Please give your insight..

[GQDoc786]

Hello Everyone I just need some insight and here is my current situation:

I graduated with a B.S in Biology with a 2.6 gpa and my pre-med gpa was terrible around a D. I have no excuse for my low gpa but I can say there was lack of direction,motivation and mild depression involved, nevertheless I am at fault and I realize my mistake, I wish i could start all over but I can't.

I can't get into any post-bach program as my gpa is so low, i dont even think any masters program will accept me.. but I really want to do medicine. In the end if i dont get in, I will know that i tried the hardest I could and it was not meant to be, but I really really am gonna try to get into med school.. and I know i will get in if I try cuz its never too late.

At the moment due to financial issues i am deciding to take most of my pre-req's over again at a community college near my house. Once I finish all my req's again, I will apply afterwards making sure i get A's in them.

How do you think the medical school's will react knowing that I already completed a degree and afterwards took classes at a community college, due to finances and location. Assuming i do stellar on my MCAT and improve my gpa in the pre-req's I know it won't change my over gpa much but they must take into consideration the new grades.

I am also scribing in the ER which is great experience and have 4+ years workin in a health related setting. I am trying to get some research opportunities with professors at some universities so that when the time comes, I will look better as an applicant.

Is this a good idea? considering financial situation and all..

I would appreciate any insight, as I am really driven and motivated now?!!

Thanks

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[ChemEng]

Well with that GPA it is going to be a DEFINITE TOUGH UPHILL BATTLE. Your direction now sounds pretty solid if you are going to go for it. I would suggest trying to take the courses over again at a major university if at all possible. Med schools don't like to see students cop out and take the easy route for an A. Research is a definite plus especially if it something you are interested in and can explain it thoroughly/what you learned. Likewise with volunteering at ER. Performing well on your MCAT is an absolute must. About the undergraduate slump and explaining it, briefly mention the circumstances in your personal statement, but above all reflect on it and state WHY AND HOW you learned from it/ will make you become a successful and competent physician. Some med schools provide additional sections in their secondaries for you to write about any additional thoughts/comments about your undergrad story.

 

[NPEMTIV]

Hello Everyone I just need some insight and here is my current situation:

I graduated with a B.S in Biology with a 2.6 gpa and my pre-med gpa was terrible around a D. I have no excuse for my low gpa but I can say there was lack of direction,motivation and mild depression involved, nevertheless I am at fault and I realize my mistake, I wish i could start all over but I can't.

I can't get into any post-bach program as my gpa is so low, i dont even think any masters program will accept me.. but I really want to do medicine. In the end if i dont get in, I will know that i tried the hardest I could and it was not meant to be, but I really really am gonna try to get into med school.. and I know i will get in if I try cuz its never too late.

At the moment due to financial issues i am deciding to take most of my pre-req's over again at a community college near my house. Once I finish all my req's again, I will apply afterwards making sure i get A's in them.

How do you think the medical school's will react knowing that I already completed a degree and afterwards took classes at a community college, due to finances and location. Assuming i do stellar on my MCAT and improve my gpa in the pre-req's I know it won't change my over gpa much but they must take into consideration the new grades.

I am also scribing in the ER which is great experience and have 4+ years workin in a health related setting. I am trying to get some research opportunities with professors at some universities so that when the time comes, I will look better as an applicant.

Is this a good idea? considering financial situation and all..

I would appreciate any insight, as I am really driven and motivated now?!!

Thanks

The GPA is a tough situation here. You definitely will need to take some hard sciences to show you can handle it. Since you already have a B.S. I'm assuming you have ~140 credits. With that in mind it will take 281 additional hours of a 3.5 to achieve an overal GPA of 3.2. Luckily you won't have to do that, but if I were you I would utilize my science degree and do what is necessary to get into a graduate program (not SMP/Post-Bacc) for a few years (maybe get an MS) and really blow it away. Work on your clinical experience and kill the MCAT. Then reevaluate your situation. Nothing is impossible and people have definitely made it from where you're at, but it's a tough road.

As for the community college they probably won't mind a few of the classes, but you'll have to go back to a university for some classes above the level offered at a CC. The financial card only goes so far almost all of us are poor, starving students living off loans or very little income. I'm not trying to be a downer, just a realist.

You can make it!

 

[silas2642]

Hello Everyone I just need some insight and here is my current situation:

I graduated with a B.S in Biology with a 2.6 gpa and my pre-med gpa was terrible around a D. I have no excuse for my low gpa but I can say there was lack of direction,motivation and mild depression involved, nevertheless I am at fault and I realize my mistake, I wish i could start all over but I can't.

