Really want MD but DO seems to be the path

[zurc2014]

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I guess. I just felt some of these comments were condescending and negative. Granted, I'm a big positive optimist. I had an adcom tell me I had 0 chances this cycle as well for both MD and possibly DO. I had others that were extremely positive about me applying. I did take the negative one to heart, but I was trying not to let it get me down. I like having both negative and positive (but realistic and helpful) feedback. I definitely worked on things that I needed to work one that I felt was necessary from all the feedback. I think she was looking for advise and guidance, but some of them do sound condescending. And her response to one of the comments made many take their claws out. I think we all have the potential to get where we want, it just depends on how much we are willing to work for it. 🙂 hope you guys have a happy day!

I understand completely. Ironically I was told by an adcom that I have to take even more classes cause they don't take below 3.0 and I won't get in. Result? Ill be attending his school with a full ride next fall. This is irrelevant to the OPs situation. Im sure you, like me, had a ton more than our gpas are telling. I would rather the OP get offended, use it as motivation and studies hard in the post bacc, then get accepted and updated us...rather than crash and burn. Those "I have a 2.5\490 can I get into the Caribbean? " threads are sad to see and can be avoided. Being a major underdog myself I am very optimistic for people (more so than most on sdn). But there comes a time when the chances really are zero and these are one of those times. Im going to wager ( from the OPs pic and name) that they are likely ORM.They have nothing that says theres hope at the moment.

 

[candbgirl]

These are not opinions, these are facts. Unless the OP has something they are not telling us (dean is dad, have 6 medical patents, parents donated millions,ect) the OP has zero chances of getting in. OP, go ahead and take the MCAT in January and please update this thread with you score. Goodluck and God bless but remember even tho that casket is sealed, that last nail is not all the way in yet....You have time to put that hammer down.

Well she did say she had connections.


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[Mad Jack]

I once considered medical school but by the time I took school seriously my GPA was not competitive as well, even getting A's for two years I didn't bump up my GPA that much. I am now applying to pharmacy school, but prior I did do a lot of research on medical school and there are pathway programs you can apply to where the medical school has a one year program if you maintain a 3.0 and higher you automatically get enrollment into their school the following cycle. Post back as the others mentioned is a good idea as well but I think the pathway program is more guaranteed. The program I was looking at required a 3.0 to apply but they took the highest score of the required classes so you can retake courses and they won't average them out.

You should become a nephrologist, so you can be the ATN guy.

Sorry, third year humor.

You need to do a postbacc geared toward GPA repair and knock the MCAT out of the park. That is your only option, period.

 

[sunshinefl]

Yes my study habits have changed but also my personal life circumstances. I went through a divorce at the start of college and Im a single parent so yea... That was years ago so Im more focused now. My classes were all science but make no mistake it was hard af. I slept in the library and brought a toothbrush. ...I played no games. It comes down to drive, dedication, and how bad you want it. I graduated near the bottom of my high school class and that's saying a lot since I come from a school in the ghettos. Im not embarrassed to say. During my post bacc I murdered everything that stood in my way mainly because my back was against the wall. You do have to be honest with yourself tho. If you feel you can't do it then no shame and find a different path/career. If you really want it....turn up.

I dropped out of high school and now I have a D.O. Acceptance!

Well I know myself and the mcat before classes is the way I want to go. I don't know what urm or orm is so please elaborate. I have volunteering, research, and shadowing. But I have connections so I'm not too worried about clinical exposure I can do it anytime. And I have really good recommendations.


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I kind of understand what you're saying. Before I fully committed to the pre-med route, I wanted to know if it was even realistic. So I took an AAMC full length practice test. It was for the old version, with the MCAT-2015 on the horizon but not started yet. I had only taken 4 or 5 of the 8 pre-reqs at the time (pre biochem being necessary). I simply wanted to use it to gauge if it was possible for me to later get a good score when it was time. If I had scored an 8, for example, I would have been like "welp, this isn't for me." But I scored a 27. So I committed myself on the path to medicine. Point being, take a full length practice exam or two if you'd like. But only to see if you can bear down on the journey and be successful. Do not take the real MCAT until much later, when you have refreshed all classes, done well, prepared, and taken many more practice exams. Not until you can achieve your single best score.

Look... this thread is ONLY going to get worse from here. Did you have a specific question at this point?

This was funny, helpful, accurate, and poignant all at the same time!

 

[DreamingDoc]

My gpa in college was crap like if crap took a crap it would be my gpa. Cumulative 2.5

I really really really want to go to medical school

Can someone give me some options of what to do to make it look like I am suitable for it gpa wise. I'm taking my Mcat either in January or march.

If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it. I know I can be an md I just was a **** up in college



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3rd year medical student here and my undergrad GPA was even lower than yours. Don't count the DO path out. You'll have to put in a little more extra work to get into either program, but the DO path is a bit more forgiving.

You'll still become a physician with the same opportunities on either path, so I wouldn't focus too much on the initials you'll have at the end of your name.

 

[appalachian_man]

People have no idea how hard the MCAT is.

OP has never seen anything close to its difficulty and ended up with a 2.5. I highly doubt she'll ever score a 508+ on a practice test (if she takes any). I have a really high gpa and still couldn't get myself to a competitive MCAT for MD schools.

To be fair, difficulty is relative. Some people are really good at standardized testing, some people are good at maintaining a 4.0, some people are good at both, and some people are good at neither. I know people with a 3.9 who made <504 and people with a 3.0 who made 518+.

Having said that, I agree that OP should definitely listen to you guys.

