The **NEW & IMPROVED** official low gpa thread...

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Hello all, hoping for some input. I have done some research on the thread and from what it looks like, I'm sure that the suggestion would be to retake prereqs, but I wanted some advice on my individual situation.

Senior at a Florida public university with 3.14 cGPA and 2.84 sGPA. I will not make excuses for those. URM -- not sure if that makes much of a difference. Took the old MCAT, but plan on retaking the new one due to a low score. My plans would be to pursue a Masters program like USF, JHU, or Rutgers. However, after looking at this thread I plan on looking into others. I would apply with the GRE. Pretty good ECs and LORs. Is this route a good one or do I need a change of plans?
 
Alright kids, here's the story, sorry to any of you who have already heard it.

cGPA 3.38
sGPA 3.28
Did not receive below a B in any pre-req (A in organic)
Biology Major
Chem Minor
Psych Minor
Volunteer/employed by community service center at school (worked with refugees and immigrants)
Peace Corps Health Volunteer 2014-2016 (so I'm in Uganda now)
1 year CNA
I did some research my senior year of college but the -80 broke and I had to spend the year regrowing all the material. No publications. I can't even really describe the project well and I won't have a letter from the PI.

I don't really want to do a SMP or post bac since I've already spent two years in Peace Corps and I really need to get going on a career. Is that going to be ok? If I'm going to have to reapply anyway without a doubt then I might as well do the post bac. But is there a chance without it?

I have a list of 30ish schools I've gathered from MDapplicants that people in my range have been accepted to.
I'm hoping if I rock the MCAT (30+) and continue my volunteer work (big brother/big sister programs) I'll be ok.
Is 30-35 ok? Or should I really push for 35+?
I plan on taking Kaplan in classroom for 3 months when I get back and then taking 2 months to power study on my own.

What to do when I get back state side?
- phlebotomy license?
- back to CNA
- scribe?
- research tech?
How many shadow hours do you suggest?
If GPA is the only blemish in my app, is MD still a viable route?
Is my limited research a huge problem?
 
ScienceBrah said:
Alright kids, here's the story, sorry to any of you who have already heard it.

cGPA 3.38
sGPA 3.28
Did not receive below a B in any pre-req (A in organic)
Biology Major
Chem Minor
Psych Minor
Volunteer/employed by community service center at school (worked with refugees and immigrants)
Peace Corps Health Volunteer 2014-2016 (so I'm in Uganda now)
1 year CNA
I did some research my senior year of college but the -80 broke and I had to spend the year regrowing all the material. No publications. I can't even really describe the project well and I won't have a letter from the PI.

I don't really want to do a SMP or post bac since I've already spent two years in Peace Corps and I really need to get going on a career. Is that going to be ok? If I'm going to have to reapply anyway without a doubt then I might as well do the post bac. But is there a chance without it?

I have a list of 30ish schools I've gathered from MDapplicants that people in my range have been accepted to.
I'm hoping if I rock the MCAT (30+) and continue my volunteer work (big brother/big sister programs) I'll be ok.
Is 30-35 ok? Or should I really push for 35+?
I plan on taking Kaplan in classroom for 3 months when I get back and then taking 2 months to power study on my own.

What to do when I get back state side?
- phlebotomy license?
- back to CNA
- scribe?
- research tech?
How many shadow hours do you suggest?
If GPA is the only blemish in my app, is MD still a viable route?
Is my limited research a huge problem?
Click to expand...

Apply DO.
 
I have a few DO on my list. Anything else I can do about MD short of a post bac?

- by a few I mean almost 50%
 
ScienceBrah said:
I have a few DO on my list. Anything else I can do about MD short of a post bac?

- by a few I mean almost 50%
Click to expand...

You already said you don't want to spend more time, which is what you will have to do if you want to get into an MD school. So no, there's nothing I can tell you to do in good conscience.
 
Public service announcement: apply to med school EARLY if you want good results. That means being ready to submit the day the app opens. That means having your transcripts ordered way ahead of time. That means taking the MCAT in the SPRING not the summer. That means getting your LORs submitted by your LOR writers as early as is allowed. That means looking up the secondary prompts ahead of time so you can turn around your secondaries quickly, such as by the end of the weekend after they come in.

See the reapplicant forum for mistakes to avoid.

Best of luck to you.
 
The Helpful Aye Aye said:
You already said you don't want to spend more time, which is what you will have to do if you want to get into an MD school. So no, there's nothing I can tell you to do in good conscience.
Click to expand...

So you think this is a bit of a hail mary.

but of the job options I've listed what is best?
- Do I take a job in a lab to get more research experience, or is my research experience fine?
- Do I go back to being a CNA?
- Or would it be worth it to drop a few thousand on a phlebotomy license? ( the class is only 3 weeks)

How high of an MCAT would make this feasible? I want to know so I can gage retaking it. Like if I get lower than a ____, I shouldn't apply.

