Second Undergrad degree??

[jman490]

Hypothetical:

Say someone realized that he made quite a few mistakes during undergrad. Graduating spring 2010 in a degree he sees no future with (let alone interest). Contemplating starting "fresh" and redoing undergrad with a solid goal in mind: med school.

Say he kills it second go around and gets a 3.8-3.9 GPA in biology. By this time he is probably 26. Correlatively he does well on the MCATs (33-34).

How would medical schools view this "fresh start"/second degree??

-Thank you!

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[sling787]

I'm not 100% sure, but your grades from your first degree would be still be averaged with your grades from your second degree. In other words, they would take all the classes you've taken form your first and second degree and average your GPA using both degrees.

However if you do decide to take more science class and/or redo the courses you did bad in, medical schools will take notice of this as you will have an upward trend.

 

[Mobius1985]

How low, theoretically, will the GPA be from the first degree?

 

[jman490]

3.5-3.6 when its all said and done in Political Science, International Relations emphasis. Feel I did not work up to my potential during this degree, not to mention my steady disenchantment with the subject.

I feel I would be a better doctor if I got a second degree in biology (got the grades and actually LEARNED something useful), then went to med school.

Felt like I did this first degree all wrong, went into college with no real set goals in mind. Would like another chance to get it right, which I believe will help me become an effective doctor in the future.

How do med schools view a plan like this??

Your thoughts? - thanks again!

 

[sling787]

3.5-3.6 when its all said and done in Political Science, International Relations emphasis. Feel I did not work up to my potential during this degree, not to mention my steady disenchantment with the subject.

I feel I would be a better doctor if I got a second degree in biology (got the grades and actually LEARNED something useful), then went to med school.

Felt like I did this first degree all wrong, went into college with no real set goals in mind. Would like another chance to get it right, which I believe will help me become an effective doctor in the future.

How do med schools view a plan like this??

Your thoughts? - thanks again!

Dude a 3.5/3.6 is not bad at all. Take your pre requiste classes (Bio, Chem, O Chem, Physics, Calc, English, and maybe biochem) and then your MCAT. Theres no reason to take a second degree. It would be a waste of time and money.

Just enroll in a college and take those several classes, and you're done. It would be pointless to complete another degree all over again.

To be honest with you, the majority of stuff you learn in undergraduate years, are not going to be useful once you're a doctor, with the exception of some biochemistry. Most of the stuff you learn is in medical school and residency.

 

[Soba]

I agree that a second degree is unnecessary with that GPA. Take the required classes while you do some clinical and volunteering work to get some good references. And then the MCAT, and you should be good to go.

 

[jman490]

Thank you for the advice! Maybe I am being too pessimistic, I guess I wonder because about a year ago, I talked to my university's pre-med advisor and she really put the doctor dreams on hold. My GPA was like a 3.1 or something like that, and she pulled out some book with med school admission stats, pointing out that my numbers didn't fit most allopathic school standards, let alone the WWAMI or University of Utah programs. Her general consensus was, I think you're choosing the wrong profession here...

Buzz kill right?

But what I'm gathering here is that all hope isn't lost! If I get a 3.5-3.6 undergrad GPA with stellar science grades (3.8-3.9) and a competitive MCAT score while simultaneously getting involved in my local medical community to build experience and references is essentially a winning combo??

I would definitely be down with this plan, as a second degree does seem like a waste of resources...

 

[sling787]

Thank you for the advice! Maybe I am being too pessimistic, I guess I wonder because about a year ago, I talked to my university's pre-med advisor and she really put the doctor dreams on hold. My GPA was like a 3.1 or something like that, and she pulled out some book with med school admission stats, pointing out that my numbers didn't fit most allopathic school standards, let alone the WWAMI or University of Utah programs. Her general consensus was, I think you're choosing the wrong profession here...

Buzz kill right?

But what I'm gathering here is that all hope isn't lost! If I get a 3.5-3.6 undergrad GPA with stellar science grades (3.8-3.9) and a competitive MCAT score while simultaneously getting involved in my local medical community to build experience and references is essentially a winning combo??

I would definitely be down with this plan, as a second degree does seem like a waste of resources...

To be honest with you dude, your science GPA is the most important anyways. Medical schools are going to look at your grades in your major, but they won't really care that much about it. Ace your pre-requisites and you will be in GREAT shape. (I'm assuming you haven't taken any as yet)

They are primarily concerned with your pre requisites and other science classes like microbiology, physical chemistry, etc.

 

[jman490]

Sweet, thanks for the advice everyone!