hurricane warning?"

"Why did the power go out again?"

are you saying that she'll go to med school in Galveston?
 
Originally posted by exmike
You need to do a post-bacc, and ace it. otherwise you're probably carribean bound.

Or get a Master's like I did. You WILL have to ace grad school (in a hard science like physiology) but it can be done. Good luck!
 
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Originally posted by pathdr2b
Or get a Master's like I did. You WILL have to ace grad school (in a hard science like physiology) but it can be done. Good luck!

A masters is a really iffy thing. I aced my masters and took all neuroscience and pharm classes. As it turns out this was a bad move for me. I should have done post bacc stuff to raise my undergrad GPA.

Even the med school that told me to get the masters ended up in the end telling me what they cared about was my undergrad GPA. :rolleyes:

Before investing in something like that I would talk to LOTS of ADCOMS to see what they suggested.
 
Ah yes, but a solid MCAT and good grad school grades should have compensated for a poor undergraduate showing. Then again, my bad undergrad grades are from 20 years ago and my graduate work from the late 1999. What a difference a decade or so makes....:laugh:
 
Originally posted by pathdr2b
Ah yes, but a solid MCAT and good grad school grades should have compensated for a poor undergraduate showing. Then again, my bad undergrad grades are from 20 years ago and my graduate work from the late 1999. What a difference a decade or so makes....:laugh:

Yeah I'm betting in your case that time did help alot. You got to say that this is you now not then. It is great that you were able to show the med schools that you could do it and that you got accepted. Congratulations!
 
Originally posted by pathdr2b
Ah yes, but a solid MCAT and good grad school grades should have compensated for a poor undergraduate showing. Then again, my bad undergrad grades are from 20 years ago and my graduate work from the late 1999. What a difference a decade or so makes....:laugh:

so is your advice to the OP to wait about 10 years? :laugh:
 
I think what people so far have said but haven't summarized is this:

You're a 2.1 student. What's changed between what you were doing when you got those grades and what you'll be doing in med school? You say you've had a change of heart and will work hard from now on? That's great. The only thing is, you'll have to prove it.

As an adcom, you are getting a surplus of applicants--enough where you have to deny tons of qualified applicants that worked much harder than you did. How can they possibly justify letting you in while they reject others that have proven that they want it way more. You can't, and that's the problem.
 
I don't think someone with a 2.1 science GPA can make it through medical school and pass the boards. There might be very rare exceptions, but I doubt it.
 
Do you have extenuating circumstances to explain this gpa to an admissions committee?
 
Originally posted by Megalofyia
Yeah I'm betting in your case that time did help alot. You got to say that this is you now not then. It is great that you were able to show the med schools that you could do it and that you got accepted. Congratulations!

Well unfortunately I had to turn it down for family reasons:(
(Glad I did as I would not have been able to get time back with my dad before he died).

Oh well, here we go again applying to the class entering in 2005:clap:

so is your advice to the OP to wait about 10 years? I dunno but I think MATURITY sure goes a long way:p
 
As far as extenuating circumstances goes. A couple of semesters I think i bit off more than i could chew and tried to take a lot of science and math classes while working a couple jobs. But of course i heard the admissions committee don't want to hear excuses they are more interested in what you have done since that time. That is why i am working toward doing well post bacc wise and hope to do well on the mcat. I think other than the low science gpa i am a well rounded candidate.
 
I was wondering something similar, but with an overall of 3.3 and science of 3.1-2ish...I talked to some adcom members from various places and was told that a good MCAT score really helps and that post-baccs are the way to go, if you're like me and you have no money and/or time for post-baccs immediately, I was advised to take masters level courses to show that you can excel in these areas, something in the sciences. However, I never mean to depress anyone's hopes, but I am worried about having my apps thrown out without a second look with a 3.3...it may be a good idea to stick around and try to bring that undergrad GPA up a bit...this is just some info my advisor directed me to and an adcom gave me so take it as that ;) Good luck to you though I hope you can find a way to get in...and oh yeah...I don't know if you have a reason for the low GPA or not, but I know that I should have and could have done better in undergrad, but I really had some confusing times...just remember to draw focus to your positives in essays and hopefully interviews...I was told that with hard work anyone can make up for mistakes in life and I truly believe that...
 
Originally posted by mEst_up
I was wondering something similar, but with an overall of 3.3 and science of 3.1-2ish...I talked to some adcom members from various places and was told that a good MCAT score really helps and that post-baccs are the way to go, if you're like me and you have no money and/or time for post-baccs immediately, I was advised to take masters level courses to show that you can excel in these areas, something in the sciences. However, I never mean to depress anyone's hopes, but I am worried about having my apps thrown out without a second look with a 3.3...it may be a good idea to stick around and try to bring that undergrad GPA up a bit...this is just some info my advisor directed me to and an adcom gave me so take it as that ;) Good luck to you though I hope you can find a way to get in...and oh yeah...I don't know if you have a reason for the low GPA or not, but I know that I should have and could have done better in undergrad, but I really had some confusing times...just remember to draw focus to your positives in essays and hopefully interviews...I was told that with hard work anyone can make up for mistakes in life and I truly believe that...

your app will by no means be "thrown out" with a 3.3. I had a 3.1 and got 17 interviews. Well rounded is important, and if OP is speaking the truth then he just needs to raise his SciGPA. However, raising a 2.1 to a 3.1 is a daunting task I'd imagine. I dont see how he/she could do that without doing a postbacc of some sort.
 
