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

[Bevo]

Honestly, i dont think it was anything special that I did to particularly address it.

I started studying with some friends and saw how they studied. picked up on trying to pick out the details of what the professor taught or what would be worth of a question and focusing in on that.

Before that I felt like I prob had to learn everything and I'd spend countless hours waisting time.

I found that note taking while I read increased my abilty to retain the information, making notes inthe margins, making up my own questions or finding someone else to explain the material to.

reading should be an active process. Integrate in with lecture, with questions.

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[matmoz79]

I appreciate the advice - btw how's medical school? From what I read from your post, it looks like you're doing pretty well. What field of med. are you interested in going into? If you have time, tell me a little about medical school and what I'm up against when I get there. Thanks.

 

[Bevo]

starting 3rd medical school. decided to forgo reapplying when I did apply (applied late and issues with my undergrad sending out LORs out on time).

So I'm at ross. Staring my 3rd rotations in a matter of weeks.
Basic sci gpa = 3.72, USMLE Step 1 = 233/94

I posted more of my info earlier.

 

[swede]

With a fairly strong undergrad GPA 3.7 and after a year and a half of postbacc, which is going great except for one thing....... a disastrous first semester physics grade(D-). I've managed A's in everything else like bio, A&P, and chem but for whatever reason physics just wasnt doing it for me. I could make excuses all day about what happened but it is what it is. Should I retake before applying to schools this summer? It would delay my whole plan? Any thoughts?

 

[sunnyjohn]

With a fairly strong undergrad GPA 3.7 and after a year and a half of postbacc, which is going great except for one thing....... a disastrous first semester physics grade(D-). I've managed A's in everything else like bio, A&P, and chem but for whatever reason physics just wasnt doing it for me. I could make excuses all day about what happened but it is what it is. Should I retake before applying to schools this summer? It would delay my whole plan? Any thoughts?

Hmm....what kinda post-bacc? Where you redoing undergrad classes? How many times have you taken Physics I?

 

[Phil Anthropist]

To Junebug and all you other postbac peeps that took the MCAT today:

If you're reading this, you survived the beast!!!

Now go out and have some fun!!

I hope you all did well

 

[swede]

Hmm....what kinda post-bacc? Where you redoing undergrad classes? How many times have you taken Physics I?

I have never taken physics before, which I suppose was part of the problem. I am now on track to for an A during the second semester of physics?! The only science I have from my business undergrad degree is A&P which I obviously took as an elective. I was hoping that the improvement I've shown from a D- to an A would be enough but maybe they dont think of it like that?

 

[EvilAngelfish]

At the risk of being redundant, I've got a query pretty similar to ones floating around...
It seems like the general consensus is that to redeem those Cs and Ds in one's undergrad GPA, one should retake courses a la carte for As and then do an SMP. Is this the best way to deal with it? Time is a definate factor (I'll be 24 when I start the post-back or SMP - not a spring chicken) as is money... I just want to get on the ball and get to med school as quickly as possible.

Yikes. In order to bring my filthy science GPA (2.03) up to a barely decent 3, I'd pretty much have to take each and every one of my prereqs over and get straight As. Isn't that what traditional postbacs are for? With my 3 cum GPA, I'm sure I could get into at least 1...

Anyone got any good advice for me?
Thanks.
EvilAngelfish

 

[sunnyjohn]

At the risk of being redundant, I've got a query pretty similar to ones floating around...
It seems like the general consensus is that to redeem those Cs and Ds in one's undergrad GPA, one should retake courses a la carte for As and then do an SMP. Is this the best way to deal with it? Time is a definate factor (I'll be 24 when I start the post-back or SMP - not a spring chicken) as is money... I just want to get on the ball and get to med school as quickly as possible.

Yikes. In order to bring my filthy science GPA (2.03) up to a barely decent 3, I'd pretty much have to take each and every one of my prereqs over and get straight As. Isn't that what traditional postbacs are for? With my 3 cum GPA, I'm sure I could get into at least 1...

Anyone got any good advice for me?
Thanks.
EvilAngelfish

The more credits you have, the harder it is to make a significant improvement in a GPA. Do some calculations with different scenarios and see what you get.

If you bombed the prereq's, it might not be a bad idea to retake them, then look at the SMP's.

