MY GRADEEESSSS!!!

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Bnd4RENT

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Hi! My name is Melissa, and i'm new to this message board, and i already need advice! You all seem really nice in your responses to other people's questions and problems, so i'm interested to see how you can help me out on this one. I'm only a sophmore in college. Actually, i'm about to be a junior. Yippee. Well. I want to be a doctor like you wouldn't believe! I dream about it! Literally! Sometimes, like after watching an episode of Trauma, Life in the ER, i can't go to sleep cause my mind is racing about how much i want to be a doctor, and how much i can't wait! Nerdy? Yes. Anyway. I work hard for my grades, but i only have a 3.2 GPA. And its about to take a dip, because Calculus and O-Chem are kicking my butt hard core! I don't know if i'm just not mentally capable or if i have some kind of block that prevents me from getting A's. But i will tell you, i study and i TRY! I don't even know if this makes sense. I guess i just want some reassurance that my hard work WILL pay off. So the basic question is, how do you people out there with 3.5 gpas and up, do it? I know there are people in my classes who hardly study and do excellent on tests and have high GPA's. What the heck is up with that? Anyway. Help me! :) Thanks!

Bnd4RENT
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Melissa,

As long as you can keep your GPA around 3.3 with MCAT of 27 you are okay for many osteopathic schools if you have great ECs and an interesting personal statement.

I say these things because I myself have a 3.2GPA and a 29R. I did not get into medical school the first time I applied b/c I only applied to allopathic medical schools. I am now doing a masters program. I have been accepted into 1 osteo school and one allo school and wait-listed at another allo school.

Before anyone gets too mad I have to say it is SLIGHTY easier to get into osteo schools so apply to both kinds if you really want to become a doctor.
 
Melissa,

I've been accepted to 2 osteopathic schools and am waiting to hear back from a third with a 3.2 GPA and a 3.1 science GPA.

Hang in there!

Shannon
 
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Hey there Melissa
I have learned that what helps even more than studying(even though I do that a lot) Is REALLY paying attention in class. I mean be on your prof's every word. Really follow what they are saying, ask questions, and redo your notes that night after class. I hope this helps, it works for me. I have noticed if there is a class I always go to, but don't really pay attention, and drift off, no matter how muc reading or studying I do I am not as prepared than if I went to a class and really got into the subject.lecture.
Good luck
 
Hi, Melissa

I had similar grades when I graduated from UCLA. I ended up going to podiatry school in San Francisco (1994) and I'm now attempting to become a physician.

My advice is this: When I went to UCLA I worked hard, too, but ended up with just "respectable" grades. When I went to pod school, it was a lot harder. My first year was just OK (I got almost all "B"'s). Over the summer, I talked to a lot of my classmates and I found out that they were making mostly "A"'s. Bottom line was that I didn't think that they were any smarter than me or that they worked any harder than me. My big secret?? I just realized that instead of "skimming" the material and getting the "gist" of some things, I figured out that I needed to go on the assumption that I needed to KNOW EVERYTHING! I know you might think to yourself, "well, of course", but if you do not leave a concept until you fully understand it, I guarantee you will do better. Another trick that I learned was to use pneumonics when applicable. If you don't know, these are ways to remember lists of things (like classification for animals...Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species....using a device like "Kings Play Cards Only For Gold and Silver"). Get it? Most science students use these tricks and this is how they are able to memorize so many things.

When I realized these things, I got almost straight "A"'s and was at the top of the class in several courses! It really does work!! I got my GPA up to 3.6 by the time I graduated (from a 2.9 in my first year).

Good Luck
 
Another good thing to do is when you study write down questions for EVERYTHING you aren't clear on or don't understand. Or just highlight parts of your notes and the book that you need clarification on. Then make an appointment to see your teacher and have them answer everything. This helps A LOT. Don't worry if you think you are being annoying, just go for it, your teachers will appreciate your persistance and your grades will improve.
 
Hi Melissa,

I wouldn't stress out too much about your GPA. You still have time to raise it. I remember after my sophomore year, it was somewhere around a 3.3. Then my junior and senior year i took classes where I knew I could get A's. And my GPA is now at a 3.58. So it is possible to still increase it dramatically!
Don't give up. Even if you end up with a 3.2 something or a 3.3 by the time you apply, it's nothing to be ashamed about. Schools look at more than the grades. Plus, if you can get a decent MCAT, your grades won't look as bad. Good luck!
 
People who manage to achieve high GPAs in college do so for a number of different reasons. Some people are naturally brilliant and require very little studying in order to get "A's." Others, such as myself, must study twice as hard to get decent grades. One thing you should pay attention to is your learning style. By this I mean you need to determine which conditions are optimal for YOUR studying. What time of day do you retain the most information? Do you study more efficiently with groups or by yourself? Does it help you to have music on in the background or do you prefer to study in a quiet room? Also take in to account things like temperature, lighting, etc.
I do believe that most people in college are capable of getting a 3.5 if they put in the time. But simply studying more won't help you if you don't study intelligently: 2 hours of efficient studying is better than 4 hours of simply reading without comprehending anything.
Good luck!
 
