MD & DO Should I just give up on medical school?

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I am currently entering senior year of Undergrad as a Biology major (B.A.) and currently have a 2.7 cumulative GPA (science GPA is much worse). I recently failed Organic Chem 2 (retaking over the summer). I am very much feeling hopeless and depressed in knowing if I could manage my personal problems in life, I would be much more successful (let's just say they're enough to debilitate my attention in studying, they're too private to discuss here). I would appreciate any advice I can gain and truly hope any of this will help.

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I am currently entering senior year of Undergrad as a Biology major (B.A.) and currently have a 2.7 cumulative GPA (science GPA is much worse). I recently failed Organic Chem 2 (retaking over the summer). I am very much feeling hopeless and depressed in knowing if I could manage my personal problems in life, I would be much more successful (let's just say they're enough to debilitate my attention in studying, they're too private to discuss here). I would appreciate any advice I can gain and truly hope any of this will help.

-Thank you for your support.

I think you still have a shot. Your GPA certainly needs some fixing though. Try to do the best you can and look into post Baccs for sure. I don't think you should give up. Do really well in the post bacc and talk about how this changed you. Idk if you should take Orgo 2 over the summer. I could be wrong tho. And maybe do some courses at a community college and do better. And make sure you look into post Baccs. Show improvement. There are med schools that reward for GPA repairing in post Baccs. Do well on the MCAT too.
 
Definitely don't give up yet. What exactly is your sGPA?

An SMP or an official post-bacc program might be your only options. If you're already a senior that means you have 90+ credit hours already under your belt. You're also a science major so your sGPA won't be that easy to raise as well. In this case, a DIY might not be enough.

Also, since you have such a low GPA, it shows that you don't have a good enough grasp on the material, and that could be a problem when you take the MCAT.

I suggest: finishing senior year strong and grab as many A's as possible. If your GPAs come close to passing the 3.0 mark at the end of your senior year, then go the DIY route and retake some classes. Study hard for the MCAT and apply broadly to D.O. schools a few cycles down the line.

If your GPA is still far off from 3.0, then look into post-baccs and SMPs.

Good luck!
 
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DIY bost bacc is the way to go to boost gpa. BUT, If you really really want it, and are willing to take a HUGE gamble, carribean...
 
I agree on doing an official post-bacc or SMP...and I suggest completing one of those before you apply because even if you do very well your senior year, it won't be enough. I was in a similar situation, where I didn't do well the first three years, did amazing senior year, applied right after graduating, didn't get in, did an SMP and killed it, and now I'm going to be matriculating at an MD school. I think schools want to see a big change, so if you combine a good senior year AND an SMP/post-bacc with a compelling story (no complaining or pointing fingers btw! I'm sure you won't but be careful with how you word things), do your best on the MCAT in addition to maintaining strong ECs, and most importantly maintain the determination and patience for this process, you will be rewarded.

Edited for clarification
 
DIY bost bacc is the way to go to boost gpa. BUT, If you really really want it, and are willing to take a HUGE gamble, carribean...
I am aware the Caribbean med schools do ease off on admissions regarding GPA and MCAT scores. Although a friend implied that if you want to take the gamble, St. George's is the way to go (they have a reputation when it comes to their students passing USMLEs and Residency).
 
I agree on doing an official post-bacc or SMP...and I suggest completing one of those before you apply because even if you do very well your senior year, it won't be enough. I was in a similar situation, where I didn't do well the first three years, did amazing senior year, applied right after graduating, didn't get in, did an SMP and killed it, and now I'm going to be matriculating at an MD school. I think schools want to see a big change, so if you combine a good senior year AND an SMP/post-bacc with a compelling story (no complaining or pointing fingers btw! I'm sure you won't but be careful with how you word things), do your best on the MCAT in addition to maintaining strong ECs, and most importantly maintain the determination and patience for this process, you will be rewarded.

Edited for clarification

At Rutgers University, we have a Graduate Biomedical Master's Program that are guaranteed to grant an interview with either one of the two MD schools we have given if you have a very high GPA and MCAT score. They state that there is no minimum GPA although they are "highly competitive". I think this might be my best shot as it does grant an MS as well as allow matriculation with medical school. Thank you for the advice.
 
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Although a friend implied that if you want to take the gamble, St. George's is the way to go (they have a reputation when it comes to their students passing USMLEs and Residency).
That's because they make students repeat semesters and pass proficiency tests before they allow them to sit for the exam. Thus they eventually eliminate many who enroll (and who have paid plenty of tuition).
 
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Definitely don't give up yet. What exactly is your sGPA?

An SMP or an official post-bacc program might be your only options. If you're already a senior that means you have 90+ credit hours already under your belt. You're also a science major so your sGPA won't be that easy to raise as well. In this case, a DIY might not be enough.

Also, since you have such a low GPA, it shows that you don't have a good enough grasp on the material, and that could be a problem when you take the MCAT.

I suggest: finishing senior year strong and grab as many A's as possible. If your GPAs come close to passing the 3.0 mark at the end of your senior year, then go the DIY route and retake some classes. Study hard for the MCAT and apply broadly to D.O. schools a few cycles down the line.

If your GPA is still far off from 3.0, then look into post-baccs and SMPs.

Good luck!

Rutgers University (my school) does do grade replacements, I'll consider retaking a few courses. However, I am looking more into our SMP program as it offers a great opportunity in possibly taking med school courses with medical students as a Masters in Biomedical Sciences (which I feel can really show that I'm very capable of doing med school course work.) Thank you for the advice.
 
Rutgers University (my school) does do grade replacements, I'll consider retaking a few courses. However, I am looking more into our SMP program as it offers a great opportunity in possibly taking med school courses with medical students as a Masters in Biomedical Sciences (which I feel can really show that I'm very capable of doing med school course work.) Thank you for the advice.

Your school might do grade replacement but AMCAS and ACCOMAS don't. So they will average both grades into your GPAs. So don't count on just losing those classes you replace.


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Your school might do grade replacement but AMCAS and ACCOMAS don't. So they will average both grades into your GPAs. So don't count on just losing those classes you replace.


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Noted. However, as a part of our Biomedical Science Master's Program (SMP Program), gaining a 3.6+ GPA and 127+ on each MCAT section guarantees you an interview with our med. school. If not, I would be certain it would be hard for medical schools to just turn away someone with a record like that (which I really hope to get).
 
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At Rutgers University, we have a Graduate Biomedical Master's Program that are guaranteed to grant an interview with either one of the two MD schools we have given if you have a very high GPA and MCAT score. They state that there is no minimum GPA although they are "highly competitive". I think this might be my best shot as it does grant an MS as well as allow matriculation with medical school. Thank you for the advice.

No problem! PM if you have any more questions. More than happy to help based on my experience!


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