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

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Do you guys know of anyone who actually got into allopathic medical school with a low undergraduate gpa? I graduated with a 2.4 five years ago (never studied). I'm planning on taking the pre-req's over the next two years and I hope to get 4.0's. However, 4.0's in all the pre-req's will only raise my gpa to 2.9ish. With a 2.9 gpa I can't even get into a masters program. Any suggestions?
 
dfn27 said:
Do you guys know of anyone who actually got into allopathic medical school with a low undergraduate gpa? I graduated with a 2.4 five years ago (never studied). I'm planning on taking the pre-req's over the next two years and I hope to get 4.0's. However, 4.0's in all the pre-req's will only raise my gpa to 2.9ish. With a 2.9 gpa I can't even get into a masters program. Any suggestions?
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Try searching mdapplicants for GPA < 3.0, accepted at any school. There are 29 records. Furthermore, I'll bet that masters programs will make an exception for applicants with an upward trend.
 
I hardly believed it could be possible as well. But then I started looking into it through this board and some other sites and it definetly is possible. The longer its been since your poor ugad performance, the better. Five years is a good long time to separate yourself from those grades. Thats the good news. The bad news is that the worse you did in undergrad, the more courses you'll have to take to overcome it. From what I've seen, one year spent retaking the pre-reqs is not going to be enough. It is highly likely that you will have to supplement that year with either a second bachelors or a masters program of some sort. Also, you wont (or shouldnt) apply till you have at least two years worth of grades to demonstrate that you can maintain your upward trend.

As far as deciding between a second bachelors or a masters, its really what you're most comfortable with. I personally didnt want to spend a lot of time doing research (even though its helps on your application) and taking more undergrad classes in a second bachelors will help prop up your overall and BCMP gpas on AMCAS. So thats the route I've chosen. From what I've heard and read, its pretty much unanimous: a Masters degree is not any better than a second Bachelors for a low gpa applicant. The pool of applicants who have completed Masters is enormous. As a low gpa applicant, it wont really do much to make your application stand out.

However, a SMP will. If you can get into one of those, do it. A 2.9 should be fine for most SMP programs--they're designed to help applicant with gpa/mcat issues. As long as you ace the mcat, I'm sure you'll get into some SMP program.

If you're interested in a second bachelors, I would recommend that you consider applying to get a second bachelors degree right now. Then, upon entering the program, retake the pre-reqs, take 20-30 credits of upper division coursework and voila! The pre-req credits apply towards the required residency credits as well as towards fulfilling program requirement.s You've earned a second bachelors, raised your gpa and have a bright, shiny new undergraduate degree to show off.
 
Wow....I'm glad I'm not the only one with a less than stellar GPA. I'm kinda embarrased to admit my GPA but that'll come in time....
I'm interested in Vet school and from what I hear its extremely competitive.
I talked to admissions counselor today and she was extremely helpful. She told me to basically take more undergrad classes since most of the first 3 yrs of vet school consists of basic science classes that are in a similar lecture format as undergrad. Sigh....so I'm going to take pre-reqs and a post bacc soon....maybe full time....I think admissions ppl look at whether u can handle a full course load....but I guess its up to you..

To EBETE-wow! inspiring story! Good luck whichever road u chooise! I think u should only do PA if you like that field not as a stepping stone to MD....its a good paying job tho. But its 2 yrs thats very intense! and u would prolly get burnt out even before starting med school if u chose that route!

I think another reason ppl tell u to do PA or NP is probably so u have a backup plan in case u don't get into med school....It'ls probably a good idea but if its really what u want (MD or DVM) then it'll be a long road ahead and takes the desire and passion to get thru it! Good Luck to everyone! I hope u guys keep us posted on yer progress...
 
To Singing_Devil, Liverotcod and all the other posters who are part of this subcommunity on SDN and applying in this application cycle, do keep this thread posted with the progress of your applications--secondaries, interviews--good news or bad. It definitely helps motivate me (particularly through summer Orgo), and I'm sure many others reading this thread. I guess its about that time that secondaries are mailed and interview dates are assigned, so if you guys have any news, I'm sure we'd all love to hear it.
 
I just wanted to chime in with my story. This post is also in the Non-trad forum as well.

************************************

rom: 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 kids 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. Very depressing. 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.

In any event, I did very well in a post-bacc year. I then decided to face reality: if I never made it into med school, what would I do with myself? I didn't figure that I could just do endless postbacc coursework, and besides: I had taken sooo many undergrad science courses that there just wasn't much left. Which lead to my enrollemnt in a MS program in genetics.

Which has 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."
 
EvoDevo said:
Thanks Exmike!!

