Need constructive advice

[klassicBeauty]

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Graduated 2008 with a dismal 3.15 cumulative in Biology; here's my quick, low-gpa stats:

AAMC: BCPM: 2.97; AO 3.29; CUM 3.09;*-not up to date
AACOM: SCI: 3.03; CUM: 3.15

Dismal, I know...the AAMC is not accurate but is STILL low, so the dilemma is this Fall 2009, I decided to do my own informal post-bacc with advice from here and since I do not have a high MCAT..SMP's dont apply to me. So, semester is almost over and I am pretty sure of all A's but only have one science class, and 3 for my major Psychology. Ok, so I scan the summer schedule and I see there is not any relevant biology classes I can take

I was a bio-major so I have had my share of bio classes, that puts me at a default, the new university I am at now, does not offer the upper level science in summer that I need.

See, I planned to do the post-bacc from Fall 2009-Spring 2011, re-apply in June 2011 and pray to God for some sense of success.

I was told that it would take about 60 credit hours to move my dismal gpa a mere .4; but its my only hope! But with the summer semesters not offering upper-level classes, it messes up my projected time-line. I know I should not rush applying but felt I gave myself substantial time to re-vamp apps, ec's, mcat, the whole nine. I also know every year the avg MCAT and gpa increase which is another thing to worry about. I also have to contend with the fact that I may run out of loan money before I finish this endeavor--last 4yr institution was out of state.

So anyone who has heard or have gone through something similar, I would greatly appreciate advice and I know Im in an uphill battle just trying to see if the way I planned to overcome it is sufficient or do I need to try a better/different angle!

Thank u SDN!

 

[J ROD]

You need that many hours or more to get that GPA up. Personally, I would like to see more than 0.4; maybe 0.6.

OR supplement with a 33+MCAT!!

You will have a long road ahead...but it can be done if you want it bad enough.....🙂

 

[calimed214]

Remember that DO schools replace grades, so your GPA could rise a lot faster by retaking the classes you did poorly in.

0.4 in 60 hours is a substantial improvement. Is that averaging grades? I did an informal post-bac as well, and after 50 hours at a 4.0, my GPA only moved about 0.11.

 

[J ROD]

It does depend on how many hrs you have, but that sounded like fuzzy math when I read it too!!! 😀

 

[gman33]

First, a couple of questions.

Did you graduate already? If so, why are you taking psych classes in your postbacc?

Are you open to DO schools?
If so, do some retakes and you can get your GPA up pretty easily.
A year of that, + a good MCAT and you could have a solid app.

For MD, they won't really care to see you doing well in psych classes.
They want to see consistent excellence in hard sciences. Either postbacc or SMP is fine.

If you've already taken most of the ug science courses, SMP may be the way to go.

You mentioned not taking that option because you don't have a solid MCAT. You are going to need that at some point anyway.

 

[klassicBeauty]

Thank you guys! Yes, I graduated with a degree in Biology so I have taken 30+hrs already with that major. I am open to D.O.; I applied to both in 07-08.

J'Dub; yes I would like to see a 0.6+ or more growth but with 144hrs not including the post-bacc classes I am taking now really makes it harder but Im determined.

Gman: I was told by the Pre-health coordinator to take no more than 2 science classes and for this semster only to take the psychology classes as I had to be degree-seeking to get some financial aid. But I see what you mean, SDN is becoming more reliable than advisers/coordinators!

Thank you guys so much!

Yes, the math is probably off because I got it from hearsay...

 

[Pet of the Week]

Have you taken the mcat yet? I was accepted to 3 schools back in the day with a similar gpa. That gpa is going to creep up really slowly no matter how many classes you take. It might make more sense to focus on getting a really solid mcat score.

 

[J ROD]

Thank you guys! Yes, I graduated with a degree in Biology so I have taken 30+hrs already with that major. I am open to D.O.; I applied to both in 07-08.

