DO Senior Year, 2.918 cGPA, WAMC for DO?

[bnguyf]

Senior Year, 1 semester left
Ethnicity: Asian Male
Biology major with a concentration in BME
Minors: Chemistry and Bioinformatics
cGPA: 2.918
sGPA: ~2.8
MCAT: n/a (i know, if i had a score it would help better)

Current EC's:
-Emergency Department Scribe (2 years and will continue, ~30 hours per week, so +3000 hrs of paid clinical exposure @ Level 1 stroke center ATM), also a scribe trainer
-Co captain NCAA D3 Lacrosse Team (3 going on 4 years)
-Track & Field sprinter (3 going on 4 years)
-Tennis player
-Involved in Tri Beta Bio honor society
-3 year (going on 4) Treasurer on the board of the school counseling, wellness, and mental health
-Student Ambassador (touring prospective students)
-Student Athlete Advisory Committee member
-Volunteer exp. includes volunteer coaching, shoe drives, marathon volunteer, food pantry, women's shelter, rehabbing homes in the inner city
-Research: 3 semesters of consistent research, hoping to publish by end of SP19 as 1st Author

LOR:
-x1 from Research prof
-x1 from Research prof
-x1 from DO I work with
-x1 from MD I work with
can obtain MANY other LOR from MD/DO

Future plans:
-16 Credit Hours left for Spring 19
-Take MCAT Summer 2019
-Increase volunteer hours/opps during gap year
-Shadow cardiologist at my hospital, hopefully other specialties also
-Scribe at another nearby hospital that is Level 1 Trauma
-Paid research position at nearby research institution

*Discrepancy for a certain low GPA, 1 year ago one of my teammates died in mid fall, right around mid-terms; that fall was a rough time for me


All constructive criticism welcome, this is my first post to SDN, so bear with me.

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[vi0linm0nster]

I haven't done a whole utter lot of research with DO schools but some things I notice is:

-I hate to break it to you, but you might want to consider doing post bac program - that GPA is pretty lethal for any kind of med school. A postbac program can fix your GPA.You might be cut some slack for the unfortunate event that has happened to your teammate that one year, but a GPA in the 2s are pretty low, especially if you are an asian male (asians are held to a higher standard I heard)

-Be aware that some med schools require 3 letters of rec from professors who you had taken a class with, so check the requirements for that. DO schools love letters from DOs, seems like you secured that, so good job.

-You have extensive scribe experience, so I would recommend spending that time scribing at ANOTHER hospital doing something else. Scribing pretty much includes shadowing in your job, so its not that much important for you to find more shadowing, but shadowing a specialty you have never seen in your scribing job could be beneficial, but isn't a priority.

-Maybe during your gap year, focus on committing to a research project and additional volunteering (both clinical and nonclinical). These are weaker areas I see.

-MCAT takes a lot of dedication to study for, make sure you have enough time studying for it. I personally dedicated an entire summer studying for it while doing research and shadowing part time. With your GPA, a good MCAT score can really help you.

 

[Faha]

You need to take enough additional undergraduate level science courses to that both your cGPA and sGPA are over 3.0 . You will also need a MCAT score over 500 and apply broadly to at least 20 schools and include all the newer schools.

 

[Rusrus]

I agree with the above, you'll need to increase your c/sGPA to above a 3.0 to avoid the pre-screens that a majority of the DO schools set. It seems that you may be overcommitted in terms of extracurriculars such that your grades are suffering. Additionally, shoot for a 508+ MCAT to be competitive in that aspect for all DO schools; however, only sit for the MCAT when your GPA is above the cutoff and your practice scores are around your target range.

*Note: You do not need more than one physician letter. If you have a solid physician letter, preferably a DO, then stick with that and gather 2-3 science and 1 non-science letters (this generally excludes research letters.)

 

[jarednogeek]

I agree drop some EC’s and focus on grades if you want to become a physician.

