SMP or Post-Bac ?

[deleted935885]

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My sGPA is a 2.8 and cGPA is a 3.2 and my recent MCAT was poor (490). Any Advice guys?
I have retaken the MCAT ( scores pending ).
** Also my Extracurricular activities are strong: Research in OChem, however no publications, Shadowing/Volunteering in clinics etc.

 

[candbgirl]

Search for @Goro’s Guide for Students who need Reinvention. Start by reading that. Your ECs are awful so you need to work on those. Stop taking the MCAT. By the time you are ready to apply it might be expired . When did you take your two tries at the MCAT?

 

[Med Ed]

My sGPA is a 2.8 and cGPA is a 3.2 and my recent MCAT was poor (490). Any Advice guys?
I have retaken the MCAT ( scores pending ).
** Also my Extracurricular activities are strong: Research in OChem, however no publications, Shadowing/Volunteering in clinics etc.

Report back when your new MCAT score is available. Offhand you would be insane to keep going with those numbers. While this may not be what you want to hear, stepping out and working for a couple of years could be your best bet. Some added maturity and the opportunity to reflect on your academic performance may do you wonders.

 

[deleted935885]

Search for @Goro’s Guide for Students who need Reinvention. Start by reading that. Your ECs are awful so you need to work on those. Stop taking the MCAT. By the time you are ready to apply it might be expired . When did you take your two tries at the MCAT?

I took the MCAT in April (the first attempt) and September( 2nd attempt). I most definitely will stop taking the mcat. For my ECs, I didn't add the whole thing. I've also been a scribe for a total of 2 years, shadowing/volunteering in clinics and other community services for 3 years, and while also running/a director of a charity. Also, I held a couple of leadership positions in while I was in undergrad.

 

[deleted935885]

Report back when your new MCAT score is available. Offhand you would be insane to keep going with those numbers. While this may not be what you want to hear, stepping out and working for a couple of years could be your best bet. Some added maturity and the opportunity to reflect on your academic performance may do you wonders.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I will definitely update once my scores come out. Yeah, I know with my gpa it is nearly impossible, however, I've succeeded getting into a university with a low high school gpa despite the odds and I plan on using the same determination I had back then for this too no matter what it takes.

 

[Goro]

Search for @Goro’s Guide for Students who need Reinvention. Start by reading that. Your ECs are awful so you need to work on those. Stop taking the MCAT. By the time you are ready to apply it might be expired . When did you take your two tries at the MCAT?

Here it is, OP:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[Catalystik]

My sGPA is a 2.8 and cGPA is a 3.2 and my recent MCAT was poor (490). Any Advice guys?
I have retaken the MCAT ( scores pending ).
** Also my Extracurricular activities are strong: Research in OChem, however no publications, Shadowing/Volunteering in clinics etc.

If you are not willing or able to put a couple of years into GPA repair, you might consider applying to Podiatry schools, which also use the MCAT, but are less fussy about numbers. You would still be a doctor, but with your scope of practice limited to the foot and ankle. SDN has a Pre-Pod Forum where you can learn about this: Pre-Podiatry Students

 

[workaholic181]

Really depends what your second Mcat is man. I don't want to be harsh but honestly if it wasnt a huge improvement over your first one I would start considering podiatry.

 

[deleted935885]

If you are not willing or able to put a couple of years into GPA repair, you might consider applying to Podiatry schools, which also use the MCAT, but are less fussy about numbers. You would still be a doctor, but with your scope of practice limited to the foot and ankle. SDN has a Pre-Pod Forum where you can learn about this: Pre-Podiatry Students

Thanks for the response. I’m actually willing to spend the years repairing my gpa, what really screwed me over was my Ds(2) from ochem and 1 from biochem. However, I’ve retook it and made an A in both. The rest I’ve made Bs and As in.

I’m currently registering for spring for upper level sciences like cell bio, immuno, and medical bacteriology (if it’s not full) and then plan on entering into an SMP this May. Would this be okay?