Already planning on getting it in early, thank s! I'm not even able to apply until 2017.
 
the job you pick won't make a difference, when your GPA is low. pick something you'll enjoy.

The new MCAT is scored differently, but in general:
- obviously the higher the better
- the whole world rolls its eyes when people say what score they're going to get
- your low GPAs plus a 2+ year break say you're not in great shape for the MCAT, for starters
- break 30, whatever the new 30 is, or you're not serious
- be worried about ONLY getting a 30, if you want to have choices in where you can go to med school
- don't have any certainty about breaking 30, much less 35, before you've done any review or prep. average score is about 27, and that's a very academically capable pool.

DO schools allow a lower MCAT, but you also have GPA damage. So don't think you're good with a normal DO score.

best of luck to you.
 
ScienceBrah said:
cGPA 3.38
sGPA 3.28
Volunteer/employed by community service center at school (worked with refugees and immigrants)
Peace Corps Health Volunteer 2014-2016 (so I'm in Uganda now)
1 year CNA
I did some research my senior year of college but the -80 broke and I had to spend the year regrowing all the material. No publications. I can't even really describe the project well and I won't have a letter from the PI.
Click to expand...
ScienceBrah said:
but of the job options I've listed what is best?
- Do I take a job in a lab to get more research experience, or is my research experience fine?
- Do I go back to being a CNA?
- Or would it be worth it to drop a few thousand on a phlebotomy license? ( the class is only 3 weeks)
Click to expand...
D - None of the above

As Midlife suggested, it doesn't matter. I wouldn't do phlebotomy cos a) it costs a lot and b) no-one cares about it. No-one is impressed with blood draws.

I'd take the MCAT when I could get 31+ and then do an SMP and rock it. The combo of those two with an interesting transcript should see you all set. But you've got to get the 31+ and rock the SMP, and take a glide year.
 
baughlieve said:
This thread is gold. I never considered a career in medicine until after I graduated and now I'm trying to formulate a solid plan to make sure I end up where I want to be in a year or two. Any advice is much appreciated.
Biochem major
cGPA-3.36
sGPA-3.2
-I was a straight B student coasting by with minimal effort for 2 years, junior year I started picking it up. Senior year it was 3.75 taking upper level sciences, a few taught by med school faculty.
-I've been working full time for 6 months in a direct patient care role, have done 0 research

-I'm taking the mcat this summer and applying in 2016.

I don't know if I should jump straight to graduate work with a BMS masters at Wayne state. I know Wayne and MSU will give high weight to recent science GPA. I've heard success stories about this program but it's hard to believe that a few semesters taking 8 credits can disregard my 4 year track record and prove I belong in med school. This would also allow me time to work on other areas of my app such as volunteering.

The other option would be to do a year of post bac work to raise my gpa then try doing a real (expensive) SMP (toledo or cinci) during my app year.

If you guys were in my shoes, what would you do?
Click to expand...


Your cgpa isn't too far off. I would just do a postbac and try to ace out. I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to bring your cgpa up to 3.5, and your sgpa to 3.3-3.4. It would be contingent on a strong MCAT score (at least whatever the new 30 is), but you'd have a shot at MD, and a good chance at DO imo.

I would also start volunteering in a clinical setting ASAP (4 hrs per week). Also try to find a way to volunteer in the community (big brother/big sister etc.).

The lack of research won't help, but there are research oriented post bacs that may be of interest to you. I'm not sure if you need a SMP, but do not apply to one before you rock the MCAT.
 
Been waiting a long, long time to reply to this thread.
Accepted today US MD. I'm currently doing a 1 year Masters (not an SMP). GPA from last semester 3.82. Undergrad cGPA 2.98. You can find my MCAT score in my posting history if you want it. Non-URM.

Depending on the cards you're dealt, GPA repair does not have to be some horrifying, soul-sucking slog. It doesn't always take years. It really depends on the postbacc program you choose!

DrMidlife and robflanker, I appreciate all the help and perspective you have provided here. As of late, however, your tone's taken a condescending turn. Replies like "Do your own f*cking HW" and "sack up" aren't huge positive motivators to new forum members. I would have definitely asked the questions that garnered these answers just a few years ago.

Anything is possible. If I can do it, you can too.
 
koskrd0 said:
Been waiting a long, long time to reply to this thread.
Accepted today US MD. I'm currently doing a 1 year Masters (not an SMP). GPA from last semester 3.82. Undergrad cGPA 2.98.You can find my MCAT score in my posting history if you want it. Non-URM.

Depending on the cards you're dealt, GPA repair does not have to be some horrifying, soul-sucking slog. It doesn't always take years. It really depends on the postbacc program you choose!

DrMidlife and robflanker, I appreciate all the help and perspective you have provided here. As of late, however, your tone's taken a condescending turn. Replies like "Do your own f*cking HW" and "sack up" aren't huge positive motivators to new forum members. I would have definitely asked the questions that garnered these answers just a few years ago.

