Low undergraduate GPA

[melsv93]

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Hi everyone,

I am a 24-year-old Asian-American female. I went to a state school in NY for my original undergraduate. Originally majored in biomedical engineering but did very poorly (picked a major I wasn't interested in, was in a toxic relationship, didn't put in the work, basically was an idiot). I ended up graduating with a B.A. in psych and a minor in anthro. I graduated with a cumulative GPA of 2.375. Haven't taken the MCAT.

Since then, I started working full-time as a clinical research coordinator at a well-respected Oncology department in NYC (affiliated with a medical school) and work with some really well-known physicians. I've gotten several publications and hope to get a first author publication done by the time I apply to med school. Working here with patients really reignited my passion for medicine and honestly there is nothing I like better than being in the hospital trying to help my patients and complete research. That being said, I really wish I had more clinical knowledge in order to help patients decide on the treatment that is right for them while also trying to push forward medical research.

I have 5 years volunteer experience as an EMT but stopped doing it after college. Also, will start volunteering again at a food bank next month (just 2-3 hours a week).

I started taking classes at an online college. I'm trying to complete a second bachelor's in biochemistry (they have an online program but you go in for 1-2 labs classes in person over the summer). I've finished 7 classes (Intro Bio 1/2, abnormal psych, calculus, forensic anthro, chem 1, biostats) so far and gotten A's so far so my ASU GPA is 4.0 I'm planning to take the rest of the course work including some of pre-reqs over the next 18-24 months.

I would definitely go to any M.D. or D.O school in the U.S. I'm wouldn't feel comfortable going to an international med program given the low (and trending downward) match rates into residency (along with the over low retention rates).

My question is this: Am I completely wasting my time given that my cumulative GPA is so low and the stats for Asian Americans are so high? I know the online program will also not be impressive but I financially cannot afford to take classes without working. I don't particularly care if it takes me another 3-4 years but if it's never going to happen, I should probably start looking into other alternatives. Even with a second bachelors, I really doubt I could get my GPA above 3.1 after all the classes.

Any advice would be so appreciated.

 

[RocuROMANium]

What are your most current cGPAs and sGPAs given that you have done some postbac work? How many credits do you have? Why a 2nd bachelors? An online only postbac is not a good idea if you want to apply medical school. Check out MSAR and you will find that almost all schools, if not all, do not recommend taking online courses. I know you stated that this is your only option due to finances currently but you will need another plan if medical school is what you want. Getting up to a 3.1 GPA from a 2.37 is nothing to scoff at because your upward trend would be excellent and a lot of medical schools heavily weigh your last couple of semesters. Do not rush and take the MCAT without proper preparation and make sure it’s one and done because since you have a glaring weakness in your application you will need to make sure everything else under your control from here on out is as perfect as possible. The idea is to beef up the other aspects of your application so much that you “shrink” that weakness.

 

[Faha]

You will probably need 2 years of a DIY post bacc at a local college (community college is fine) to take enough courses to raise your cGPA and sGPA to 3.0 . If you do so and also score 505 or higher on the MCAT you could receive interviews at some DO schools.

 

[NTF]

I agree a DIY post-bac at a brick and mortar program (preferably a college/university or well known highly regarded CC) would be the best approach to GPA repair. Many adcoms will eye online coursework with suspicion. Also getting a LOR from a science professor from your post-bac will be good too. Good ECs and volunteering during your post-bac will also be a plus.

 

[traveler8861]

I would do a post bacc program and do well in that so you can get a guaranteed interview for MD/DO affiliated school

 

[EasyEveryoneWouldDoIt]

asian american as well. graduated 15 years ago with a 2.8 gpa after 40 credit hours got my cGPA up to 3.05 and a MCAT of 513. i have 5 acceptances all M.D this cycle. online classes will hurt you though.

 

[melsv93]

asian american as well. graduated 15 years ago with a 2.8 gpa after 40 credit hours got my cGPA up to 3.05 and a MCAT of 513. i have 5 acceptances all M.D this cycle. online classes will hurt you though.

Congratulations on your acceptances! This is so incredibly inspiring! I hope to get where you are! 🙂

If you don't mind me asking- when did you start trying to get into medical school? What kind of work and academic experience did you have since your undergraduate?

 

[melsv93]

What are your most current cGPAs and sGPAs given that you have done some postbac work? How many credits do you have? Why a 2nd bachelors? An online only postbac is not a good idea if you want to apply medical school. Check out MSAR and you will find that almost all schools, if not all, do not recommend taking online courses. I know you stated that this is your only option due to finances currently but you will need another plan if medical school is what you want. Getting up to a 3.1 GPA from a 2.37 is nothing to scoff at because your upward trend would be excellent and a lot of medical schools heavily weigh your last couple of semesters. Do not rush and take the MCAT without proper preparation and make sure it’s one and done because since you have a glaring weakness in your application you will need to make sure everything else under your control from here on out is as perfect as possible. The idea is to beef up the other aspects of your application so much that you “shrink” that weakness.

My GPA is up to a 2.58 now and I'm scheduled to take two more classes over the summer. At my original undergraduate institution, I had 157 GPA hours so it's definitely slow going to bump that up (I've taken 25 hours at ASU online as of this semester). I decided on a second bachelor's degree because I really wanted to prove to myself that I could handle a rigorous academic curriculum and increase my knowledge in biological sciences (working in oncology where there's a huge emphasis on molecular processes for cancer staging and treatment really made me realize how much I didn't know). I also didn't really qualify to get into any official post bacc programs with my undergraduate GPA so I thought that a bachelors degree would look better than a DIY post bacc.

Honestly, the online program isn't ideal at all and I will definitely look into other options based on the consensus here- If I matriculated at an online school, do you think I should take the science classes I already took at ASU over? Would doing masters in person (in a scientific discipline) if I completed the online program reassure medical schools?

 

[EasyEveryoneWouldDoIt]

i started my post bac 5 years ago. maintained a 3.85 GPA for 40 credits and 513 MCAT. pretty much in line with Goro's guide to re-invention. i have a lot of clinical experience. working a lab tech the past 12 years. i have worked in Europe and Asia dealing with people from different cultures. also worked with low SES in various local volunteer groups helping to provide low or new cost health care. the goal is two fold: show that the you of now is not the you of then and also you show you have something special to add to the class that doesn't show up in numbers. i was shut out of the mid tier schools though and had most of my success in the low tier and state schools. pm me if you want more specifics

 

[deleted92121]

Low GPA here too. Hot take regarding online courses; get a list of schools you want to attend and speak with them. And have a decent reason for why you took them that way. I took a few and did well. I did worse with required attendance but that was due to my work schedule. If you never go, you never pass.

 

[EasyEveryoneWouldDoIt]

i still caution against online class. even though a school might say they accept them as a re-inventor you are already hoping they overlook your prior undergraduate GPA. each year people with >3.75 GPA and MCAT >510 don't get in and those are students that didn't require invention. being a re-inventor already puts you at a disadvantage and online class would be another barrier IMO. all the other re-inventors i know did it through face to face class though if someone on here was able to get using the online route it would be interesting to hear their story