How's Case treating you?
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only had two days of orientation so far, but i love it for now!
 
Hello
University of Pittsburgh 2.97?
Starting up again so far all A's( anatomy, etc)
Start MPH in a few weeks
I got c's and withdrew from some science classes
So let's see
After MPH plan on going to formal post bac program
Have fun keep up the good work Junebug.
 
Manhattan College, Bronx, N.Y
Class of 2003
Overall GPA: 3.028
I not sure about my biological sciences.
23y/o
MCAT:22N
 
Hey -

Just found this forum....looking into post-bacc for either 2005 or 2006 (depends on if I can work a major personal event in there somewhere)

My stats are...
BS Biomedical Photography from RIT - GPA 2.98 due to a crappy first semester or so...
and I'm currently working as a retinal angiographer in a major Baltimore/DC clinic.
 
well, okay. i'm, ahem, new, and i am so frickin' glad that i'm not the only M.D.-hopeful out there who hasn't got pretty grades. every person i know taking the pre-med track, they're all so smart and focused!

i guess my situation is similar; i didn't really get to read all the posts...i happen to only be in my second year of college in general, but i'm so ashamed because my g.p.a. is a lousy 2.9 (i refuse to tell my friends), 'cos i suck so horribly in the physical sciences and mathematics--that stuff really kills me.

i attend a community college right now, and i'm planning on transferring (duh) to UCSF, WSU (for the Path-A prog), or UCD.

the only thing is...can i be sure that i'm a good enough student?
 
junebuguf said:
However, a SMP will. If you can get into one of those, do it. A 2.9 should be fine for most SMP programs--they're designed to help applicant with gpa/mcat issues. As long as you ace the mcat, I'm sure you'll get into some SMP program..
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Ok, chances are if someone did poorly in their undergrad pre-req coursework, they're not going to ace the mcat. 🙄
 
kalix said:
Ok, chances are if someone did poorly in their undergrad pre-req coursework, they're not going to ace the mcat. 🙄
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I was referring to overall undergrad gpa, not specifically science pre-reqs. There are many people with higher science gpas than overall undergrad gpas...mostly because they were non-science majors and didnt screw up their BCMP gpa for that reason.

And on the contrary, there are many people (even on this board) that did poorly in undergrad (and also on pre-req coursework) that did just fine on the MCAT. I personally took all the pre-reqs (except Orgo) 7 years ago with around a 3.0, gave up on med school for lack of direction, graduated, decided I wanted to go to med school after all and, retook the pre-reqs and am scoring very well on my practice MCATs. There are others who never retook the pre-reqs, just brushed up on the material and did well on the MCAT. Point being, it can, and often is, done.

People do poorly in undergrad for tons of reasons and its often not for lack of ability....so 'chances are...' doesnt apply in the context of this conversation because the poor gpas of the posters in this thread can be more clearly attributable to lack of motivation and effort than lack of intelligence. Please take the time to actually read through the stories on here before making vague and generalized observations...especially when you decide to decorate your ignorance with sarcastic emoticons.
 
Wellesley College 2003
BA in middle eastern studies (my major gpa is somewhere around 3.6)
overall: 3.27
BMC (didn't take physics at wellelsey): 2.7
MCAT aug 2003: 26O

I guess it's not *too* bad.
last year I took upper level undergrad bios and physics at stony brook. i'm still taking classes at stony this year, research, voluteering, yada yada and desperatly waiting for my aug 2004 mcat score. right now i'm at-
overall gpa: 3.4
BCMP: 3.24
hopefully by the time i apply overall will be 3.5 and BCMP will be 3.4.
i'm 23, hopefully i'll matriculate fall 2006.
its been a ride. the harder you push for it, the more worth it it becomes. i've learned more about myself and what i want in this year or so after college than the four years I spend trying to find myself in college. my advice is that if you are unsure about your decision/stats and think you need more time, wait. i never thought i would be where i am at now two years ago. I found that the more I waited, the more i wanted it and i think that will make me a strong candidate dispite my past f** ups.
 
junebuguf said:
... retook the pre-reqs and am scoring very well on my practice MCATs. There are others who never retook the pre-reqs, just brushed up on the material and did well on the MCAT. Point being, it can, and often is, done...
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I think you missed my point.

There's a difference between doing well on the MCAT(>27), and acing it(>35). 😎 . . . couldn't resist using the "sarcastic emoticon" again :laugh: . . .


junebuguf said:
However, a SMP will. If you can get into one of those, do it. A 2.9 should be fine for most SMP programs--they're designed to help applicant with gpa/mcat issues. As long as you ace the mcat, I'm sure you'll get into some SMP program.
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kalix said:
I think you missed my point.

