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My overall undergraduate GPA is about a 3.37 with a B.S. in Foreign Service. My undergraduate science GPA not including math is a 2.67; if you throw in a Calculus 2 and a Stats course that I took as an undergraduate it's a 2.78. Needless to say, my overall science performance was not stellar. I earned a C- in my first Biology course, a C in the first semester of Organic Chemistry, and a D in the second semester. Those are my lowest grades. Due to my poor performance in those courses, I have not yet taken the MCAT. I don't have any upper-division biology courses.
I have some limited lab research experience and hospital volunteer work, but no real clinical experience. I have been working as a TA.
I currently have a 4.0 in an MPH program, although I strongly suspect that the MPH won't help much with medical school admissions in light of the low undergraduate science GPA. Nor will my GRE score, which was quite high. I do have some excellent LOR's lined up through the program, including from physicians.
In retrospect, I probably should have gone to an easier school as an undergraduate- the science and non-science courses I took elsewhere over my summers were nowhere near as competitive. But that train's already left the station. My plan is as follows: Finish the MPH. Re-take both semesters of Orgo online (taking them at a local public college/university is not possible due to budget cuts) and get A's. Study hard for the MCAT and kick butt on it. Try to get some clinical experience. Submit applications to as many schools as I can afford to submit them to. If I don't get in, find a way to re-take the C- biology course. Only if I still don't get in, take a PBPM or SMP, wash, rinse, and try again.
If I do well on my organic chemistry re-takes, grade replacement via the AACOMAS will bump my undergraduate science (non-math) GPA just past 3. It will bump my non-replacement AMCAS (with math) up to a 2.9ish. My goal is to get in somewhere-anywhere-in the U.S. or to a top 4 Caribbean school. I would actually prefer a DO over an MD, but obviously I'm not in a position to be picky. I am interested in rural medicine and/or health policy work. I considered pursuing a PhD but decided against it since most of those working in international health policy have medical degrees and because physicians in rural medicine have much more autonomy than non-physicians.
Does this sound like a solid plan of attack?
Does anyone have suggestions as to where I can re-take the courses? I'm looking into the NECOM listings right now.
Will the C- in Biology absolutely prevent me from getting in anywhere if I bring the other grades up?
Thank you very much!
P.S. Not really interested in hearing "you can't do it".
I have some limited lab research experience and hospital volunteer work, but no real clinical experience. I have been working as a TA.
I currently have a 4.0 in an MPH program, although I strongly suspect that the MPH won't help much with medical school admissions in light of the low undergraduate science GPA. Nor will my GRE score, which was quite high. I do have some excellent LOR's lined up through the program, including from physicians.
In retrospect, I probably should have gone to an easier school as an undergraduate- the science and non-science courses I took elsewhere over my summers were nowhere near as competitive. But that train's already left the station. My plan is as follows: Finish the MPH. Re-take both semesters of Orgo online (taking them at a local public college/university is not possible due to budget cuts) and get A's. Study hard for the MCAT and kick butt on it. Try to get some clinical experience. Submit applications to as many schools as I can afford to submit them to. If I don't get in, find a way to re-take the C- biology course. Only if I still don't get in, take a PBPM or SMP, wash, rinse, and try again.
If I do well on my organic chemistry re-takes, grade replacement via the AACOMAS will bump my undergraduate science (non-math) GPA just past 3. It will bump my non-replacement AMCAS (with math) up to a 2.9ish. My goal is to get in somewhere-anywhere-in the U.S. or to a top 4 Caribbean school. I would actually prefer a DO over an MD, but obviously I'm not in a position to be picky. I am interested in rural medicine and/or health policy work. I considered pursuing a PhD but decided against it since most of those working in international health policy have medical degrees and because physicians in rural medicine have much more autonomy than non-physicians.
Does this sound like a solid plan of attack?
Does anyone have suggestions as to where I can re-take the courses? I'm looking into the NECOM listings right now.
Will the C- in Biology absolutely prevent me from getting in anywhere if I bring the other grades up?
Thank you very much!
P.S. Not really interested in hearing "you can't do it".
