Medical Should I apply this cycle or next - low GPA and no MCAT yet?

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MusicDOc124

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Hi! I started to apply to medical school this cycle but my undergrad gpa is about 2.6 but I have a upward trend in graduate school program that i am currently in. However, I took a course which dropped my gpa to 3.1 to 2.98. I will be taking an extra course in the fall to bring up my GPA back to 3.1. Furthermore, I haven't taken my MCAT yet and I have been working as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and doing research while in graduate school. Should I still apply to medical school for the 2020-2021 cycle or apply this cycle?


At first you mention "this cycle" - You should not be applying to medical school right now. 1) MCAT is required, so why you're applying without one, I do not know. Do you at least have it scheduled? If so, when? If not, why? Have you taken any practices? What was the score(s)? 2) Your Graduate GPA is not factored for MD, and is for at least some DO. With that said, a 2.98-3.1 will not be changing much of your 2.6 GPA.

You then ask about 2020-2021 which is next cycle. This will depend on a number of factors, but it's unlikely that you should be applying in the near future until your grades come up and you either 1) fix that undergrad GPA with undergrad course/post bacc, or 2) complete an SMP with a much better GPA than you have in your current grad program (which I assume is not an SMP since there is no mention of linkage or "SMP").

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Thanks for the help. Would having a strong MCAT score will increase my chances? My practice scores were 509-511 range. Furthermore, will repeating a course have a negative impact on the application? BTW ( I did not fail the course. The final grade was a C. I was in a terrible car accident at that time and had an upward trend for the following semesters since then.
A strong MCAT would only highlight the disparity between the stats.

A high MCAT doesn't remediate weak GPAs either.

Do not retake a C. Get an A in an upper level Bio course.
 
So I know getting a degree as a medical lab technician/scientist is really tough. That said, if you haven't gotten at least a 3.7 in your graduate studies and get a very strong MCAT score, your application will likely be suboptimal for the metrics most MD programs are seeking. I don't know whether DO will be as forgiving, but a very good MCAT score will help, as will your history of shadowing. But yes the inconsistency of your postbac coursework is a concern.
 
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