 

[mshheaddoc]

At the risk of being redundant, I've got a query pretty similar to ones floating around...
It seems like the general consensus is that to redeem those Cs and Ds in one's undergrad GPA, one should retake courses a la carte for As and then do an SMP. Is this the best way to deal with it? Time is a definate factor (I'll be 24 when I start the post-back or SMP - not a spring chicken) as is money... I just want to get on the ball and get to med school as quickly as possible.

Yikes. In order to bring my filthy science GPA (2.03) up to a barely decent 3, I'd pretty much have to take each and every one of my prereqs over and get straight As. Isn't that what traditional postbacs are for? With my 3 cum GPA, I'm sure I could get into at least 1...

Anyone got any good advice for me?
Thanks.
EvilAngelfish

Well I hope you have some time to improve that GPA. 24 is still young, please try to remember that. I'm planning on doing at least 50 credits of hard sciences and some other classes to boost my GPA. I hope that I don't overload I think its going to push my application year off a year but oh well I'll figure it out eventually. Still looking to see where I'm going to do pre-reqs. I might be moving at the end of the summer so I'm looking for rolling admissions Hopefully they accept me, otherwise its putting everything off a year (for a man none the less ) or staying here for another year and doing prereqs where I already got in at my state school. *sigh* decisions.

 

[kwangho]

Hello All,

I am very happy to see there are forums like this. I think this will give those who has poor GPA a sense of reality and wisdom to better apply to allopathic medical schools in the United States! Good Luck to all of You!
My stats are not really great but improving each day.

Undergrad GPA 2.0
Undergrad Science GPA 2.6
Taken new courses since graduation and new science GPA of 3.5
Planning to take MCAT this august
Planning to enroll the Naturopathic Medical School in the US for a year
then apply to AMCAS schools for the Year 2006.

Wish me luck guys and gals as I wish you the best also.

 

[liverotcod]

Hello All,

I am very happy to see there are forums like this. I think this will give those who has poor GPA a sense of reality and wisdom to better apply to allopathic medical schools in the United States! Good Luck to all of You!
My stats are not really great but improving each day.

Undergrad GPA 2.0
Undergrad Science GPA 2.6
Taken new courses since graduation and new science GPA of 3.5
Planning to take MCAT this august
Planning to enroll the Naturopathic Medical School in the US for a year
then apply to AMCAS schools for the Year 2006.

Wish me luck guys and gals as I wish you the best also.

I haven't heard of Naturopathic Medicine as being a successful route to the MD. Possibly that could work, but why not follow a more tried and tested route like a special masters in hard science?

 

[riceman04]

Hi
my daughter wants to go to Cornell Med. She is at Cornell University now starting her senior year in BioChem. Her MCAT is 28 and her GPA is 2.8. What should she do?
I want her to take a post-bac program. Which one does Cornell Med respect?
She has done a lot of research. She wants to keep doing that, but that won't help her GPA?

Pixie

Does she know why she wants to go to Cornell Med school?

There is a list of post-baccs on the aamc website.
go to www.aamc.org
from there, click on medical schools (on the right side). When that page comes up, the "postbaccalaureate programs" link should be on the right hand side.
You might want to also check some med school websites as well b/c they also have some summer/postbacc programs that are not listed on under the linked I just mentioned.

By all means, she can continue doing the research, but she should also take more upper level courses. I think the major benefits of an organized post bacc program are having advisors and the possibility of linkage programs. Other than that, a class here is the same as a class there (that's how most med schools look at it).

So, yes she should continue taking classes so that she can adequately demonstrate her ability to handle work she will encounter in med school. But she should also continue her research if she really loves it.

 

[kwangho]

Well, Naturopathic Medicine is quite a new field. In my honest opinion, MDs look down on every medical profession out there starting from Optometry, Osteopathy, Chinese Medicine, Podiatry, Chiropractic as well as Naturopathic Medicine. Even among MDs, I see that competition and hatred towards doctors who graduated from the suburb medical school. According to the AAMC, they surveyed 4th year conventional medical school graduates regarding how they feel about the other types of medicine. They all agreed that other field of medicine are bunch of quacks. But you know what, we need all types of medicine because they all have their own speciality. We simply can't decide which one is the best field to be into; rather we have to leave it up to our patients. They will be the better judge at it then we do.

