Low Undergrad Stats - What Now?

[sgulati]

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Just looking for some advice on what the best route to a U.S. allopathic med school would be...my undergrad GPA to date is a grim 2.8, and with my course load senior year I could only realistically graduate with, at best, a 3.1-3.2 (BCPM: 3.0). My practice MCAT scores lead me to expect a 25-28 on the real thing this Saturday. (These stats btw are certainly not the height of my potential - simply a consequence of medial effort). I do have substantial research and volunteer experience, but I am afraid my stats are too low even for the post-baccalaureate pre-med programs. Any suggestions?

 

[femme]

Just looking for some advice on what the best route to a U.S. allopathic med school would be...my undergrad GPA to date is a grim 2.8, and with my course load senior year I could only realistically graduate with, at best, a 3.1-3.2 (PCBM: 3.0). My practice MCAT scores lead me to expect a 25-28 on the real thing this Saturday. (These stats btw are certainly not the height of my potential - simply a consequence of medial effort). I do have substantial research and volunteer experience, but I am afraid my stats are too low even for the post-baccalaureate pre-med programs. Any suggestions?

Just my $.02...
Don't take the MCAT this Saturday if that is the best you think you can do. If you can study hardcore, not just medially, and take them in August I would suggest that. You don't want to have to keep giving adcoms excuses; in order to balance your GPA you should try to get a 30+ on the MCAT. Then try for a SMP to make up for your grades. With a decent MCAT score to balance your GPA, I think you'd have a shot at one of the better SMPs out there. Good luck on Sat if you take it =)

 

[Sundarban1]

Just looking for some advice on what the best route to a U.S. allopathic med school would be...my undergrad GPA to date is a grim 2.8, and with my course load senior year I could only realistically graduate with, at best, a 3.1-3.2 (PCBM: 3.0). My practice MCAT scores lead me to expect a 25-28 on the real thing this Saturday. (These stats btw are certainly not the height of my potential - simply a consequence of medial effort). I do have substantial research and volunteer experience, but I am afraid my stats are too low even for the post-baccalaureate pre-med programs. Any suggestions?

Seeing as though most allopathic schools have an average GPA of 3.5 for accecpted students and you know you are not adequately prepared for the April MCAT, why not hold off until August when you are more prepared? Statistically, someone with a 3.0 BCMP has a very low likelyhood of accecptance with a 25-28 MCAT, even with osteopathic schools. My advice would be to take the MCAT in August when you are more prepared, shoot for 30+, and then look at 1-year special master's programs or other post bacc options to get your GPA into a more competative range.

 

[Law2Doc]

Seeing as though most allopathic schools have an average GPA of 3.5 for accecpted students and you know you are not adequately prepared for the April MCAT, why not hold off until August when you are more prepared? Statistically, someone with a 3.0 BCMP has a very low likelyhood of accecptance with a 25-28 MCAT, even with osteopathic schools. My advice would be to take the MCAT in August when you are more prepared, shoot for 30+, and then look at 1-year special master's programs or other post bacc options to get your GPA into a more competative range.

I agree. You should know you likely won't be going to med school immediately after college with that GPA, so why rush into an MCAT you apparently aren't ready for. Sounds like you should withdraw from the test, take whatever courses you can take that will puff up your GPA as high as it can go (even if it means postponing certain prereqs) by graduation, and then plan on spending a year or so taking or retaking courses in a postbac or SMP until your GPA is a few points higher. During this time, you can also pick up some good health related ECs to pad the app. Then sit for the MCAT only after having taken prep courses and studied your ass off and are getting around 30 on every practice test. Not the quickest route, but one that will give you much better odds of ending up where you want to go.

 

[PineappleGirl]

I agree with what everyone is saying about not taking the MCAT tomorrow and sitting for the August one instead. I'd say this summer, take a couple super easy science classes to boost your BCPM and study hard for the MCAT in August. May I suggest sociobiology, astronomy, geology and the like? At my school we even have this class called "Beaches and Shorelines" that counts as a science class. Beaches! You study beaches! 😀

 

[Law2Doc]

At my school we even have this class called "Beaches and Shorelines" that counts as a science class. Beaches! You study beaches! 😀

lol. I've studied beaches diligently pretty much every summer of my life -- who knew I could have gotten college credit for it.

 

[sgulati]

I agree with what everyone is saying about not taking the MCAT tomorrow and sitting for the August one instead. I'd say this summer, take a couple super easy science classes to boost your BCPM and study hard for the MCAT in August. May I suggest sociobiology, astronomy, geology and the like? At my school we even have this class called "Beaches and Shorelines" that counts as a science class. Beaches! You study beaches! 😀

Thanks for all the advice guys. I was actually curious about the BCPM...I've asked a few people, including a few different advisors, and I've had different answers from everyone...how do I know whether I will be able to add new classes to my BCPM GPA? For example I do research for credit right now which comes on my transcript as a Molecular Biology 699 course and satisfies a requirement for my major, but would I be able to factor something like that into the BCPM?

 

[Sundarban1]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I was actually curious about the BCPM...I've asked a few people, including a few different advisors, and I've had different answers from everyone...how do I know whether I will be able to add new classes to my BCPM GPA? For example I do research for credit right now which comes on my transcript as a Molecular Biology 699 course and satisfies a requirement for my major, but would I be able to factor something like that into the BCPM?

Most bio courses satisfy the biology requirements for your BCPM. If you go to the AMCAS website you can view what courses count and which do not. Molecular biology will count for sure. In the larger scope of things I hope you're considering withdrawing from tomorrows MCAT if you are not 100% prepared. The last thing you want is to take it again, which it sounds like you will have to do anyway from your first post. Take it once, when you are fully prepared.

 

[Aero047]

Most bio courses satisfy the biology requirements for your BCPM. If you go to the AMCAS website you can view what courses count and which do not. Molecular biology will count for sure. In the larger scope of things I hope you're considering withdrawing from tomorrows MCAT if you are not 100% prepared. The last thing you want is to take it again, which it sounds like you will have to do anyway from your first post. Take it once, when you are fully prepared.

Would placing out of Bio with AP credits still count as having met the bio req for med school?

 

[jintonic5]

Would placing out of Bio with AP credits still count as having met the bio req for med school?

if you placed out of intro bio, all the more reason to take upper level biology courses. i doubt a medical school will take your application seriously if all the biology you've taken is only from high school. with that being said, i *think* it can be done, but i wouldn't do it.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Check out page 29 of this PDF for info about what classes count for the BCPM.

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2005instructionbook.pdf

You basically have the liberty of calculating your BCPM how you want. They will review it, though, and may recalculate it if they disagree.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Would placing out of Bio with AP credits still count as having met the bio req for med school?

Most schools will accept the AP credits, especially if you take an advanced bio class in college, something like biochem or cell. However, I was advised not to do this and re-take what I did in AP in college, because it is so much more intensive in college. I was going to start my freshman year with genetics and cell until my advisor was like, ummm, noooooooo!
Check the individual schools you're applying to if you and what their policy is on it. I know Tufts, for one, has it all delineated on their website what they do about AP credits and the like. But like other people said here, it's probably good not to have just your AP credits as your only bio credits.
Oh, and another thing: some schools require your AP credits be listed on your transcript with a notation as to what courses they placed you out of or replaced.