J'Dub; yes I would like to see a 0.6+ or more growth but with 144hrs not including the post-bacc classes I am taking now really makes it harder but Im determined.

Gman: I was told by the Pre-health coordinator to take no more than 2 science classes and for this semster only to take the psychology classes as I had to be degree-seeking to get some financial aid. But I see what you mean, SDN is becoming more reliable than advisers/coordinators!

Thank you guys so much!

Yes, the math is probably off because I got it from hearsay...

I like your spunk!!! I shall root for you!! 🙂

 

[dragonfly99]

I agree with not wasting your time with many psychology classes. Psychology is definitely helpful in understanding patients, but I don't think the psychology classes are going to do much to help your med school application. The Adcom wants to see that you can excel in hard science classes, and you haven't shown that thus far.

I think that you need to be realistic. Your original GPA was bad and from where I'm sitting it looks like it would be very, very hard to drag that up and take an excessive amount of years and money to do that. I think at this point you'd better look hard at the DO route, after doing a year or so of science class retakes. Also, with a lower MCAT score that would make it extra hard to get in. You have to ask yourself if you are enough of a science person that you could stomach med school...it's going to be more of the same as what you studied in undergrad, except much harder and at a faster pace. As far as your class retakes, you do not have a margin for error now as you already screwed up the first time around (sorry to be blunt, but I think I'm giving it to you straight).

 

[dragonfly99]

You also need to look at the short and long terms costs, financial and otherwise, of what you are doing. You need to think hard about whether you might be better off in some other health profession, because ultimately we're pretty much about the same things...I know it doesn't seem like that when you are premed, but honestly it's true. There's not a whole lot of qualitative difference in what I (MD internal medicine doctor) do vs. what a PA, dentist or optometrist does. We're all providing health care.

 

[njbmd]

Graduated 2008 with a dismal 3.15 cumulative in Biology; here's my quick, low-gpa stats:

AAMC: BCPM: 2.97; AO 3.29; CUM 3.09;*-not up to date
AACOM: SCI: 3.03; CUM: 3.15

Dismal, I know...the AAMC is not accurate but is STILL low, so the dilemma is this Fall 2009, I decided to do my own informal post-bacc with advice from here and since I do not have a high MCAT..SMP's dont apply to me. So, semester is almost over and I am pretty sure of all A's but only have one science class, and 3 for my major Psychology. Ok, so I scan the summer schedule and I see there is not any relevant biology classes I can take

I was a bio-major so I have had my share of bio classes, that puts me at a default, the new university I am at now, does not offer the upper level science in summer that I need.

See, I planned to do the post-bacc from Fall 2009-Spring 2011, re-apply in June 2011 and pray to God for some sense of success.

I was told that it would take about 60 credit hours to move my dismal gpa a mere .4; but its my only hope! But with the summer semesters not offering upper-level classes, it messes up my projected time-line. I know I should not rush applying but felt I gave myself substantial time to re-vamp apps, ec's, mcat, the whole nine. I also know every year the avg MCAT and gpa increase which is another thing to worry about. I also have to contend with the fact that I may run out of loan money before I finish this endeavor--last 4yr institution was out of state.

So anyone who has heard or have gone through something similar, I would greatly appreciate advice and I know Im in an uphill battle just trying to see if the way I planned to overcome it is sufficient or do I need to try a better/different angle!

Thank u SDN!

You should look at the SMPs since you need a huge number of hours to raise that uGPA. Get your uGPA to 3.0 and take the MCAT (score as high as you can). Then apply to some of the SMPs (apply to a large number of these).

You are going to be under in terms of uGPA for the SMPs but with a strong MCAT, you have a shot. Look on the AAMC website for postbacculaureate programs and then look at the Special Masters Programs. Also look at certificate programs like Virginia Commonweath University's program too.

An SMP (provided you do very well) will get you competitive faster than trying to do post bacc if you have more than 130 hours already. As others have said, drop the psych courses as they are practically useless. You need to be as close to 3.0 as you can get.