I am a very open minded person and I do not have hatred towards any profession. I know MD school will look down at ND school but I am certain that MD school would look at ND school as one of a graduate school. We all have to try very hard to get there. I will pray for you all.

God bless,

Thomas

 

[rmsteinberg]

Hey there,

I got B's through D's in my chemistry courses as an undergrad, and never took physics, but there are very few post-bach courses offered in my area (Austin, TX). My grad school grades were very good (3.9 average) but I'm told that I still need to repeat my chemistry and physics courses. Does anyone know if online or correspondence courses from a reputable university will suffice?

-Rebecca

 

[Singing Devil]

Hey there,

I got B's through D's in my chemistry courses as an undergrad, and never took physics, but there are very few post-bach courses offered in my area (Austin, TX). My grad school grades were very good (3.9 average) but I'm told that I still need to repeat my chemistry and physics courses. Does anyone know if online or correspondence courses from a reputable university will suffice?

-Rebecca

There's a reputable university that does online or correspondence courses???
In science!??

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Hey there,

I got B's through D's in my chemistry courses as an undergrad, and never took physics, but there are very few post-bach courses offered in my area (Austin, TX). My grad school grades were very good (3.9 average) but I'm told that I still need to repeat my chemistry and physics courses. Does anyone know if online or correspondence courses from a reputable university will suffice?

-Rebecca

It's always advisable to take every class you can at a reputable university. I have enver heard of correspondance bio or chem classes. You dont have any small schools offering evening classes? In houston there's a bunch of schools which offer evening classes for people that work full-time. Ever thought of relocating to our beautifully decorated concrete metropolis?

Tooth

 

[beatrizmedrano]

hello my name is beatriz a. medrano . i just graduated this may with a B.S. from a fairly unknown uni. UTPA in edinburg, texas. well needless to say my GPA and MCAT score were not too good. GPA overall 3.288 and science 3.15 MCAT 20 O/ 18Q. i applied to UCONN post bacc. but have not heard from them. do u have any advice. i am reapplying this june but have no set plans for the year that lies ahead. like i said i have not gotten into any post bacc programs. does anyone know if research is a plus or is it frowned upon? HELP!!!! desperately trying to get into medical schooooooooool!!!!

 

[junebuguf]

hello my name is beatriz a. medrano . i just graduated this may with a B.S. from a fairly unknown uni. UTPA in edinburg, texas. well needless to say my GPA and MCAT score were not too good. GPA overall 3.288 and science 3.15 MCAT 20 O/ 18Q. i applied to UCONN post bacc. but have not heard from them. do u have any advice. i am reapplying this june but have no set plans for the year that lies ahead. like i said i have not gotten into any post bacc programs. does anyone know if research is a plus or is it frowned upon? HELP!!!! desperately trying to get into medical schooooooooool!!!!

You don't need to go a formal post-bacc. You can enroll as a non-degree student just about anywhere and take those pre-req classes over again (which you probably need to do). And you'll definitely need to improve your MCAT to at least 27+. If you're a TX resident, whatever you do, make sure you keep your TX residency. Its one of the easier states to get into a state school.

 

[Msresilience]

Man i thought i was the only one with med school ambitions , yet haunted by the ghosts of my undergrad GPA.As an undergraduate i was a premed student and neuroscience major at the university of chicago, then for some reason i switched to chemcal engineering in my junior year and still did pre-med. Bold decision, devastating consequences. After cramming in all my engineering courses in the last two years , due to several factors, work,lack of money, tirednesss, i got burned out and managed to incure a three C+s and A D+ in technical electives . those sent my GPA down the drain. i graduated with a GPA of 2.9, and i just currently recieved my masters form U of chicago, in chemical engineering. GPA 3.5. i did a thesis in biotech for my masters, and although i have had many interviews with several comapnies, i know in my heart that my ultimate goal is to be a neurologist. I don't want to kiss that dream good bye. i intend to work for at least a year or two, but i don't which way would be the best to redeem myself and make myself more competitive in the future for medschool. Should i enroll in a post bacc?Can i do it while working full time? will a really high mCAT score foot the bill? I managed to get an A,B for engineering physics in undergrad, B A- for Bio I and II, tested out for calc I and II, but got a B and Ain calc IV and III respectively. Got B in anatomy and Bin orgo I. Got a C+ in chem I, but an A in chem II , (at a different institution, sadly grades don't transfer).Don't know what to retake. i suppose i could retake chemistryII and orgo II which i did at another university.Please has anyone got any advice for me. i would really appreciate it.

