ucla student with 2.861 GPA

[sushichubs]

Hey guys,

I just completed my 4th year as a UCLA Psychobiology undergrad with these rather looooww medical pre-requisite grades:

LIFESCI 1 B+
LIFESCI 2 C
LIFESCI 3 C+
LIFESCI 4 C

CHEM 14A B
CHEM 14B C-
CHEM 14BL C
CHEM 14C C+
CHEM 14CL B
CHEM 14D C

MATH 3B B
MATH 3C C

PHYSICS 6A C
PHYSICS 6B B-
PHYSICS 6C B

PHY SCI 5 C
MCD BIO M140 C
CHEM 153A C
CHEM 153L B

My overall GPA is 2.861. I plan to study hard and take the MCATS this September. I understand that my grades are far below medical school standards, but I am open to D.O. schools, carribean schools, etc. Do I even have a chance to get in anywhere? What can I do to get in?

Thanks much.

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[Ihateverbal]

I say do a 1-year post bac program after you get your degree....and get As in those classes....in addition, you'll probably need a stellar MCAT (as in 35+)

Hey guys,

I just completed my 4th year as a UCLA Psychobiology undergrad with these rather looooww medical pre-requisite grades:

LIFESCI 1 B+
LIFESCI 2 C
LIFESCI 3 C+
LIFESCI 4 C

CHEM 14A B
CHEM 14B C-
CHEM 14BL C
CHEM 14C C+
CHEM 14CL B
CHEM 14D C

MATH 3B B
MATH 3C C

PHYSICS 6A C
PHYSICS 6B B-
PHYSICS 6C B

PHY SCI 5 C
MCD BIO M140 C
CHEM 153A C
CHEM 153L B

My overall GPA is 2.861. I plan to study hard and take the MCATS this September. I understand that my grades are far below medical school standards, but I am open to D.O. schools, carribean schools, etc. Do I even have a chance to get in anywhere? What can I do to get in?

Thanks much.

 

[Jaded03]

So, I'm from UCLA and I wouldn't stress about the MCATs at the moment, unless you really feel primed to do it (or in other words, unless you feel like it's impossible for you to do better delaying it). I'd focus on bringing the GPA up, the BMPC or whatever 😛. Out of all the UCLA bio majors that have that core, did being Psychobio help? I don't want you to have to post your transcript, but I just wanted a snapshot of what your upper-divs are like.

In either case, I believe that ADCOMs look at things holistically, too. If you can explain any of the shortcomings or at least why you chose medicine convincingly, a post-bac and a fairly high MCAT may serve you to get you to where you want to go. Think about the MCAT this way, it's the simplest way for you to prove that your grades are not a reflection of your knowledge.

 

[Ihateverbal]

I'm from UCLA too but I still believe a 1 year post bac program coupled with a 35 MCAT may do it.

 

[xpinchx]

Hey guys,

I just completed my 4th year as a UCLA Psychobiology undergrad with these rather looooww medical pre-requisite grades:

My overall GPA is 2.861. I plan to study hard and take the MCATS this September. I understand that my grades are far below medical school standards, but I am open to D.O. schools, carribean schools, etc. Do I even have a chance to get in anywhere? What can I do to get in?

Thanks much.

So, I'm from UCLA and I wouldn't stress about the MCATs at the moment, unless you really feel primed to do it (or in other words, unless you feel like it's impossible for you to do better delaying it). I'd focus on bringing the GPA up, the BMPC or whatever 😛. Out of all the UCLA bio majors that have that core, did being Psychobio help? I don't want you to have to post your transcript, but I just wanted a snapshot of what your upper-divs are like.

In either case, I believe that ADCOMs look at things holistically, too. If you can explain any of the shortcomings or at least why you chose medicine convincingly, a post-bac and a fairly high MCAT may serve you to get you to where you want to go. Think about the MCAT this way, it's the simplest way for you to prove that your grades are not a reflection of your knowledge.

