Poor Under Grad GPA

[phillie8008]

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I've searched through most of the forums and havent found an answer to this specific question so I will risk redundancy and ask it here. My under grad grades (class of '95) were below a B avg (2.64). I started in the wrong major, ruined my gpa and then lost interest in school. This was 17+ years ago. Almost every post bacc program I have seen requires a 3.00 under grad gpa, what can be done with those grades at this point? I can't even get a local PB program to return a call or an email with a suggestion, ie take the undergrad science classes again, go to a community college and freshen up, not even a "go away we have zero interest in you" Although to be fair, i guess that could be the message they are sending with no return call/emails.....

 

[DrMidlife]

I've searched through most of the forums and havent found an answer to this specific question so I will risk redundancy and ask it here. My under grad grades (class of '95) were below a B avg (2.64). I started in the wrong major, ruined my gpa and then lost interest in school. This was 17+ years ago.

Yup. I was class of '93 with a 2.67. My physics grades were 20 years old the first time I applied MD.

Almost every post bacc program I have seen requires a 3.00 under grad gpa

Don't be looking at postbac premed programs yet. You'll need to get some credibility first. Here's my harsh reality-based advice for way-below-3.0: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=827879

what can be done with those grades at this point?

Nothing. They're more permanent than a tattoo. You're looking at a 2-4 year battle to demonstrate your academic credibility. Ideally you'd do enough additional undergrad to get your cumulative GPA up over 3.0, but that may not be possible. In addition to proving yourself at the undergrad level, you may also need to do grad level work such as an SMP.

I can't even get a local PB program to return a call or an email with a suggestion, ie take the undergrad science classes again, go to a community college and freshen up, not even a "go away we have zero interest in you" Although to be fair, i guess that could be the message they are sending with no return call/emails.....

Structured formal postbac premed programs aren't the way to go. You need to find an affordable school where you can take boatloads of mostly science classes, get registration priority, and maybe even get some federal aid.

You can find all the advice you need on SDN. Look for the thread in this forum that has almost a half million views - the low GPA thread. If you're serious, you'll read every single last post in that thread, and use it to collect tidbits for followup elsewhere. If you're not serious, you'll think that's too much work.

Generally I recommend setting yourself up to have a source of income (a job) that allows you to take classes (1 or 2 at a time). Ideally, get a job at a school where you can take the prereqs and upper div science for free, with registration priority. Paying for the multiple years you need is likely the biggest problem.

Best of luck to you.

 

[cityoflights]

Yup. I was class of '93 with a 2.67. My physics grades were 20 years old the first time I applied MD.

Don't be looking at postbac premed programs yet. You'll need to get some credibility first. Here's my harsh reality-based advice for way-below-3.0: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=827879

Nothing. They're more permanent than a tattoo. You're looking at a 2-4 year battle to demonstrate your academic credibility. Ideally you'd do enough additional undergrad to get your cumulative GPA up over 3.0, but that may not be possible. In addition to proving yourself at the undergrad level, you may also need to do grad level work such as an SMP.

Structured formal postbac premed programs aren't the way to go. You need to find an affordable school where you can take boatloads of mostly science classes, get registration priority, and maybe even get some federal aid.

You can find all the advice you need on SDN. Look for the thread in this forum that has almost a half million views - the low GPA thread. If you're serious, you'll read every single last post in that thread, and use it to collect tidbits for followup elsewhere. If you're not serious, you'll think that's too much work.

Generally I recommend setting yourself up to have a source of income (a job) that allows you to take classes (1 or 2 at a time). Ideally, get a job at a school where you can take the prereqs and upper div science for free, with registration priority. Paying for the multiple years you need is likely the biggest problem.

Best of luck to you.

Hi, sorry would you mind elaborating further on the SMP route? I'm in the same dilemma as the OP and curious how to actually get into an SMP because aren't those even harder to get accepted into than post-bacc when your GPA is below the 3.0? Currently, I'm retaking courses plus taking new upper div science courses to bump my GPA. Is that a good way to go? Thanks.

 

[DrMidlife]

SMP instructions for sub-3.0's:

1. Give up the idea that you have control over your schedule for getting into med school.
2. Get credible undergrad credentials by getting a boatload of fresh undergrad A's in mostly hard undergrad science. (From a sub-3.0, assume you need the equivalent of 2 more years of fulltime undergrad. Whether you're in school full time to get this done is not the point.)
3. Kill the MCAT. Average is 31+ so beat 31, if you want to be taken seriously.
4. Apply to SMPs.

How to tell an SMP is a good one: it gets a ton of its grads into med school. Cincinnati is the transparency standard. I don't consider it tragic to have to complete an SMP before you can apply to med school.

You need to be ready for med school before you start an SMP, because an SMP is med school.

Best of luck to you.