Thnaks.

 

[junebuguf]

Well, you have a lot things going for you:

The grad work will definitely strengthen your application....however, the 3.5 gpa is still a little lower than what you'd need. The reason is that with a poor undergraduate gpa you absolutely NEED to get straight A's. One B or an A- or two out of 20 post-bacc classes isnt so bad, but a 3.5 is still mediocre. Still, its a good start.

Your other positive is that you did a lot of your work at U of Chicago, a highly reputable university, particularly in regard to their pre-req coursework, which I understand is supposed to be very rigorous.

Now for the hard part:

You NEED to do well on the MCAT, with good being 35+ for your case.

Your pre-req grades arent great but at this point retaking them would probably provide limited returns since you've already completed many advanced courses in phys and chem.

You have one of two options:

1) Find at least 12 upper level undergraduate biology courses you havent taken, and pursue an a la carte post-bacc at Northwestern or UChicago. Study for the MCAT, apply next year. The benefit being that by getting A's you will push your gpa over 3.0, as well as demonstrate your ability to handle a rigorous schedule.


2) Pursue an SMP, which is basically a year of taking first year medical school classes. If you do well, you have done the most you can to convince adcoms you can handle thr rigors of med school. There is even one at Rosalind Franklin in Chicago. I think this is the best option for you since an undergrad post-bacc seems weak compared to your grad record.


Whatever you do you need to commit to full-time. The biggest disadvantage to doing a post-bacc or MS part-time is that you need to show adcoms you can handle a tough, full-time load of science classes, which you will never be able to do part-time. So take out a loan or work for a few years, save up and then start. If you pick the latter option, use the intervening years to volunteer, shadow physicians and pursue medical research--many labs will take on complete novices for the free labor.

Edit: Also, remember to believe in yourself!! I've been pursing this goal for over two years now with worse numbers when I first started. It can be tremendously frustrating and will truly test your commitment but there are also times when you'll amaze yourself with what your accomplish. It can be done and there are a lot of people who have done it. Don't believe the conventional wisdom spewed by pre-med counselors....chart your own course and you'll be fine.

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Man i thought i was the only one with med school ambitions , yet haunted by the ghosts of my undergrad GPA.As an undergraduate i was a premed student and neuroscience major at the university of chicago, then for some reason i switched to chemcal engineering in my junior year and still did pre-med. Bold decision, devastating consequences. After cramming in all my engineering courses in the last two years , due to several factors, work,lack of money, tirednesss, i got burned out and managed to incure a three C+s and A D+ in technical electives . those sent my GPA down the drain. i graduated with a GPA of 2.9, and i just currently recieved my masters form U of chicago, in chemical engineering. GPA 3.5. i did a thesis in biotech for my masters, and although i have had many interviews with several comapnies, i know in my heart that my ultimate goal is to be a neurologist. I don't want to kiss that dream good bye. i intend to work for at least a year or two, but i don't which way would be the best to redeem myself and make myself more competitive in the future for medschool. Should i enroll in a post bacc?Can i do it while working full time? will a really high mCAT score foot the bill? I managed to get an A,B for engineering physics in undergrad, B A- for Bio I and II, tested out for calc I and II, but got a B and Ain calc IV and III respectively. Got B in anatomy and Bin orgo I. Got a C+ in chem I, but an A in chem II , (at a different institution, sadly grades don't transfer).Don't know what to retake. i suppose i could retake chemistryII and orgo II which i did at another university.Please has anyone got any advice for me. i would really appreciate it.

Thnaks.

If I were you I would retake the pre-reqs you did poorly in while working full-time in your new job, take the MCAT in the summer following and enroll into Georgetown SMP and other special masters program like it. With a solid showing on the MCAT and a sweet performance in the SMP I think you'd be a shoe in.

