Retake Pre Reqs Or Masters Degree

[twsurfsnow]

Here is my situation: I received Bs and above in Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology etc...but, I received Cs in Gen Chem 1, Bio 2 Lab, Orgo1 Lecture, Orgo 2 Lecture, and Orgo 2 lab( The c's are because I lost my parents as an undergrad, at the times I was taking those classes). And after being rejected by most schools this cycle due to my pre-req gpa. I have a few questions:
1. Is it worth retaking 1 credit labs?
2. Is it worth retaking gen chem 1 again?
3. Would it look bad if I was only able to retake Orgo1 Lecture before next cycle
4. Or Should I just pursue a master's degree.
5. What would you do in my situation?
Please Give me your advice!

More information about me: My dad was DO (PCOM). I have 500+ direct patient conatc clinical hours and a letter from a DO. My first time MCAT attempt was a 24 with an 8 in each section, but I plan on retaking that( I was in a car accident the week before the MCAT and took the test in a sling!)

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[FrkyBgStok]

retake for sure. what is your GPA?

 

[pdiddy7405]

I would probably retake the courses in your situation. I went to get a masters after an awful undergrad (2.88 cgpa) with plenty of Cs, a D and an F. In my situation I figured it would be better to just start fresh at a masters program plus I would have had to retake a lot of classes. I did really well in my MS program and it gave me invaluable research experience while also setting me up with a decent career if i didnt get into med school but it also cost me over 80k. I wouldn't have gotten into med school without even though it was a steep price to pay. Unless your gpa is super low like mine was I wouldn't recommend a masters program. Just retake those lecture courses and rock your MCAT retake and you should be fine considering your ECs,LORs,etc seem to be fine.

 

[twsurfsnow]

Ok, Does it matter what school I retake the classes at? And do you think it would be wise to retake orgo 1 and 2 at the same time/ Has anyone done this and been successful ? I need to get all As.

 

[Goro]

Suggest re-taking the lectures only for the biggest bang for the buck. Also, the next time something bad happens and you have a high-stakes exam immediately after, take a rain check.

Here is my situation: I received Bs and above in Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology etc...but, I received Cs in Gen Chem 1, Bio 2 Lab, Orgo1 Lecture, Orgo 2 Lecture, and Orgo 2 lab( The c's are because I lost my parents as an undergrad, at the times I was taking those classes). And after being rejected by most schools this cycle due to my pre-req gpa. I have a few questions:
1. Is it worth retaking 1 credit labs?
2. Is it worth retaking gen chem 1 again?
3. Would it look bad if I was only able to retake Orgo1 Lecture before next cycle
4. Or Should I just pursue a master's degree.
5. What would you do in my situation?
Please Give me your advice!

More information about me: My dad was DO (PCOM). I have 500+ direct patient conatc clinical hours and a letter from a DO. My first time MCAT attempt was a 24 with an 8 in each section, but I plan on retaking that( I was in a car accident the week before the MCAT and took the test in a sling!)

 

[twsurfsnow]

I had to take MCAT out of state which is why I couldn't cancel( Airlines don't care) . Hoping it doesn't happen again.

 

[DrMeows]

Retake the courses, it doesn't matter where (You should be able to retake them at a CC - DO schools don't care). Don't take on more than you think you can at once (if you think you can handle orgo 1 and 2 at the same time then go for it). My advice is to take the 3 classes with the lowest grades and retake those first. That's what I did this semester (and one of then was Gen Chem - which to answer your Q is TOTALLY worth retaking especially after going through gen chem 2 and both orgo courses...you will feel like the class genius lol). Anyways, 1 semester of retakes bumped my sGPA up 2 tenths, which is big. And with the amount of Cs you listed I really suggest you that's what you do too! No need to waste money on a master's. Retakes = easier, cheaper, more effective. (And i am someone who went and got a master's degree, graduated, and then did retakes lol so i did both!)

