Regarding GPA Calculation Post undergrad student

[deleted779421]

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Hello,

I'm aware the Internet may be able to answer my question, but it has been a cluttered and confusing experience and I am hoping someone may be able to clear everything up for me here.

I graduated with my bachelors degree a few months ago, and have considered MD/DO and PA school. My degree was aimed more towards those who prefer PT school, so there are some courses I did not take that MD/DO/PA schools require. I know of Post-Bacc programs, and Master's programs, but I'm not seeking another Degree, I'm just hoping to take 2-3 courses so I can satisfy my requirement for these schools.

So here is the question(s): Is there a way I can take these 2-3 courses at a Community College or University as a non-degree student, and will getting A's in those courses possibly help my Science/Cumulative GPA from my Undergrad? Put in the better terms, will AMCAS consider those extra courses when rounding the GPA?

My undergrad science GPA is hovering around a 2.9, so I'm barely missing the cutoff for some applications for the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement.

Please let me know. Why I'm opposed to post-bacc programs is #1 it is very expensive, and #2, a lot of them require you to complete a 20 credit degree, which at most I only need to take 7-8 credits.

Thank you all for your help!

 

[Crayola227]

every single grade you ever took at an accredited school you will have to report, provide transcripts for, and ALL will be added up for MD schools (DO schools have a grade replacement policy)

as long as it's an accredited school, you don't have to be working towards a degree to take the handful of pre-reqs

A's will always help

OTOH, whether or not you need to do more than just take the handful of pre-reqs depends on a lot of things

the numbers you throw out there for GPA make me think applying DO or MD without some major reinvention and grade repair is a waste of time

 

[Catalystik]

1) Is there a way I can take these 2-3 courses at a Community College or University as a non-degree student

2) and will getting A's in those courses possibly help my Science/Cumulative GPA from my Undergrad? Put in the better terms, will AMCAS consider those extra courses when rounding the GPA?

1) Either is fine.

2) AMCAS will include non-grad school postbac grades with college grades when calculating your undergrad GPAs, so science and math As earned after graduation will help improve your BCPM GPA..

Screen shot of AMCAS Verified Grade Point Averages summary: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/attachments/screen-shot-2011-07-04-at-1-03-14-pm-jpg.17272/

 

[deleted779421]

Thank you all for the very helpful replies. My gut is telling me I'm wasting my time this year applying for MD/DO as well.

I might just have to apply for PA this cycle and work for patience contact hours.

I'm assuming the only way to salvage my GPA for MD/DO is to enroll in a Master's program?

 

[Catalystik]

I'm assuming the only way to salvage my GPA for MD/DO is to enroll in a Master's program?

No. A traditional masters program will do little to redeem your academic record. A Special Masters Program (solely meant as a GPA redeemer and not to provide a usable degree) is possible salvage route, but is very expensive.

Your fastest, least expensive route would be to repeat science classes where you earned a poor grade initially, so you can use the AACOMAS (DO) grade forgiveness policy where the grade from a retaken course replaces the first one earned: retakes at the same school must be the identical class. Retakes at other schools, which can include community college, must have at least the same number of credit hours, need not have an identical course title, but must have substantially similar course content per the course catalogs. Taking additional upper-level coursework, earning As, would reassure adcomms that you can excel in difficult med school-like classes on the first try.

AMCAS (MD) includes all grades earned and does not forgive earlier poor grades.