Tooth

 

[Msresilience]

Thanks alot junebug, for taking the time to reply my mail. That was very kind of you. I hope you succeed in your own endeavors. are you doing a post bacc or SMP?which would give me a greater advantage? are you doing it full itme? is it easy to get into a SMP or post bacc?Take care and good luck.

God bless.

Well, you have a lot things going for you:

The grad work will definitely strengthen your application....however, the 3.5 gpa is still a little lower than what you'd need. The reason is that with a poor undergraduate gpa you absolutely NEED to get straight A's. One B or an A- or two out of 20 post-bacc classes isnt so bad, but a 3.5 is still mediocre. Still, its a good start.

Your other positive is that you did a lot of your work at U of Chicago, a highly reputable university, particularly in regard to their pre-req coursework, which I understand is supposed to be very rigorous.

Now for the hard part:

You NEED to do well on the MCAT, with good being 35+ for your case.

Your pre-req grades arent great but at this point retaking them would probably provide limited returns since you've already completed many advanced courses in phys and chem.

You have one of two options:

1) Find at least 12 upper level undergraduate biology courses you havent taken, and pursue an a la carte post-bacc at Northwestern or UChicago. Study for the MCAT, apply next year. The benefit being that by getting A's you will push your gpa over 3.0, as well as demonstrate your ability to handle a rigorous schedule.


2) Pursue an SMP, which is basically a year of taking first year medical school classes. If you do well, you have done the most you can to convince adcoms you can handle thr rigors of med school. There is even one at Rosalind Franklin in Chicago. I think this is the best option for you since an undergrad post-bacc seems weak compared to your grad record.


Whatever you do you need to commit to full-time. The biggest disadvantage to doing a post-bacc or MS part-time is that you need to show adcoms you can handle a tough, full-time load of science classes, which you will never be able to do part-time. So take out a loan or work for a few years, save up and then start. If you pick the latter option, use the intervening years to volunteer, shadow physicians and pursue medical research--many labs will take on complete novices for the free labor.

Edit: Also, remember to believe in yourself!! I've been pursing this goal for over two years now with worse numbers when I first started. It can be tremendously frustrating and will truly test your commitment but there are also times when you'll amaze yourself with what your accomplish. It can be done and there are a lot of people who have done it. Don't believe the conventional wisdom spewed by pre-med counselors....chart your own course and you'll be fine.

 

[swifteagle43]

*****Update 2/5/2005****

I've been accepted to the University of Texas at San Antonio for this fall's upcoming class! It's literally a dream come true. Monday night was the happiest night of my life and I've been on cloud nine ever since.

Do NOT give up.

Do NOT lose hope.

Go for your dream and you can make it a reality!
MD Applicants page
************************************

From: Texas

My story:

So it all started (as all good stories must) on a dark and stormy night many, many moons ago - 1996. I was a freshman in college following a five-year stint in the Marines. I knew that I wanted to be a physician, and in typical gung-ho Marine style I had jumped feet first into pre-med coursework. I did okay my first semester, getting four A's and a B. But there were two big problems: the school's pre-med office and the feeling that I was older, out of step with the young gunners straight out of high school.

My pre-med advisory office told me that medical schools wouldn't take someone with a B on their record. That they didn't like older, non-traditional applicants , and that I might as well just forget about it. Seriously! They said this! It felt like running into a brick wall....and as for feeling out of place, well, I had a difficult time relating to people barely old enough to vote.

Anyway, long story short: the next three semesters were relatively bad for various reasons, but I managed to drastically improve by graduation. I scored decently on the MCAT. However, despite this, my applications to various programs produced nothing. Not even interviews. It was a very depressing experience. Who likes to fail?

After talking with several Deans of Admission I determined that I'd need to do a lot of postbacc work to get myself into medical school. It was a difficult time, because I really doubted whether I'd ever be able to acheive my dreams. I'd never failed before and this was hard to take.

So I enrolled in another school for a post-bacc year and did very well. It was heartening to know that I could do well, but I had to face reality: I would have to take post-bacc courses for years in order to raise my GPA . I had taken sooo many undergrad science courses that there just wasn't much left. What if I never made it into med school, what would I do with myself? I figured that I had to be smart and plan for a future without med school....which lead to my enrollemnt in a MS program in genetics.

