Senior in crisis

[Faye74]

Okay so I feel lost and to the point where I want to give up. I know there are plenty of wise and experienced people in this forum and I would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice on my situation. I am a senior at a public university in Florida. I have a weak weak weak GPA of a 2.77 as of now without counting the first semester of senior year yet. Very low, i was a 4.0 gpa student in Highschool but for some reason college has won the battle. I dont have a gradual gpa increase or a good reason for the weak gpa. I havent applied to medical school and I was planning on taking the Mcat around February of next year and to apply during that summer. I have around 300 hours of volunteering in ERs and 60 shadowing hours. I have come to the realization that even if i get straight As until applying time, I would end up with a 3.1 gpa as the highest. I dont know if its worth it considering i dont even know what score I'll get in the MCAT. I"m already doing a 5th year so i hate having to reschedule my applying date again, but I'll do it if thats what it takes. What do you think are my options?

** My final goal is to get into MD. I know a lot about DO and have done plenty of research and work with them but my goal is still MD. Whatever it takes.

Thank you all in advanced.

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[theseeker4]

Okay so I feel lost and to the point where I want to give up. I know there are plenty of wise and experienced people in this forum and I would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice on my situation. I am a senior at a public university in Florida. I have a weak weak weak GPA of a 2.77 as of now without counting the first semester of senior year yet. Very low, i was a 4.0 gpa student in Highschool but for some reason college has won the battle. I dont have a gradual gpa increase or a good reason for the weak gpa. I havent applied to medical school and I was planning on taking the Mcat around February of next year and to apply during that summer. I have around 300 hours of volunteering in ERs and 60 shadowing hours. I have come to the realization that even if i get straight As until applying time, I would end up with a 3.1 gpa as the highest. I dont know if its worth it considering i dont even know what score I'll get in the MCAT. I"m already doing a 5th year so i hate having to reschedule my applying date again, but I'll do it if thats what it takes. What do you think are my options?

** My final goal is to get into MD. I know a lot about DO and have done plenty of research and work with them but my goal is still MD. Whatever it takes.

Thank you all in advanced.

First, what makes you think you will be able to pull a 4.0 from now on? That is what it will take, so have you pulled a 4.0 for a semester, let alone several semesters in a row? Are you on track to get a 4.0 this semester? What are your plans to do so and to maintain that level of performance?

Second, you need to decide, is it worth it or is it not worth it? You both said you "don't know if it is worth it" and you will do "whatever it takes." Which is it? You need to decide that now, before you do more damage to your GPA. You need to be set on getting to MD school, doing what you need to do to get the 4.0 from now on and get the 30's MCAT that you will need to have a prayer at getting into med school.

Third, your options are very limited. You need to get your GPA above a 3.0 with several consecutive semesters of 4.0 or at least very close to one. Next, you need to get a balanced 30+ on the MCAT. Then, you need to apply to highly competitive, high quality, linked special masters programs (SMPs) which are basically 1 year programs where you audition for med school by taking first year med school classes. If you do very well in that, you will have a chance at MD schools. If you don't get near an A average in the SMP, you will basically have proven you cannot handle med school, so it will be game over.

Obviously, your path to med school will take several years, and anything less than an A will be a step backward. You cannot afford to slip up again, so don't proceed until you know exactly why you did poorly so far, and you know exactly how you will prevent future slip-ups from now on. This means ou should drop your classes now if you are not already at the point that you know you will get a 4.0 this semester. Plan to tackle the MCAT after several months of studying while you are not taking any classes, ideally after a few semesters at a 4.0.

DO is obviously a little shorter of a path, but if you are so set on the letters after your name you won't consider it, I won't belabor the point.

Good luck, you have a lot of hard work ahead of you.

 

[Catalystik]

You need to get your GPA above a 3.0 with several consecutive semesters of 4.0 or at least very close to one. Next, you need to get a balanced 30+ on the MCAT. Then, you need to apply to highly competitive, high quality, linked special masters programs (SMPs) which are basically 1 year programs where you audition for med school by taking first year med school classes. If you do very well in that, you will have a chance at MD schools. If you don't get near an A average in the SMP, you will basically have proven you cannot handle med school, so it will be game over.

I'd agree that this is a good path to have a chance at a US MD acceptance.

 

[Faye74]

I appreciate your responses. Just to clarify, when I said "I don't know if its worth it" I meant, I don't know if its worth applying next summer (not, I don't know if it's worth applying at all).

What is the difference between a SMP and a Post bacc? I realized that every Post bacc I've been looking at says that you can't have your medical school pre reqs done so I am a bit confused on what I would be applying to. What are some programs I could apply to in New York?

Also, Ive heard that hispanics or any other minority in this case, have advantage when applying. Is this true?
I"m Hispanic and moved to the US when I was 12.

Thanks again!

 

[theseeker4]

I appreciate your responses. Just to clarify, when I said "I don't know if its worth it" I meant, I don't know if its worth applying next summer (not, I don't know if it's worth applying at all).

What is the difference between a SMP and a Post bacc? I realized that every Post bacc I've been looking at says that you can't have your medical school pre reqs done so I am a bit confused on what I would be applying to. What are some programs I could apply to in New York?

Also, Ive heard that hispanics or any other minority in this case, have advantage when applying. Is this true?
I"m Hispanic and moved to the US when I was 12.

Thanks again!

Disregard my point #2, I misunderstood what you were saying.