 

[candbgirl]

It’s unfortunate that your friend died but that didn’t completely cause your very low grades. You are just looking for excuses! Currently your grades are very low and I’d think you might have gaps in knowledge that will cause your MCAT to be low. Don’t take the MCAT until you are consistently scoring at or above your target goal on FL practice tests. You should look at your activities and pick a couple to stick with. Your focus should be only on your grades at this point. Plan on a few Gap years to get your GPAs up to a better level and to prepare for the MCAT.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Yeah, you've taken it on the chin GPA-wise. A good DIY postbacc (30 credits or more of 3.7+ upper level science) and 510+ MCAT could make you a decent candidate for DO schools.

 

[Goro]

Senior Year, 1 semester left
Ethnicity: Asian Male
cGPA: 2.918
sGPA: ~2.8
MCAT: n/a (i know, if i had a score it would help better)

Current EC's:
-Emergency Department Scribe (2 years and will continue, ~30 hours per week, so +3000 hrs of paid clinical exposure @ Level 1 stroke center ATM), also a scribe trainer
-Co captain NCAA D3 Lacrosse Team (3 going on 4 years)
-Track & Field sprinter (3 going on 4 years)
-Tennis player
-Involved in Tri Beta Bio honor society
-3 year (going on 4) Treasurer on the board of the school counseling, wellness, and mental health
-Student Ambassador (touring prospective students)
-Student Athlete Advisory Committee member
-Volunteer exp. includes volunteer coaching, shoe drives, marathon volunteer, food pantry, women's shelter, rehabbing homes in the inner city
-Research: 3 semesters of consistent research, hoping to publish by end of SP19 as 1st Author

LOR:
-x1 from Research prof
-x1 from Research prof
-x1 from DO I work with
-x1 from MD I work with
can obtain MANY other LOR from MD/DO

Future plans:
-16 Credit Hours left for Spring 19
-Take MCAT Summer 2019
-Increase volunteer hours/opps during gap year
-Shadow cardiologist at my hospital, hopefully other specialties also
-Scribe at another nearby hospital that is Level 1 Trauma
-Paid research position at nearby research institution

*Discrepancy for a certain low GPA, 1 year ago one of my teammates died in mid fall, right around mid-terms; that fall was a rough time for me


All constructive criticism welcome, this is my first post to SDN, so bear with me.

Lethal at my school, and a bunch of others.

 

[bnguyf]

First, I thank you all for input coming from multiple points of view
1. It is no one else's fault that I have done poorly thus-far, if I am unable to accept that, I am undeserving of being a physician of any kind; and i'm not just saying that to "save face" in a way
2. I understand that the road to GPA reinvention is tedious, but possible
3. Post-bacc or graduate programs seem to be a reasonable option

Currently looking at my spring 2019 semester, at the end of graduation, an above 3.00 cGPA is possible.

Looking at Post-Bacc programs in my hometown, specifically WashU Post-Bacc Pre-Med Curriculum and SLU's Medical Anatomy and Physiology
-WashU's is 30 credits, would lift me above the 3.2 cGPA
-SLU's is 24, i'd be around 3.18 in the end

With GPA replacement a thing of the past with DO schools, what effect would a Post-Bacc, SMP, or Graduate program in the biological sciences have on my application strength and GPA? I had 3 D's on my transcript and retook them in FA18 and got B and A-. I have one D left to retake this upcoming SP19. Would DO schools still appreciate reinvention?

Any advice is appreciated; I have taken a look at Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

@vi0linm0nster
@Faha
@Rusrus
@jarednogeek
@candbgirl
@Walter Raleigh
@Goro

*subtle edit, totally forgot to include my major and minors

 

[Faha]

As long as your sGPA and cGPA is above 3.0 and your MCAT is over 500 you should receive DO interviews. I suggest including these schools:
ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
ICOM
UIWSOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
LUCOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
any new schools that may open for 2020 ( there is a new one in Fresno)

 

[Rusrus]

First, I thank you all for input coming from multiple points of view
1. It is no one else's fault that I have done poorly thus-far, if I am unable to accept that, I am undeserving of being a physician of any kind; and i'm not just saying that to "save face" in a way
2. I understand that the road to GPA reinvention is tedious, but possible
3. Post-bacc or graduate programs seem to be a reasonable option

Currently looking at my spring 2019 semester, at the end of graduation, an above 3.00 cGPA is possible.