It was a decision that turned out wonderfully. I have really come to love doing research, and more importantly I have learned how to read/absorb/excel with really difficult material. I have learned how to effectively learn large volumes of new, often difficult material. Most of all, though, the experience has given me the confidence that although difficult, medical school is completely possible.

I suppose that this confidence has infused everything I've done in the last few years. I re-took the MCAT this past April. I did well because I believed in myself. I'm due to have two first-author publications in good journals, and I even managed to get accepted off a waitlist for Fall 2005 (crazy story!).

Acceptance in hand, I'm looking to see if any TX or AMCAS schools are going to show me love. It's been a long, hard journey but here I am. It still hasn't really occurred to me that I've already acheived one of my major life goals......yet every so often I look at the doctors around me and think: "Yep, that'll be me in a few short years."

CONGRATULATIONS EVO!

 

[bravotwozero]

Ok, so i finished my undergrad with a 3.17 cGPA. How many years do you guys think it would take to bring this up to a GPA that would be considered competitive for medschools?

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Ok, so i finished my undergrad with a 3.17 cGPA. How many years do you guys think it would take to bring this up to a GPA that would be considered competitive for medschools?

It depends on how many credits you've accumulated.

I'll guess that you have around 120 credits @ 3.17.

To give you an idea, it would take you:

30 postbac credits, all As to get a 3.34 undergrad cume
60 postbac credits, all As to get a 3.45 undergrad cume
90 postbac credits, all As to get a 3.53 undergrad cume
120 postbac credits, all As to get a 3.59 undergrad cume

The matriculant averages at most US allo schools probably ranges from 3.5-3.7. It takes so much work (and time) to raise a low undergrad GPA even just 0.10 points. This is why some low GPAers opt to do a graduate program instead (especially a special masters program or special certificate program). A graduate program will not improve your undergrad cume like undergrad postbac courses will. But in conjuction with a solid MCAT (the lower your undergrad GPA, the higher you should shoot on the MCAT to offset it), an excellent performance in a challenging graduate program may allow you to make up for a less than stellar undergraduate academic record.

Another thing to consider is that if you retake, US osteo schools only calculate your most recent grade (but the DO adcoms do see both grades). Therefore, it is easier to raise your GPA if you are considering applying to osteopathic medical schools.

Another option is the foreign route. There are some significant disadvantages, but for some people's objectives, foreign medical schools can do the job as well.

 

[RoxyKaur]

what do you guys think. well right now i have a low gpa below 2.5 but by the time i finish my undergrad i will have a gpa of 2.86 but if i want to apply to a post bacc my gpa would be 2.67 fall gpa. i plan to apply next spring to a post bacc but when do you guys think i should apply to a post bacc after im done with my degree or after fall semester?

here a gpa calculator for those who need help in calculating gpa and sub grades
http://studentaffairs.csufresno.edu/advising/probation_dq/GPA_Calculator.html
thanks

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Ok, so i finished my undergrad with a 3.17 cGPA. How many years do you guys think it would take to bring this up to a GPA that would be considered competitive for medschools?

A year at georgetown with a solid mcat should do the trick.

Tooth

 

[Singing Devil]

Hey, for anyone who cares, I just got into UPitt, so I'm going to be there for medical school in the fall.

So, just remember, a bad GPA don't have to kill you. Even flunking out of college didn't kill me. Though it hurt a lot.

 

[emgirl]

Congrats singing devil... you give me much hope!

 

[junebuguf]

Hey, for anyone who cares, I just got into UPitt, so I'm going to be there for medical school in the fall.

So, just remember, a bad GPA don't have to kill you. Even flunking out of college didn't kill me. Though it hurt a lot.

Congratulations Singing Devil!! I don't know if Pittsburgh is any kind of upgrade from the sticks of North Carolina, but its definitely a better (read: higher ranked) med school. You and liverotcod are like the doggie treats while the rest of us are the greyhounds running around the dog tracks. You know what the say about those greyhounds--if they ever catch up with the treat, they stop racing.

PS I got a 34. Bleh....I was expecting higher but it just didnt translate on test day.

