VERY split stats (3.2/523)

[supwer]

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[Dr.Sticks]

I would take a gap year to think it all out..
Also if you graduate with a 3.2 and want to raise it to something moderately competitive you would have to do 72 credits of 4.0 work to get a 3.5

 

[Lawpy]

Try to get a few semesters of near-4.0 grades. It's hard to understand how you consistently did poorly in college and yet demolished the MCAT with a score in top few percentile. Resolving the commuting struggles and crushing college semesters will help reduce doubts on academics.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Try to get a few semesters of near-4.0 grades. It's hard to understand how you consistently did poorly in college and yet demolished the MCAT with a score in top few percentile. Resolving the commuting struggles and crushing college semesters will help reduce doubts on academics.

It isn't hard at all; I have noticed poor grades are generally due to bad time management.
I have seen many ace the test but fail the class due to poor time management and inability to focus on all the other work.
It is obvious in the case of OP, he/she probably spent more time trying to get to class than studying.
Therefore, bad grades..

Man, I don't even know if I could stay awake with a commute like that...

 

[Lawpy]

It isn't hard at all; I have noticed poor grades are generally due to bad time management.
I have seen many ace the test but fail the class due to poor time management and inability to focus on all the other work.
It is obvious in the case of OP, he/she probably spent more time trying to get to class than studying.
Therefore, bad grades..

Man, I don't even know if I could stay awake with a commute like that...

Yeah i guess the testing center where OP took the MCAT was close by. Still, some evidence of good performance in classes would help a lot

 

[mwsapphire]

It isn't hard at all; I have noticed poor grades are generally due to bad time management.
I have seen many ace the test but fail the class due to poor time management and inability to focus on all the other work.
It is obvious in the case of OP, he/she probably spent more time trying to get to class than studying.
Therefore, bad grades..

Man, I don't even know if I could stay awake with a commute like that...

Why couldn't you switch to a closer school? I'm honestly just curious I'm not doubting how bad your situation was i'm just curious.

 

[supwer]

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[Espressso]

When did you take the MCAT? and are you a trad student? If you have a few years with that valid MCAT score, I'd think about taking a gap year to do an SMP or a DIY-SMP just to bump up the GPA

 

[Frogger27]

Get a 4.0 this semester, take a year of classes next year with a 4.0 and apply next year.... or SMP

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Get a 4.0 this semester, take a year of classes next year with a 4.0 and apply next year.... or SMP

Assuming OP has 105 credits with 15 remaining max his GPA will go up is .1
To get a 3.5 OP would would need 63 additional credits
With 45 credits and a straight 4.0 best OP can get is a 3.44

I think a 3.5 and a 523 MCAT with research and solid ECs could send OP to a solid mid tier MD school

That is if OP wants to basically put in the 4 semesters of additional work, and of course lots and lots of money.

 

[Espressso]

Assuming OP has 105 credits with 15 remaining max his GPA will go up is .1
To get a 3.5 OP would would need 63 additional credits
With 45 credits and a straight 4.0 best OP can get is a 3.44

I think a 3.5 and a 523 MCAT with research and solid ECs could send OP to a solid mid tier MD school

That is if OP wants to basically put in the 4 semesters of additional work, and of course lots and lots of money.

That's why I think some sort of SMP would be a better route. Preferably one with a direct (or close to direct) linkage to a medical school. It seems that at this point, increasing undergrad GPA is going to be a hassle. If you can put off applying for one year, get into a good SMP and ace that, your grad GPA (along with a rockstar MCAT) would ease the worries of adcoms.

But @Goro, @LizzyM, @gyngyn, and the others would have much more concrete advice.

 

[supwer]

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[Dr.Sticks]

I should have posted this in the OP but I have 1000+ research hours through every level from the CDC down to undergrad lab. I only have two abstracts/national posters to show for it though. I am also approaching 1000 hours combined between non-clinical and clinical volunteering.

Wow
Man
If your GPA was just a few points higher you would be set
Hell if it was a 3.7+ you would have a shot at a top tier..

I'm going to defer to what current med students/adcoms will comment..

But if you do want to raise your GPA to a 3.5 you are going to need 63 credits with a solid 4.0.

 

[mwsapphire]

Unfortunately I was forced to transfer from a school I was living at, and the number of schools that allowed me to do so after only one semester of credits is very limited. I wasn't able to afford rent in NYC so I commuted from home.