There's a difference between doing well on the MCAT(>27), and acing it(>35). 😎 . . . couldn't resist using the "sarcastic emoticon" again :laugh: . . .
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As someone who "aced" the MCAT AND had a dreadful undergraduate GPA, I would like to address this debate, which is quickly becoming semantically petty. (e.g. picking on someone for an obvious typo.)

I believe Junebug's point, which is really the issue rather than his use of hyperbolic language, is that having a very poor undergraduate GPA often makes people think that medical school is impossible. Indeed, I was told by many people that I would NEVER get in medical school with my undergraduate record. The reason for doubt is twofold. First, if one has taken all the necessary prerequisites and done poorly, retaking them does not show academic achievement as much as it implies an advantage because the information is already familiar, so the improved grades from a postbacc don't help very much. Second, if one has majored in science and done poorly, it may take an unrealistic amount of coursework to pull a lowly GPA up to even respectable levels. Thus, the theory is that a lowsy GPA is the end of the world.

However, GPA is not as much an indicator of ability as it is a record of performance, so if the ability is present, a more mature, more focused, and often older student can perform to his/her level on the MCAT and "make up" the GPA by enrolling in a SMP, which does not have to averaged with earlier poor grades.

While "aceing the MCAT" may be difficult, some people are in difficult enough circumstances that they need to do just that, and hearing someone else talk about how bad the chances are of doing that is unnecessary. What would be better is a discussion of how an above average performance might also be sufficient.
 
u know, people. i wish that someone could have told me years ago.

i also spent lots of time trying to take more classes, etc. at that time, i also thought that caribbean schools are for those who are really desperate, etc.
then i talked to one guy that i met from this site, and he had similar situations as i had, and he told me about him applying do schools and a few caribbean schools. now he has already finished his program at Ross, he is already back in the land of free, home of the brave. he is half way done with his MD program.

so for those of you who are taking several years to take post-bac programs, i say, it is time to move on. try a caribbean school, in the end, you might have wished that you could have started early to save your years of time.

think about it, after you get your md, after 10 years, who is gonna care where you get your education. it only matters that you can practice medicine in the country.

and i have met several really smart people who didn't even bother with reapplying any med. schools in the states, they just came to the caribbean right out of college. and they are doing great right now.
 
Singing Devil said:
What would be better is a discussion of how an above average performance might also be sufficient
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Well, first off, refer to dictionary.com before you try and correct my use of the word "ace"

tr.v. aced, ac?ing, ac?es

Secondly, we're all scientists here, so let's try and pay attention to detail, be it in the lab, or in everyday language.

However, I do believe you're right in noting that an above average MCAT might be sufficient for gaining an interview, at least. 🙄
 
kalix said:
Well, first off, refer to dictionary.com before you try and correct my use of the word "ace"

tr.v. aced, ac?ing, ac?es

Secondly, we're all scientists here, so let's try and pay attention to detail, be it in the lab, or in everyday language.

However, I do believe you're right in noting that an above average MCAT might be sufficient for gaining an interview, at least. 🙄
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Quite correct, I misquoted you and misspelled ace. However, I was not correcting your use of the word ace. I was criticizing the pettiness of your arguing junebug's use of ace. Your subsequent criticism of my poor quote merely reinforces my point. I mean, should I criticize the fact that your first sentence above lacks a period? No--that's petty.

If your purpose on these boards is to go around and correct people's language and grammar when they are trying to advance issues, such as the repair of a tarnished academic record, I find that abhorrent. If your purpose is more noble than that, feel free to elaborate.
 
hi you all seems today was the perfect day for me to come in hear to see that people are going thru the low gpa prob. Well just spoke to one of the premed advisors at unc chapell hill...... damn..... why did i not maintain a decent gpa., but he told me it was going to need loads of work which i already know, but he was mainly discouraging me from going into medicine and all , needless to say i was very depressed, but from what i can see there is hope out there for me afterall. looking at special masters, master, or even a second undergrad.. problem is some of these programs mostly start in the fall.. what the heck am i supposed to till then?. well that all for now, just felt the need to vent but seriously good luck to all of us. thanks.
 
jjoe00 said:
Well just spoke to one of the premed advisors at unc chapell hill...... damn..... why did i not maintain a decent gpa., but he told me it was going to need loads of work which i already know, but he was mainly discouraging me from going into medicine and all , needless to say i was very depressed,
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they are telling you the truth. and as i have said before, some of you simply don't have the mentality to finish med. schools. so you should just take some med. school classes instead of applying to those post-bac programs. i am at a carib. school, and we have lots of people who got accepted for the first semester. after one semester, they simply know that they can't take it any longer.