 

[Singing Devil]

Congratulations Singing Devil!! I don't know if Pittsburgh is any kind of upgrade from the sticks of North Carolina, but its definitely a better (read: higher ranked) med school. You and liverotcod are like the doggie treats while the rest of us are the greyhounds running around the dog tracks. You know what the say about those greyhounds--if they ever catch up with the treat, they stop racing.

PS I got a 34. Bleh....I was expecting higher but it just didnt translate on test day.

What you talkin about, Willis? 34 ain't bad. It's pretty damn good. Look, the difference between 34 and 36 or 39 ain't the same as the difference between 26 and 29 or 32. Once you're to a certain score (mid 30s), it's all the same.

Pittsbugh, imo, is a major upgrade. I came away from that interview blown away by the school. very impressive. btw, they love non-trads, so you should definitely apply. Can't remember, where's liverot going?

 

[sunnyjohn]

Congrats Singing Devil.

Pitt is lucky to get you.


So, does this make you a Steelers fan?

 

[Singing Devil]

Congrats Singing Devil.

Pitt is lucky to get you.


So, does this make you a Steelers fan?

Weird, I'm feeling this incredible sense of deja vu.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Way to go Singing Devil! Glad to hear that waitlist came through!

Obligatory picture of excessively euphoric amputee:

I believe liverotcod's headed to the University of Wisconsin.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Weird, I'm feeling this incredible sense of deja vu.

harde har har har.

GO COWBOYS!

 

[Singing Devil]

harde har har har.

GO COWBOYS!

For those out of the loop, Mrs. Sunnyjohn posted the EXACT same message in the Pitt c/o 2009 allo thread.

Go Skins/Panthers/Steelers/somebody else who is not the Cowboys!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Ahhh...I see.

sunnyjohn, you are an interesting one. You are goofy in a random Simpsons sorta way. Girl, you crazee!!!!

P.S. I enjoyed the "beating a dead horse" avatar

 

[sunnyjohn]

Ahhh...I see.

sunnyjohn, you are an interesting one. You are goofy in a random Simpsons sorta way. Girl, you crazee!!!!

P.S. I enjoyed the "beating a dead horse" avatar

The horse, well it seemed to fit given many of the threads on the forum.

I'm a bit goofy today 'cause I'm on this new diet and the lack of carbs is making me stupid. I'd give my left small toe for an icecream sandwich or a Olive Garden breadstick.

It's no wonder I can't keep the thread straight.

Would my cat be mostly protein? What about the fur? Hmmm...

 

[liverotcod]

I believe liverotcod's headed to the University of Wisconsin.

Yup, this doggy treat is headed off to the north country. Pitt was a hard one to turn down, though. Congrats, Mr. Devil, from the evil doctor.

 

[titoincali]

It's great to see so much support being passed around in this thread! Perhaps I can get some opinions from those in the same boat as me or at least have someone tell me to stop going crazy with worry!

I'm a 27 year old, Latina CA resident. I graduated with a 2.9 from a top 5 liberal arts college. I really struggled my sophmore year because my family was struggling emotionally and financially. Honestly, I always thought I was above average in maturity and stability because I had to be in my messed up family. But when I went away to college I realized I was nowhere near as unaffected as I thought! My sophmore year I was working almost 30 hours a week to help pay for what was left of expenses after loans and grants kicked in (which wasn't even a lot). After being put on academic probation for one term I worked to get myself back on track and did well the last 2 years of school. After school I worked first as a mental health counselor and then in clinical research management while taking my science prereqs at a local state university. Again, I've managed to do very well. But it still is only pulling my GPA up to about 3.1 with a Science GPA of 3.4. Now, I know I put a lot of pressure on myself for the MCAT but I was really happy to see that I pulled off a 37Q!

For the first day I was walking around so excited about my score but now I'm back to worrying about the huge discrepancy between my score and my GPA. I'm not sure where to apply because while I'm competitive with my MCAT, I'm below the average GPA for every school!

Should I stop worrying so much? How did other people get over their anxieties about GPA's?

 

[monu1234]

ok, so i'm doing the smp at bu next year, but my mcats are a 27, do you guys think i shud study for them during the spring and retake them??? i think i shud, but i don't know if it's plausible for me to do well in both

 

[sunnyjohn]

Yup, this doggy treat is headed off to the north country. Pitt was a hard one to turn down, though. Congrats, Mr. Devil, from the evil doctor.

