Someone who has a low GPA like 2.5 with a science degree in undergrad (meaning by default took most of the pre-reqs) and graduated from school about 4 years ago, and just decided to pursue medical school. Do you retake pre-reqs? Try to find a grad program to accept you, or is there just no hope. Is it a done deal, you were young and dumb and now there is no future in medicine for you, or has someone done this very thing and turned it around?
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- Thread starter rackal
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rackal said:
There is certainly hope, buy it may be a many year route. You will need to take and retake undergrad courses for a couple of years to get your GPA to a more palatable level, and perhaps then top that off with a science masters or SMP (which won't affect the GPA, but will be positively regarded). And then a solid performance on the MCAT when you are ready is a must for you. Good luck.
Welcome to SDN. You can overcome your GPA, but don't expect to get into med school right away. You've got to get some recent excellent grades, which means going to a university and taking some classes. I re-took my prereq courses to both prepare for the MCAT and show that I can do well in school. My GPA before I started was roughly 2.75, but as of today I have five scheduled interviews, and at least one admissions committee member has told me that my chances this year are excellent.
Don't forget that there's more to your application than grades and MCAT scores. You'll have to show your commitment to a medical career and knowledge of the kind of time and work that entails, along with some degree of "character" (as shown through volunteering or other activities). Just take a little time right now to look at yourself and your records, then determine what the best path is for you. Good luck!
Don't forget that there's more to your application than grades and MCAT scores. You'll have to show your commitment to a medical career and knowledge of the kind of time and work that entails, along with some degree of "character" (as shown through volunteering or other activities). Just take a little time right now to look at yourself and your records, then determine what the best path is for you. Good luck!
QofQuimica
Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....
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I've posted this several times, but I really don't understand why more people don't do it. Here is my suggestion: Call all of your state schools, and schedule an appointment to meet with the admissions dean at one or more of them. Bring copies of all of your transcripts, your MCAT scores if you have them, and a CV listing your activities, employment history, and awards. Leave your ego at home. Ask this person what you can do to improve your application and your chances for admission. You will not be able to get better feedback from any other living soul on earth, you will gain a valuable contact at that school, and in my experience at least, you will be given a very frank and specific set of criteria detailing what they are looking for in their successful applicants. Then you can come up with a specific plan to improve your application based on their assessment of your shortcomings.
Since you have a low GPA, you will probably be told to at least take some higher level science coursework to show that you can handle it, and that you have to score well on the MCAT (30+) to help compensate for it. You will also almost certainly be told that you should get some clinical experience if you don't already have it, that you should volunteer for causes that are important to you, and that you will be expected to provide a good explanation for your decision to go to medical school. Basically all of the qualifications that younger students need to go to medical school apply to us non-trads too. Best of luck to you.
Since you have a low GPA, you will probably be told to at least take some higher level science coursework to show that you can handle it, and that you have to score well on the MCAT (30+) to help compensate for it. You will also almost certainly be told that you should get some clinical experience if you don't already have it, that you should volunteer for causes that are important to you, and that you will be expected to provide a good explanation for your decision to go to medical school. Basically all of the qualifications that younger students need to go to medical school apply to us non-trads too. Best of luck to you.
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QofQuimica said:I've posted this several times, but I really don't understand why more people don't do it. Here is my suggestion: Call all of your state schools, and schedule an appointment to meet with the admissions dean at one or more of them. Bring copies of all of your transcripts, your MCAT scores if you have them, and a CV listing your activities, employment history, and awards. Leave your ego at home. Ask this person what you can do to improve your application and your chances for admission. You will not be able to get better feedback from any other living soul on earth, you will gain a valuable contact at that school, and in my experience at least, you will be given a very frank and specific set of criteria detailing what they are looking for in their successful applicants. Then you can come up with a specific plan to improve your application based on their assessment of your shortcomings.
Since you have a low GPA, you will probably be told to at least take some higher level science coursework to show that you can handle it, and that you have to score well on the MCAT (30+) to help compensate for it. You will also almost certainly be told that you should get some clinical experience if you don't already have it, that you should volunteer for causes that are important to you, and that you will be expected to provide a good explanation for your decision to go to medical school. Basically all of the qualifications that younger students need to go to medical school apply to us non-trads too. Best of luck to you.
This is a really good idea. I'm suprised I never thought of it! Do you think it would be okay to do this the week before the Spring semester usually starts? For me this would be most feasable because I'm going to be spending most of my free time the next few months with my wedding (Nov. 26) and then off on my honeymoon the week before Xmas. So the soonest I can get to all my state schools would be that week before Spring semester starts up. (Usually the week after New Year's). Are med schools' offices open then?
QofQuimica
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Megboo said:
I did mine during Dec. and Jan., so I think it would be fine for you to go then, Megboo. Ideally, you should do this a year or more before you apply, but even if you're applying now, it's still amazingly helpful. All you have to do is call the school and tell them that you are interested in applying next year, and that you would like to make an appointment with the admissions director to discuss your application. Most schools gave me an appointment for the week after I made the call. I physically visited three different schools on these "pre-interviews," and I did a fourth one by telephone. (Ask the school; they may be willing to do a phone consultation and save you the drive.) Probably one or two meetings are enough for this purpose, but I wanted to see the schools anyway, so.... 😳
If any of you are applying in FL, I can tell you that all of the FL schools will meet with pre-applicants, including U. Miami.
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QofQuimica said:
Thanks! I'm just under 2 years (Jun 2007) from applying so this would really help and give me time to do what I need to fix any problems. Thanks again, Q!!
Thanks everyone for the ecouragement and advice. I had thought about trying to meet with advisors etc. but thought they may just laugh me out the door, so noted...ego now checked. I should add that this is only a recent idea (not that I recently thought I want to be a doctor, but that it might be possible for someone like me.) for me so planning to spend a few years fixing myself up is what I expected it is just I didn't feel like I knew what to do to fix these things. When I graduated from undergrad I really thought I would continue to do research in bio which I was doing while in school, but I burned out on it and couldn't pay my bills anymore so I got a job as a unit secretary in a hospital and simultaneously got an RN at a local community college. I thought that doing this would make me happy. And don't get me wrong I do love being a nurse, but I am a knowledge junkie now and if I had known how to study etc. the first time I went to school I probably would have had a 4.0 and be a doctor now. Nursing school taught me how to study, and made me think about pursuing medical school again. I used to feel as though my past performance suggested that I just wasn't smart enough but now I feel renewed and know that I can study a certain way and learn that type of information and be very successful in medical school if I could find a way to get in. Sorry this post is so long, thanks for listening everyone.