Looking at Post-Bacc programs in my hometown, specifically WashU Post-Bacc Pre-Med Curriculum and SLU's Medical Anatomy and Physiology
-WashU's is 30 credits, would lift me above the 3.2 cGPA
-SLU's is 24, i'd be around 3.18 in the end

With GPA replacement a thing of the past with DO schools, what effect would a Post-Bacc, SMP, or Graduate program in the biological sciences have on my application strength and GPA? I had 3 D's on my transcript and retook them in FA18 and got B and A-. I have one D left to retake this upcoming SP19. Would DO schools still appreciate reinvention?

Any advice is appreciated; I have taken a look at Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

@vi0linm0nster
@Faha
@Rusrus
@jarednogeek
@candbgirl
@Walter Raleigh
@Goro

*subtle edit, totally forgot to include my major and minors

I would recommend the cheaper of the options or possibly a DIY post-bacc where you self-enroll in upper level science courses, which would raise both your c/sGPA. I cannot recommend pursuing an SMP until after your undergrad GPAs are above the 3.0 cutoff since they would factor into a separate graduate GPA. A masters of any sorts would have little influence in improving your application.

 

[bnguyf]

I would recommend the cheaper of the options or possibly a DIY post-bacc where you self-enroll in upper level science courses, which would raise both your c/sGPA. I cannot recommend pursuing an SMP until after your undergrad GPAs are above the 3.0 cutoff since they would factor into a separate graduate GPA. A masters of any sorts would have little influence in improving your application.

I will look into both programs, while a DIY is cheaper, I honestly would prefer the structure that either program would offer as opposed to an independent.
With WashU's, i'll be looking at the enhancement courses which (according to their list) include:

• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Anatomy & Physiology (available with or without lab)
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Biology of Aging
• Immunology
• Virology
• Parasitology
• Microbiology
• Neural Basis of Behavior
• Topics in Cancer Research
• Endocrine Physiology
• Medical Imaging of the Human Body

SLU's curriculum, however is list as such:

• Human Gross Anatomy 8 CH
• Human Histology and Ultrastruc 5 CH
• Human Embryology 2 CH
• Human Systems Neurobiology 5 CH
• Human Systems Physiology 4 CH

SLU's admission req is a 3.0 cGPA and a 495 MCAT OR a 40th percentile GRE (I will 99.9% take the GRE to forego a bad MCAT exam on my records)
WashU's admission req is ~3.2 cGPA with no standardized testing requirement

WashU does advertise linkage to Case Western and University of Michigan

Sorry if this is becoming a School X vs School Y thread

 

[Walter Raleigh]

SMPs are do or die. Do poorly, and tank your chances. DIY postbacc is cheaper and will accomplish what you need it to do, if you get 30+ credits of 3.7+ in upper level science classes. If you are dead set on the SMP and do well, you may be a little better off than if you'd done the DIY postbacc. Ideally, you'd get an SMP with linkage to a medical school, if you're interested in the MD degree - which will be quite hard to get to from where you are. For MD, you'd need 30+ credits of 3.7+ and a 515+ MCAT; for DO, ~505. That GPA is low even for DO schools.

 

[bnguyf]

@Goro do you know if DO schools still appreciate reinvention/grade improvement?

 

[Goro]

@Goro do you know if DO schools still appreciate reinvention/grade improvement?

Definitely!

 

[bnguyf]

@Goro so, having retaken my less than C classes and getting A's as well as (hypothetically) acing a future post-bacc would actually matter in the eyes of Adcom? Do they take uGPA and pbGPA into account separately, or is it a lump sum cGPA? Also, thank you for your reply and all you've done for the SDN community.

 

[Goro]

@Goro so, having retaken my less than C classes and getting A's as well as (hypothetically) acing a future post-bacc would actually matter in the eyes of Adcom? Do they take uGPA and pbGPA into account separately, or is it a lump sum cGPA? Also, thank you for your reply and all you've done for the SDN community.

At my school, we look at all GPAs and then have to smack some sense into the interviewers who obsess about cGPA and ignore the stellar pbGPAs. We have people who do this despite being told more than once that our SMP shows that people can handle our curriculum.

So, yes, you will find that not only DO schools look at reinvention, but also some MD schools as well.