No More Grade Replacement for DO schools? What Alternatives Does One Have?

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naivePremed

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Basically, the year that I apply I receive these news. Great. However, I am trying to be realistic now and with no grade replacement I do not think I am competitive. What other realistic alternative pathways can I pursue towards the field of medicine in order to attend an MD/DO school. Are SMPs or postbacc's worth it or are they just a big, risky bet? Are dental, optometry, PA, or any other schools with grade replacement available? Any suggestions are welcome!
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First of all, what is your GPA?
 
I'm in the same boat looking for other options 3.05 cgpa and 3.0 sgpa taking mcat in march but was planning to retake two c classes over the summer to improve science gpa. Have never failed a course and have very solid ECs I have just made a lot of Bs in college which unfortunately is hurting me


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By application time:

non-grade replacement: 3.17 cGPA, 2.85 sGPA
grade replacement: 3.40 cGPA, 3.26 sGPA

the difference is because of a bio class that I failed freshman year because of family trouble and a physics retake improved the class grade from C to B+. Not many retakes but that F is a huge factor now.

I entered a hypothetical 12 credit semester of just sciences and it would bring my sGPA to a 3.0 with no replacement 🙁

I know this is looking bad. Taking MCAT in April. Thoughts?
 
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naivePremed said:
Basically, the year that I apply I receive these news. Great. However, I am trying to be realistic now and with no grade replacement I do not think I am competitive. What other realistic alternative pathways can I pursue towards the field of medicine in order to attend an MD/DO school. Are SMPs or postbacc's worth it or are they just a big, risky bet? Are dental, optometry, PA, or any other schools with grade replacement available? Any suggestions are welcome!
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It would be worth your time to call DO admissions dept and ask them if they will consider grade replacement despite the fact that aacomas removal of the policy. All do schools still have the free reign to do so at their discretion. Don't give up hope!


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AlteredScale said:
It would be worth your time to call DO admissions dept and ask them if they will consider grade replacement despite the fact that aacomas removal of the policy. All do schools still have the free reign to do so at their discretion. Don't give up hope!
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I will give them some calls tomorrow, thank you. It is disheartening, but I have to keep going.
Marrowist said:
I think the same time tested advice still applies: crush the MCAT, apply broadly and focus on new schools.
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It is a little hard to focus on MCAT studying today because of these news, but I will keep going.
 
I do think my chances have shot significantly lower now.
 
Who knows what next years cycle will be like.
 
I'm in the same boat as you too 🙁. I retook Chem II and Physics I and got As this time around. I was all set to apply this year, but now my chances are lower. I don't understand why they are doing this. Why apply to a DO school now, when they will have the same requirements as an MD school.
 
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Is there any other alternatives worth pursuing?
 
I guess doing REALLY well on the MCAT and having a strong essay, volunteer experience, strong recommendation letters are the only other things we can do now. Take more science classes to pull up the science GPA 🙁
 
naivePremed said:
Is there any other alternatives worth pursuing?
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Hey dude,

Like you I'm kind of devastated by what just came out. I replaced my two Cs in gen chem 1 and 2 to As. My cGPA would have been 3.67, sGPA would have been 3.53, but now with just grades being averaged I'm at 3.54 cGPA and 3.32 sGPA. Really a kick in the pants.

BUT, I don't think its a death sentence. If you can get your sGPA over 3.0, I think you will avoid most of the application screenings. Just do you absolute best on the MCAT.

Good luck man.
 
psu228 said:
Hey dude,

Like you I'm kind of devastated by what just came out. I replaced my two Cs in gen chem 1 and 2 to As. My cGPA would have been 3.67, sGPA would have been 3.53, but now with just grades being averaged I'm at 3.54 cGPA and 3.32 sGPA. Really a kick in the pants.

BUT, I don't think its a death sentence. If you can get your sGPA over 3.0, I think you will avoid most of the application screenings. Just do you absolute best on the MCAT.