and don't let those telltales about someone with low gpa low mcat scores get in a med. school in the usa to fool u. because it is not gonna be you. those cases are extremely rare. if you are already putting your hope high, then you are fooling urself.
 
youngman said:
they are telling you the truth. and as i have said before, some of you simply don't have the mentality to finish med. schools. so you should just take some med. school classes instead of applying to those post-bac programs. i am at a carib. school, and we have lots of people who got accepted for the first semester. after one semester, they simply know that they can't take it any longer.

and don't let those telltales about someone with low gpa low mcat scores get in a med. school in the usa to fool u. because it is not gonna be you. those cases are extremely rare. if you are already putting your hope high, then you are fooling urself.
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didn't I see you out there stompin' little puppies to death too? :laugh:
 
liverotcod said:
Here's my sad little Cinderella story:
Harvard
Freshman 2.2
Sophomore 2.3
Junior 2.2
...Required to withdraw because I chose to attend the first class and finals (nothing in between) for a semester = 4 Fs.
...Got act together (mostly, quit drinking), and they let me back in.
Senior 3.7

VCU
50 Credit Post-Bacc 4.0

Overall 2.9
Science 3.4
April 2004 MCAT 39Q (sweet, eh? oughta help!)

I'm applying this cycle to ~25 schools, mostly lower tier but some middle and top because they might think my story is interesting. Wish me luck, and good luck to all of you. All premeds work pretty hard to achieve their goals, but we're certainly among the hardest working, with a lot to lose if we fail.
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Wow :wow: How in the world did you manage to get this amazing MCAT score. Did you study for 12 months? I can only hope. I really don't see how but, I'de sure like to try. I have plenty of time to study. I'm home now w/ the kids. I'm working out a schedule. What did you do?

Keep up the good work 👍
 
Ebete said:
Wow :wow: How in the world did you manage to get this amazing MCAT score. Did you study for 12 months? I can only hope. I really don't see how but, I'de sure like to try. I have plenty of time to study. I'm home now w/ the kids. I'm working out a schedule. What did you do?

Keep up the good work 👍
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Thanks for the compliment. I had the advantage of taking the pre-req classes all in sequence while preparing for the test, so the material was fresh. Also, I have a knack for standardized tests, it seems like I can "smell" the wrong answers - or something like that. I did study for about 4 months, but not to any extremes. I took practice tests, worked on where I was weak, and took more practice tests, which I think are key.
 
liverotcod said:
Thanks for the compliment. I had the advantage of taking the pre-req classes all in sequence while preparing for the test, so the material was fresh. Also, I have a knack for standardized tests, it seems like I can "smell" the wrong answers - or something like that. I did study for about 4 months, but not to any extremes. I took practice tests, worked on where I was weak, and took more practice tests, which I think are key.
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I think you are fortunate to have a knack for standardized tests. People can study like you but end up with a significantly lower score. Not too go off on a tangent, my brother is also like that. When he was getting ready to apply to law school he hardly studied for the LSAT he just picked up the prep book the week before and went through it somewhat casually and the nailed a 170+ score out of 180. Of course there's also luck but I don't think that would explain between a 39 and a 29 by itself.
 
youngman said:
they are telling you the truth. and as i have said before, some of you simply don't have the mentality to finish med. schools. so you should just take some med. school classes instead of applying to those post-bac programs. i am at a carib. school, and we have lots of people who got accepted for the first semester. after one semester, they simply know that they can't take it any longer.

and don't let those telltales about someone with low gpa low mcat scores get in a med. school in the usa to fool u. because it is not gonna be you. those cases are extremely rare. if you are already putting your hope high, then you are fooling urself.
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mr youngman thanks for the advice but i have what it takes to get into a us school and i am definately going to there, i have thought everything over, i don't understand why u are so quick to discourage others if the carribean thing is what you want or what u are settling for then good for u but i know it is not for me. alright.
 
Why can't we all just get along people? Its kinda sad to see this thread degenerate into petty barbs.

To youngman and kalix: if you want to peddle your abject view of the world, please do so elsewhere. The purpose of this thread is not to douse the ambitions of the hopeful, but to support the decisions of those who seek in spite of challenges. At best you come off as an ass, at worst your efforts dissuade the sincere hopes of others who come here hoping to seek motivation for their life-changing decisions. I don't think anyone in the low-gpa SDN 'community' appreciates the capricious and petty statements you've made, and I, for one, would hope that you take the time to read the stories on this thread and appropriate some consideration to the audience before going on with needlessly argumentative and petty posts.
 
liverotcod said:
Here's my sad little Cinderella story:
Harvard
Freshman 2.2
Sophomore 2.3
Junior 2.2
...Required to withdraw because I chose to attend the first class and finals (nothing in between) for a semester = 4 Fs.
...Got act together (mostly, quit drinking), and they let me back in.
Senior 3.7

VCU
50 Credit Post-Bacc 4.0

Overall 2.9
Science 3.4
April 2004 MCAT 39Q (sweet, eh? oughta help!)