 

[afelix524]

I would probably retake the courses in your situation. I went to get a masters after an awful undergrad (2.88 cgpa) with plenty of Cs, a D and an F. In my situation I figured it would be better to just start fresh at a masters program plus I would have had to retake a lot of classes. I did really well in my MS program and it gave me invaluable research experience while also setting me up with a decent career if i didnt get into med school but it also cost me over 80k. I wouldn't have gotten into med school without even though it was a steep price to pay. Unless your gpa is super low like mine was I wouldn't recommend a masters program. Just retake those lecture courses and rock your MCAT retake and you should be fine considering your ECs,LORs,etc seem to be fine.

I have a question for you. Where did you get your masters from? I have been looking for one That accepts for a master below 3.0. I have been doing some GPA calculations and I probably will be graduating with a 2.9 in two years and thats without retakes which I am planning to do. Thank you

 

[IslandStyle808]

Here is my situation: I received Bs and above in Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology etc...but, I received Cs in Gen Chem 1, Bio 2 Lab, Orgo1 Lecture, Orgo 2 Lecture, and Orgo 2 lab( The c's are because I lost my parents as an undergrad, at the times I was taking those classes). And after being rejected by most schools this cycle due to my pre-req gpa. I have a few questions:
1. Is it worth retaking 1 credit labs?
2. Is it worth retaking gen chem 1 again?
3. Would it look bad if I was only able to retake Orgo1 Lecture before next cycle
4. Or Should I just pursue a master's degree.
5. What would you do in my situation?
Please Give me your advice!

More information about me: My dad was DO (PCOM). I have 500+ direct patient conatc clinical hours and a letter from a DO. My first time MCAT attempt was a 24 with an 8 in each section, but I plan on retaking that( I was in a car accident the week before the MCAT and took the test in a sling!)

Which schools stated your pre-req GPA was the problem and also what was is your cumulative ugGPA?

 

[twsurfsnow]

Which schools stated your pre-req GPA was the problem and also what was is your cumulative ugGPA?

LECOM/ POMONA(Western U)/ TOURO CA .... Touro and Lecom stated GPA problem /while POMONA said retake MCAT till 27+ and GPA. Still Waiting to hear back on a few others. My nscpa is a 3.2 cgpa is right around a 3.0 which is is mostly due to my scgpa being around a 2.8( due to the Cs in the classes I listed and a few others.) However if Immunology, microbiology, genetics were included in that sGPA would be around a 3.0 as well.
Thank you everyone for your advice so far I'm still deciding on retaking gen chem 1 lecture and orgo 1 lecture/ or gen chem 1 lecture orgo 2 lecture/ and then one or two other classes as a post bac 2 raise undergrad GPA. I wish I would have paid attention to what I was doing grade wise previously.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Yep I agree with the above, retake the courses, masters degrees are not given the weight the undergrad courses are given, and honestly, retaking them before you take the MCAT again is probably a good idea... a 24 is basically showing them that you're a C-B student, and you need to prove them wrong... you need to get As and try to get a 26 or higher... 🙂 Good luck! and sorry to hear you lost both of your parents...

 

[pdiddy7405]

I have a question for you. Where did you get your masters from? I have been looking for one That accepts for a master below 3.0. I have been doing some GPA calculations and I probably will be graduating with a 2.9 in two years and thats without retakes which I am planning to do. Thank you

I got a MS in Medical Laboratory Sciences from Rush University. They let me in the program with a sub 3.0 gpa but I was on "probabtion" for the first quarter, which basically meant if I got a C in any class the first quarter I would be booted from the program. This wasn't an SMP but rather an allied health professions masters in order to obtain certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (AKA Medical Technologist). Even though it wasn't an SMP, I felt as though it was a decent master's to get considering 70% of a patient's medical record is laboratory testing and it provided me with a good foundation in clinical pathology including hematology, micro, immunology, clinical chemistry, coagulation, and blood banking. It definately allowed me to be a more unique canidate, helped me write my personal statement/secondary essays as well as gave me something to talk about during my interview. Although I'm honestly not sure how much it really put me over the top in terms of getting an acceptance because I also got a 34O on my MCAT, but I really couldn't see myself getting in with a 2.88 cgpa.

