Thoughts and Advice please

[DillonW09]

So I am a transfer student and will be attending UC Davis in the fall as a political science major. I have a GPA of a 3.2 and have recently made some lifestyle alterations as well as some serious study habit changes, and have been very pleased with my recent performance in school. I still need to take organic chemistry and physics to fulfill my science prereqs and will do them at Davis.

Do you think with great performance at Davis I can still be competitive when med school comes around? Any advice from people who were in a similar situation? Should I take extra science courses since I'am not a science major?

Thank you.

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[Catalystik]

So I am a transfer student and will be attending UC Davis in the fall as a political science major. I have a GPA of a 3.2 and have recently made some lifestyle alterations as well as some serious study habit changes, and have been very pleased with my recent performance in school. I still need to take organic chemistry and physics to fulfill my science prereqs and will do them at Davis.

1) Do you think with great performance at Davis I can still be competitive when med school comes around?
2) Should I take extra science courses since I'am not a science major?

1) Yes. With straight As you could end with a 3.6 cGPA. This will be competitive at many MD and all DO schools, depending on MCAT score. It would help a lot if the BCPM GPA is stronger. What is yours now?

2) Many med schools require or recommend upper-level Bio and Biochem, so plan accordingly. Getting great grades in upper-level courses would be particularly important if you had mediocre grades in the prerequisites.

 

[Goro]

Get straight As in strenuous courses and you'll be fine.

So I am a transfer student and will be attending UC Davis in the fall as a political science major. I have a GPA of a 3.2 and have recently made some lifestyle alterations as well as some serious study habit changes, and have been very pleased with my recent performance in school. I still need to take organic chemistry and physics to fulfill my science prereqs and will do them at Davis.

Do you think with great performance at Davis I can still be competitive when med school comes around? Any advice from people who were in a similar situation? Should I take extra science courses since I'am not a science major?

Thank you.

 

[DillonW09]

I have been getting straight A's and think that will hold strong. However even though I have mostly A's in my math courses I have had to retake some of them. Correct me if I am wrong but don't you have to factor in your failing grade as well your passing grade? If so then the math retakes plus the chemistry C's have left me with a poor 2.57 BCPM gpa.

Ahh what to do!?! I don't think even straight A's in the rest of the prereqs and some extra bio classes would make it competitive, do you?

 

[Catalystik]

I have been getting straight A's and think that will hold strong. However even though I have mostly A's in my math courses I have had to retake some of them.

1) Correct me if I am wrong but don't you have to factor in your failing grade as well your passing grade? If so then the math retakes plus the chemistry C's have left me with a poor 2.57 BCPM gpa.

2) Ahh what to do!?! I don't think even straight A's in the rest of the prereqs and some extra bio classes would make it competitive, do you?

1) For AMCAS (MD) med schools, all grades earned are factored into your application GPAs. But for AACOMAS DO med schools, only the retake is counted.

2) Plan to apply to DO med schools, taking advantage of their grade replacement policy, and you can become competitive. There are two DO med schools in California.

 

[DillonW09]

Do you think that would be a better option than a postbac?

 

[Catalystik]

Figure out how many credits of straight A coursework it would take you to get your BCPM over a 3.0 for AMCAS. AMCAS GPA Calculation Spreadsheet

Figure out what your AACOMAS sGPA would be counting only the retakes (math isn't included like it is for AMCAS).
DO GPA calculation spreadsheet: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=450050
Newer modified version: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=839864

AMCAS BCPM GPA varies from AACOMAS sGPA, and includes (scroll to bottom half): http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=552026

Tell us what you get.

 

[DillonW09]

First off let me say thank you for helping me figure this out, you are amazing!

Correct me if I did this wrong, but I put in all my current info into the spread sheet, then I made an extra science class have an A and then just changed the amount of unit hours it was worth.

So I first did my AMCAS bcpm (this is only my science gpa's and I used semester units):
I currently hold: 2.74

To get a:
3.0 I would need to get A's in 18 more semester unit hours
3.1 I would need to get A's in 28 more semester unit hours
3.2 I would need to get A's in 40 more semester unit hours

Second I did AACOMAS:
I currently hold: 2.94

To get:
3.0 I need 2 more hours
3.1 I need 6 more hours
3.2 I need 11 more
3.3 I need 17 more

and for comparison

with 28 more straight A unit hours (which is what I would need for 3.1 AMCAS) I would have a 3.43
with 40 more straight A unit hours (which is what I would need for 3.2 AMCAS) I would have a 3.53

I would love to apply to at least some MD schools whenever I do apply, Im willing to take as long as I need to to be competitive.

 

[Catalystik]

Once your AMCAS GPA is over 3.0, you might look into Special Masters Programs, if they would be affordable for you, if you think you could get an MCAT score > 30.

 

[DillonW09]

Once your AMCAS GPA is over 3.0, you might look into Special Masters Programs, if they would be affordable for you, if you think you could get an MCAT score > 30.

So once I get my AMCAS GPA above a 3.0 should I wait to take any sciences courses till special masters or just try to improve whenever possible?

 

[Catalystik]

SMPs are competitive. They are programs where you compete with current med students to get top grades, sort of like a paid audition. {see the Postbaccalaureate programs Forum for more information.]

To get into one, besides getting an MCAT score > 30, you need to prove your capabilty with upper-level Bio. So besides retaking any really low grades, or prerequisite classes you never really mastered, you'd also want to take new science classes as well.

You don't necessarily have to go that route. If you got near-straight As for the next two years and a high MCAT score, some med schools might appreciate that your recent academic excellence has proven your capability.