Should I retake undergrad classes?

[premed522116]

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Hi, I have a low sGPA, should I retake classes?

 

[jhmmd]

Doing well in your graduate classes is NOT enough. You will need a formal/informal post-bacc in order to bring your GPA up.
Have you taken the MCAT yet? What does the rest of your app look like (extracurricular activities/shadowing/clinical exp)?
Make sure you write a solid essay and have several people proofread it for you, and start working on getting great LORs.
The rest of your app will need to be outstanding to make up for your low-ish GPA (remember MCAT and GPA are the big weed out factors).
Good luck.

 

[jhmmd]

Thank you for your response. I was planning on re-taking at least Orgo I and Orgo II. I haven't taken the MCAT yet, but plan on doing so after retaking those two classes. Extracurriculars include medical mission trips, volunteering at a children's hospital over 1,000 hours of scribing in an emergency room, and two research experiences. Will a 3.1 undergrad science GPA result in automatic rejection from DO schools despite reinvention?

This shouldn't preclude you. Most schools use a standard of 3.0 to weed out candidates who likely won't get a high enough score on Step 1/become board certified. Medical school & becoming a doctor is a very long process that requires a LOT of test taking, and it's not just enough to have good test taking skills--you need to know the material.

That being said, your app is looking good so far for DO schools (remember that DO residenciews = MD residencies per rule 42). Have you shadowed anyone?

Orgo I & II are mandatory for the MCAT.

I would sit down with a pre-health advisor and/or doctors you encounter while shadowing and have them take an honest, critical look at your entire app--maybe start organizing things into a document so that it's easy to remember everything when it's time to apply.
Best of luck.

 

[jhmmd]

I have not shadowed directly but working as a scribe for about 2 years has allowed me to observe both MDs and DOs. I have a great relationship with the MD I scribed for and later researched for. I have meetings with my pre-med advisors soon as well. I know the rest of my application will need to compensate for my low undergrad science GPA - I just hope I can get past the first screening so they can see the rest of my application. Receiving all As in the 4 post-bacc classes I’m taking after grad school will only bring my undergrad science GPA up to a 3.1. I’m wondering if I should take more post-bacc classes or even get another graduate degree through an SMP, delaying my application even further...

I agree with this last sentence