post-bacc student chances, 3.4 gpa, 33Q

[back2thefuture]

Thanks in advanced to anyone who responds to this thread!

I am a post-bacc student. I did post-bacc at stony brook because I did not take the necessary pre-med courses in college. My undergrad gpa was 3.5 (with no science classes). My gpa from my post bacc program (bcpm) is 3.4 right now, my mcat is 33Q.

I had a bad semester during my post-bacc (due to illness and a family member passing away) that brought my gpa down (C in gem chem II). since then there has been an upward trend. still, my gpa is only 3.4 which is pretty low. I am really hoping to get into a state school (I'm from NY)

I'm looking for any advice. Should I take upper level science courses to boost my gpa before applying? If so, what gpa would I need to reach before applying? I want to play it safe so that I don't waste money on applications. Also, since I finished all my pre-reqs, which upper level science classes would be the best to take at this point? (I was thinking some neuroscience and biochem)

I should also add that I have good EC's and LOR (shadowing, volunteering,etc) and I also worked full time during my post-bacc program (had to support myself financially)

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[godless]

Honestly I would just apply. A 3.5 isn't the best but according to this chart:
https://www.aamc.org/download/157450/data/table24-mcatgpagridall2008-10.pdf.pdf
a 3.5 gpa undergrad and a 33 mcat gives you a 67% acceptance rate. Not perfect, BUT a 4.0 and a 40 only gives you a 91% ;-)

Good luck!

 

[Etorphine]

I think you'll get in with those stats, somewhere thats MD. Apply broadly, and apply to a few OOS schools with lower figures. By apply broadly I mean 30+ schools.

 

[Catalystik]

I agree that you might go ahead and apply, especially if your ECs are strong. It's still a good idea to take some upper-level Bio and Biochem and blow them out of the water, as update letters with new grades can be taken into account. (Also consider Physiology, Statistics, Cell Bio, Genetics, among other classes similar to those in med school-Anatomy, Immunology, Microbiology, Endocrinology, Embryology, Virology, etc.)

As it is now later in this season's application cycle, I don't think you'd get value from applying super broadly. I'd pick your most likely state schools and a few other less-selective med schools and live the next year like you might be reapplying in June 2012 (ie, keep strengthening the ECs). If you wanted to be fiscally ultraconservative, then just wait until next year.

 

[Morsetlis]

I agree that you will not get much value applying broadly NOW. Consider that the AMCAS opens around the first of June and people are already interviewing. An extra year's worth of good, upper-division work will help you out. Start with the basics: Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Cell Bio, Genetics...

No, statistics/math/physics will not be helpful whatsoever in med school unless you go into research. It's good to know about it, though, and understand perhaps up to standard deviations and how to interpret the alpha levels of data in a scientific paper (although really this should be undergrad/high school level stuff).

The fact that you did work full-time will reflect positively in some schools' evaluations, but not all.

 

[inydr]

My opinion would be to go ahead and apply! I am a post-bacc student at Stony Brook too! First of all I give you thumbs up because I know how it is not easy to have a pre-req sience gpa like yours. Your story morrors mine: graduated my undergrad with gpa like yours, and my pre-req science gpa is about the same as yours! I am half way. I am black and hope being an URM will increase my chances! And again wheither your are an urm or not, I think you should go ahead and aply! Please let us know how it goes. Cheers.

 

[inydr]

My opinion would be to go ahead and apply! I am a post-bacc student at Stony Brook too! First of all I give you thumbs up because I know how it is not easy to have a pre-req sience gpa like yours. Your story morrors mine: graduated my undergrad with gpa like yours, and my pre-req science gpa is about the same as yours! I am half way. I am black and hope being an URM will increase my chances! And again wheither your are an urm or not, I think you should go ahead and aply! Please let us know how it goes. Cheers.
[Courage is knowing what not to fear-Anonymous]