 

[Rusrus]

Thanks for the response. I’m actually willing to spend the years repairing my gpa, what really screwed me over was my Ds(2) from ochem and 1 from biochem. However, I’ve retook it and made an A in both. The rest I’ve made Bs and As in.

I’m currently registering for spring for upper level sciences like cell bio, immuno, and medical bacteriology (if it’s not full) and then plan on entering into an SMP this May. Would this be okay?

That sounds good to me - I'm not sure how many classes it'll take to raise your sGPA up to a 3.0 but definitely figure that out because there are a good number of schools that pre-screen at that mark.

 

[Catalystik]

I’m actually willing to spend the years repairing my gpa, what really screwed me over was my Ds(2) from ochem and 1 from biochem. However, I’ve retook it and made an A in both. The rest I’ve made Bs and As in.

I’m currently registering for spring for upper level sciences like cell bio, immuno, and medical bacteriology (if it’s not full) and then plan on entering into an SMP this May. Would this be okay?

Yes. Good plan.

 

[Instatewaiter]

My sGPA is a 2.8 and cGPA is a 3.2 and my recent MCAT was poor (490). Any Advice guys?
I have retaken the MCAT ( scores pending ).
** Also my Extracurricular activities are strong: Research in OChem, however no publications, Shadowing/Volunteering in clinics etc.

I would not recommend either an SMP or a post back. First smps are for people with high MCAT and very low grades. People with low mcats and low grades will not survive in these programs and will not get into medical school.

next, even if you were to demolish a post BAC program your MCAT is still likely too low to get into any medical

Finally, even where you to go to the Caribbean I think the likelihood of you passing the courses with your scores is very low. I think this would be a futile endeavor.

Now, you may be a viable candidate for medical school if you did not try very hard on the MCAT or can drastically improve your score. but a low GPA and a very low MCAT are a death nell for not only getting into but completing medical school and passing the boards.

What I would recommend is the following:
1) Improve the MCAT to at least 500. If you cannot do this, it is not worth continuing years of courses for nothing. It would not be unreasonable to take some DIY post-bac classes to chip away at that GPA.

2) find a DO program with an SMP and a linkage to medical school. Realize these programs are very tough with a reasonably high failure rate and often expensive. These tend to be high-risk high-reward. If you do well you'll get into medical school. If you do poorly you will never get into medical school.

Good luck.

 

[GypsyHummus]

I've always wonder why more "pre medical" students don't consider Podiatry schools. The premedical students who had bad numbers at my undergrad (3.2 below, 495 below) knew about podiatry (I asked them about Pod schools when they were not securing acceptances at MD/DO), and they scoffed at the very notion of working with the foot and ankle. Seems like a good way for poor scoring MCAT students to become a practicing physician in some capacity in America (legally in some states a physician) without having to risk the gamble of the Caribbean.

Have you recommended people to Podiatry? What has been the general response?

If you are not willing or able to put a couple of years into GPA repair, you might consider applying to Podiatry schools, which also use the MCAT, but are less fussy about numbers. You would still be a doctor, but with your scope of practice limited to the foot and ankle. SDN has a Pre-Pod Forum where you can learn about this: Pre-Podiatry Students

 

[Catalystik]

I've always wonder why more "pre medical" students don't consider Podiatry schools. The premedical students who had bad numbers at my undergrad (3.2 below, 495 below) knew about podiatry (I asked them about Pod schools when they were not securing acceptances at MD/DO), and they scoffed at the very notion of working with the foot and ankle. Seems like a good way for poor scoring MCAT students to become a practicing physician in some capacity in America (legally in some states a physician) without having to risk the gamble of the Caribbean.

Have you recommended people to Podiatry? What has been the general response?

This thread is not the first place I've raised the possibility of podiatric school. I don't know if the suggestion has ever been acted on. I expect some will have explored SDN's PrePod forum, but from there, we on this forum no longer get progress reports.