I'm applying this cycle to ~25 schools, mostly lower tier but some middle and top because they might think my story is interesting. Wish me luck, and good luck to all of you. All premeds work pretty hard to achieve their goals, but we're certainly among the hardest working, with a lot to lose if we fail.
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WOW !!! 👍 👍

You are my new HERO.
 
And now, the continuing story of a quack who's gone to the dogs....

I just got my August 2004 MCAT scores (after having my previous score of 37Q expire).

VR: 11 (actually went down a point)
BS: 14
PS: 14
WS: R

I'll continue to keep the thread posted on my progress....
 
Wow, I am so glad I found this thread. It's so encouraging to read how everyone still tries for medical school even after a bad undergrad experience. I'm another one of those sob stories. I'll add myself to this list:

Cornell University - Undergrad

First semester freshman year: 3.1
Second semester freshman year: 1.7!
Sophomore year: Rebounded with a 3.0
Junior year: One semester was a 3.5/Second semester a 3.65
Senior year: 3.4
So my overall was a 3.1
My BCPM is sadly a 2.8

Harvard Graduate School of Education

I went on to do a one year's Masters program just so I had something to do. I was hoping that this degree and the classes I took, along with the instructors would help me out for admission time.

GPA: 3.75 for a Masters in Human Development/Psych.

The only good things from this program were the instructors (I had a class taught by the head of Child Psych at Children's Hospital Boston) and some of my counseling classes.

Now, I'm taking Orgo lab and Genetics at Columbia a la carte. I just never fit Orgo lab into my schedule at Cornell since I wasn't a science major. Hopefully I'll do better here but even if I do get two As, my BCPM won't be raised much more than .1.

MCAT: I have solid MCAT scores.
PS: 11
VR: 13
BS: 11
WS: S
Total: 35S

I don't know what else to do to raise my BCPM. I don't think I'm eligible for a formal post-bacc program and I'm not sure how long I can afford to take classes a la carte. I seriously HATE my undergrad GPA and being a NY State resident, it's so hard to get into any medical school.
 
Thats a great story Saronno. Congratulations on all of your success (post-bac), you're certainly on the right track. You mentioned you werent a science major which is good because it probably means you havent taken a lot of bio classes and exhausted the possibility of a post-bacc pre med program. There are several with formal linkage programs, and with your MCAT and improved grades, you may have a shot at getting in through a linkage.

Assuming you've already taken a lot of undergrad biology classes, the best thing you can do is a special masters program--they're tailor made for people in your situation. There are a handful of them out there, but BU, Georgetown and Drexel seem to be the best.

Also, having a low undergrad gpa is not the end of the world. ADCOMs really do consider the 'trend'. Also, since your overall undergrad is above the magical 3.0, you're in a decent position, as people on this thread go.

I think you should consider an SMP program or a basic science MS program in Biochem or Molecular Bio. Besides demonstrating your ability to handle a rigorous hard science curriculum it will also will help pull up your BCMP gpa (probably above a 3.0).

Good luck!
 
Yale Undergrad
3.0 BCMP and 3.1 overall with grades of F,D, and Cs in my last two year

I can rehash my SOB story but ultimately I was a lazy screwup and squandered my education. I enjoyed the bottle too much and played around with my buds on Quake fests instead of going to classes. I was an idiot.

Post-Bac work
16 credits of 4.0 MS work at UMDNJ Newark at the time of application
37T April MCAT (12V, 11BS, 14PS)
Two years of biomedical research with a few publications

This is my first time applying and I managed to snag four interviews, 3 interview holds, and one acceptance at UMDNJ-NJMS so far. I cant say that the journey has been all enjoyable and I felt like Andy Dufrane when he crawled through that long pipe filled with crap to win his freedom. I had plenty of dark moments when I thought what I was doing wouldnt amount to anything and I was frittering away my time.

From a person thats been there, good luck to everyone that tries a comeback. I dont think its as improbable as alot of people make it out to be.
 
I'm so glad that there is a great thread here so that we can support each other while we deal with out low GPA's. Here's my story:

I graduated from Carleton College with a 2.9 GPA. I had one year (spring term of Sophmore year-winter term of junior year) with 2 F's because I struggled with family and economic difficulties and having to work 2 jobs. All other terms at Carleton I had over a 3.0 with my senior year being the best year. However, I left undergrad pretty depressed about my changes for any grad school.