Woah, wait a second. There's more than one MCAT? Why didn't anyone tell me? 😱

Re: Jaded03 - Even if he does get a stellar score on the MCAT, the fact that his grades don't reflect his knowledge does shine light on real reason why he got poor grades in undergrad. I can't judge because I don't know his story, but I'm guessing laziness/procrastination played a role in it. You might be able to convince the ADCOMs that you're a good student if you got C's your first year, or for a short stint while you have something serious going on in your life, but it's inexcusable to be getting several C's throughout your college career. There's just no way of justifying that.

Furthermore, why didn't you try to get help when you had the chance? Most colleges have free tutoring available if you need it, most professors have office hours if you need help on specific things. Do you honestly think you can get into medical school with those sorts of grades? If you do a post-bac and completely ace every class (4.0) and get great LORs from your professors, and on top of that get a 35+ MCAT you might have a chance, but you'll have a lot of questions to answer during interviews.

 

[gotmeds?]

Hey guys,

I just completed my 4th year as a UCLA Psychobiology undergrad with these rather looooww medical pre-requisite grades:

LIFESCI 1 B+
LIFESCI 2 C
LIFESCI 3 C+
LIFESCI 4 C

CHEM 14A B
CHEM 14B C-
CHEM 14BL C
CHEM 14C C+
CHEM 14CL B
CHEM 14D C

MATH 3B B
MATH 3C C

PHYSICS 6A C
PHYSICS 6B B-
PHYSICS 6C B

PHY SCI 5 C
MCD BIO M140 C
CHEM 153A C
CHEM 153L B

My overall GPA is 2.861. I plan to study hard and take the MCATS this September. I understand that my grades are far below medical school standards, but I am open to D.O. schools, carribean schools, etc. Do I even have a chance to get in anywhere? What can I do to get in?

Thanks much.

Honestly, it doesn't look good for American M.D. or D.O. schools (and by "not good" I mean "next to impossible"). Carribean is always an option, but you might want to consider retaking some classes and applying to D.O. -- they allow for grade replacements while AMCAS doesn't. If you could raise your GPA above 3.0 and get a very good MCAT score, you should have a shot at D.O. which is, in my opinion, a much better option than Carribean M.D..

 

[postbacker]

Your chances at US allo schools = zero without a stellar MCAT AND 1) a significant upward trend in upper level sci classes through a post bac, AND 2) you will probably also need to kick butt in an SMP.

You have a long and steep hill to climb. I think it is "gut check" time for you - are you really prepared to throw yourself into a 3 to 5 year program of remediation that frankly will in all likelihood fall short?

 

[gotmeds?]

why work harder than you have to

I like this guy. Good luck on the match.

 

[postbacker]

I like this guy. Good luck on the match.

Actually, I kind of agree with this guy, too...OP might want to give the caribbean option a shot FIRST before doing the post bac, SMP thing that has no guarantees...MCAT for the OP is highly questionable, though...

 

[gotmeds?]

Actually, I kind of agree with this guy, too...OP might want to give the caribbean option a shot FIRST before doing the post bac, SMP thing that has no guarantees...MCAT for the OP is highly questionable, though...

I wasn't disagreeing with the Caribbean option -- I even suggested it earlier. I just think that "why work harder than you have to" is what probably got the OP into this position in the first place. It's also probably not the best way to get through med school, especially a Caribbean school with a notoriously high attrition rate.

 

[Depakote]

OP, I'm a little worried here.

I look at those grades and I don't see a single "A"...

Right now, I think you need to prove to yourself that you have the ability to handle the kind of coursework you'll experience in medical school... I would take some extra classes (either in an unofficial post-bac setting or a structured post-bac... I wouldn't do a SMP yet)

I'm also concerned about how well you know the material that will be on the MCAT. You'll want to make sure you've got it down pat before you take it.

 

[bigman43]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

six thumbs up to you my friend. i know you can do it, just dont give up.

 

[ShyRem]

carribean. Always a possibility. I know a guy who got in AUC with a 2.5 GPA and a 19 MCAT. Not kidding. Last I heard he failed out first year... I don't know what AUC's retake policy is so I don't know if he's still there or not (although at this point he may be doing MSI for the third or fourth time).

I guess my point is the carribean will be more than happy to take you and your money no matter what your grades or MCAT scores are.

