Pre-med in need of advice

[Renee18]

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Hello!
So I am in a bit of a dilemma.
In my freshman year I wasn't very focused on my studies and in my first two semesters I ended up with a D in a bio, a C in that bio lab, an F in a chemistry, and an F in college algebra. After these two failed semesters I decided to take some time off and when I came back I transferred to another school and went into a BS in public health. When I transferred to this university they said my GPA would be wiped clean and I started out with a 4.0. Ever since I came back I have only gotten A's and A minuses. I graduated with a BS in public Health this past December with a cumulative GPA of 3.92.
Now that i've graduated I'm wanting to pursue a career in the medical field again so I went to see the pre-medical advisor this week and found that my current sGPA is 2.44 and overall GPA is 3.53 which includes my previous university grades.
We made a post-bacc plan and found that after completing 12 core courses (2 Gen Bios, 2 Gen Chems, 2 Ochems, 1 Biochem, 2 Physics, 1 math, psych 101, and an upper division bio) with all A's would get my general GPA up to 3.65 and my sGPA up to 3.4.
Are my chances of becoming a doctor ruined because of my first two freshman semesters or is it still possible for me to get accepted in medical school?
Some more information about me is that I'm a 25 year old white female, I have over 350 hours of community service hours logged, 100 hours of volunteer work at an ER, 2 research publications on the topic of cancer (5th author on both), was the president of the public health student association at my university, served as a student committee member for the accreditation of the public health program, and I am a part of the public health honor society (Delta Omega) and another honor society (Phi Kappa Phi).
I know that I need clinical and shadowing hours and I am currently working on them.

Can committees forgive my freshman year grades since I have a strong upward trend?
Is pursuing an MD still feasible for me or is it a far shoot?
Thank you.

 

[a5ie5lavida]

It is absolutely still possible. Kill your post bacc and kill the MCAT. Good luck!

 

[acslater99]

Yes, it’s still possible. Just do what you’ve been doing and get those A’s. Crush the MCAT and apply broadly.

 

[Goro]

It is absolutely still possible. Kill your post bacc and kill the MCAT. Good luck!

I agree 100%.

 

[Renee18]

Thank you all, I'm mainly worried that a sGPA of 3.4 will get screened out at medical schools. At what GPA do applicants get initially screened out?
Also, do most medical school admission officers take them time to look at student transcripts to notice an upward trend or do most applications get thrown to the side if they see a lower sGPA/cGPA?
Thanks.

 

[a5ie5lavida]

Thank you all, I'm mainly worried that a sGPA of 3.4 will get screened out at medical schools. At what GPA do applicants get initially screened out?
Also, do most medical school admission officers take them time to look at student transcripts to notice an upward trend or do most applications get thrown to the side if they see a lower sGPA/cGPA?
Thanks.

GPA screens vary by school and that's only IF the school has a hard screen, and many do not. I had multiple interviews and acceptances with way lower GPAs than you but a significant upward trend (I did, however, do an SMP), so don't worry too much about that. In any case you can't do anything about the past anyway. Your grade trends will be considered, not just your actual GPAs. Upward is good.
Trust the process and like I said, kill your post bacc and kill the MCAT.

 

[Ryanjingle]

You still have a great chance, just keep working hard. Adcoms will definitely take into account that fact that you completely turned things around and decided to pursue a post-bacc program. Keep going you got this

 

[Renee18]

You still have a great chance, just keep working hard. Adcoms will definitely take into account that fact that you completely turned things around and decided to pursue a post-bacc program. Keep going you got this

Thank you Ryan!

 

[Renee18]

GPA screens vary by school and that's only IF the school has a hard screen, and many do not. I had multiple interviews and acceptances with way lower GPAs than you but a significant upward trend (I did, however, do an SMP), so don't worry too much about that. In any case you can't do anything about the past anyway. Your grade trends will be considered, not just your actual GPAs. Upward is good.
Trust the process and like I said, kill your post bacc and kill the MCAT.

Thank you!

 

[Mednight]

I've been there, done that. I retook the bio and received 2 letter grades higher. I'm just like you, I have an upward trend, so you are in a good position.

 

[Renee18]

I've been there, done that. I retook the bio and received 2 letter grades higher. I'm just like you, I have an upward trend, so you are in a good position.

Hey Mednight, have you started applying to medical schools yet?

 

[lekarsz_90]

Thank you all, I'm mainly worried that a sGPA of 3.4 will get screened out at medical schools. At what GPA do applicants get initially screened out?
Also, do most medical school admission officers take them time to look at student transcripts to notice an upward trend or do most applications get thrown to the side if they see a lower sGPA/cGPA?
Thanks.

Every school is different. Definitely keep your options open but don't be afraid of reaching out to school before applying. Send them an email and just ask how they calculate their GPA standards. At the very least it gets them to check your information and become familiar with your profile.

 

[Fall_of_Dorian_Gray]

You may have to put in a couple of years doing a Post-bac to raise the score to what you said you would, but I think it's definitely possible. But seeing the discrepancy between the OA and science GPAs, hit the ground running and don't underestimate those science classes.

It's actually to your benefit that your FRESHMAN year grades are the ones holding you down and not your junior/senior grades. You can always explain your story to the med schools (most secondaries have a prompt asking "is there anything else we should know?" or "explain any discrepancies in your academic record.").

You may feel like you're in an abyss from the shock of how low those GPAs were BUT, if your Post-bac progress is as good as you say it'll be, I'd say you're more in a.... hmm... ditch? well you get the idea.

 

[stojohnson]

It's completely possible for you to get into medical school. Although, it might be more difficult due to the first two semesters. You'll probably still be accepted into somewhere if your MCAT is strong. By a strong MCAT, I mean at least a 510, and preferably a 515+.