After undergrad I spent my time working in public health fields and volunteering in clinics/hospitals and have now decided I have gained enough confidence to apply to med school. I am taking all the pre-med classes at a local state university while I work full time as a clinical research manager and am getting a 3.6. I've also taken some interesting upper-level medical anthropology and sociology courses and have Ace'd those. I'm afrraid of figure out where my GPA is now. I'm hoping for a 3.1-3.2 but those low GPA's seem to move upward very, very slowly.

I'm taking the MCAT's in April.

Somedays I feel like medical school is very possible and sometimes I get worried. I just wonder how to explain my dip in grades to med schools without sounding whiney?!?
 
undefined
I am so optimistic reading the messages. I have a MS in Health promotion and am a Registered Dietitian, however, my ugpa was 2.9 and masters 3.2 and i am taking post-bac science courses to strengthen my gpa. Any suggestions are appreciated!


junebuguf said:
...now with improved sudsing action to rinse clean even the filthiest of gpas.

I'm on crack... Anyway, I noticed that it had been a while since the old low gpa thread had been in significant use, so I thought I would start up a new one with info/advice for those of us with bad undergrad gpas. It might be useful to identify yourself with stats for comparative purposes. Let me start the cleansing:

Myself:
University of Florida undergrad. Graduated in 2001 with the following numbers:
ugad cumulative gpa: 2.24
undergrad BCMP: 2.68

Since then, completed 10 graduate credits and 32 post-bacc credits (basically, retook all the pre-reqs) with a an overall gpa of 3.97. Now my numbers are: AMCAS ugad gpa:2.70 AMCAS BCMP: 3.06

Progress in gpa has been slow, but moved up quite a bit since graduation.

I'm planning on completing another post-bacc year, taking the April 2005 MCAT and then possibly doing an SMP program (Georgetown, BU, Finch).

For all the other low gpa'ers, speak up! Lets hear numbers, stories, plans for the future, where you plan to apply, when you plan to apply.... Keep up the faith. Its a long road to overcome a poor undergrad performance, but it can be done!!!
Click to expand...
 
this is the greatest thread ever. i just discovered it today. i am a 4th year medical student, but i used to be in your shoes.
2nd tier ivy undergrad 2.7
1st mcat 27
BU masters 3.5
2nd mcat 29

i was accepted to BU and 2/3 of my home state schools. i chose a state school because BU's tuition was 40K/year.

everyone told me i would never get into medical school (incl my parents). they told me to apply to osteopathic schools and caribbean schools, but i pretty much ignored the advice that everyone gave me and did what i wanted to do. i am glad i stuck to my guns because now that i am applying for residency, i realize i have more options than had i gone the other 2 routes. i am not bashing the other 2 options, i think they are wonderful options, but if by the end of your 3rd year of medical school, you decide you want to do derm/optho/rad/urology/ENT in NY/Chicago/SF/DC/Boston, you will have a much easier time from an allopathic school.

good luck everyone. i know you all will make it in.
 
shellfish said:
this is the greatest thread ever.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing your story. You're right, this is one of the best. So much of SDN is depressing to read for "borderline" applicants of all varieties. But this one is very encouraging.
 
This message is for shellfish, or anybody else that can give me useful info. I currently have a 3.2 and a 24 on my first mcat try (nerves, lack of sleep, etc... i'm going to retake them this april). I'm staying in college a fifth year to do my honors thesis (another nightmare of its own), but my gpa the last 2 years of college have been solid 3.5 or higher.... I want to do a masters program (2 year, but I would really prefer a 1 year program like the one georgetown has).... I looked at the requirements for the masters of science programs and georgetown's mcats requirements are too high and BU's gpa requirements are too high... does anybody know of any masters programs that I can apply to? I looked at the dartmouth program and couldn't find any help.
 
monu1234 said:
This message is for shellfish, or anybody else that can give me useful info. I currently have a 3.2 and a 24 on my first mcat try (nerves, lack of sleep, etc... i'm going to retake them this april). I'm staying in college a fifth year to do my honors thesis (another nightmare of its own), but my gpa the last 2 years of college have been solid 3.5 or higher.... I want to do a masters program (2 year, but I would really prefer a 1 year program like the one georgetown has).... I looked at the requirements for the masters of science programs and georgetown's mcats requirements are too high and BU's gpa requirements are too high... does anybody know of any masters programs that I can apply to? I looked at the dartmouth program and couldn't find any help.
Click to expand...