 

[postbacker]

I wasn't disagreeing with the Caribbean option -- I even suggested it earlier. I just think that "why work harder than you have to" is what probably got the OP into this position in the first place. It's also probably not the best way to get through med school, especially a Caribbean school with a notoriously high attrition rate.

I agree...some of these threads make me scratch my head. I don't know how someone has a realistic goal of medical school with these kinds of grades - I don't understand how someone with the goal of med school gets into this kind of a bind in the first place.

And the excuses people have for poor grades...I just don't get it.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I agree...some of these threads make me scratch my head. I don't know how someone has a realistic goal of medical school with these kinds of grades - I don't understand how someone with the goal of med school gets into this kind of a bind in the first place.

And the excuses people have for poor grades...I just don't get it.

It is possible to redeem oneself, but you have to get straight A's (4.0, nothing less, maybe a single B in that time but it had better be a really hard class like Biochemistry or something) in upper-level sciences in a full-time post-bacc of 1-2 years, and do at or above the national matriculant average on the MCAT (>=30, 9+ in each section) to have a chance of getting into a US allopathic school. It can be done, but you need to recognize what was leading to your poor grades before and remedy it. SMP programs, where you take 1st year classes, are also an option for people with such low GPAs if they can handle the work. If not, no medical school.

 

[sehnsucht]

I agree...some of these threads make me scratch my head. I don't know how someone has a realistic goal of medical school with these kinds of grades - I don't understand how someone with the goal of med school gets into this kind of a bind in the first place.

And the excuses people have for poor grades...I just don't get it.

what don't you get? my 2 cents on the matter is that i can understand reasons of personal hardships such as working, health issues or even family problems-i think these are legitimate reasons. however, i've come across some posts where people say they partied too hard or didn't know what they were doing in undergrad. i find it hard to understand how parents could be sending kids to school...to party? I had to work for my tuition-hard-and partying was the LAST thing I ever thought about when anticipating the tuition every quarter. It was hard enough to afford books!

 

[postbacker]

what don't you get? my 2 cents on the matter is that i can understand reasons of personal hardships such as working, health issues or even family problems-i think these are legitimate reasons. however, i've come across some posts where people say they partied too hard or didn't know what they were doing in undergrad. i find it hard to understand how parents could be sending kids to school...to party? I had to work for my tuition-hard-and partying was the LAST thing I ever thought about when anticipating the tuition every quarter. It was hard enough to afford books!

You call them "legitimate reasons," I call them "excuses."

Doesn't really matter what I think. What do med school adcoms "think?" Based on everything I have read, med schools are far less forgiving of poor academic performance than many here on SDN desperately want to believe.

 

[notdeadyet]

Advising someone with a 2.9 GPA who hasn't gotten a single A in a prereq over four years to pull a 35+ on the MCAT is probably not realistic.

I don't want to pi$$ on anyone's cheerios, but a 35 is 93rd percentile. It's a very hard score for people capable of getting straight A's to pull.

OP- You sound open to suggestions. If you really think that you're capable of getting straight A's in a postbac, you might consider doing one or two years at one to raise your GPA to the point that you can apply DO, which is much preferable to going Carribean. Best of luck to you.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Advising someone with a 2.9 GPA who hasn't gotten a single A in a prereq over four years to pull a 35+ on the MCAT is probably not realistic.

I don't want to pi$$ on anyone's cheerios, but a 35 is 93rd percentile. It's a very hard score for people capable of getting straight A's to pull.

OP- You sound open to suggestions. If you really think that you're capable of getting straight A's in a postbac, you might consider doing one or two years at one to raise your GPA to the point that you can apply DO, which is much preferable to going Carribean. Best of luck to you.

It is possible, depending on if the OP was just lazy during those years with regards to grades but learned the material anyways. Granted, the chances are low with absolutely no A's to show for it, and that'll require a couple of years of straight A's to prove one's abilities.

The OP still could do that well on the MCAT as there is no way to tell until they take a practice test. I agree it's doubtful, but you'd be surprised!

