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[Babylo]

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Hello all. I am a senior majoring in zoology and i am graduating in december. Problem is i have a very low gpa (2.3) and i just recently thinking about medschool. I have enrolled for the princeton review this summer and i hope to do really well on the august mcat. I also want to do an informal post bacc in my school and apply to only DO schools cause it seems thats the only chance i have of getting into medical school. My question is that if i retake every single course i made below a c in during the spring summer and fall of 07 and reapply at the end of december does that mean my gpa will increase dramatically (assuming i make A's on all of them) and with an good MCAt score will i have a good chance of getting in to a medical school for fall 2008. I intend on applying to all the DO schools open at that time. including the brand new ones.
I will appreciate all the information i can get, especially honest ones . Thanks yall. 😍 😍 😍 😍

 

[dr.z]

Your GPA needs to be over 2.75 for most schools. So if you can raise it above that, you'll have some chance.

 

[Future DOctor]

Babylo,

Retaking classes will show the school that you really want a shot (esp. if you pay that much money to retake ALL of them). However, I don't know if that will get you over the hump. In my opinion starting a Masters program after graduation would be your best bet- but it is possible the way you are thinking. Don't let my comment discourage you, good luck and if you work hard for it, it will come one way or the other.

 

[GAdoc]

Babylo,

Retaking classes will show the school that you really want a shot (esp. if you pay that much money to retake ALL of them). However, I don't know if that will get you over the hump. In my opinion starting a Masters program after graduation would be your best bet- but it is possible the way you are thinking. Don't let my comment discourage you, good luck and if you work hard for it, it will come one way or the other.

You being able to raise your GPA by retaking courses may vary from school to school, and of course with the AACOMAS (the central application service you'll use when you start applying to DO schools). At my undergrad. school, if you retook a course the school would straight up replace the old grade with the new one. This happened to me with a calculus course. So, your GPA would go up, BUT the old grade would still appear on your transcript (even though it was not counted). When you send your transcript to AACOMAS or AMCAS, they will also see the old and new grade, and so will the schools you apply to. I can't remember if the AACOMAS used only my new grade or if they averaged both, but in the end, as long as the number is better, you should be ok.

Make sure you really want to be a D.O. before applying to osteopathic medical school. It is true that a physician is a physician and in that respect DO=MD, but there is some different philosophy/training that you'll want to make sure you somewhat understand...else, you may compete for a slot against someone who is not just chosing to be a DO as a fall back. But good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[DrBowtie]

I would get a refund on your August MCAT class. You won't want to take that until you get your GPA up which would take probably 2 years.

Retake all of your D's or below atleast.

 

[FS-Pro]

As mentioned, I would put off the MCAT for now. It would be better to retake the classes first because all of the material will be more fresh in your mind when you do take the MCAT.

 

[silas2642]

I wouldn't take the mcat this year. Your gpa is pretty low, and if you got a C or below in any of the pre-req classes, I would re-take them. Then you might want to seriously consider a post-bac, and really aim high for a 4.0 or as close to a 4.0 as you can get. The thing about the mcat is that, in my opinion, it's pretty hard to do well on it if you don't have the basics down during your undergraduate years. In addition, with your gpa, you really need to do well on the mcat the first time-- retaking that test two, three different times may be the kiss of death on your application. So the princeton review might not really be worth it until you're sure you have the basic fund of knowledge down.

If you're really in this for the long term, you probably want to get clinical experience. It's probably a pretty good idea to get some shadowing in, try getting in with a DO. This can help you in many ways: it will help you realize whether or not you really want to do this, and it will give you the opportunity to gain lors from people in the field. Meanwhile, sign up to retake some of those pre-reqs again, and make sure you earn A's. Start looking into some post-bac programs, some medical schools (have you looked at the Caribbean?) and see what might work best for you. I'd also strongly suggest seeing your pre-med advisor; he/she will be in a better position to guide you along this process.

 

[noonday]

yes, wait on the mcat.

i had a 2.63 BCPM undergrad, 2.83 overall undergrad. i did a master's in an unrelated science (no re-taking of classes) and got a 3.72 in grad school. i got into 3 DO schools, turned down 2 DO interviews, and got one top-50 MD acceptance.

it can be done with below a 2.75, even for MD.

i think the more important question is what else is going on in your life? what will the rest of your application look like, after the numbers? be outstanding in other ways, show deep committment to related work, etc. have great letters.

 

[mastamark]

I can't remember if the AACOMAS used only my new grade or if they averaged both, but in the end, as long as the number is better, you should be ok
.

AACOMAS takes the latest grade whether it is better or worse. They still see the old one however.

Good Luck

 

[mastamark]

I can't remember if the AACOMAS used only my new grade or if they averaged both, but in the end, as long as the number is better, you should be ok
.

AACOMAS takes the latest grade for your GPA, whether better or worse. They will recalculate your GPA based on their specifications, not your schools.

Good Luck

 

[shminger]

I agree that I would put off the MCAT for now and retake the pre reqs and the subjects that will be tested on the MCAT. It might take a little hard work, but it will be worth it.

 

[mj1878]

I would retake, but be prepared to explain the low grades in the interview(and you might want to mention them, if you have a good excuse like a family tragedy, in the personal statement). They'll probably come up in the interview because they want to know that you can deal with the rigors of the medical school curriculum. Also, there ain't no do-overs in medical school so try to get into the habit of doing well the first time. Change your study habits, study more, or whatever it takes.

Don't take the MCAT until you have a firmer grasp on the science. It'll just depress you. However, the best revenge for a low GPA is a super-high MCAT score. If you can raise it to 3.0, and then KILL the MCAT, that might erase any question of you being able to hack it in medical school. Good luck to you.

 

[Babylo]

Thanks guys.. ok now i am confused about whether to retake classes or do a graduate program in public health. My school will allow me start a public health program on a probational status in the spring. And on the MCAT i guess i would hold it off till next year since i dont plan on applying next year.. So what should i do??? retake classes or MPH?????