Actually, I believe your numbers are fine for BU.
 
So, a little around halfway through the application/interview season (assuming it started around July/August and ends around April/May), here's my update, for those of you who actually wanted an update (junebug, I'm talking to you).

24 Schools applied to, some earlier, some late, some very late. 3 secondaries not sent out yet (GT, UVa, and Temple). I'm doubting I'd get into UVa, and I can't see me picking either GT or Temple over some schools I think I'm sure to get into.

2 rejections: NU & Vandy
4 interviews (so far or pending): UNC, Duke, Pitt, and BU.
18 complete and waiting for some word.

I'd give the complete summary of my academic career, but it's already in the this thread, so just look.

Not too bad for someone who flunked out of undergrad, and graduated #1141 out of 1191.
 
Well I guess I'll post in here even though I'm not sure what my next move should be.

Loyola University
2.7 undergrad gpa with and even lower science gpa, around 2.4
I have one more semester and I graduate with my Bachelor's in Chemistry with emphasis on Biochem.

Should I re-take my pre-reqs a la carte since my UGPA is so low?
I have not taken the MCAT yet.
 
ChiSnowman said:
Well I guess I'll post in here even though I'm not sure what my next move should be.

Loyola University
2.7 undergrad gpa with and even lower science gpa, around 2.4
I have one more semester and I graduate with my Bachelor's in Chemistry with emphasis on Biochem.

Should I re-take my pre-reqs a la carte since my UGPA is so low?
I have not taken the MCAT yet.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't retake the prereqs (unless you're strongly considering osteopathic schools, the prereq grades are less than Cs, or you don't feel confident that you learned the fundamentals). With the AMCAS MD application, if you retake, both scores show up.

Extreme example:
Bio I in 2004. Grade: F 0.0 @ 4 credits
Bio I in 2005. Grade: A 4.0 @ 4 credits
Average on AMCAS app: C 2.0 @ 8 credits

So it's like you just took another class...might as well learn new material than go through the class again.

My exceptions that I mentioned above are because:

1) with osteopathic schools, if you retake, your most recent grade (regardless of whether it's lower or higher than the previous grade) REPLACES the old one.

Example:
Bio I, Fall 2004: F 0.0 @ 4 credits
Bio I, Fall 2005: A 4.0 @ 4 credits
Grade that shows up on AACOMAS app: A 4.0 @ 4 credits

So for an osteopathic application, retaking can make a big difference, much faster

2) prereq grades less than a C

some med schools require that you have nothing below a C

3) feeling shaky on the fundamentals

If you did just well enough to pass a course, but you didn't really get the fundamentals down...it might be a good idea to retake a prereq. If you got at least a C and you can learn the necessary info on your own, I wouldn't retake.

Anyway, If I were in your shoes, I'd take a year's worth of full-time undergrad postbac courses to get the cume and science gpa up to at least a 3.0. You could do this as a nondegree at a state school or maybe find a good formal/informal undergrad enrichment postbac of some sort. I wouldn't even rush into the MCAT--take it when you're ready.

After that year of postbac work, I'd try and get into a 1-year special masters program of some sort. I would then apply either during that program (might be hard with a lower undergrad gpa though) or right after finishing it (more realistic). Even with a low gpa you can get into some special masters programs/certificate programs if you score well on the GRE/MCAT. Just a thought.
 
Singing Devil said:
So, a little around halfway through the application/interview season (assuming it started around July/August and ends around April/May), here's my update, for those of you who actually wanted an update (junebug, I'm talking to you).

24 Schools applied to, some earlier, some late, some very late. 3 secondaries not sent out yet (GT, UVa, and Temple). I'm doubting I'd get into UVa, and I can't see me picking either GT or Temple over some schools I think I'm sure to get into.

2 rejections: NU & Vandy
4 interviews (so far or pending): UNC, Duke, Pitt, and BU.
18 complete and waiting for some word.

I'd give the complete summary of my academic career, but it's already in the this thread, so just look.

Not too bad for someone who flunked out of undergrad, and graduated #1141 out of 1191.
Click to expand...

Singing_Devil, thanks for all the good news! I'm currently slaving away with finals, and it was a nice reprieve to read your progress. I'm already imagining where I might interview this time, next year.

Someone mentioned this in another thread and it seems to true, at least according to your interviews: Do the 'better' schools have a more forgiving policy regarding grades? And if the grades issue was brought up during interviews, how did it go?

Good luck the rest of the way! And if you get into Duke or Pitt, send a good word my way next year! 😉
 
Phil Anthropist said:
Anyway, If I were in your shoes, I'd take a year's worth of full-time undergrad postbac courses to get the cume and science gpa up to at least a 3.0. You could do this as a nondegree at a state school or maybe find a good formal/informal undergrad enrichment postbac of some sort. I wouldn't even rush into the MCAT--take it when you're ready.

