Post-bacc work for those already with graduate degrees?

[NonTradMed]

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Ok, I posted this before but my thread never made it onto the board, so here it goes again....

I am currently applying to medical school but it looks like I won't be getting anything this year, so I am preparing to reapply.

I did a combined BS-MS program in Computer Science back in college, as well as all my premed courses (yeah, weird combo, long story). I goofed off my last few semesters in college and the result was unpleasant.

My school calculates GPA differently and it looked I had a 3.4. But I did not take into account the AAMCAS grading scale (which made my gpa out to be 3.36), or having to separate my science GPA (which came 3.16), or my graduate GPA, split from my undergraduate (3.07). I went to a tough school but that does not excuse my poor choices (and bad study habits I acquired).

I am making amends by taking 12 upper level undergraduate biology courses. If I get all A's, I'll be able to raise my science GPA to 3.33, if I take 6 more and somehow get all A's, I'll up it to 3.4 (and of course, I'll be seeing improvements in my overall GPA). Sounds good, right?

Well, this still doesn't bring up my graduate GPA, which is calculated separate from my "culmulative" GPA, which seems to calculate only the undergraduate courses.

I'm worried that despite all my work, my graduate GPA will stick out like a sore thumb. Will they notice that I took my post-bacc after I did my undergraduate and graduate coursework? Or will adcoms think, "gee, she did so-so in college, very well in her post-bacc, but horrible in her grad, seems like she can't handle her graduate courses". Or will they think, "looks like she did ok in her undergraduate courses, but I see a slide, but she showed marked improvement after college when she did her post-bacc". In other words, do they value improvement over time vs. graduate school grades?

What have people in my shoes (those that did graduate degrees before coming back to salvage their GPA) do in these cases? Start taking upper level courses, or jump straight to graduate level coursework? Also bare in mind, I have only the premed requirements, so I am afraid I would suffer in a graduate level biology course.

What I fear most however, is that my graduate GPA would get adcoms to think it is a step down for me to go from graduate courses to undergraduate courses again and disregard my work in post-bacc.

Suggestions? Comments? Please help! Thanks.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Ok .... I think I know what you looking for. You did you BS-MS how long ago before you started your course work? Trying to get time frame down right.

If you are doing well in your science classes now, and time has lapsed, then I think you would have more reflective of ability with current grades. Your grades aren't that bad I think you should also count the whole pic though (MCAT, LOR, EC's etc) More science classes will help though. Have you thought about a post bacc program next year as a backup? What made you change your mind about career? Did you include in personal statement?

I had crappy ugrad, doing MBA right now, and going back for prereqs and doing some upperlevel sciences while applying. Hoping my grad gpa and preerqs will make up for my horrible effort 5 years ago 👍

 

[VPDcurt]

Ok, I posted this before but my thread never made it onto the board, so here it goes again....

I am currently applying to medical school but it looks like I won't be getting anything this year, so I am preparing to reapply.

I did a combined BS-MS program in Computer Science back in college, as well as all my premed courses (yeah, weird combo, long story). I goofed off my last few semesters in college and the result was unpleasant.

My school calculates GPA differently and it looked I had a 3.4. But I did not take into account the AAMCAS grading scale (which made my gpa out to be 3.36), or having to separate my science GPA (which came 3.16), or my graduate GPA, split from my undergraduate (3.07). I went to a tough school but that does not excuse my poor choices (and bad study habits I acquired).

I am making amends by taking 12 upper level undergraduate biology courses. If I get all A's, I'll be able to raise my science GPA to 3.33, if I take 6 more and somehow get all A's, I'll up it to 3.4 (and of course, I'll be seeing improvements in my overall GPA). Sounds good, right?

Well, this still doesn't bring up my graduate GPA, which is calculated separate from my "culmulative" GPA, which seems to calculate only the undergraduate courses.

I'm worried that despite all my work, my graduate GPA will stick out like a sore thumb. Will they notice that I took my post-bacc after I did my undergraduate and graduate coursework? Or will adcoms think, "gee, she did so-so in college, very well in her post-bacc, but horrible in her grad, seems like she can't handle her graduate courses". Or will they think, "looks like she did ok in her undergraduate courses, but I see a slide, but she showed marked improvement after college when she did her post-bacc". In other words, do they value improvement over time vs. graduate school grades?

What have people in my shoes (those that did graduate degrees before coming back to salvage their GPA) do in these cases? Start taking upper level courses, or jump straight to graduate level coursework? Also bare in mind, I have only the premed requirements, so I am afraid I would suffer in a graduate level biology course.

What I fear most however, is that my graduate GPA would get adcoms to think it is a step down for me to go from graduate courses to undergraduate courses again and disregard my work in post-bacc.

Suggestions? Comments? Please help! Thanks.

what is your MCAT if you don't mind me asking?

 

[NonTradMed]

Hi,

Just to answer some questions, I graduated back in December of 2002, and worked a couple of years in the software world. I always felt a deep regret about not doing medicine and decided to finally 'take the plunge' when I quit my job to focus full time on medicine last year.

I did horribly on my MCAT, I KNOW I could have done better but I had exhuasted myself studying and woke up tired and stupid the day of the exam, I got a 26S and it has hurt me tremendously.

Right now, I am reviewing for the MCAT again, and hoping to get above a 30 (it's doable, I'm hitting doubles on my verbal, and close to it on bio, it's only physical science that I still can't pull up).

I'm just afraid since it's only been three years since I did my graduate degree, that it might look strange if I did a (informal) post-bacc with good grades, but my graduate class grades looks weird. Any suggestions?

 

[mshheaddoc]

Ok well you have had time to "mature" and get your act together and what you want. Nothing is impossible. If you do well in post-bacc program and pull up the MCAT you will have a fighting chance. They will see the grades before but they are older so the grad degree also is older. Track you are on is good. Have you talked with any places you were rejected on how to strengthen your app? I would suggest talking to a few of them that way you know what you need to know to get it.

~Mushy

 

[VPDcurt]

You aren't in a bad situation at all. I've been there before - believe me. I actually had an undergrad GPA around a 3.1. I started off my college career with about a 2.2 because I was just an idiot. I had a pretty good upward trend and now I'm finishing up a masters degree with a very high GPA (and grad school is much tougher than undergrad in the sciences at least). I also had a bad MCAT score - worse than yours actually. I took the Aug MCAT this time around and got a 31R (10VR, 10PS, 11BS). So far I don't have any acceptances but I have 3 interviews and I'm still waiting to hear from about 12 schools. You are definitely on the right track - it takes a lot of hard work and willingness to accomplish the goal. Best of luck.