From what I understand (probably misunderstand), the idea of a postbac program is that 2 years of 4.0ish in postbac > 4 years of undergrad with a marginal GPA. Essentially, ADcoms give more weight to the postbac program. If this is the rationale of the postbac program, then shouldn't 3 years of 4.0ish in undergrad > 1 year of 1.53? If I've already taken all of my prereqs, then what does take during that time? Would I just take classes to inflate my GPA and if so, would it be OK to just sprinkle those classes throughout the summers?
Thanks again guys!
I can't speak for the adcoms so I'm afraid the following is just my opinion. Ultimately I think they are trying to determine two things: would you make a good doctor and can you succeed in medical school. The former can be partly judged by your personal statement, EC's and interview, but the latter lies on two main pillars: MCAT and GPA.
We all grow up differently, and some of us mature faster than others. Personally, I was very slow to mature, hence the low GPA and duration it took to earn my bachelors. What I think got my application some attention was 1) the GPA / MCAT incongruity and military service. I did a lot of growing up in the Army, and with the discipline and maturity I developed there I was able to succeed in school and on the MCAT. I think somewhere there was an adcom member who looked at my file and said, "well, this guy's GPA is not impressive, but that is largely due to his early college years which were 6 years ago. Since he left college the first time, he served in the military, then returned to school and held a 4.0 and performed decently on the MCAT...let's bring him in and see what he has to say."
So to finally answer your question I think that a strong record of improvement is certainly beneficial. For me, it also helped to have some growing-up time in between. I think this all factors into the adcoms decisions on whether or not they want to interview you. What classes to take largely depends on the route you are trying to follow. DO schools would be an excellent option for you, especially since they allow for grade replacement (as far as I understand). So you could retake some classes you did poorly in, and raise your GPA substantially more than just doing some random classes. Whether or not you sprinkle them out over several summers I suppose depends on your situation. Your age, family considerations, job considerations etc etc. If you are only interested in MD for whatever reason, it will take more I think to raise your GPA to the point where people will really take you seriously. A solid MCAT score is your best friend as of this point, in addition to some post-bac /SMP work.
Part of my success is that I live in Texas which has many state schools that accept something like 90% of residents. Add to that military service which we Texans love
and I had a better chance than say if I lived in California, where probably no state school would even have considered me.
i will be an md said:
Please keep in mind Tipsy McStagger has a history in the most highly regarded extra-curricular activity (the armed forces) and likely received extra consideration due to his or her honorable service to his or her country. You still have a chance OP, but armed services are an unparalleled way to demonstrate growth and maturity. Thank you, Tipsy for your service.
I think it really was instrumental in my acceptance. The discipline and maturity I gained during my service were essential for my success. Also, the hands on trauma management undoubtedly surpassed my volunteer time in the ER.
Thank you for your kind words.
AestheticGod said:
Wow, good job man! What school are you going to?
Thank you. I decided to accept UT San Antonio's offer. I prematched there and really loved the students.
Agree whole-heartedly and I echo that thank you. I guess that's the spot I'm in right now--trying to find a way to demonstrate that growth and maturity. Unfortunately I don't think there's any amount of ECs I can do as a civilian to fully demonstrate this change but I'm deadest on trying my hardest!
I guess the card up my sleeve is that one of the docs I'm shadowing and have known for 6 years trains fellows at USF. Hopefully this connection will just allow my app to get a closer look and not get tossed aside solely because of my GPA. From what I've read, USF is already pretty good about this anyways.
Well I think earning good grades now, as well as shadowing and other healthcare-related EC's are a good way to start. I don't know if your connection will be helpful but I certainly don't think it will hurt. I would hesitate to rely on it solely though.
From what it seems like on here you have a good attitude. Keep up the shadowing, keep improving those grades and invest your time heavily into preparing for the MCAT. Do well on it and I think you will have a pretty good chance.
I wish you the best of luck.