 

[DrMeows]

masters degrees are not given the weight the undergrad courses are given

This is definitely not true; many schools weigh grad degrees higher (depending on the degree). However, it IS a bigger risk because if you mess up in grad school classes it'll make you look worse. If you do well though it is definitely weighted heavily and possibly more important than your UG work.

 

[IslandStyle808]

LECOM/ POMONA(Western U)/ TOURO CA .... Touro and Lecom stated GPA problem /while POMONA said retake MCAT till 27+ and GPA. Still Waiting to hear back on a few others. My nscpa is a 3.2 cgpa is right around a 3.0 which is is mostly due to my scgpa being around a 2.8( due to the Cs in the classes I listed and a few others.) However if Immunology, microbiology, genetics were included in that sGPA would be around a 3.0 as well.
Thank you everyone for your advice so far I'm still deciding on retaking gen chem 1 lecture and orgo 1 lecture/ or gen chem 1 lecture orgo 2 lecture/ and then one or two other classes as a post bac 2 raise undergrad GPA. I wish I would have paid attention to what I was doing grade wise previously.

The quickest way to repair the GPA would be to retake the pre-req science classes. However, the main thing is to try to get As as much as you can. I am still skeptical as to the pre-reqs by themselves being the major reason.

Sorry to pry but what was your last year's GPA like before you applied?

 

[IslandStyle808]

This is definitely not true; many schools weigh grad degrees higher (depending on the degree). However, it IS a bigger risk because if you mess up in grad school classes it'll make you look worse. If you do well though it is definitely weighted heavily and possibly more important than your UG work.

The grad GPA being weighed higher is true for some schools but not for a lot of them (I am still a firm believer that gGPA does matter though). The graduate courses that are most given consideration are the ones done in the hard sciences (biology, chemistry, genetics etc.).

 

[DrMeows]

The grad GPA being weighed higher is true for some schools but not for a lot of them (I am still a firm believer that gGPA does matter though). The graduate courses that are most given consideration are the ones done in the hard sciences (biology, chemistry, genetics etc.).

I agree with you - that's why I said depending on the degree. My masters is in biomed sciences so ALL of my classes were hard sciences/important. But if you have some random not-so-science-ish degree, I agree it wouldn't be as weighted.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I agree with you - that's why I said depending on the degree. My masters is in biomed sciences so ALL of my classes were hard sciences/important. But if you have some random not-so-science-ish degree, I agree it wouldn't be as weighted.

Sorry I was actually responding to the many medical schools weigh the grad GPA. There are some school that do but the majority still put more emphasis on the undergrad GPA.

However, I think I might have misinterpreted what you meant by "many." I think you were trying to say quite a few look at grad GPA and factor it, instead of the majority of schools. I apologize for this.

 

[twsurfsnow]

The quickest way to repair the GPA would be to retake the pre-req science classes. However, the main thing is to try to get As as much as you can. I am still skeptical as to the pre-reqs by themselves being the major reason.

Sorry to pry but what was your last year's GPA like before you applied?

the pre reqs I got Cs in made my science gpa suffer. hence lowering my overall gpa( Unfortunately As and Bs in Immunology, Biochem, and Micro dont let your gpa jump to much when you have Cs in pre reqs). Of course Im still waiting on other schools, hoping my clinical experience and letters from DOs will help. In the meantime thanks to advice on SDN I'm studying to retake MCAT/ Retaking a few pre reqs/ and One or 2 post bac classes. Aiming for a 2 pt jump in each section which would bring to me a 30 and hopefully > 3.2 gpa in everything before I apply again.

 

[DrMeows]

Sorry I was actually responding to the many medical schools weigh the grad GPA. There are some school that do but the majority still put more emphasis on the undergrad GPA.

However, I think I might have misinterpreted what you meant by "many." I think you were trying to say quite a few look at grad GPA and factor it, instead of the majority of schools. I apologize for this.

Not a problem. Seems like we r in agreement here 🙂

 

[twsurfsnow]

Here's a horrible update, only school I can retake Orgo 1 and 2 lecture at charge lifetime learner fees of 1000$ each since I already received a C in those classes. So just doing other undergrad classes as non degree. possibly gen chem 1 retake at a different school