More than three years ago, I joined SDN and searched around for threads on low gpa people, looking for some kind of encouragement that there was something at the end of this abysmally long, painful tunnel. I didnt find much, only a few threads made by people who had gained some success getting into a post-bacc, a few threads on the different SMPs and, rarely, the occasional thread posted by someone with a low gpa who had actually gotten into med school. But these were several years old. I figured there had to more information out there for people who were applying from way out in left field, so I started the low gpa thread, and its been great to see so many people contributing to it over the years. My one complaint was that there were rarely any posts from people who had gotten into med school, writing back to offer hope to those of us still stuck in post-bacc oblivion, so I decided I would revisit the page and offer some hope and guidance if I ever got into med school. Well, I started a post-bacc four years ago with a 2.25 cumulative gpa, having taken and flunked physics, chemistry and biology and I'll be attending Wayne State University School of Medicine in the Fall, so it all worked out in the end. Its been a long, arduous journey, and I'm still far from reaping any reward (unless you're masochistic enough to consider the brutality of med school and residency a reward), but I've finally got something to show for all these years. The hardest thing about a post-bacc is that theres no path, and no destination. You're constantly hacking away in the jungle with a rusty machete and a dim flashlight. But I've found that if you keep at it, you're bound to end up someplace worthwhile.
I applied to 60 schools, completed 42 secondaries before burning out, got a half dozen interviews, two waitlists, and one acceptance. Although I didn't quite end up where I wanted, its still an allopathic med school in the US, and from where I started, thats an amazing destination. From here on out, I'll never have a major decision (residency, fellowship, jobs) haunted by my undergrad grades and thats a tremendous relief.
I often get pm's from people looking for advice. The best and most succinct advice I can give is: WORK HARD!!! No matter which path you choose, you'll find success if you work tirelessly and believe in the goal. Its not easy to keep the faith when you're 26 and sitting in undergrad classes with 19 year-olds, compiling (possibly) massive debt (more on this below) and studying 50 hours a week, when you could be out in the real world, working a 9 to 5, with free nights and weekends and no responsibilities other than to make the most of your youth. Based on my experience, I've come up with the following general guidelines that you should use when you decide how to proceed. And remember, your circumstances are almost surely different from those of us on SDN who have had some success and are proffering unsolicited, so adjust accordingly.
1)Take the long-term approach. You didn't earn that 2.5 cumulative gpa overnight, so its going to take a few years to overcome it. If you're just starting, think at least three years before you actually matriculate into an incoming med school class.
2)Figure out what went wrong. Why was your effort lacking? Do you simply hate studying? Guess what...thats what medical students and doctors do for life! Did you just never learn to manage your time and full course load? Do you have bad study skills? Do you have a medical ailment or other issue (financial, familial, et) thats keeping you from doing well academically? Don't attempt to enter a post-bacc until you have resolved whatever issues have held you back.
3)To expound on the last point, you shouldnt immerse yourself into a post-bacc head-first, and hope to use the experience to work out the kinks in your study habits. If you embark upon a post-bacc, you'll be expected to get virtually all A's to make up for your prior indiscretions. You're not going to learn how to study effectively if you have a 16 credit hour course load, and you need to get all As. Take my advicestart slow! I started out taking only 12 credit hours (just introductory Bio, Phys, Chem and their labs) and moved onto 16-17 credit hours only in my second year of post-bacc when I felt comfortable with the courses and knew how hard I would have to work to get the results I wanted.
4)If you're in an undergrad level post-bacc, take Honors classes whenever possible. An honors class is a great opportunity to interact with the professors and get a good letter of recommendation. Additionally, the classes are more intense, so you'll learn more and be better prepared for the MCAT. Lastly, it looks great on your transcript and really impresses ADCOMs. Getting into an honors class usually requires no more than contacting the professor teaching the class directly. If theres room, they'll be more than happy to let you take the class.
5)No one can tell you exactly what your grades you'll need, but rest assured, its something better than a 3.8 (with a full course load of basic pre-reqs and upper level bio classes). Basically, work as if you need to get As in EVERYTHING!