Anything is possible. If I can do it, you can too.
Click to expand...
Thanks for taking the time to reply! Did you have a lot EC's, Strong LORs?
 
I have a question. My undergrad GPA was 3.51, I graduated with a bachelor's in a PA program and have since been a PA in surgery at a prestigious hospital for almost a year now. I am applying to SMP's/Post-bacc's this round especially since calc/physics weren't required for my degree (taking physics II now). But I got a D in Chem I my first year of college which is haunting me. Since then I've gone all the way to Biochem II not including all my courses in PA school. I got this degree because I felt it would better prepare me as opposed to a premed/gen. bio bachelor's degree...any advice?? Unique situation! I talked to Dr. Fixsen at HES and he was stumped!
 
crossstr said:
I have a question. My undergrad GPA was 3.51, I graduated with a bachelor's in a PA program and have since been a PA in surgery at a prestigious hospital for almost a year now. I am applying to SMP's/Post-bacc's this round especially since calc/physics weren't required for my degree (taking physics II now). But I got a D in Chem I my first year of college which is haunting me. Since then I've gone all the way to Biochem II not including all my courses in PA school. I got this degree because I felt it would better prepare me as opposed to a premed/gen. bio bachelor's degree...any advice?? Unique situation! I talked to Dr. Fixsen at HES and he was stumped!
Click to expand...


Im pretty sure that you'll need to take your pre reqs and get Cs or higher before you can apply to a SMP (you'll also have to take the MCAT and retake gen chem 1).

Your gpa isn't too low. You could do an informal post bac at a local university so that you can keep your stellar job for the time being, or you could apply for a career changers post bac. If you do the former, look up several medical schools and compile a list of pre reqs that you'll need. Chem 1, 2 semesters of physics, calc 1 and maybe calc 2, genetics if you haven't, and psychology and sociology (assuming you have a year of gen bio and anatomy already) would probably be good, but check with the medical schools that you're interested in first.

Also, just a word for the wise, the term unique may not bode well for some folks.
 
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koskrd0 said:
DrMidlife and robflanker, I appreciate all the help and perspective you have provided here. As of late, however, your tone's taken a condescending turn. Replies like "Do your own f*cking HW" and "sack up" aren't huge positive motivators to new forum members. I would have definitely asked the questions that garnered these answers just a few years ago.
Click to expand...
I'm not here to be a positive motivator, and frankly don't care if people are motivated or not. However, if one is serious about getting into medical school, its not so hard to do a little google searching or reading on their own. No-one hands you anything in med school.

Congrats on your acceptance. You've taken the road very much less traveled - enjoy it.
 
poptarts said:
Im pretty sure that you'll need to take your pre reqs and get Cs or higher before you can apply to a SMP (you'll also have to take the MCAT and retake gen chem 1).

Your gpa isn't too low. You could do an informal post bac at a local university so that you can keep your stellar job for the time being, or you could apply for a career changers post bac. If you do the former, look up several medical schools and compile a list of pre reqs that you'll need. Chem 1, 2 semesters of physics, calc 1 and maybe calc 2, genetics if you haven't, and psychology and sociology (assuming you have a year of gen bio and anatomy already) would probably be good, but check with the medical schools that you're interested in first.

Also, just a word for the wise, the term unique may not bode well for some folks.
Click to expand...

Actually there are a few SMPs/Post-bacc's who take you without going for the MCAT, I've talked to HES, JHU, Boston. And I wouldn't take it when I know I'm not ready for it quite yet. I've been seeing that posted a lot throughout this thread, heck JHU considers the GRE and/or SAT! So I think that's a bit of misconception that an MCAT is REQUIRED. But I do believe it's the best route for some especially if they have all their prereqs ready to go. But taking it just to say you've done it to get accepted to an SMP doesn't seem like a valuable option to me.
 
premedbrah said:
Thanks for taking the time to reply! Did you have a lot EC's, Strong LORs?
Click to expand...

Nothing out of the ordinary compared to other applicants. A few leadership positions in undergrad (in quality not quantity,) LORs from the usual places
 
koskrd0 said:
Been waiting a long, long time to reply to this thread.
Accepted today US MD. I'm currently doing a 1 year Masters (not an SMP). GPA from last semester 3.82. Undergrad cGPA 2.98. You can find my MCAT score in my posting history if you want it. Non-URM.

Depending on the cards you're dealt, GPA repair does not have to be some horrifying, soul-sucking slog. It doesn't always take years. It really depends on the postbacc program you choose!

DrMidlife and robflanker, I appreciate all the help and perspective you have provided here. As of late, however, your tone's taken a condescending turn. Replies like "Do your own f*cking HW" and "sack up" aren't huge positive motivators to new forum members. I would have definitely asked the questions that garnered these answers just a few years ago.

Anything is possible. If I can do it, you can too.
Click to expand...

