question boosting GPA after graduation

[NonTradMed]

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Hi,

I am in the middle of med school applications and I am deatlhy worried that I won't get in. I am gearing up to be a reapplicant by aiming for the April MCAT once my October ones comes out.

My question is this, I took all the required premed courses but i was an engineering major, so I did none fo the biochem, physiology, cellular biology etc courses (although I did do genetics as that was part of our school's 3 semester biology premed curriclum).

My BCPM GPA is on the low side (it's 3.18, although our engineering school's scale is a 3.2+), my GPA at the school was 3.4 but again, my school calculates GPA differently from the aamcas, so it came out to be 3.35 on my med school app.

I did my undergrad at a "top 10 USAWR" school, and I remember I skipped out of two semesters of physics, doing it at the local state university, where I aced the classes and labs (all A+). Looking back on that experience, I was wondering if, in order to boost my GPA, I should do the same and take biochem, upper level bio etc) at the local state school again.

I don't want to offend anyone with my statement, just saying that I obviously did better at the local school than at my ala mater and I want a boost on my GPA, at the same time allow me to get some extra science classes that might help me in med school under my belt.

What is everyone's take on this? Am i allowed to calculate any science classes I take post-graduation as part of my BCPM/science GPA? I remember on the primary application, they did have a section for post-bacc work, but i'm not sure if this falls under that category, since it's not a post-bacc program I'd be enrolled in.

Thanks!

 

[liverotcod]

So long as it's not a graduate class you're taking, it will count as post-baccalaureate undergraduate. It doesn't have to be part of a program.

 

[sidewalkman]

So long as the local state school isn't a 2-year college, you're good.

 

[Barry Otter]

My cumulative GPA was around 3.3-3.4, though my BCPM was a bit higher - around 3.6, I think. I still managed to get into a fairly decent school, so barring any irregularities, I think you stand a pretty good chance of getting in with a decent MCAT. Since you majored in a difficult subject at a top school, many adcoms will take that into consideration. A 3.3 in engineering isn't bad at all.

 

[NonTradMed]

My cumulative GPA was around 3.3-3.4, though my BCPM was a bit higher - around 3.6, I think. I still managed to get into a fairly decent school, so barring any irregularities, I think you stand a pretty good chance of getting in with a decent MCAT. Since you majored in a difficult subject at a top school, many adcoms will take that into consideration. A 3.3 in engineering isn't bad at all.

Cool, thanks for the advice everyone!

My other question, and i forgot to put this out, was what classes besides biochem do you guys recommend? I am thinking upper level biology. I've already taken genetics, but I've heard cell biology, physiology are good ones....what woudl help me the most in med school? Any takers? 🙂

 

[Barry Otter]

Definitely physiology, in my opinion.

In the past few years, there's been a trend in the USMLE exam to emphasize pathophysiology, i.e. the relationship between physiological processes and the diseases that can arise from those processes going awry, much more than in the past. Pathology makes much more sense with a good understanding of the underlying physiology. Very little cell bio's emphasized in med school.