6)Ask yourself if you have the commitment and motivation to really pursue this career. Medicine is a harsh beast. I'm not even in medical school, and I've already pulled countless all-nighters, missed opportunities to be with friends and family and otherwise lamented the sad state of affairs in my life (eschewing a life to burrow into a carrel on a Saturday night will do that to you).
7)Make a plan. Don't just wing it. Post-bacc is a long and expensive venture, and you have to plan it out. Determine how many years of undergrad post-bacc and/or SMP you'll need before applying. To determine this, ask for advice from people you trust and not just people on SDN. The single best resource in making this determination is a med school admissions office. Contact offices of schools you're interested in attending, and ask for an appointment to speak to their director of admissions. You'll be surprised how lucky you can get. Besides, what do you have to lose? After you determine the number of years you'll need, map out the cost (and don't forget the pound of flesh that AMCAS will extract).
8)You don't have to attend a structured post-bacc to get a great education or an advantage when you apply. All of the things that structured undergrad-level post-bacc's purport to be superiortheir advising, volunteering opportunities, MCAT support, et, is completely worthless (compared to the cost). These programs are typically at private schools and charge a fortune for services that you could acquire for virtually nothing (SDN is a better source of information and advice than any pre-med advisor I ever talked to). A link with a medical school that may get you an interview is useful (Columbia has one), but these are more for career changers who did well as undergrads. If you're going to start with an undergrad post-bacc, look at a public school with the best reputation in your state, and go there. Need advising, use their office, SDN or contact the medical schools you're interested in attending directly (they're surprisingly responsive if you try in June or July). Need to volunteer somewhere? No one cares if you volunteered at Mass General, they only care about what kind of responsibilities you had in the experience, and possibly what your supervisors had to say about you if you got a LOR out of it. You could opt to work at a small family practice or a needle exchange and get a great LOR from the physician or director, which would help you immensely more than the generic LOR that every applicant gets from some random volunteer supervisor at a large hospital. However, if money is no issue, call Columbia and beg them to let you into their post-bacc pre-med program.
9)You'll need at least a 32 on the MCAT (considering that the national median is hovering somewhere near that these days), but you should aim for a 35. This is where you get to separate yourself from the other candidates.
10)SMPs are very helpful but fraught with peril. You risk burn-out, dropping $50k for minimal rewards and possibly taking a giant step backwards if you don't get at least a 3.4 gpa. However, if you're prepared, willing to work harder than you ever have for an entire year, and have the resources to get $50k, its worth it. I would say the break even point is 3.5. If you get a 3.5 gpa you've basically tread water for a year (its not going to help you too much in admissions). Anything lower and you've probably hurt yourself, and if you manage a 3.7+, you've used the SMP opportunity to put yourself in great shape. Having said that, a 3.6 gpa in an SMP is HARD. I worked everyday, every weekend, did every practice test and probably averaged about 60 hours a week of studying/classes/labs, and will graduate this September with a 3.72. I had a 4.0 when I submitted my AMCAS last summer, but had a hard time keeping up with some classes last Fall with secondaries and interviews. If I had to it over again, I wouldn't do the SMP because a few of my interviewers said it was overkill compared to the two years of post-bacc I had already done and ultimately, though I think the SMP helped me land a few extra interviews, it did not matter in terms of where I ended upI would have ended up at Wayne State regardless of whether or not I did it. Nonetheless, if you're only going to do a year of undergrad post-bacc, doing the SMP (and doing well in it), and then applying the year after while you do research or take the year off and teach, is a great approach, especially now that the MCAT is offered several times a year so you can take it in the summer and not be late with AMCAS.
Those are all the nuggets of wisdom I have accumulated over the last four years. I hope it helps you on your journey. As for myself, I don't know how I became a better student. I dont know what changed in me, or why. I suspect it was just growing up, gaining some maturity and realizing that the only way I would ever accomplish anything was by working my ass off. Water finds its own level, I guess. It took a nearly three decades, but I finally found mine.
Remember, its not a ride unless you're scared sh*tless.
Good Luck!
PS I apologize for all the misspellings and grammatical errors, but I'm rather busy finishing up my thesis.
