Need a realistic advice about what to do

[MyNameIsAlex]

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I'm 22 in my 4th year of undergrad now... graduating in april or so... GPA
2.8-3.0 (upward trend, including scholarships for high GPA in the 3rd year and maybe this year... + 2 years part time work as a clinical research student during school and summer).

since my GPA is so low and i have none of the pre-reqs (computers major)... im debating whether i should spend this upcoming summer and f/w next year doing pre-reqs , at my local school here in canada, that has no post-bacc program...so ill be taking courses as a none degree student...competing with a bellcurve that doesnt allow more than 65% class average in all classes..... ... or go to some post-bacc in the states....? what do you guys think? and what post bacc would u recommend? (i prefer 1 year...unless its a 2 years masters that doesnt require mcat/or medpre-reqs).


Thanks 🙂

 

[UCLA2000]

I'm 22 in my 4th year of undergrad now... graduating in april or so... GPA
2.8-3.0 (upward trend, including scholarships for high GPA in the 3rd year and maybe this year... + 2 years part time work as a clinical research student during school and summer).

since my GPA is so low and i have none of the pre-reqs (computers major)... im debating whether i should spend this upcoming summer and f/w next year doing pre-reqs , at my local school here in canada, that has no post-bacc program...so ill be taking courses as a none degree student...competing with a bellcurve that doesnt allow more than 65% class average in all classes..... ... or go to some post-bacc in the states....? what do you guys think? and what post bacc would u recommend? (i prefer 1 year...unless its a 2 years masters that doesnt require mcat/or medpre-reqs).


Thanks 🙂

I think that you have a very bumpy road ahead of you. There is not much that you will be able to do to really make up for that 2.8-3.0 gpa. The biggest red flag to me is when you made the comment that your gpa is that low without completing any of the premed pre-reqs. At the majority of institutes the premed pre-reqs are known as "weeder" courses. Those are difficult courses designed to weed out the weaker students.

You have a 2.8-3.0 gpa now. What will you have when you're done with the rigorous science curriculum?

I don't think you're being very realistic.

If you're dead set on going for it, then I would recommend a 2 year post bac program. Sure a masters would probably look better, but it won't fulfill your pre-med requirements.

Good luck.

 

[odrade1]

I think that you have a very bumpy road ahead of you. There is not much that you will be able to do to really make up for that 2.8-3.0 gpa. The biggest red flag to me is when you made the comment that your gpa is that low without completing any of the premed pre-reqs. At the majority of institutes the premed pre-reqs are known as "weeder" courses. Those are difficult courses designed to weed out the weaker students.

You have a 2.8-3.0 gpa now. What will you have when you're done with the rigorous science curriculum?

I don't think you're being very realistic.

If you're dead set on going for it, then I would recommend a 2 year post bac program. Sure a masters would probably look better, but it won't fulfill your pre-med requirements.

Good luck.

Some people totally screw up their first 2-3 semesters (I am thinking lots of Ds and Fs.) And a few of those people turn the bus completely around and start making good grades. If your (the OP's) gpa award means that you have been making 3.6-4.0 since you turned things around, then you have a chance. If it means that you made 2.5s your first two years, and since then have been making 3.3s, then you don't really have a good chance. People do get in who had 3.0s in their first tour of undergrad, but those people had to work hard and demonstrate that time and maturity had turned them into a different, more responsible student. Maybe this is you.

UCLA200 is right, however; you don't really know what your chances are until you take those science pre-reqs. The classes ARE weeder classes, and unless you are good at science already (and how could you be, since you didn't take any of those classes), you have no reason to believe you will survive the 50-80% attrition rate through those courses. Take a couple of hard science classes, if they make you miserable or you do badly in them (you really want a science gpa above a 3.6 or 3.7, especially if your grades are as low as they are), then you don'e need to be considering medical school.

Determine your abilities & situation, then decide if it is going to be worth the work for you, because from what little you told us, it looks like your succeeding in this effort would take a lot of work, and probably a lot of time as well.

 

[odrade1]

also, check out the 100s of other threads on the subject of people with mediocre to terrible stats trying to get in. You will find tons of help, and be able to compare your application to others who have gone before you.

 

[psychedoc2b]

I'm 22 in my 4th year of undergrad now... graduating in april or so... GPA
2.8-3.0 (upward trend, including scholarships for high GPA in the 3rd year and maybe this year... + 2 years part time work as a clinical research student during school and summer).

since my GPA is so low and i have none of the pre-reqs (computers major)... im debating whether i should spend this upcoming summer and f/w next year doing pre-reqs , at my local school here in canada, that has no post-bacc program...so ill be taking courses as a none degree student...competing with a bellcurve that doesnt allow more than 65% class average in all classes..... ... or go to some post-bacc in the states....? what do you guys think? and what post bacc would u recommend? (i prefer 1 year...unless its a 2 years masters that doesnt require mcat/or medpre-reqs).


Thanks 🙂

Post-bac: look into Mills College. Great postbac program and has good rate of acceptances into medical school.

You should ace the post-bac program though. I think GPA's are highly overrated. In the end, your MCAT score will be the best reflection of your competence. GPA is school dependent. I encourage you to look into Mills College's program. It's a small liberal arts school and has academic support left and right. If you need the extra help, go where it is. And, if you are in a upward trend, then keep at it.

I also would not recommend taking classes at your univ. It is no fun being a lonely pre-med in a big univ. I think a small program like Mills with a considerable number of post-bac pre-med students might also motivate you into doing academically well.

I'm biased of course. You should ask as many people as possible. But, I do know that there is a high rate of acceptances from Mills College's post-bac program.

Also, post-bac courses count as undergrad courses so you won't be knocked from your past low GPA if you do well in the post-bac program.

Good luck and best wishes!
psychedoc2b

 

[MyNameIsAlex]

UCLA,

sorry to break the bubble... but computer science is waaaaaay harder than CHem/bio/etc... besides i did engineering physics for a year and that was a joke compared to what we have to do and compared to the competition we have in our program...thats why im not really worried... especially after getting 4.0 in 2 discrete math courses 🙂 so trust me thats the last thing im worried bout (material being hard).

so realisticly looking at things its much easier for me to achieve higher grades in hard science classes than computer science & programming. 🙂

psychedoc2b thanks for the advice

thats actually what im looking for

a program that has a high rate of acceptence to med after post-bac with lotsa pre-meds ...theres none of that in my 50,000 students school 🙂

 

[UCLA2000]

UCLA,

sorry to break the bubble... but computer science is waaaaaay harder than CHem/bio/etc...

Then go for it 🙂.

UPenn has a great 2 year post bac program with a high success rate.

I have a friend at the Harvard program (1 year but it's worth looking into just for the name).

Also, UCLA had one in development a few years back. I'm not sure whether it fell through or not, or whether it only applies to those who have already applied to med school.

good luck.