Very LOW gpa. Please help! (:

[Ineedalotofhelp]

Hello,

I was wondering if I can get your advice on something. I have a very low GPA (2.5) I am about to complete my 3rd year. My GPA is low due to some personal and family problems, and the dean of my school did not believe that it should have impacted my grades as much as it did. Thus, I am unable to receive any type of academic renewal.
I am currently working on getting my GPA up, I am also retaking the classes that I did poorly on at another university. (The credits won't transfer over, but I will at least have a transcript there).

I was wondering if you had any advice for me. I am planning on taking a gap year to complete my other courses and possibly study for my MCAT. Do you think I should apply to a Post Bacc, Masters, or straight into Medical School?

Thank you.

I am serious and I am working hard to try and show improvement

I am a Psychology major, and I might be minoring in Chemistry if I have the time.

Thanks again.

• I'd also like to add that I have been involved in research for 2 years, I work for our school of medicine, and I volunteer at a hospital.
  
  The classes I did poorly in were science courses

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[Johnrawlsneuro]

You should do a full 2 year post-bacc of all pre-reqs, get as close to a 4.0 possible, crush the MCAT and apply broadly to DOs.

This isn't just to show schools your upward trajectory - it's to see for yourself if you're prepared for med school by going very well in science courses that won't be nearly as tough as what you'll be taking in med school.

 

[Blanky]

It may be healthy moving forward to give some credit to your struggles making college hard on you, but also take some responsibility for your poor grades. Work on time management or study methods/ habits and finish strong. You can do it.

 

[THEBACKANDFORTH]

How bad is you sGPA and how many credits do you have? what courses did you get poor grades in and what courses do you have left? Essentially, is it mathematically possible to hit a 3.2 sGPA... minimum? Finally, you need to ask yourself what you need to do with your study habits to reach an A level of study. Reaching out to peers or tutoring center for help is a good idea at this point i think.

Getting straight A's in upper level undergrad science requires resiliency sometimes. I'm told medical school does too.

Of course im empathetic to mental health and family issues--life really can be hard sometimes. But to make it through the meat grinder, you gotta be tougher than the 2 dollar steaks my grizzled dad likes to eat for supper.

 

[Ineedalotofhelp]

Hello,

I was wondering if I can get your advice on something. I have a very low GPA (2.5) I am about to complete my 3rd year. My GPA is low due to some personal and family problems, and the dean of my school did not believe that it should have impacted my grades as much as it did. Thus, I am unable to receive any type of academic renewal.
I am currently working on getting my GPA up, I am also retaking the classes that I did poorly on at another university. (The credits won't transfer over, but I will at least have a transcript there).

I was wondering if you had any advice for me. I am planning on taking a gap year to complete my other courses and possibly study for my MCAT. Do you think I should apply to a Post Bacc, Masters, or straight into Medical School?

Thank you.

I am serious and I am working hard to try and show improvement

I am a Psychology major, and I might be minoring in Chemistry if I have the time.

Thanks again.

• I'd also like to add that I have been involved in research for 2 years, I work for our school of medicine, and I volunteer at a hospital.
  
  The classes I did poorly in were science courses

You should do a full 2 year post-bacc of all pre-reqs, get as close to a 4.0 possible, crush the MCAT and apply broadly to DOs.

This isn't just to show schools your upward trajectory - it's to see for yourself if you're prepared for med school by going very well in science courses that won't be nearly as tough as what you'll be taking in med school.

You should do a full 2 year post-bacc of all pre-reqs, get as close to a 4.0 possible, crush the MCAT and apply broadly to DOs.

This isn't just to show schools your upward trajectory - it's to see for yourself if you're prepared for med school by going very well in science courses that won't be nearly as tough as what you'll be taking in med school.

My science gpa is about a 2.2. I have 90 units left, but I am planning on taking classes next year. I am taking the biology series again starting in 2 weeks. I am planning to retake Chemistry (I got 2 C's and 1 B) and then the bio and ochem series. I might retake physics if I have the time.

When you say to do a 2 year post bacc do you think I should apply to one? If so do you reccomend any? I was planning on doing a DIY, but I prefer the option that will help my GPA and make me more competitive.

I have created better study habits and figured out what I need to do. I finally have the time to do so, so things have been a lot easier

 

[THEBACKANDFORTH]

I wouldn’t retake any grades C or higher. Anything other than an A on retake looks really bad. Best to take higher level courses and show you can handle them

 

[I'mJustCurious]

There are several routes you can take. Before thinking about applying to medical schools or taking the MCAT, increase your cGPA and sGPA over 3.0 to avoid getting screened out. You can retake classes, ace the remaining classes, and take extra classes after graduating. Next step is to kill the MCAT. Easy said then done, just keep doing a bunch of practice full length until you score over 500. Last but not least, considering applying to SMP program to show medical schools you can handle it. It's going to take some time, money, and patience but you'll get there.

 

[deleted480308]

have you solved you personal and family problems?

 

[califlipboy92]

SDN Wisdom: Don't retake anything that is a C or higher.

You should focus on getting a 4.0 on the remaining 90 units you have left, then take as many upper division science courses through either a formal or informal post-bacc (I think the main difference between the two is the structure and resources). You should consider reading through other posts about taking post-bacc classes through CC, opinions on these are quite variable.

Study, aim for 510+, and take the MCAT during the spring before you apply.

Your goal should be: An extremely high upward trend on GPA with a stellar MCAT score.

 

[THEBACKANDFORTH]

SDN Wisdom: Don't retake anything that is a C or higher.

You should focus on getting a 4.0 on the remaining 90 units you have left, then take as many upper division science courses through either a formal or informal post-bacc (I think the main difference between the two is the structure and resources). You should consider reading through other posts about taking post-bacc classes through CC, opinions on these are quite variable.

Study, aim for 510+, and take the MCAT during the spring before you apply.

Your goal should be: An extremely high upward trend on GPA with a stellar MCAT score.

This is really quite good advice. You’re going to need nearly straight A’s and a great MCAT.

I’d drop your chemistry course and take something upper level. If you try a couple upper level courses and struggle, it’s time to explore other career options. That may or may not be medical stuff. Being realistic but positive is important

 

[star.buck]

Hello,

I was wondering if I can get your advice on something...

If that is a real picture of yourself... I'd highly recommend changing it to something more anonymous...

 

[24GaugeEJ]

Agree with most of the above. You need to ensure that your low GPA does not reflect inability to perform well academically. I certainly encourage everyone to follow their dreams, but you need to have a realistic view of yourself. I have too many friends (nurses and medics), and have met too many undergrads who were already deciding on a specialty while topping off a C+ in general chemistry. Needless to say, many dropped out of orgo and fewer even took the MCAT. If you can’t succeed in introductory science courses, there’s not a whole lot of hope that you can succeed at upper level courses, let alone medical school courses, unless you rapidly and dramatically change your time management and study approach.