My ugrad science GPA was 2.4. But, I've since aced 14 credits of post-bacc classes and have had 6 years of work experience.
 
does a really high mcat make science gpa less important?
 
Hi.

i really think that the school you come from is important too. Though i don't think that even Harvard would be able to save a 2.1 average you can still make do with a 3.0-3.3 with certain schools.

My school included the average science GPA of science majors (which is like a 3.3) in our LOR so the adcoms know our gpa relative to that.

I have a 3.4 science gpa and i've gotten 6 interviews, 2 acceptances and 1 waitlist.

So if you do a post bac program- try to get it above the 3.0 mark. Another option of course is applying to osteo schools...
 
Originally posted by Vgirl
Another option of course is applying to osteo schools...

I think you should give the osteo schools more credit than that.
 
you would still have to do a post bac program to apply to osteo but they would be more receptive to a 3.0 gpa than md programs.

calm down.
 
I knwo a student who graduated with a 2.89 GPA oveall, so her science must have been somewhere in the range of 2.5 ish. She took grad classes at a state school that doesnt particularly have a name to make you tremble. But she aced those classes, and got an awesome govt job. She was admitted to the med school of her ugrad institution.

As someone already mentioned, i think that schools will want to know what you have done most recently to offset those grades, and what extar attributes you bring to the table other than just being the white-bread staple kind of student.

Just persevere...Your destiny is what you make of your life now.
 
Thanks guys for all the information, stories and encouraging words, i realize i have a long road ahead of me but it is one i am willing and ready to take.
 
Originally posted by shan1997
Thanks guys for all the information, stories and encouraging words, i realize i have a long road ahead of me but it is one i am willing and ready to take.

:clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Ya know, I am personally applying this year since...well i think i should apply (don't ask me why). My overall undergrad GPA was pretty bad, it was a 2.58 i believe. (i try to block that out of my head).

The courses I took were all pretty good, and the grades jumped randomly through a variety of courses. A/B's in OChem, C's in a quarter of calculus, then B in the following quarter of calculus. Got a C in meteorology (doh!), but got an A in physics.

Why you might ask are my grades so scattered and jacked up? Well for the first 2 years of my undergraduate career, i supported my family, and supported myself. I had 2 jobs, and still do have 2 jobs trying to support myself and my parents.

The 3 years after that, I continued to support my parents through other ways after transfering to a 4-year university. Luckily, i found a job as a research assistant (didn't pay much), and continued to devote many hours to work rather than school because its pretty much a choice between having an apartment to study in vs. studying a lot to do well in a class.

As a result, i aborted my attempts at applying to med school until now. Since graduating, i've accumulated 4 years of research experience, worked many other jobs, and I have around a 3.5 post-bacc GPA in biomedical engineering courses. I chose these courses since its new, its challenging, and well i pretty much ran out of biosci courses to take..haha. By the end of the spring quarter, I should have about 32 quarter units worth of class to show them what i've done despite a lot of time devoted to living and family. I can only hope that they understand, and give me a chance by inviting me for interview. I don't know if they'll accept me, but all i really want right now is to get to the interview to deal with this in a face-to-face manner. I wish you guys luck. I personally believe regardless of how low your GPA is, even if it is 0.00, if a person wants to be a doctor bad enough, you'll get there sooner or later.

Seen far to many people out there who have taken FAR more challenging roads before finally reaching their final path towards medicine. Some examples are people who have kids, or people who changed their lives 180 degrees to become a doctor. That takes a lot. Heck, there was once a US Army Special Forces sergeant, realized, hey I want to be a doctor. Went back to school after almost a decade since high school, went to post-bacc, and god knows what else. Now he's an MD. All it takes is the extreme attitude and desire to get in.

"Adapt and overcome!"
 
Originally posted by Farrah
does a really high mcat make science gpa less important?

i would think so since i fall under that category of having low sci gpa but good mcat.
 
Originally posted by jlee9531
i would think so since i fall under that category of having low sci gpa but good mcat.

I concur with the Berkeleyan above me. A high MCAT is almost necessary to offset a low GPA. If you have a low GPA (in the 3s range), you can still get admitted to decent med schools if you have a 30+ MCAT...even better shot with a 33+ MCAT. However, if you have a low sci GPA coupled with a low MCAT...it will be VERY hard to be admitted to an American MD school. I agree with the posters above, a post-bacc program would definitely be helpful here.
 
verbalassasin said:
I do want to stress to you that there are some schools that are not just looking at the GPA some schools 4 in particular look at their mission first, letters of rec second, and mcat third, gpa last.

Verbalassasin, or anyone else who knows, which schools are these? And how did you find out this info? thanks!

Liz
 
Hey,
So 12's in the sciences on the mcat, and 3.48 sgpa are ok?

Thanks.
 
DReject said:
Hey,
So 12's in the sciences on the mcat, and 3.48 sgpa are ok?

Thanks.
You should be golden, baby!
 
DReject said:
Hey,
So 12's in the sciences on the mcat, and 3.48 sgpa are ok?

Thanks.
itd be extra nice if that VR was a 10 or higher too :)
 
krebse said:
Verbalassasin, or anyone else who knows, which schools are these? And how did you find out this info? thanks!

Liz
I second that question... You said 4 in particular? Do share!
 
:eek: :: bumped OOB like volleyball ::


waiting for those 4
 
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