I can't get into any post-bach program as my gpa is so low, i dont even think any masters program will accept me.. but I really want to do medicine. In the end if i dont get in, I will know that i tried the hardest I could and it was not meant to be, but I really really am gonna try to get into med school.. and I know i will get in if I try cuz its never too late.

At the moment due to financial issues i am deciding to take most of my pre-req's over again at a community college near my house. Once I finish all my req's again, I will apply afterwards making sure i get A's in them.

How do you think the medical school's will react knowing that I already completed a degree and afterwards took classes at a community college, due to finances and location. Assuming i do stellar on my MCAT and improve my gpa in the pre-req's I know it won't change my over gpa much but they must take into consideration the new grades.

I am also scribing in the ER which is great experience and have 4+ years workin in a health related setting. I am trying to get some research opportunities with professors at some universities so that when the time comes, I will look better as an applicant.

Is this a good idea? considering financial situation and all..

I would appreciate any insight, as I am really driven and motivated now?!!

Thanks

Why do you want to go into medicine so badly?

To be honest (and I'm going to be honest because that is what I would want and I would hope that is why people come to these forums), I think that your chances are virtually nil of getting into a US allopathic medical school. I know that you were unmotivated to study in college and so forth, but having a D in the pre-med requirements isn't really a good sign that you're going to be able to handle the med school curriculum. It shows that you don't know how to study or organize the material or something...

As for taking the pre-reqs over at a community college, I'm not sure whether or not that's the most fantastic idea ever either, but you're doing it. The good thing is that osteopathic schools will replace your lower grade with your higher grade when calculating your GPA-- this is fantastic news for you and can really help you boost your gpa.

I think that you're going to have to apply to osteopathic schools and/or Caribbean schools if you want to do this medicine thing. If I were you, I would re-take all my pre-med requirements, try to get at least a 3.5 in them. You need to re-take courses as necessary to get your gpa to around at least a 3.0 cumulative and the same with your science gpa. You also need to do at least somewhat decently on the mcat-- like around a 30.

Apply broadly and early, again hitting the osteopathic schools hard because they tend to be way more forgiving of a shady academic history than the allopathic schools. Then just close your eyes and pray. Good luck.

 

[Rzarecta]

Why do you want to go into medicine so badly?

To be honest (and I'm going to be honest because that is what I would want and I would hope that is why people come to these forums), I think that your chances are virtually nil of getting into a US allopathic medical school. I know that you were unmotivated to study in college and so forth, but having a D in the pre-med requirements isn't really a good sign that you're going to be able to handle the med school curriculum. It shows that you don't know how to study or organize the material or something...

As for taking the pre-reqs over at a community college, I'm not sure whether or not that's the most fantastic idea ever either, but you're doing it. The good thing is that osteopathic schools will replace your lower grade with your higher grade when calculating your GPA-- this is fantastic news for you and can really help you boost your gpa.

I think that you're going to have to apply to osteopathic schools and/or Caribbean schools if you want to do this medicine thing. If I were you, I would re-take all my pre-med requirements, try to get at least a 3.5 in them. You need to re-take courses as necessary to get your gpa to around at least a 3.0 cumulative and the same with your science gpa. You also need to do at least somewhat decently on the mcat-- like around a 30.

Apply broadly and early, again hitting the osteopathic schools hard because they tend to be way more forgiving of a shady academic history than the allopathic schools. Then just close your eyes and pray. Good luck.

Very solid advice. The best thing to do right now would be to objectively think about your reasons for wanting to be a physician. There better be more than "because I have always wanted to be a doctor."

Your best bet(s) will be the caribbean and/or DO route, but for the DO you will still have to do well on the MCAT given your current GPA woes.

 

[Trail Boss]

Be honest with yourself about whether or not you think you can do it. I worked hard in college, but not that hard and I got only one or two B's. Med school is a whole new world. It is tough, don't care who you are, there are days when you just feel like it is coming too fast, even for people like me who ended up crushing the STEP, it was a rough first two years. I am glad I did it once, not sure I would do it again. Make sure you prove to yourself you can do this before you get in too far, I know some people who had their worlds crushed in med school because they shouldn't have been there. That debt is real, no one is going to write it off if you make a mistake, it is a lot of pressure if you are going to spend 2 (or 4) years on the edge of reason.