Retaking undergrad courses

[ELECTROLITE80]

Hi All:

I posted this on the nontraditional thread this morning, but also thought it would benefit me to post this here as well, so here goes.

I graduated in 2002 with a really low GPA, I was just lazy, there are no excuses for it.

As of now, I've been completing the prerequisite courses for med school and I have a 3.67 so far.

However, since I received so many C's while in undergrad, I would like to retake those courses to earn a better grade (luckily you can retake any course you want at my alma mater). At the school I attended, when you've been out of school for a while and retake courses, it becomes a new GPA, your old grades don't change (which is fine by me). I have to admit, when I reviewed my transcript and saw what I did not do well in, I became so angry with myself because they were courses that I could have pulled an "A" in, but just didn't apply myself...

I also want to take more upper level science courses since I have a degree in Media Studies and it was not a science intensive program.

Would it be in my best interest to retake some of my courses from undergrad over to raise my GPA. I know that my undergrad GPA puts me at a disadvantage, even if I have a high science GPA. I really want to become a doctor, this may sound cliche, but I've never wanted to be or do anything more, so I'm more than willing to do what it takes. But I also wanted to get the advice from folks who have been in my shoes to see what you all may have done or experienced.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Steph

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[Mobius1985]

What your school does with your undergrad grades is irrelevant. The med school application service will recalculate an application GPA for you based on its own rules:

For allopathic schools, if you repeat a course, the grade is averaged into the application GPA along with the original grade, and all other grades you've earned. There is no "forgiveness." It is probably in your best interest to retake any prerequisite course where you earned a C or lower to be sure you understand the material.

For osteopathic schools, if you repeat a course for the same number of semester hours, it will replace the original grade. The first grade will be visible on the transcript they make for you, but it is not included in the calculation. It is best to replace any low grade as your GPA will rise more quickly into a competitive range.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Depends how poorly you did. You can't change what you did back then and ever course you have taken will be on your application. There is no grade forgiveness.

Best you can do now is do well on your pre-reqs and do well on the MCAT.

 

[binko]

*holds breath, listens for the oncoming train of people telling the OP to retroactively get better grades*

If it's any help/consolation, AACOMAS is different from AMCAS in that it doesn't count the first bout of a repeated class in your GPA, if I understand correctly.

 

[ELECTROLITE80]

Thanks for this info. I didn't take any prereqs in undergrad, I took 2 sciences, but they are basic lower level courses that aren't needed. With the prereqs I have now, I have nothing but A's and B's...a big difference from undergrad!

 

[ELECTROLITE80]

*holds breath, listens for the oncoming train of people telling the OP to retroactively get better grades*

If it's any help/consolation, AACOMAS is different from AMCAS in that it doesn't count the first bout of a repeated class in your GPA, if I understand correctly.

Thanks for that info Binko, that is good to know!

 

[ELECTROLITE80]

Depends how poorly you did. You can't change what you did back then and ever course you have taken will be on your application. There is no grade forgiveness.

Best you can do now is do well on your pre-reqs and do well on the MCAT.

You got that right! The MCAT and the prereqs for me have to be great! Thanks for this!