Wow that's great, congrats! I've been thinking of following a similar path and actually posted here a couple days ago for the first time (to the dismay I suppose of some of the more senior members here). I am wondering if you could tell me a bit about your decision making process regarding a masters versus an SMP.
 
ayylmao said:
Wow that's great, congrats! I've been thinking of following a similar path and actually posted here a couple days ago for the first time (to the dismay I suppose of some of the more senior members here). I am wondering if you could tell me a bit about your decision making process regarding a masters versus an SMP.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I did see your post, and yeah I do remember seeing that response. For academic enhancer needs, I would not think in such absolute terms about Undergrad postbaccs vs. SMPs vs. 1 year Masters'.

Unlike pretty much every other academic area, there is no clear hierarchy to PB program quality. I chose my Master's over an SMP that (based on my assessment of the program) did not inspire confidence, and would not have given me a chance to succeed academically. However, I took a calculated risk, because my Master's was probably not well received by most schools compared to an SMP (ie, graduate GPA and coursework is not standardized like SMPs.) I gambled on my Master's program giving me a higher chance at schools that did decide to value my graduate GPA. This risk paid off.

This will not be the case for all applicants. Make a list of programs that appeal to you not exclusively because of the program type, but because they will help you achieve the goal of acceptance.
 
koskrd0 said:
Thanks! I did see your post, and yeah I do remember seeing that response. For academic enhancer needs, I would not think in such absolute terms about Undergrad postbaccs vs. SMPs vs. 1 year Masters'.

Unlike pretty much every other academic area, there is no clear hierarchy to PB program quality. I chose my Master's over an SMP that (based on my assessment of the program) did not inspire confidence, and would not have given me a chance to succeed academically. However, I took a calculated risk, because my Master's was probably not well received by most schools compared to an SMP (ie, graduate GPA and coursework is not standardized like SMPs.) I gambled on my Master's program giving me a higher chance at schools that did decide to value my graduate GPA. This risk paid off.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response! I have also been thinking that an SMP is a somewhat risky endeavor. While I'm sure it's possible to put the work in and succeed, it seems like it's also quite possible to put the work in and fail (which jeopardizes medicine as a career option and puts a lot of money in the hole with very little to show for it)

Do you think you might have been more competitive if you took an additional years worth of science intensive undergraduate classes instead of pursuing a masters degree? It's confusing to me because I'm not sure how much salvaging a years worth of undergrad can add to an application (besides maybe .1-.2, which doesn't seem like a very worthwhile investment to me).
 
koskrd0 said:
Thanks! I did see your post, and yeah I do remember seeing that response. For academic enhancer needs, I would not think in such absolute terms about Undergrad postbaccs vs. SMPs vs. 1 year Masters'.

Unlike pretty much every other academic area, there is no clear hierarchy to PB program quality. I chose my Master's over an SMP that (based on my assessment of the program) did not inspire confidence, and would not have given me a chance to succeed academically. However, I took a calculated risk, because my Master's was probably not well received by most schools compared to an SMP (ie, graduate GPA and coursework is not standardized like SMPs.) I gambled on my Master's program giving me a higher chance at schools that did decide to value my graduate GPA. This risk paid off.

This will not be the case for all applicants. Make a list of programs that appeal to you not exclusively because of the program type, but because they will help you achieve the goal of acceptance.
Click to expand...

I am in a similar position to you right now, low uGPA and currently doing well in a coursework intensive masters program thats not an SMP. I am putting my school list together for the upcoming cycle and I've been trying to do research on MD schools that value a high GPA in a Masters degree. If you don't mind, I'd be really interested to hear which schools you applied to and which you thought would value a non-SMP masters degree/GPA.
 
So I have been spending quite a bit of time reviewing this thread and I wanted some advice on my game plan.
Recent grad with uGPA: 3.06 and sGPA: 2.77.
I recently got accepted to the Rutgers Masters of Biomedical Sciences, but I am still waiting to hear back from the UPenn post bacc, RFU, Drexel, USF, and an MS in Public Health program. Because my undergrad degree was science based, from what I read, retaking pre-reqs would be redundant? However, the main thing that I noticed was that the key is an upward trend. My ideal plan is to (if admitted) to spend a year at UPenn taking upper division science courses to build up my uGPA and sGPA then do an SMP or masters like Rutgers the year after. Does this sound plausible? Or would it also work to do Rutgers over two years and show academic improvement? Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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ayylmao said:
Best of luck!! Out of curiosity, what schools have you chosen to apply to?
Click to expand...
Thanks! All of my state schools (NY), and most of the northeast besides obvious reach schools
 