OOohhh. I commuted from the get go ( paying for a dorm was doable, but I'd rather save money/ convenience of living at home, etc)
That's awful. I'm sorry.

 

[Frogger27]

Assuming OP has 105 credits with 15 remaining max his GPA will go up is .1
To get a 3.5 OP would would need 63 additional credits
With 45 credits and a straight 4.0 best OP can get is a 3.44

I think a 3.5 and a 523 MCAT with research and solid ECs could send OP to a solid mid tier MD school

That is if OP wants to basically put in the 4 semesters of additional work, and of course lots and lots of money.

The goal isn't necessarily to get it to a "3.5".... the goal is to show ~3 terms of excellent course work. No one is going to doubt OP's intelligence with that MCAT. It is can they maintain that excellence over a period of time. Heck, some schools only look at your last ~32 credit hours.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

The goal isn't necessarily to get it to a "3.5".... the goal is to show ~3 terms of excellent course work. No one is going to doubt OP's intelligence with that MCAT. It is can they maintain that excellence over a period of time. Heck, some schools only look at your last ~32 credit hours.

Getting it to a 3.5 would mean the OP has 4 semesters of A grade work.

Really? Some schools only look at the last 32 credit hours? Which ones?
Never knew that..

 

[mwsapphire]

The goal isn't necessarily to get it to a "3.5".... the goal is to show ~3 terms of excellent course work. No one is going to doubt OP's intelligence with that MCAT. It is can they maintain that excellence over a period of time. Heck, some schools only look at your last ~32 credit hours.

GPA has nothing to do with intelligence!!!!
It shows your willingness to do lots of work and study a lot ( which is what medical school is.)
MCAT is more closely correlated to intelligence.
If anything , without this very reasonable explanation OP has for his lower GPA, it would seem like they're brilliant but lazy.

 

[mwsapphire]

Getting it to a 3.5 would mean the OP has 4 semesters of A grade work.

Really? Some schools only look at the last 32 credit hours? Which ones?
Never knew that..

They don't. He's trying to say that just proving op can get good grades is good enough, much like a strong upward trend is almost as important as the gpa itself.

 

[DokterMom]

Unfortunately I was forced to transfer from a school I was living at, and the number of schools that allowed me to do so after only one semester of credits is very limited. I wasn't able to afford rent in NYC so I commuted from home.

Why were you "forced to transfer" ?

 

[Frogger27]

Getting it to a 3.5 would mean the OP has 4 semesters of A grade work.

Really? Some schools only look at the last 32 credit hours? Which ones?
Never knew that..

Believe Wayne State and possibly Tulane? Don't quote me... But grade trends are extremely important and I am willing to bet if OP had 3+ semesters of 4.0 + that MCAT he would get in somewhere (not saying T-20, but into a school).

Also, I am not saying that is a better idea than SMP. Honestly if I was in OP shoes, I would look into a SMP

 

[Frogger27]

GPA has nothing to do with intelligence!!!!
It shows your willingness to do lots of work and study a lot ( which is what medical school is.)
MCAT is more closely correlated to intelligence.
If anything , without this very reasonable explanation OP has for his lower GPA, it would seem like they're brilliant but lazy.

I never said GPA has anything to do with intelligence? I said his MCAT does. The GPA essentially shows that you have the work ethic, which OP has not demonstrated consistently

 

[Dr.Sticks]

GPA has nothing to do with intelligence!!!!
It shows your willingness to do lots of work and study a lot ( which is what medical school is.)
MCAT is more closely correlated to intelligence.
If anything , without this very reasonable explanation OP has for his lower GPA, it would seem like they're brilliant but lazy.

Nothing is a measure of intelligence
One of the smartest guys I know almost failed HS whereas those with an IQ probably much below his (150) achieved at a far greater height.

Good grades/test scores aren't a measure of intelligence, rather a measure of work ethic, and dedication.
Anyone can get an A
Thing is not everyone wants to spend their free time studying to get that A

So you have a 15 credit course load
That means you should be spending at a minimum 30 hours a week studying, and ideally 45 hours.
That is what you need to get all A grades during a 15 credit course load..

 

[mwsapphire]

Nothing is a measure of intelligence
One of the smartest guys I know almost failed HS whereas those with an IQ probably much below his (150) achieved at a far greater height.