Thanks a lot for all the advice! I'll definitely put into practice! It's also reassuring to hear that hope is not lost! I guess i just want to be a really GREAT student, but it just seems no matter how hard i try i keep hitting this brick wall. So thanks a lot for not just telling me to give up and forget ever being a doctor! Have a nice day everyone!! By the way, i'll keep you posted on the grades!! :)

Melissa (bnd4rent)
 
Melissa read my signature at the bottom of my reply.

Really I used to be pessimistic and it was getting me nowhere. Most of HS I was one. Then I turned into an optimist.

Right now I have a 3.78 GPA. I still struggle with verbal on MCAT (actually it is preventing me from getting into a couple of schools)

But think positive.

Medical schools are looking for your passion not not your grades (well grades a little)

But if you don't have passion about medicine please don't apply.

Trust me you will do fine. Maybe I will see you at NOVA in a couple of years.

TTYL

AK
 
Grades will get you in the door, and by this I mean interview. Your personality will take you the rest of the way. DocAdamk is right.. it's ALL about attitude. I went through a huge emotional ordeal during my first year and a half of college. Although this had nothing to do with school and more to do with the end of a relationship and my lack of maturity at 18 years old, my gradepoint was destroyed. Whatever the case, I got my life together (and my attitude) and I worked hard and averaged a 3.4 for my next two and a half years of college, which is a damn good GPA for the University of Michigan. I worked really hard and I did very well on the MCAT. I applied to seven D.O. schools (and only D.O.schools) I received 5 interviews... 4 acceptances and 1 waitlist.
My Grade point average is a 2.9 right now. That's right I have under a 3 point. I'm not saying you should aim for it, but there is something to be said for effort. When the admissions committee's saw my transcripts they saw a stumble out of the gate and then improvement every single semester.
 
Grades will get you in the door, and by this I mean interview. Your personality will take you the rest of the way. DocAdamk is right.. it's ALL about attitude. I went through a huge emotional ordeal during my first year and a half of college. Although this had nothing to do with school and more to do with the end of a relationship and my lack of maturity at 18 years old, my gradepoint was destroyed. Whatever the case, I got my life together (and my attitude) and I worked hard and averaged a 3.4 for my next two and a half years of college, which is a damn good GPA for the University of Michigan. I worked really hard and I did very well on the MCAT. I applied to seven D.O. schools (and only D.O.schools) I received 5 interviews... 4 acceptances and 1 waitlist.
My Grade point average is a 2.9 right now. That's right, I have under a 3 point. I'm not saying you should aim for my example, but there is something to be said for effort. When the admissions committee's saw my transcripts they saw a stumble out of the gate and then improvement every single semester. Don't worry about getting a 3.5. Work hard and at least show some improvement in your next year and you will be fine. You will get your interviews. What you do from there is all up to your personality. Don't think you're great... KNOW you're great. Now I have to get back to contemplating whether to go to NOVA or PCOM. I had my cd player on shuffle and "Allentown" by Billy Joel (my idol) came on... can that be a sign?......

Michael
 
Melissa--
I see everyone has given you great advice, so I am going to throw my two cents in. I didn't decide I wanted to be a doc until after my undergrad. So I had about a 3.3 from undergrad, not caring a whole lot about my grades until my senior year. During that year, I took 2 hours of school, worked three jobs and helped my future wife raise her sister's kids.
Then went to a juco and got all my pre-med pre-recs, getting around a 3.8 from there. I only scored a 21 on the MCAT; applied to 13 MD schools and 6 DO schools. I got two DO school interviews: waitlisted at one and accepted into another one. So don't give up!!!!
As far as md vs do, you are an equal, so if you have to go to a DO school to become a doctor, so be it. After researching more about osteopathy, I am glad I went DO and not tried harder for MD!!

Chris <img border="0" alt="[Wowie]" title="" src="graemlins/wowie.gif" />
 
Just thought I'd mention that my girlfriend is a very auditory person. She's done very poorly in college until she realized that last semester, and started studying accordingly. She went from a 2.1 GPA to a 3.5 GPA mostly (I think) because she now reads aloud to herself instead of silently.

this may not fit you exactly, but (as mentioned above) try to find what suits you best.

later,
Bagheera
 
A link for you: <a href="http://www.aacom.org" target="_blank">www.aacom.org</a> is the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. If you go to <a href="http://www.aacom.org/data/reports.html" target="_blank">www.aacom.org/data/reports.html</a> you will find the 2001 Annual Report on Osteopathic Medical Education in PDF format. In it you will find statistics for 19 D.O. schools. It includes the number of students/openings, average MCAT scores, average GPAs, etc. You might find it encouraging and useful. Good luck!
 
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