Hi! First time poster so I hope this is the right/best thread to use but here is my situation:
  • 3.35 GPA // 3.o sGPA
  • Just graduated from a Top 20 university with a double science major and a TON of hours (which is why I chose not to just do more post-grad classes).
  • Relative upward trend with a couple exceptions, but mostly freshman/sophomore pre-med classes weighing me down and did well in some challenging science classes later on.
  • 28 MCAT (obviously re-taking before applying, studying for the new MCAT now and have gotten much better scores, ~35 equiv, on practice tests)
  • Tons of shadowing and volunteering, good mix of medical and non-medical EC's
  • Significant bench, translational, and clinical research experience but no publications
I got into both BU MAMS and Mt. Sinai's Biomedical Master's and am now trying to decide which to go to in the Fall.
  • I like BU since it's an established SMP and gives preferential treatment (contingent interviews, separate application pool for SMP students) to SMP students applying to BUSM.
  • That being said I like the research component of Sinai's program more (seems more substantial, and spread over 2 yrs instead concurrently with classes instead of 1 yr) and they have a neuroscience track for coursework which I'm really interested in since I was a neuro major and may want to do MD/PhD neuro work or just a neuro specialty with fellowship research eventually.
  • The BU curriculum provides ~3 actual M1 courses (exact same course but separate from med students) with the rest modeled exactly after med school, and they're all graded on a letter scale. The Sinai curriculum has max 3 M1 classes (taken with med students) but they're graded P/F and the rest of the credits come from any of their PhD courses, many of which are med-school like topics and those are graded on a letter scale.
  • Doing well in BU MAMS obviously shows more directly to adcoms that I can do well in med school but for the high cost of these sort of programs I would rather take a unique mix of med school and PhD courses than essentially just pay for the first year of med school twice.
  • Some Sinai master's students have historically gotten interviews to MSSM or at least just gotten to know people in admissions well, but I don't think that would really be applicable given my uGPA.
So my main question is whether doing the Sinai program over a the typical BU SMP will significantly change the caliber of med schools I could/should realistically apply to and is it worth taking a risk for a more unique program?
  • I'm hoping to apply this next cycle, so after a year of master's coursework and I'm aiming for MD programs as opposed to DO
  • I know Mt. Sinai and BU's med schools would normally be absolutely out of my range without some sort of linkage, so I'm mostly wondering if more realistic schools would look upon the programs differently at all in terms of "balancing out"/showing improvement after a low uGPA
Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!!
 
Hey everyone, I'm seeking some advice and would really appreciate it.

I destroyed my GPA 15 years ago, 40 hours of 1.97 with 2Fs in Biology and Cs in other sciences. I had to work for everything with no financial aid help (no parental guidance or peer support, totally on my own). I was a young and naive teenager, my college advisors (who were not aware of my situation at home) told me to not drop out, but I couldn't juggle three jobs with 18 hours of engineering. Eventually, I learned to listen to myself and just drop out, but only after I'd done so much damage. That was 13 years ago. Now, I have over 350 credit hours with about 3.2GPA/3.0sGPA. I went back when I had a better job and could afford a roof, food, and clothes, and and did great, above a 3.7.

I used an online GPA calculator and it would take me over 200 additional credit hours of As to get to 3.6 overall GPA. If I take 18 credit hours of science, I could get a sGPA of 3.1 to 3.2. Would this be worth it? I only make so much money and I'm not sure if it would be better allocated somewhere else like applications to apply broadly, etc.

I could take some math courses though, since I am always working full time its easier to do this than science with lab courses. What about online courses? This provides me more flexibility.

My MS GPA is above 3.8. I have to retake the new MCAT because my verbal was horrifying. Looking back, it was glitchy but I didn't pay any attention, I was glad to be done. I reached my "goal" score but needed to shoot higher.

I work in the medical field, but don't really like my job, so its a challenge to stay motivated in that department. I do a pretty good job, though, and get good reviews. It has just become mundane. I also volunteer consistently at another hospital, and have dabbled in academic research, but this is hard, again, since I'm working shift work full time.

I would like some advice about what is the best allocation of my money because alot of people are like don't waste it on more courses, and my time. I have to work to support myself so I only have so many hours outside of work. Right now, I'm studying to retake the Mcat next year, either January or April depending on my practice test results, and will need extra time for the masters degree exam. Should I be focused totally on the mcat? Should I take more undergrad courses? What if I take those courses online (traffic where I live is awful and this would cut down on the commute)? Should I seek out more leadership experience/volunteer experience/academic research experience?

From the advice of others, I have already considered PA or accelerated RN, but I'm not really into it after shadowing and talking to those professionals. Also, my MS is in Molecular Biology, so I don't see that knowledge content being applied in these professions. DO is okay too, but I would be lying if I said I really cared about manipulation and how some programs offer acupuncture...not sure I concur with those ideas, and the stigma, I'm already a female, just saying. I just don't feel comfortable with that really. I definitely plan to apply DO though since they have a grade replacement, but I feel at this point I would fit best with MD. Its just half my lifetime ago I was a typical irresponsible in-denial teenager. 15 years ago, I was still a teenager who literally had no direction or guidance by anyone. I learned trial by error. Bad idea in academia. (Basically, I ran away from an abusive situation and started working. Emancipation was not an option. When my friends from highschool went to college, I wanted to go to. 95% of my graduating class went to college. I admit I was in denial of my situation, but now I feel that that denial is haunting me for the rest of my life.)
 
