Non traditional student, NCAA Div. 1 Athlete

[The Woz]

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Hey, I'm hoping to apply to med school however I'm not sure if this is a realistic option for me. My GPA is very low (3.19) an BCPM is 3.12. I have not yet taken my MCAT but have it scheduled for October. I was a NCAA Div. 1 athlete (swimmer) for all 4 years and it was definitely a challenge for me to maintain my grades while training and competing. I am wondering if this aspect will entice schools enough to look favorably on me as a candidate? I've accumulated many hours of volunteer/shadowing and my mother is a nurse, so I've been exposed to the healthcare environment for most of my adult life and am passionate about this career choice. Any honest advice/criticism is appreciated!

 

[danielterrones]

Poor GPA = Poor GPA. This typically is not overlooked. However, if you are open to DO, why not retake some of those F /D /C's?

 

[Gurby]

Take some more classes to bring it up to a 3.3ish, crush the MCAT, and I bet you'd be able to get some interviews at MD schools?

 

[danielterrones]

I think the floor for most MD programs is 3.4. But you can always do SMP and go for MD - or you can do grade replacement and go for DO.

Best of luck in your endeavors!

 

[Quik]

I think the floor for most MD programs is 3.4. But you can always do SMP and go for MD - or you can do grade replacement and go for DO.

Best of luck in your endeavors!

The floor isn't a 3.4... the floor is whatever the cut-off is that sends your app into the autoreject pile without a 2nd look... The lowest GPA for a white person accepted to medical school in 2013 was between 2.20 and 2.39, that person scored between 33 and 35 on the MCAT. The acceptance rate for white applicants with a GPA better than 3.0 and less than 3.4, with an MCAT over 30 is 30% and greater... The floor for GPA isn't 3.4. https://www.aamc.org/download/321518/data/2013factstable25-4.pdf

They say a good MCAT score won't make up for a poor GPA, but a solid MCAT certainly improves your chances. It's hard to say if being a DI athlete does or doesn't grant you any slack for a mediocre GPA. I think in your case it's a bit too far off the mean to expect much. I think it'll really come down to the rest of your application and MCAT score, but all hope isn't lost. I'd definitely look DO as well and try a bit of grade replacement and upper division post-bacc to prove you academic ability.

 

[QofQuimica]

As the others have suggested, your swimming experience will be seen as a positive, but no, it doesn't excuse a 3.1 GPA. Even with a high MCAT score, this GPA is far enough below the mean for both allo and osteo schools that some grade remediation is warranted before you apply. A year of full time post bac or SMP where you made straight As (or as close to it as possible) in upper level science classes would greatly strengthen your app. If you will be applying to DO schools, you are the kind of student who would likely benefit significantly from the AACOMAS grade replacement policy, where you can retake classes and replace your prior low grades with As. This is often the quickest, easiest route to raise your GPA to a competitive level.

 

[Goro]

The median GPA for MD school marticulants is 3.6. The 10th-90th %iles for these schools is very much 3.4-3.9+

So 3.4 is indeed the effective floor in which to be competitive. You can't look at the entire US system....you have to look at each school. Being <10th %ile means one brings something really special to the table: a compelling life story, and massive upward trend and/or post-bac performance, being a legacy, or having a large donation check in hand.

Just because people win the Lotto doesn't mean we should all run out and buy Lotto tickets.

Agree 100% with my learned colleague Q

The floor isn't a 3.4... the floor is whatever the cut-off is that sends your app into the autoreject pile without a 2nd look... The lowest GPA for a white person accepted to medical school in 2013 was between 2.20 and 2.39, that person scored between 33 and 35 on the MCAT. The acceptance rate for white applicants with a GPA better than 3.0 and less than 3.4, with an MCAT over 30 is 30% and greater... The floor for GPA isn't 3.4. https://www.aamc.org/download/321518/data/2013factstable25-4.pdf

They say a good MCAT score won't make up for a poor GPA, but a solid MCAT certainly improves your chances. It's hard to say if being a DI athlete does or doesn't grant you any slack for a mediocre GPA. I think in your case it's a bit too far off the mean to expect much. I think it'll really come down to the rest of your application and MCAT score, but all hope isn't lost. I'd definitely look DO as well and try a bit of grade replacement and upper division post-bacc to prove you academic ability.