Good luck man.
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i think you're still good, but I am in TOTAL shock because there is a big difference in my recalculated gpas. I graduating next semester so this is not good. Such a short notice on this whole thing.
 
naivePremed said:
i think you're still good, but I am in TOTAL shock because there is a big difference in my recalculated gpas. I graduating next semester so this is not good. Such a short notice on this whole thing.
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We still have no clue how DO schools will adhere to this. It's possible that their average GPAs won't drop at all but I kind of doubt it. Students with 3.5s or whatever without grade replacement are also competitive for MD schools and while I hate DO-bashing, in reality people who get into both a DO and MD typically go to the allopathic school.

My point is that there is NO way that most DO schools who reports average GPAs in the 3.4s and 3.5s wouldn't have that average drop if there current students' applying GPAs were now recalculated. I'm sure a lot of DO students didn't use grade replacement, but I'm sure a lot did, too.

An upward trend (which it sounds like you have) will go a long way. Worse case scenario, you might not be competitive for the "old" DO schools like pcom (truthfully, I don't believe I am anymore, either). Or you may need to take more classes in a DIY post bacc of sorts next year while working in a clinical setting to get your hours up or something. Either way, you STILL can be a doctor if you want it bad enough.

Just keep plugging away on the MCAT, do your best and see what your score is.

Good luck
 
AlteredScale said:
It would be worth your time to call DO admissions dept and ask them if they will consider grade replacement despite the fact that aacomas removal of the policy. All do schools still have the free reign to do so at their discretion. Don't give up hope!


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Yep agreed. People would be surprised to know that even MD schools look at stuff like gradGPA and give it equal weight to ugGPA. Albeit only a handful probably. The schools on the DO side will definitely still be doing their own thing. I don't believe this to be all encompassing policy.
 
I guess time will tell, there is so much uncertainty that is added to the stress of applying this upcoming cycle.
 
What Rotten Luck! I feel for each of you --

But please do take heart in the fact that every other applicant to DO programs will be disadvantaged in the same manner -- some more than others, of course.

Peering into my crystal ball, I expect many DO schools will elect to keep the grade replacement policy -- at least for a few years -- because the average impact on your GPAs will be similar to the average impact on the GPA of their accepted students that they are forced to report on their admission statistics. As much as none of you want to drop from a 3.5 GPA to a 3.2 (numbers pulled from imaginary hat), neither do the DO schools want to report the same of their matriculates.
 
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Stay tuned.
Rule #1) the sky is not falling.

naivePremed said:
Basically, the year that I apply I receive these news. Great. However, I am trying to be realistic now and with no grade replacement I do not think I am competitive. What other realistic alternative pathways can I pursue towards the field of medicine in order to attend an MD/DO school. Are SMPs or postbacc's worth it or are they just a big, risky bet? Are dental, optometry, PA, or any other schools with grade replacement available? Any suggestions are welcome!
Click to expand...
 
DokterMom said:
What Rotten Luck! I feel for each of you --

But please do take heart in the fact that every other applicant to DO programs will be disadvantaged in the same manner -- some more than others, of course.

Peering into my crystal ball, I expect many DO schools will elect to keep the grade replacement policy -- at least for a few years -- because the average impact on your GPAs will be similar to the average impact on the GPA of their accepted students that they are forced to report on their admission statistics. As much as none of you want to drop from a 3.5 GPA to a 3.2, neither do the DO schools want to report the same of their matriculates.
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Unfortunately I feel this is wishful thinking. The idea that the average GPA to get into DO schools will drop from a 3.5 to a 3.2 is hard to believe since they have so many applicants. They can just screen out the ones who grade replace and take the ones who don't. Yikes .... but I do agree about the rotten luck. I'm applying this upcoming cycle. Hopefully DO schools are able to clarify if they have new policies in place with this new update to AACOMAS.
 
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