WannaBeMD93 said:
Hi! First time poster so I hope this is the right/best thread to use but here is my situation:
  • 3.35 GPA // 3.o sGPA
  • Just graduated from a Top 20 university with a double science major and a TON of hours (which is why I chose not to just do more post-grad classes).
  • Relative upward trend with a couple exceptions, but mostly freshman/sophomore pre-med classes weighing me down and did well in some challenging science classes later on.
  • 28 MCAT (obviously re-taking before applying, studying for the new MCAT now and have gotten much better scores, ~35 equiv, on practice tests)
  • Tons of shadowing and volunteering, good mix of medical and non-medical EC's
  • Significant bench, translational, and clinical research experience but no publications
I got into both BU MAMS and Mt. Sinai's Biomedical Master's and am now trying to decide which to go to in the Fall.
  • I like BU since it's an established SMP and gives preferential treatment (contingent interviews, separate application pool for SMP students) to SMP students applying to BUSM.
  • That being said I like the research component of Sinai's program more (seems more substantial, and spread over 2 yrs instead concurrently with classes instead of 1 yr) and they have a neuroscience track for coursework which I'm really interested in since I was a neuro major and may want to do MD/PhD neuro work or just a neuro specialty with fellowship research eventually.
  • The BU curriculum provides ~3 actual M1 courses (exact same course but separate from med students) with the rest modeled exactly after med school, and they're all graded on a letter scale. The Sinai curriculum has max 3 M1 classes (taken with med students) but they're graded P/F and the rest of the credits come from any of their PhD courses, many of which are med-school like topics and those are graded on a letter scale.
  • Doing well in BU MAMS obviously shows more directly to adcoms that I can do well in med school but for the high cost of these sort of programs I would rather take a unique mix of med school and PhD courses than essentially just pay for the first year of med school twice.
  • Some Sinai master's students have historically gotten interviews to MSSM or at least just gotten to know people in admissions well, but I don't think that would really be applicable given my uGPA.
So my main question is whether doing the Sinai program over a the typical BU SMP will significantly change the caliber of med schools I could/should realistically apply to and is it worth taking a risk for a more unique program?
  • I'm hoping to apply this next cycle, so after a year of master's coursework and I'm aiming for MD programs as opposed to DO
  • I know Mt. Sinai and BU's med schools would normally be absolutely out of my range without some sort of linkage, so I'm mostly wondering if more realistic schools would look upon the programs differently at all in terms of "balancing out"/showing improvement after a low uGPA
Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!!
Click to expand...

Hey WannaBeMD93,

Based on your statements, it seems you are choosing BU. You say more good about that program. I have heard that program is very good and well rounded. It supposedly sets you up with research experience and a project, and there is an amount of students that get accepted [edit] to BU med school from their program. It's super pricey for me, though, but if you have the dough go for it. Just keep in mind you also have to afford four years of med school.

Maybe evaluate what schools you plan to get into. For me at least, I know DO are a little more expensive than MD. Like I'm not going to apply to NYIT because they state (or at least did at one point) on their website that tuition isn't even covered by financial aid and students should be familiar private loans. You might be eligible for the military, though. I am too old, go figure!

Anyway, I hope that helps. When are you planning to retake the Mcat? The new one is a beast. If you plan to take it in Jan or April and want a study partner, let me know.
 
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jamaicangal99 said:
So I have been spending quite a bit of time reviewing this thread and I wanted some advice on my game plan.
Recent grad with uGPA: 3.06 and sGPA: 2.77.
I recently got accepted to the Rutgers Masters of Biomedical Sciences, but I am still waiting to hear back from the UPenn post bacc, RFU, Drexel, USF, and an MS in Public Health program. Because my undergrad degree was science based, from what I read, retaking pre-reqs would be redundant? However, the main thing that I noticed was that the key is an upward trend. My ideal plan is to (if admitted) to spend a year at UPenn taking upper division science courses to build up my uGPA and sGPA then do an SMP or masters like Rutgers the year after. Does this sound plausible? Or would it also work to do Rutgers over two years and show academic improvement? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Hey, IMO, you should just start somewhere and get all As. Then, reevaluate your situation. You are going in the right direction though, more courses for you! I consider myself addicted to college, though, just don't start having withdrawals when you stop. Lol
 
Hello all,

I posted this question in another thread but figured it was better suited to be asked here because of my low GPA 🙁 I apologize if re-posting this is inappropriate, but I really needed some guidance. Anyway here it is:

Long story short: I'm 29 and currently serving in the US Navy as an officer. I'm getting out next year and would like to attend an allopathic medical school, (not interested in becoming a doctor in the Navy). The problem I suffer from is my low undergraduate GPA, which is a 2.9 from a top 20 school. I majored in English and possess no science background... I have two excellent letters of recommendation from my job.

I've researched the requirements of several post-bacc programs around the nation at http://postbacc-ranking.com/rankings and noticed that some require the GRE and some don't. Would taking the GRE and scoring well help offset my low GPA so that I could be possibly considered for admission? Are there any programs that have a lower GPA requirement?