 

[ConsultantMD]

Just because people win the Lotto doesn't mean we should all run out and buy Lotto tickets.

I can tell you from my experience thus far in the cycle (and it's still early) is that I applied to over 35 schools, and I was given one of the first interviews at a school I'd love to go to! I do agree with Goro's sentiment that just because n=1 doesn't mean that it's going to work for everyone, but I have a similar background to you GPA wise and being D1 varsity athlete. My best advice is to study your butt off for the MCAT, maybe do a post back (DIY in my case) to show that you can do what you have to do when you are focused on that and not several other things, and then see what happens! It might take a couple of tries to get there, but if you are really dedicated to doing this, then you will see it through and it'll be evident.

Other than that, you should prepare to apply early, and cast a wide net to increase your chances (which will require lots of $$$, my credit card is on fire).

 

[The Woz]

Thank you all so much! I've decided to do a year of more schooling and apply early next year. Good luck to anyone applying this year!

 

[danielterrones]

Great idea @The Woz !

 

[Quik]

The median GPA for MD school marticulants is 3.6. The 10th-90th %iles for these schools is very much 3.4-3.9+

So 3.4 is indeed the effective floor in which to be competitive. You can't look at the entire US system....you have to look at each school. Being <10th %ile means one brings something really special to the table: a compelling life story, and massive upward trend and/or post-bac performance, being a legacy, or having a large donation check in hand.

Just because people win the Lotto doesn't mean we should all run out and buy Lotto tickets.

Agree 100% with my learned colleague Q

No, you can look at national averages; applicants apply across the nation, and consideration of only the percentile of matriculants within a school is severely limiting. For the sake of the argument, let's look at state by state averages. If the average mean is 3.6 with an average SD of .2-.25, that leaves roughly 16% beneath 3.4... Just among white matriculants, indeed just under 10% had below a 3.4 but they comprised only 20% of the applicant pool, the other 80% being above 3.4. Those successful applicants very well may have brought something else to the table, but it still negates the notion that the floor is set at 3.4. Isn't this the nature of building an application? A "floor" infers that your chances of admission are nearly zero, and while matriculants in the group in questions are the minority, their chances are much greater than that of winning a lottery. That analogy doesn't quite compare. Being among the 10th percentile doesn't infer a less than 10% chance...

 

[Goro]

Those numbers are skewed by the state schools in the Midwest and the south that are both in-state selective, and have lower numbers. So yes, nationwide, you can say X % can get in, but if you're not a MS or MO resident, your chances for those two schools go out the window for U MS or U MO, respectively. One has to be practical in this process, considering that the typical medical school gets 5-10,000 apps for 100-200 seats. It's not a random process, even though to hose on the outside, it seems like it is.

No, you can look at national averages; applicants apply across the nation, and consideration of only the percentile of matriculants within a school is severely limiting. For the sake of the argument, let's look at state by state averages. If the average mean is 3.6 with an average SD of .2-.25, that leaves roughly 16% beneath 3.4... Just among white matriculants, indeed just under 10% had below a 3.4 but they comprised only 20% of the applicant pool, the other 80% being above 3.4. Those successful applicants very well may have brought something else to the table, but it still negates the notion that the floor is set at 3.4. Isn't this the nature of building an application? A "floor" infers that your chances of admission are nearly zero, and while matriculants in the group in questions are the minority, their chances are much greater than that of winning a lottery. That analogy doesn't quite compare. Being among the 10th percentile doesn't infer a less than 10% chance...