 

[Med Ed]

My gpa in college was crap like if crap took a crap it would be my gpa. Cumulative 2.5

I really really really want to go to medical school

Can someone give me some options of what to do to make it look like I am suitable for it gpa wise. I'm taking my Mcat either in January or march.

If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it. I know I can be an md I just was a **** up in college

I won't rehash the good advice given elsewhere on this thread, but I do suggest you peruse the AAMC (allopathic) MCAT/GPA grid that pertains to you. The aggregated data suggest your odds of an MD acceptance are 7%, which is not very good.

Of note, VERY few of those applying with a 2.5 hit an MCAT at or above the median for matriculants.

 

[medic0114]

Definitely fix the GPA... taking a postbacc will help prepare you for the MCAT (win/win). If you are determined to take the MCAT first, I cannot overstate this-dO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME simply reviewing the material.

You must take, retake and retake again practice MCAT tests to score well. Take full-length, fully timed tests in an environment that simulates test day (computerized, silent room, undisturbed for hours). I took a full-length test approx 9-10 times prior to taking the actual test, and studied the material for approx 3 months. The result... two days before the MCAT I re-took the full-length AAMC practice MCAT which was 1 point off of my actual MCAT score.

 

[Sunshizzle]

You definitely aren't out of the MD game, despite what everyone says (I just felt the eye rolls from across the interweb). However, you are going to have to make significant sacrifices - money (paying for classes), time (in classes), and probably moving to a state with high in state acceptance rate (West Virginia - that's fine tho cause if you live there a year before you apply you can get in state tuition - super cheap at Marshall 🙂 ). You can probably take care of everything in 3-4 years, which isn't a big deal (bonus if you get a job doing something you like that also pays well). FYI - traditional post baccs are mucho mullah. Only do it if 1) you have someone who is paying for you, or 2) you know what compound interest actually means and have made a few loan payments to experience the pain.

Also, DO NOT TAKE THE MCAT WITHOUT TAKING A PREP COURSE... especially w your track record. Pay the money (I took the MCAT before and after test prep, and you will actually be saving yourself money. I didnt listen, you have a chance to still) - the MCAT is as much about strategy as it is about knowledge base, and those companies know all the tricks.

PM me with any questions you have. I love to help out underdogs in any way possible.

 

[Lawpy]

Also, DO NOT TAKE THE MCAT WITHOUT TAKING A PREP COURSE... especially w your track record. Pay the money (I took the MCAT before and after test prep, and you will actually be saving yourself money. I didnt listen, you have a chance to still) - the MCAT is as much about strategy as it is about knowledge base, and those companies know all the tricks.

What? A prep course is a waste of money. There are lots of good MCAT strategy advice from top scorers and excellent free study schedules in the MCAT Discussion Forums. And plus, Khan Academy and its associated 300+ passages are valuable, free resources. Throwing in money in courses, tutoring etc. doesn't guarantee a high score.

 

[Lawpy]

My gpa in college was crap like if crap took a crap it would be my gpa. Cumulative 2.5

I really really really want to go to medical school

Can someone give me some options of what to do to make it look like I am suitable for it gpa wise. I'm taking my Mcat either in January or march.

If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it. I know I can be an md I just was a **** up in college



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If you are serious about pursuing medical school (US MD and/or US DO), you must listen to the good advice offered here, especially from @Goro and @Med Ed (these are invaluable, so do not ignore them)

As of right now, your chances of going to medical school are ZERO.

The fastest path for you to become a doctor will be to retake all F/D/C science coursework, do well on MCAT, and apply to DO schools.

IF you're boning for the MD degree, there are MD schools that reward reinvention. You'll need to ace all the classic pre-reqs, and ace either a post-bac (which can be DIY) or a SMP, ideally one given at a med school. Then also ace MCAT (513 or better, 33+ on the old scale).

Do not apply until you have the best possible app. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Med schools aren't going anywhere, and, in fact, by the time you apply, several more schools will have opened their doors.

BTW, beggars can't be choosy.

I won't rehash the good advice given elsewhere on this thread, but I do suggest you peruse the AAMC (allopathic) MCAT/GPA grid that pertains to you. The aggregated data suggest your odds of an MD acceptance are 7%, which is not very good.

Of note, VERY few of those applying with a 2.5 hit an MCAT at or above the median for matriculants.

 

[WedgeDawg]

What? A prep course is a waste of money. There are lots of good MCAT strategy advice from top scorers and excellent free study schedules in the MCAT Discussion Forums. And plus, Khan Academy and its associated 300+ passages are valuable, free resources. Throwing in money in courses, tutoring etc. doesn't guarantee a high score.

It's not a waste of money for some people while its a total waste for others. Some people need the structure that a course provides whereas other people do much better on their own. It's a decision that you have to make based on how well you know yourself and your habits.

 

[Lawpy]

It's not a waste of money for some people while its a total waste for others. Some people need the structure that a course provides whereas other people do much better on their own. It's a decision that you have to make based on how well you know yourself and your habits.

while this is generally true, MCAT studying in the end is tailored to personal strengths and weaknesses. so ultimately, they would have to be self-disciplined and strict to the schedule if they want optimal outcomes. a prep course and a free SDN MCAT study schedule both provide the necessary structure, and if someone is struggling on a concept, they can always feel free to ask in the MCAT Q&A Forums, and someone will respond.

in the end, getting a high score depends on the person themselves (and their self-discipline and seriousness about the exam), so throwing money for a course and hoping for a miracle won't help. just my $0.02.