Finally, has anyone heard of ANYONE getting into one of the listed post-bacc programs with a GPA below 3.0? I'm assuming one would have to engage in some type of dialogue with the admissions program at that school... I'm not sure how this could be done...

If I'm unable to get into a post-bacc program, than how else could I enhance my academic record?

Thanks for the advice!
 
With a sub-3.0 you'll need more than just the med school prereqs to have a chance. Look at getting a 2nd bachelors so you do enough additional coursework to raise your overall GPA. Don't blow your chance to have a crazy high science GPA.
 
DrMidlife,

Thanks for the advice. I've looked into getting a second bachelors degree, although there are only so many schools that I know of that offer them. I'm surprised that a high GPA from a formal post-bacc program is not enough, though, as I've heard many success stories from other people on this forum.
 
One year of good doesn't fix 4 years of bad.

The success stories at the reputable postbacs are the kids who got ~4.0 in their liberal arts degrees at top 20 schools. That's why those postbacs are reputable - they don't take risks. They select for students who are already proven academically.

Regardless from a 2.9 and no science you should do warmup work before you dive into the prereqs if you don't want your hopes crushed. Take some math at least. The med school prereqs are where dreams go to die.

There's more at stake than getting accepted to med school. People fail out of med school. All the time. That's a disaster if you're past the point where you can go home and recover at your parents' house.

Schools don't advertise or "offer" 2nd bachelors or recruit students to do another undergrad degree. That's not the point. The point of a 2nd bachelors is to (a) get a boatload of classes so your GPA can improve (b) get registration priority because the prereqs are hard to get into. Take the "2nd bachelors" label off of it and you still need the same things.

I had to take classes for six months by petitioning as a nonmatric, until I got accepted as degree-seeking. And then I was able to get it done.
 
Hi I am a first time poster on this forum and I wanted some advice on what SMPs to apply for. I am currently heading into my 4th year of undergrad and my cGPA is a 2.90 and my sGPA is a 2.60. I am interested in applying to Rutgers MBS program, Drexel IMS, BU MAMS, JHU Health Science Intensive program, UPenn SSP, Mount Sinai, Syracuse, and Barry University's MBS program. Are there any of these programs that I have a shot at getting into?
 
gabbyjeanb said:
Hi I am a first time poster on this forum and I wanted some advice on what SMPs to apply for. I am currently heading into my 4th year of undergrad and my cGPA is a 2.90 and my sGPA is a 2.60. I am interested in applying to Rutgers MBS program, Drexel IMS, BU MAMS, JHU Health Science Intensive program, UPenn SSP, Mount Sinai, Syracuse, and Barry University's MBS program. Are there any of these programs that I have a shot at getting into?
Click to expand...
No MCAT yet, correct?

If your picture means you're URM, then the first thing you should do is reach out to the diversity office at one of your home state's public med schools. Seriously. Get hooked up with a good mentor.

The second thing you should do is slow down. With your grades, you're not ready to move on to grad work. Not even if you get a 4.0 this coming year. The work in an SMP requires you to have mastered the content from undergrad. Kids who have 3.5's in undergrad routinely get crushed in an SMP. Kids who have 4.0's in undergrad routinely get crushed in med school. It should be important to you to not get crushed, because getting crushed means failing out with $100k+ in student debt, or it means not getting to choose your specialty, and/or it means not getting through med school in 4 years which means not being able to match well. It's better to take some years off school after undergrad, and come back later for another try, than it is to get into med school and not do well.

In any further schooling, including the coming year, without question you need to get almost all A's. If that's not possible, then med school doesn't make sense for you. It doesn't matter how great a doctor you'd be if you aren't a top student.

Look for a longer, more comprehensive postbac, so that you're well prepared to succeed in med school (which is more important than getting in). Possibilities:
1. Add a major to your current program. Negotiate so that you can retake any prereqs below a B.
2. Do a 2nd bachelors, such as in biochem or microbio.
3. Look into Gtown GEMS or similar programs, as part of a solution.

Wait on the MCAT until you have a more solid foundation. Don't take the MCAT until you're ready to take it once and get your best imaginably possible score.

tl;dr: getting into an SMP or med school is no gift if you're not prepared to succeed.

Best of luck to you.
 
DrMidlife said:
No MCAT yet, correct?

If your picture means you're URM, then the first thing you should do is reach out to the diversity office at one of your home state's public med schools. Seriously. Get hooked up with a good mentor.

The second thing you should do is slow down. With your grades, you're not ready to move on to grad work. Not even if you get a 4.0 this coming year. The work in an SMP requires you to have mastered the content from undergrad. Kids who have 3.5's in undergrad routinely get crushed in an SMP. Kids who have 4.0's in undergrad routinely get crushed in med school. It should be important to you to not get crushed, because getting crushed means failing out with $100k+ in student debt, or it means not getting to choose your specialty, and/or it means not getting through med school in 4 years which means not being able to match well. It's better to take some years off school after undergrad, and come back later for another try, than it is to get into med school and not do well.