I wouldn't automatically rule out allopathic, but would suggest just considering osteopathic. The real test will be the MCAT practice and what grades they can achieve in their first semester in post bacc, otherwise there is no way to tell what they can do right now.

 

[sendwich]

it definitely IS possible! don't konw what went wrong during college but figure it out (ie personal? family? financial?). i did a DIY postbac at UCI (UCLA alumni here), did an SMP and now, i'm headed to medschool!!! IT IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!! you just gotta be ready for the long road ahead (2-3 yrs).

 

[Meatwad]

The OP could definitely get into a school in the Caribbean, but probably not SGU, maybe not even Ross or AUC. Go look at the stats of the kids in the Caribbean forums applying to SGU; they all just performed poorly on the MCAT (around low 20s) but have 3.5 GPAs or higher. The average matriculant at SGU these days has something like a 3.3 average and an MCAT score of low-mid 20s, last I saw. Given that they have a set number of seats they limit entering classes to, how is the OP going to compete? I wouldn't bother going to any other Carib schools other than the ones that allow their graduates to practice in California (SGU/Ross/Saba/AUC).

BTW, if you are looking for a very different experience, there are some Polish med schools that offer 4-year MD degrees fully taught in the English language. Problem is, you can't practice in California. Or you could go to Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic for 6-years (yes, 6 years; I don't think they will waive any courses because of your grades) which is recognized by the medical board of California.

I'd reccomend taking more UG courses, then SMP, then shoot for DO, with some MD schools as well. Good luck!

 

[sehnsucht]

Doesn't really matter what I think. What do med school adcoms "think?" Based on everything I have read, med schools are far less forgiving of poor academic performance than many here on SDN desperately want to believe.

sure. i was just offering my opinion based on actual cases where people I've come across over the years have gotten into US allo schools with similar grades.

i would recommend doing a post-bacc of some sort to improve his grades.

 

[Haemulon]

I guess the truth is that we really don't know the OP's full story. While those grades certainly don't look good right now, there really is a lot that can be done to change things. After all, the OP could take a few years to do another program or two, and really buckle down and study for that MCAT, in addition to accumulating some really great experiences along the way. Sure, the Carib schools are worth a shot if the OP wants to try for them now (or in a year or so), that's still good advice.

But another perspective might be to take a longer period of time (maybe a number of years) to re-group and re-focus. Then, apply as a non-trad. Anything can happen if one is willing to change and put forth the necessary effort. The extended time can be used to re-evaluate things and come at this career goal with renewed vigor and dedication. It really is all about prooving one's self to the adcoms. At that point, a case can be made that the OP has changed and really has what it takes. In the end, the ball is in his court. Unfortunately, only the OP knows whether such an effort is feasible or likely to be successfull.

 

[deleted103644]

Your odds of passing boards are astronomically low. Change careers instead of wasting money on a Caribbean ripoff.

 

[Dr. Josh]

Woah, wait a second. There's more than one MCAT? Why didn't anyone tell me? 😱

When you have to take it more than once, there is. 😀

 

[ryandote]

Unfortunately, it is going to require more than just a few class re-takes for the OP to become DO-competitive. We all know DO's replace retake scores instead of averaging them.... but, unfortunately, the OP doesn't have just 2-3 low grades to make up. OP is consistently scoring somewhere around his 2.8 grade average.

I think it is going to take something more that "re-take the class and try to do better." Are there any health, focus, or study-method issues that you need help with? It might be nice to get those ironed out so you can have a fighting chance.

 

[trichomoniasis]

consider a year of easy post-bach work

pansy. It's all about the post-Wagner!

 

[trichomoniasis]

You're hilarious

i try.



really hard. it's exhausting.

 

[Instatewaiter]

There are many people who got sub-3 GPAs who scored well on the MCAT. There are definitely a lot of lazy smart people out there.

To the OP: Do some sort of post-bac work. While you are at it you might think about doing that post-bac work somewhere else (ie easy states for med admissions) so that you can develop state residency and improve your chances for admission.

Don't sell yourself short. You have a long road ahead of you but with the proper moves and grades (and years of hard work) an allo school is not out of your reach.