Doggy treat, hmm. Perhaps a CHEESE snack?

 

[rpost3]

Hey, for anyone who cares, I just got into UPitt, so I'm going to be there for medical school in the fall.

So, just remember, a bad GPA don't have to kill you. Even flunking out of college didn't kill me. Though it hurt a lot.

Dude I need some stats pronto, cause Pitt is one of my number one schools. I'm taking my sciences post bacc at Drexel since I never took them before and I'll finish with like a 3.9. I have no idea how I'll score on the MCAT's since I don't take them till April (I don't finish my BCMP's until this coming December).

 

[Singing Devil]

Dude I need some stats pronto, cause Pitt is one of my number one schools. I'm taking my sciences post bacc at Drexel since I never took them before and I'll finish with like a 3.9. I have no idea how I'll score on the MCAT's since I don't take them till April (I don't finish my BCMP's until this coming December).

The semester before I graduated from Pitt a few years ago, I got diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrom and a learning disability, which explained a bad 2.4 GPA. I returned to Pitt after treatment because I wanted to see if the learning disability part was just some BS diagnosis or if that was truely my situation. I got a 3.35 in Psych and improved GPA-wise every semester. Now I'm at taking the science classes and getting the 3.9. I was also a varsity athlete, and have volunteer, reserearch, and healthcare working experience. Think I have a chance at Pitt? What was your situation? I figured I didn't have a prayer and planned on going anywhere that would take me. Thanks in advance.

Behold, the whole story, which I don't feel like writing again because I am a lazy bastard:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=184612

 

[LabMonster]

I can't believe I just found this forum.

Anyway - GPA 3.07, BCPM 2.77. I really don't want to spend 2 years getting an MS I really only want for med-school - so maybe SMP is the way to go. If I ace the one year deal - do I have a shot? My top two choices are Wake and Case; naturally, my GPA isn't going to cut it at either place!

Like Junebug I was hoping for better than my MCAT, but 33Q should get the job done, if I had a respectable GPA. Unfortunately, I pushed the PROCESS button...

It's good to see I have good company! You all give me hope.

 

[beeker]

You guys are all awsome. You give me hope too. Here are my numbers:
GPA: 2.5 Science:2.4 UC Davis Biochem&Molec Bio & Econ.

Focused on everything but school. Joined a fraternity, worked 20-30 hrs/week,and did a ton of extra stuff besides study because I wanted to be a fireman/arson investigator. While working as an EMT I discovered my passion for healthcare emergencis, but then I got frustrated because I though I could never be a doctor with my GPA. Took a forensic toxicology job to get away from the frustration, but now I've decided to go for the dream.

Here is my question:

My work will pay for postbacc classes at Univesity of Florida ONLINE in forensic toxicology. Should I do that or go to the state school by home? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[blankguy]

Major in Economics from Brandeis University GPA of 2.6ish didn't know what I was doing. After graduating still didn't have a clue. While at Brandeis I was put on probation a couple of times and asked to take some time off. I was really a lost kid. Postbacc at UMass Boston. Lowest grade was A- in Physics. GPA of around 3.9ish. Have about 40+ credit hours including some non premed courses.
My GPA is inching up. I think it could be around 2.8ish by now. I don't think I am the only one with a constant reminder of bad GPA even though I was flying through my post bacc classes.

 

[LabMonster]

Here is my question:

My work will pay for postbacc classes at Univesity of Florida ONLINE in forensic toxicology. Should I do that or go to the state school by home? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you get tuition reimbursement for a PostBacc you are interested in - hell yeah, dive in!

I think that is a pretty good combination to minimize debt/financial strain and maximize your chances at acing the program.

 

[jintonic5]

Here is my question:

My work will pay for postbacc classes at Univesity of Florida ONLINE in forensic toxicology. Should I do that or go to the state school by home? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

IMHO, i don't think it would be a good idea to take your pre-reqs online. online courses have been around for a while, but the rigor compared to regular classes is difficult to discern. With your undergrad gpa as it is, you need to prove to adcoms that you can handle med school. personally, i would take the classes at a public university in your area on campus. It's nice that they would be willing to pay for your online classes, but if medicine is your ultimate goal, isn't better to invest some money now?