Majored in engineering and low gpa

[tompa]

I have a 3.0 overall and 2.98 BCPM from a biomedical engineering program. My MCAT score is a 30. Do I have a chance of getting into an osteopathic medical school? Should I retake courses I received Cs in to get my gpa up to ~3.2 and apply to DO schools?

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[TriagePreMed]

As a new graduate, a 3.0 will probably not cut it. You're doing well in planning on raising your GPA through retakes.

 

[tompa]

Does the MCAT score of 30 help? Does it show that I can handle medical school? Also,I went to a top tier engineering school. Do you think it would be much better just to retake courses I received Cs in and be ready for the 2012 application cycle?

I was going to apply to a couple DO schools this cycle. I just wanted to see if a DO school will give me a chance. You don't think this is a good idea?

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Does the MCAT score of 30 help? Does it show that I can handle medical school? Also,I went to a top tier engineering school. Do you think it would be much better just to retake courses I received Cs in and be ready for the 2012 application cycle?

I was going to apply to a couple DO schools this cycle. I just wanted to see if a DO school will give me a chance. You don't think this is a good idea?

Retake classes that you had a grade C or lower to get both your s/cGPA to 3.2+; with a 28+ MCAT, you will be competitive for DO.

 

[SFO-IST]

Dude, i was in your shoes, worked for a couple of years at a prestegious engineering firm, did a post bac to bring up my GPA a little, then applied and got in to lots of schools. I would not recommend applying this year - save your money and put it to better use next year because your chances will be better. I would also seriously consider working at an engineering firm for a couple of years due to several advantages:

A) to see what it's like in industry. if you hate it, this will make you all the more committed during the dark hours of residency. if you love it, you will have found a cheaper and more lucrative way to a rewarding career. seriously even though i haven't gone through residency/med school, i can tell that some people just lack perspective.
B) to build a $$ cushion to apply (maybe even apply while working to keep the dough rolling in)
C) it will add to your application - not many engineers with industry experience apply to med school
D) since you'll have greater chances, you'll get into a better school
E) since you'll have greater chances, you'll get into a school in a more convenient location. trust me some of these schools are in the boonies.
F) it will give you a chance to build your clinical volunteer experience. most people apply with ~100 hours. Having something like 1000 hours from volunteering one day a week, for example) will really set you apart.

that's all I can think of off the top of my head. actually one last piece of advice:

follow your heart/intuition. if it still says you want to go to medicine, don't listen to anyone who tells you its not practical or a good career. You CAN do it, and these doors are open to you. The advice I wrote above will help you get into a better school/situation.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

3.0/30 puts you in the eh territory. I would personally recommend a little bit of grade replacement if you want a better shot at the higher up DO schools. However if you were to apply early next semester to 10+ DO schools you could probably manage to get into one, but don't expect to get much of selection. So I'd recommend retaking 2-3 courses.

Anyways...
I should also mention that with a 3.0/30 you could be considering SMP's and could try to get into a MD program. Since you had a hard undergrad an SMP will show your capability in medical science and will help you become more competitive.

 

[Catalystik]

I was going to apply to a couple DO schools this cycle. I just wanted to see if a DO school will give me a chance. You don't think this is a good idea?

The cycle is getting late for DO schools, and your chances are diminished due to the subpar GPAs. If you got in to a school, it would likely be much less selective than you might aspire to. Make your application the best you can before applying, retaking some classes, getting in some new upper-level Bio to prove to adcomms you can perform well in courses relevant to med school, beefing up the ECs, getting the best LORs you can, shadowing a DO if possible.

 

[tompa]

The cycle is getting late for DO schools, and your chances are diminished due to the subpar GPAs. If you got in to a school, it would likely be much less selective than you might aspire to. Make your application the best you can before applying, retaking some classes, getting in some new upper-level Bio to prove to adcomms you can perform well in courses relevant to med school, beefing up the ECs, getting the best LORs you can, shadowing a DO if possible.

I already shadowed a DO. I really didn't notice the difference between the MD and DO I shadowed.What is considered a good DO school? I thought it doesn't matter what DO school you went to and what matters is how well you do on the boards. Does the engineering background bring diversity to a DO school? I know most pre-meds applying are either biology or chemistry majors.

 

[Catalystik]

What constitutes a good DO school will vary by responder. I think a good school has good sites for clinical rotations and a large enough nearby population to have lots of patients for training purposes. An individual might prefer a city or rural location, depending on their tastes. Enthusiastic teachers and good teaching resources/labs/etc. are important. Nearby facilities where research can take place is a variable that some care about and others don't. I'd agree with you that board scores are important, but learning the material is largely dependent on your own drive and independent learning efforts.

 

[tompa]

What constitutes a good DO school will vary by responder. I think a good school has good sites for clinical rotations and a large enough nearby population to have lots of patients for training purposes. An individual might prefer a city or rural location, depending on their tastes. Enthusiastic teachers and good teaching resources/labs/etc. are important. Nearby facilities where research can take place is a variable that some care about and others don't. I'd agree with you that board scores are important, but learning the material is largely dependent on your own drive and independent learning efforts.

I totally agree that learn the material is dependent on your own drive. What DO schools do you suggest on the east coast?

 

[ericflem4286]

I am going to have to agree with SFO-IST.

I am a chemical engineer and only worked for 1.5 years, but my interviewers thought it was good that I at least tested the waters of engineering. I absolutely loved my job (and the money), but I knew I still wanted more, so I was able to walk away knowing that I gave it a shot.

I think if you choose a degree like engineering you owe it to yourself to give it a try. During that time, you could take some courses to try to bring up your GPA.

I think the my engineering background and the fact that I worked in the "real world" for a while helped me quite a bit in getting accepted.

 

[tompa]

So, you think it's a valuable experience to work as an engineer for a year or two and see if it's something I enjoy. During this time, I can get my application ready. It can also be something extra to talk about during interviews. Thanks!

 

[Catalystik]

What DO schools do you suggest on the east coast?

This resource lists every DO med school. Once you pick out some east coast schools, you can learn more about them by Searching about in Pre-Med Osteo Forum or in the School Specific threads there.

 

[Catalystik]

What is considered a good DO school?

Here is a thread on opinions about The Best DO Schools: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=779536