Queation about grades...

[Grizzelhop]

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Hi all...I just have a quick questions that some of you may be able to help with.
I am 29 and just started school, one child and I work full time. After helping my wife get through nursing school, I decided to go back to school to become a DR. Question...with the end of my freshman year coming to an end, I belive that I will have a GPA of 2.7-2.9, do I have a chance of making it into med school?

I am not too sure of what all I will need to do, but I am determined to become a DR.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

 

[DrInW8ing]

Grizzelhop,

YES

Your grades for your freshman year are obviously low. However, you have three more years left and can make improvements. Remember that grades are important, but, being a well rounded applicant both in school and outside of school is also important.

Important Factors:
GPA
MCAT scores
Volunteer work
Health-related work/ volunteer work
Letters of Recommendation
Personal statement

Determination is what drives most of us and lets us get over our bariers on the path to med school.

TIME MANAGEMENT: You will have to stick to a strict schedule of school time and FAMILY TIME. You will have to sacrafice some sleep. If your desire is strong enough, you will manage. 😀

As far as becoming a DR, it is my personal belief that you should know what type of school(allopathic or osteopathic) you want to attend well before you apply. Do some research on both types of schools and professions. One type of medicine may appeal to you or fit your background better than another.


Good luck to you! 😉

 

[Grizzelhop]

DrInW8ing - Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. One other question to you (and anyone else who has an opinion)...I have been doing some research into the whole allopathic/osteopathic schools and I belive that the only diffrences between the two are generally OMM (OMT?) and a prestige issue. Am I correct?
I am still kind of new to this so don't take this personally in any way, but I am not going to school for prestige or money (even though I would like to get out of the poverty levels at which I currently live 🙂 ) but because I have a genuine respect for people and want to help them.
Does it really matter if I get my MD or DO? As long as I am helping people, then my main goals have been accomplished.

If anyone can let me know anything else on the diffrences between the two (am I wrong in my assumptions?), I would like to know, and I am open to all opintions.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[KylieP54]

Hi there,
In response to your question concerning DO and MD differences, I totally know what you are going through. I am a senior at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, and as you may know Case is an MD school. For the last four years I have had it beaten in my head that MD is better than DO, and I couldn't disagree more!!!! I honestly don't believe DO is better than MD either, I just think that both degrees are wonderful, and you will be doing what you love which is helping people. My brother is a medical malpractice attorney for ten years now, and he said he would never even think about hiring a DO back then. Now, he thinks DO's are just as respectable as MD's are - the point is, the DO philosophy is finally gaining acceptance when it didn't 50 years ago, and part of the problem was people not knowing what a DO even was...we need to spread the word about this degree and what it means. I still have people asking me "what is a DO?" but I have more telling me they would rather see a DO than MD. You are right, the basic difference is in the philosophy of treating people - DO's won't prescribe pills right away for back pain, they will give you exercises to do instead. Case is located in Cleveland OH if you didn't know, and so Cleveland clinic is right down the street - over 50% of it is run by DO's now. University hospitals is right on our campus and I see DO's in there all the time. Soooo, what I'm trying to say is that the whole DO name will only get better and not worse overtime, because people are finding out what a DO is really about instead of not knowing a damn thing about it. Hope this helps. Keep the faith with that GPA, mine was the same my freshman year, and I got involved in extra cirriculars, brought grades up, did research, and am now on the waiting list at LECOM and have been accepted to a few others. LECOM's myfirst choice though, so we'll see... Hope this helped!

 

[phar]

All i want to say grades are just a tip of the ice berg... You can have 2.5 gpa and be accepted to MD, DO DDS PharmD....it is all about luck...Ever heard of 4.0s and 35+ mcats getting rejected........just make yourself as unique as possible and you are in! . Impress the adcoms and you are in!