In any further schooling, including the coming year, without question you need to get almost all A's. If that's not possible, then med school doesn't make sense for you. It doesn't matter how great a doctor you'd be if you aren't a top student.

Look for a longer, more comprehensive postbac, so that you're well prepared to succeed in med school (which is more important than getting in). Possibilities:
1. Add a major to your current program. Negotiate so that you can retake any prereqs below a B.
2. Do a 2nd bachelors, such as in biochem or microbio.
3. Look into Gtown GEMS or similar programs, as part of a solution.

Wait on the MCAT until you have a more solid foundation. Don't take the MCAT until you're ready to take it once and get your best imaginably possible score.

tl;dr: getting into an SMP or med school is no gift if you're not prepared to succeed.

Best of luck to you.
Click to expand...

I haven't taken the MCAT for the reasons that you just mentioned. I was considering taking a couple upper division science courses at a city around my area but I'm concerned about the cost. Also, I am weary about taking a break from school after I'm done with undergrad because I understand why I didn't do so well in my prerequisite courses. On the other hand, I wouldn't be opposed to doing a post bacc first I just don't want to waste too much time between undergrad and med school if that makes sense
 
DrMidlife said:
No MCAT yet, correct?

If your picture means you're URM, then the first thing you should do is reach out to the diversity office at one of your home state's public med schools. Seriously. Get hooked up with a good mentor.

The second thing you should do is slow down. With your grades, you're not ready to move on to grad work. Not even if you get a 4.0 this coming year. The work in an SMP requires you to have mastered the content from undergrad. Kids who have 3.5's in undergrad routinely get crushed in an SMP. Kids who have 4.0's in undergrad routinely get crushed in med school. It should be important to you to not get crushed, because getting crushed means failing out with $100k+ in student debt, or it means not getting to choose your specialty, and/or it means not getting through med school in 4 years which means not being able to match well. It's better to take some years off school after undergrad, and come back later for another try, than it is to get into med school and not do well.

In any further schooling, including the coming year, without question you need to get almost all A's. If that's not possible, then med school doesn't make sense for you. It doesn't matter how great a doctor you'd be if you aren't a top student.

Look for a longer, more comprehensive postbac, so that you're well prepared to succeed in med school (which is more important than getting in). Possibilities:
1. Add a major to your current program. Negotiate so that you can retake any prereqs below a B.
2. Do a 2nd bachelors, such as in biochem or microbio.
3. Look into Gtown GEMS or similar programs, as part of a solution.

Wait on the MCAT until you have a more solid foundation. Don't take the MCAT until you're ready to take it once and get your best imaginably possible score.

tl;dr: getting into an SMP or med school is no gift if you're not prepared to succeed.

Best of luck to you.
Click to expand...

Also, I currently already have a mentor who is an attending at one of the largest hospitals in my area
 
gabbyjeanb said:
Also, I currently already have a mentor who is an attending at one of the largest hospitals in my area
Click to expand...
Make sure you have somebody who is inside a med school's admissions process. Most docs in practice leave that part WAY behind.
 
I have read that UC schools are SMP proof due to the sheer amount of competition.

I am a Cali resident and given a great performance and a solid committee letter from the BU MAMS program, am I still out of reach of UC schools such as SD, Irvine and Davis?
 
MangoPotato said:
I have read that UC schools are SMP proof due to the sheer amount of competition.

I am a Cali resident and given a great performance and a solid committee letter from the BU MAMS program, am I still out of reach of UC schools such as SD, Irvine and Davis?
Click to expand...
I sincerely hope this isn't true because my dream school is UCSD and I'm currently enrolled in a JHU post-bacc. Maybe it helps you being a cali native? At least you have a better chance of getting into BU!
 
crossstr said:
I sincerely hope this isn't true because my dream school is UCSD and I'm currently enrolled in a JHU post-bacc. Maybe it helps you being a cali native? At least you have a better chance of getting into BU!
Click to expand...
"UC-proof" is hyperbolic. Ever year (or every other year at worst) at least a few students go SMP ---> UC. Should you bank on an SMP getting you into a UC? Absolutely not.
 
No one here really had my situation, so I guess il pony up and take the heat. middle of last two semesters (one being a super senior semester) in my undergrad. cGPA 2.78, sGPA 2.8 . . . No MCAT. URM

Issue: Its not only low, but baggage is real. . . 3.5 semester of filth to add up to 6 years (including next semester)

Options?
 
Taemi said:
No one here really had my situation, so I guess il pony up and take the heat. middle of last two semesters (one being a super senior semester) in my undergrad. cGPA 2.78, sGPA 2.8 . . . No MCAT. URM

Issue: Its not only low, but baggage is real. . . 3.5 semester of filth to add up to 6 years (including next semester)

Options?
Click to expand...
SMP, probably
 
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