After that year of postbac work, I'd try and get into a 1-year special masters program of some sort. I would then apply either during that program (might be hard with a lower undergrad gpa though) or right after finishing it (more realistic). Even with a low gpa you can get into some special masters programs/certificate programs if you score well on the GRE/MCAT. Just a thought.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.

You make an excellent point about the repeated grades. While I did get 2 D's in my UGRAD career, I retook both and passed them the second time around.

I'm just wondering what other classes I can take? Perhaps more upper level bio courses?

In reading some of the replies from this thread, people have suggested getting another bachelor's instead of a master's.

I'm guessing in order to get into these 1yr master's programs I need to take the MCAT before I apply. I forgot about the glide year which sets me back even more because I doubt I'll be very competitive, if at all with only 1 year of doing well.
 
junebuguf, I can't help but notice that you live in Atlanta as well. I am currently in a gap year situation and was wondering if you know about any good volunteer opportunities in the area. Currently I am volunteering in the ER at Emory Eastside and in ambulatory research at the Shepherd Spinal center (my favorite). I have gotten several job interviews at Emory, but as soon as I mention the possibilty of going to med school I get a big 👎 so I am working in marketing 🙁 therefore I need all the medically related EC's I can get. I am looking at possibly doing post-bach work at gsu (in case I don't get in anywhere which I am pretty much expecting).
my crappy gpa=3.27
science=3.325
mcat=29
 
Jcrown said:
junebuguf, I can't help but notice that you live in Atlanta as well. I am currently in a gap year situation and was wondering if you know about any good volunteer opportunities in the area. Currently I am volunteering in the ER at Emory Eastside and in ambulatory research at the Shepherd Spinal center (my favorite). I have gotten several job interviews at Emory, but as soon as I mention the possibilty of going to med school I get a big 👎 so I am working in marketing 🙁 therefore I need all the medically related EC's I can get. I am looking at possibly doing post-bach work at gsu (in case I don't get in anywhere which I am pretty much expecting).
my crappy gpa=3.27
science=3.325
mcat=29
Click to expand...

First of all, back off categorizing your gpa as 'crappy'. Have you read about my atrocrious gpa (see: first post, this thread)? I'm assuming you're in the current application cycle. I'm also assuming by your pessimism that its not going well. If you havent gotten an interview anywhere by Jan 1, I would definetely start preparations for the next phase: post-bacc and reapplication. Actually, if you're a GA resident, you may just need to retake the MCAT and get a 31+, and you probably have a good shot at Mercer.

Heres the thing about extracurriculars, research and volunteering (and this doesnt apply everywhere, but I know it applies at Emory): ADCOM's really dont look at those things *unless* you've done something remarkable. If you have the minimum and get to the interview, all that matters is how you connect with your interviewers. So what you have to work on is getting to the interview, which will only happen with better grades and a higher MCAT. It seems like you've done a lot towards volunteering already, and I would rest on that and start post-bacc in January. I'm currently working on a second bachelor's at GSU in physiology, and so far its been good. GSU is great because they offer a lot of classes like Endocrinology, Medical Microbiology, Histology, Physio, Advanced Physio and Virology that med schools like to see when evaluating transcripts. Plus, Emory sends a lot of their summer Orgo kids to GSU because they know how hard it is here. You can actually compelte a BS in Physiology if you already have all the pre-reqs and have already completed a bachelors (GSU gives you credit in all the graduation requirements so you dont have to take stuff like English and Foreign Languages and History of Georgia. Just concentrate on science courses). Plus all the professors have been really great so far.

So thats my selling point on GSU. Of course, if you can get into Tech, pursue that first, because every med school will give more respect to them than to us. Tech, however, does not offer the variety of courses I've mentioned.

If you start post-bacc in January and do it for a year, you could *significantly* improve your gpa to overall:3.5, bcmp:3.6. Combined with a better MCAT (31+) in April or August and you will be in great shape to submit another AMCAS next summer. With those numbers you will definetely get into Mercer and have an excellent chance at MCG.
 
wow man thanks for the info. I actually did interview at MCG-EDP and was deferred into the regular applicant cycle. I also interviewed at Mercer in November and I am still waiting, so there is still a little bit of hope for this year. GSU sounds like a winner. I think I'll just try to go there as a non-degree seeker (I already have two BS's) and like you said take courses that I will see in med-school. thanks for your input. not to bad for a GATOR! 😡
go dawgs!
 
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