 

[DocHopeful7]

You definitely don't need to look at the Carribbean right now. With a 2.8, you can raise that to a 3.0 or higher (most likely less than 3.5) with a year or two of post-bacc. Do a post-bacc full time, and as many upper level science courses as possible. After that, take the MCAT. You'll need at least a 35. Also, do some research and/or something to make you stand out as an applicant. You need to do better than the average applicant in all other areas because your GPA is less than the average. After the MCAT, depending on how you do, you could apply to med school or an SMP to better your chances even more. Apply broadly, and only apply to DO schools if you agree with the philosophy, etc. DO schools, though they have lower average scores, either ask you for a rec from a DO, or they will ask you why you agree with the osteopathic medicine philosophy.

Good luck!

 

[EyeballLove]

I can't say anything about Carribbean schools because I don't know anything about them myself (haven't done the research or personally talked to anybody that's been through Carribbeans), but from the professors and doctors I have talked to, everybody is strongly against it. There was one professor who told me that he'd rather that I don't go to med school at all than to go to a school in the Carribbeans. I know it's a little early to think about the future, but it doesn't just end at med school. You have to think about residency as well. I've heard too many horror stories about how it's almost impossible for a Carribbean graduate to match into a US residency. Just my two cents 😛

Not to sound harsh, but you really need to think about your grades from UCLA. Psychobiology is a B.A., not a B.S., at UCLA. (Not that there's anything wrong with B.A.'s 😉 )

 

[paranoid_eyes]

Not to sound harsh, but you really need to think about your grades from UCLA. Psychobiology is a B.A., not a B.S., at UCLA. (Not that there's anything wrong with B.A.'s 😉 )

psychobio at ucla is actually a B.S. It is one of the most popular premed majors (along with MCDB and MIMG and physci). I suggest postbacc classes and applyin DO.

gluck

 

[RollWave11]

OP, I'm a little worried here.

I look at those grades and I don't see a single "A"...

Right now, I think you need to prove to yourself that you have the ability to handle the kind of coursework you'll experience in medical school... I would take some extra classes (either in an unofficial post-bac setting or a structured post-bac... I wouldn't do a SMP yet)

I'm also concerned about how well you know the material that will be on the MCAT. You'll want to make sure you've got it down pat before you take it.

I'm my premed prereq courses I didnt get any As except in a couple Bio electives and Inorganic Chem. The rest were Bs and Cs. 🙁

I did a SMP, got a 3.8 and retook the mcat and got a 32 to land an acceptance.

 

[trichomoniasis]

psychobio at ucla is actually a B.S. It is one of the most popular premed majors (along with MCDB and MIMG and physci). I suggest postbacc classes and applyin DO.

gluck

don't forget neurosci... or the ever popular "neuro for three years...oh ****...switch to psychobio and stay a fifth year"

 

[MahSpoon]

psychobio at ucla is actually a B.S. It is one of the most popular premed majors (along with MCDB and MIMG and physci). I suggest postbacc classes and applyin DO.

gluck

Don't just lump MIMG with psychobio. MIMG and MCD are legit majors with tough classes and curves. Psychobio and psysci are "easier"

 

[trichomoniasis]

Don't just lump MIMG with psychobio. MIMG and MCD are legit majors with tough classes and curves. Psychobio and psysci are "easier"

over at MIMG we make fun of the MCDB kids cuz they're nerds 😎

 

[PeacefulJC]

If medicine is what you really want to do, than go to a post-bacc, raise your grades and do very very well on your mcat. It might seem impossible to get in right now, but if you accomplish those two things, everything will look a lot better. Also, from personal experience, your background does factor in your ability to get an acceptance. If you come from a difficult background or if you are of a minority race can make a big difference in your acceptance rate. Good luck!