A post bac is usually for career changers and those needing undergraduate GPA repair. A post bac is any set of undergraduate level classes you take after graduating with a bachelors degree without pursuing a second degree. A post bac can be done as an organized program, which are the ones you are talking about above, or on an informal basis. For example, I simply registered for my med school pre reqs and additional recommended courses after graduating and completed the pre reqs in that manner, what would be called an informal post bac. The programs you describe sound like they are designed for career changers, those who didn't intend to pursue medicine but decided to do so after they graduated, so those programs would not be appropriate for you.

An SMP is a graduate program, not undergraduate, so it is not a post bac. As I described above, it is an "audition" for med school, and is pretty useless for anything other than med school admissions, meaning the masters you earn is not likely to enhance your resume for the purposes of job acquisition should med school not work out.

You will likely need both; a post bac to raise your GPA (unless you can delay graduation, taking extra courses for a year or so to boost your GPA and get in some solid semesters of an A average before you graduate), develop the necessary study habits and skills, and prove you can get the A's, and then an SMP to make yourself competitive for MD schools.

Hispanics are considered under represented in medicine, or URM, so there are lower average GPAs and MCAT scores needed to gain admission to medical school. Unfortunately, you will still need some extensive GPA repair, and probably an SMP as well, despite your URM status. There are too many qualified applicants of any race/ethnicity for someone with a sub-B average to have a good shot at admission.

Definitely do not apply next summer, you wont be ready yet and will most likely be wasting your money. My advice in my previous post is the same, minus point #2, and with the caveat that you may be ready a bit sooner to be competitive for MD school as a URM, but it will still be at the soonest two years from now, so you will be applying in June 2014 at the earliest. Good luck!

 

[gyngyn]

I appreciate your responses. Just to clarify, when I said "I don't know if its worth it" I meant, I don't know if its worth applying next summer (not, I don't know if it's worth applying at all).

What is the difference between a SMP and a Post bacc? I realized that every Post bacc I've been looking at says that you can't have your medical school pre reqs done so I am a bit confused on what I would be applying to. What are some programs I could apply to in New York?

Also, Ive heard that hispanics or any other minority in this case, have advantage when applying. Is this true?
I"m Hispanic and moved to the US when I was 12.

Thanks again!

Not all hispanics are under-represented in medicine. The definition varies from program to program. If you are a 1st generation immigrant from a developing country whose parents did not attend college some consideration for a late start can be made.

 

[Catalystik]

1) Just to clarify, when I said "I don't know if its worth it" I meant, I don't know if its worth applying next summer (not, I don't know if it's worth applying at all).

2) What is the difference between a SMP and a Post bacc? I realized that every Post bacc I've been looking at says that you can't have your medical school pre reqs done so I am a bit confused on what I would be applying to.

3) What are some programs I could apply to in New York?

4) Also, Ive heard that hispanics or any other minority in this case, have advantage when applying. Is this true?
I"m Hispanic and moved to the US when I was 12.

1) It's not worth applying in summer 2013. You need more time to redeem your academic record.

2) SMP=Special Masters Program (not a traditional masters). Postbac (postbaccalaureate) implies additional undergrad-level coursework, whether taken as part of a formal program or informally, on your own, OR by a stricter definition, any coursework taken after the first bachelors degree is earned. SDNers may use the terms in either way.

3) SMPs, searchable database: http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

4) Sometimes. As a minority, you may qualify for GPA-enhancing programs open specifically to Underrepresented populations, improving your odds of getting into at least one. See
Dr Midlife's List: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640302

 

[theseeker4]

Not all hispanics are under-represented in medicine. The definition varies from program to program. If you are a 1st generation immigrant from a developing country whose parents did not attend college some consideration for a late start can be made.

Interesting, what is the definition/classification used by AMCAS for their acceptance tables, showing a substantial increase in odds for Hispanics?

 

[gyngyn]

Interesting, what is the definition/classification used by AMCAS for their acceptance tables, showing a substantial increase in odds for Hispanics?

From the AAMC's original definition:
"'Underrepresented in medicine' means those racial and ethnic populations that are

underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population."

This action was taken on the recommendation of a high-level committee following several years

of discussion and deliberation. The focus of the committee's work was the continued viability of

AAMC's then-current definition of "underrepresented minority" (or "URM") as including only

African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, and mainland Puerto Ricans.

Now:
A shift in focus from a fixed aggregation of four racial and ethnic groups to a continually

evolving underlying reality. The new definition accommodates including and removing

underrepresented groups on the basis of changing demographics of society and the profession

 

[Goro]

Suggest being realistic and start thinking about other career options.

IF you can make the straight As and get your GPA over 3.0, then SMP is the way to go. You need to prove to AdComs you can handle medical school, which, at this point, you haven't.

Okay so I feel lost and to the point where I want to give up. I know there are plenty of wise and experienced people in this forum and I would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice on my situation. I am a senior at a public university in Florida. I have a weak weak weak GPA of a 2.77 as of now without counting the first semester of senior year yet. Very low, i was a 4.0 gpa student in Highschool but for some reason college has won the battle. I dont have a gradual gpa increase or a good reason for the weak gpa. I havent applied to medical school and I was planning on taking the Mcat around February of next year and to apply during that summer. I have around 300 hours of volunteering in ERs and 60 shadowing hours. I have come to the realization that even if i get straight As until applying time, I would end up with a 3.1 gpa as the highest. I dont know if its worth it considering i dont even know what score I'll get in the MCAT. I"m already doing a 5th year so i hate having to reschedule my applying date again, but I'll do it if thats what it takes. What do you think are my options?

** My final goal is to get into MD. I know a lot about DO and have done plenty of research and work with them but my goal is still MD. Whatever it takes.

Thank you all in advanced.