 

[cheezer]

go to the postbac forum. there's a low gpa thread with countless examples of low gpaers getting in after a few years hard work

 

[Doctak04]

Yha, no, you need to get those grades fixed if you want even the slightest chance of getting into school. Listen, I'll be straight up and honest with you. Your GPA sucks and you need to focus all your energy on that. I went to UCLA, graduated in '04 with a Psychobio degree as well (plus a minor in Ed.) My overall and science GPA were 3.25 and I have a 30 MCAT. I didn't get in anywhere to the 30+ schools I applied to (all MD schools) back in 2005. So, I did a program at BU School of Medicine in 06 and got my Masters in Medical Sciences. Reapplied and got about 7 interviews and 4 acceptances. I'm telling you... GPA is KEY!! But, also keep in mind, this is my advice for MD schools. You can probably still take a good, confident shot at DO schools and the Caribbean, but my advice is, take the extra year or 2, bust ass, get that GPA up or score a 4.0 graduate GPA, and get into a solid MD program like Harvard. That's what I did and I don't regret it at all. Good luck buddy.

 

[swpm]

OP, I'm a little worried here.

I look at those grades and I don't see a single "A"...

Right. Seems the only thing greater than the super-high self-reported gpa/MCAT scores on SDN is the boundless unjustified optimism and youcanodoit cheerleading.

Seriously, OP, what makes you think you can hack it in medical school? You should honestly assess why you're such a mediocre student before you spend $1,000s applying, then $10,000s/year in tuition & opportunity cost going to a school where it looks like you're on track to flunk out or struggle to pass the first round of licensing boards.

While I'm ranting about SDN fallacies, here's one more: getting into medical school is not the biggest hurdle ...

There's this idea on SDN that if I just get into med school I can be the doctor I've always wanted to be ... that is not a sure thing. If you weren't a stellar undergrad (for whatever reason) you're not likely to be in the top quartile of your med school class, which all but rules out a number of competitive specialties. True, once you're in, C may equal MD, but it sure as hell won't equal orthopedic surgery, dermatology, radiology, plastics, etc.

If you have to claw your way into medical school, you'll probably have to claw your way through medical school too ... and the end of that road is primary care. That's perfectly OK if you want to do primary care, but if you've got dreams of being an interventional radiologist or ENT surgeon ... it's best to take that 2.8 gpa, skip the expensive post-bac, skip the MCAT review course, skip the expense of applying, skip the expense and pain of med school, and just pick another career. You don't have to be a doctor to have a happy fulfilling life.

 

[sunset823]

You have no idea how realistic it is for the OP, it all depends on his story which he hasn't shared very much of. I had a 2.8 cum consistent across my entire UG career and ended up with a 34T on the MCAT. A double major and a job will do that. I'm always amazed by how unhelpfully vindictive premeds are: the major reason I'd consider avoiding medicine is the type of person that becomes a doctor.

Hear hear...I'm in a similar situation, decent MCAT combined with low GPA mostly due to taking double the number of credits as most of my dear fellow pre-meds...

Anyway, it's a long hard road ahead with those grades, but if you have a good valid explanation (supporting yourself through school, family problems, etc.), then doing a 4.0 postbac (which counts toward undergrad grades) should do the trick, combined with at least a 32 MCAT, but the higher, the better, turning around those grades may require at least a 35 - but, as Perrotfish said, it can be and has been done

 

[RollWave11]

if you go to a pass fail school and nail your boards, the rank will hardly matter.

 

[swpm]

if you go to a pass fail school and nail your boards, the rank will hardly matter.

Oh man, I don't mean to pick on you here, but I hardly know where to begin. Advising someone to go to a pass/fail school so their academic mediocrity won't matter?

First. The kind of people who "nail" their boards are the kind of people who get As or Honors in their med school classes. The kind of people who smoke a 245 on Step 1 aren't the kind of people who walk out of their pharm final thinking "oh man, I hope I've got at least a 71% average" ...

Second. Pass/fail schools still rank their students. Just because that C- gets printed as a P on the transcript doesn't mean the school doesn't know you got a C- ... the school does know, and you are ranked accordingly. And some statement about that rank goes into your Dean's Letter when it comes time to match into a residency.

Third. Undergrads with 3.0 GPAs and 90th percentile MCAT scores exist. Smart B-average people who were lazy, sick, or preoccupied with family issues often get very high MCAT scores. This kind of disparity doesn't exist when it comes to med school grades and board scores. Medical students who scrape by with a C average simply do not put up 90th percentile scores on the USMLE. (They pay $1500 for a review course, cram, and desperately hope they pass at all.)


Please, let's not pretend for even a minute that an undergrad transcript full of Cs is anything other than an extraordinary sign that the student lacks something critical to succeeding in medical school. Reading SDN sometimes is like listening to a Air Force recruiter telling a pot-smokin' high school dropout that he's got a chance at flying an F-22 someday, if he would only just ... ... ...

 

[littlealex]

I agree with SWPM. If you are my friend in real life, I'd advise you to go into something like a physician's assistant program.

When it comes down to it, you're just not ready for medical school. If you take a few years off, take some post-bacs, and most importantly, learn how to study, then you might have a chance. However, as it stands now, you will get gutted in medical school.

Do you have a chance at the DOs and Carribeans? Yes you do. But many of the people entering hte carribeans drop out and never pass the USMLE.

You need to ask yourself if you really do want to be a doctor. Is it really worth the trouble you'll have to go through?

If the answer is yes at the end of all that, you need to re-evaluate how you learn. Figure out ways to learn more efficiently. Take the MCAT studying as a chance to refine your study skills.

 

[RollWave11]

Oh man, I don't mean to pick on you here, but I hardly know where to begin. Advising someone to go to a pass/fail school so their academic mediocrity won't matter?

First. The kind of people who "nail" their boards are the kind of people who get As or Honors in their med school classes. The kind of people who smoke a 245 on Step 1 aren't the kind of people who walk out of their pharm final thinking "oh man, I hope I've got at least a 71% average" ...

Second. Pass/fail schools still rank their students. Just because that C- gets printed as a P on the transcript doesn't mean the school doesn't know you got a C- ... the school does know, and you are ranked accordingly. And some statement about that rank goes into your Dean's Letter when it comes time to match into a residency.

Third. Undergrads with 3.0 GPAs and 90th percentile MCAT scores exist. Smart B-average people who were lazy, sick, or preoccupied with family issues often get very high MCAT scores. This kind of disparity doesn't exist when it comes to med school grades and board scores. Medical students who scrape by with a C average simply do not put up 90th percentile scores on the USMLE. (They pay $1500 for a review course, cram, and desperately hope they pass at all.)


Please, let's not pretend for even a minute that an undergrad transcript full of Cs is anything other than an extraordinary sign that the student lacks something critical to succeeding in medical school. Reading SDN sometimes is like listening to a Air Force recruiter telling a pot-smokin' high school dropout that he's got a chance at flying an F-22 someday, if he would only just ... ... ...

I think you took me out of context and just ran with it. I'm just saying that class rank isnt everything. Obviously you've gotta work your ass off to learn the material if you want to do well on the boards....the best prep for Step 1 is a strong second year. I'm just saying you dont need a top 10 class rank to do well on the boards.

...and even though my college transcript is a disaster I managed a mid 90s score in Pharm. 😉

 

[MossPoh]

At your current stage the larger carribean schools are even out of the question. There is a lot of stigma on these boards about foreign medical schools, and img's, but the fact is that the ones that graduate from there are often times just as proficient as US mds. They generally bust their a$$es much harder afterwards too....they pay their dues in the end if they graduate. The attrition rate thing is quasi-rumor. It IS higher than the u.s., but I see some pretty sketch numbers floating around about how high it is. The reason is that they are the only ones to give you a shot, and if you don't step up to the plate you fail. They don't make it astronomically harder to pass, it is near if not the same workload you'd get here, and it is probably made harder by lower quality instruction. I have met some fantastic doctors that came out of the carribean, as well as crap ones..just like everywhere else. So relax on that stuff.

If you can raise your GPA to above a 3.0 and get a strong MCAT (Above 30). I'd say you have a shot at osteopathic, and heck, maybe even allopathic if you moved to mississippi or missouri or something. I mean..right now your gpa sucks. Retake a few courses and get As...that'd help your cause with osteopathic. I'm freaked out about whether I'll get in at a 3.23 and I have had a 3.95 for the last year and a half, and a 3.7 the semester before that... So, I'd be VERY concerned and working my a$$ off if I were you.