Good grades/test scores aren't a measure of intelligence, rather a measure of work ethic, and dedication.
Anyone can get an A
Thing is not everyone wants to spend their free time studying to get that A

So you have a 15 credit course load
That means you should be spending at a minimum 30 hours a week studying, and ideally 45 hours.
That is what you need to get all A grades during a 15 credit course load..

Assuming you're studying correctly for everything ( see my mention of orgo last semester versus this semester).
But okay, I see what you mean.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

So lets see
You have 15 credits
Say 3 science classes and 1 non-science
You will have 5 total classes probably 10-20 hours a week of lecture/labs?
On top of that you have to spend 30 hours at minimum studying
So that is at the least 40 hours of dedication to your coursework and potentially 65 hours...

How many people want to put in 40 hours a week of work for their classes, forget about the 65, just 40 is unimaginable to many people.

This is why not everyone is a superstar student..
Not everyone dedicates themselves at the level to achieve straight A grades.

 

[mwsapphire]

So lets see
You have 15 credits
Say 3 science classes and 1 non-science
You will have 5 total classes probably 10-20 hours a week of lecture/labs?
On top of that you have to spend 30 hours at minimum studying
So that is at the least 40 hours of dedication to your coursework and potentially 65 hours...

How many people want to put in 40 hours a week of work for their classes, forget about the 65, just 40 is unimaginable to many people.

This is why not everyone is a superstar student..
Not everyone dedicates themselves at the level to achieve straight A grades.

I'd say a good portion of people who have considered becoming doctors are smarter than most of the population, and therefore wouldn't have to put in *that* much work. Plenty of people with excellant grades have admitted here, totally, that they only study about 3-4 hours a day.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

I'd say a good portion of people who have considered becoming doctors are smarter than most of the population, and therefore wouldn't have to put in *that* much work. Plenty of people with excellant grades have admitted here, totally, that they only study about 3-4 hours a day.

That is 28 hours a week
So basically those people hit the minimum I just talked about,well miss it by 2 hours.
So again they spend about 40 hours at minimum on course work.

 

[Goro]

This

GPA is considered a long term indicator of academic ability while MCAT can be seen as short term. OP must spent a year or two in strong academic enhancement. This OP is a good candidate for SMP as as Biochem major, postbacc may not have sufficient varied coursework to really show ability to handle new material. The time and achievement in research and EC volunteering will not overcome the academic deficiency. I would not apply until at least 3 terms of strong academic performance are shown

 

[ANDYCHARLES]

Schools vary wildly in terms of undergrad rigor, which is why GPA is such a strange measurement of intellectual ability lol. Especially considering a 3.8 at an easy state school beats a 3.3 from say, University of Chicago or Cornell. Never understood why premeds choose to go to schools with grade deflation just for the "name" of the school.

 

[libertyyne]

Schools vary wildly in terms of undergrad rigor, which is why GPA is such a strange measurement of intellectual ability lol. Especially considering a 3.8 at an easy state school beats a 3.3 from say, University of Chicago or Cornell. Never understood why premeds choose to go to schools with grade deflation just for the "name" of the school.

For back-up plans. A degree from Cornell in CS is probably worth more in earning power as a backup plan compared to a degree from XX non flagship state school. So in case you dont get into medical school you still have the chance at a decent career.

 

[libertyyne]

OP if you can get your GPA up to 3.5 you may be able to get in somewhere. I have lopsided stats like you, not as extreme but there are schools out there that will give you a chance. You need to be above their 10th percentiles though.

 

[MareNostrummm]

Schools vary wildly in terms of undergrad rigor, which is why GPA is such a strange measurement of intellectual ability lol. Especially considering a 3.8 at an easy state school beats a 3.3 from say, University of Chicago or Cornell. Never understood why premeds choose to go to schools with grade deflation just for the "name" of the school.

You'll have better access to resources, especially research, and top ECs if you attend a flagship school with a lot of funding.

 

[MareNostrummm]

I'd say a good portion of people who have considered becoming doctors are smarter than most of the population, and therefore wouldn't have to put in *that* much work. Plenty of people with excellant grades have admitted here, totally, that they only study about 3-4 hours a day.

Depends on too many factors, if you are stacking all science classes (Orgo, physics, bio, etc) and labs at the same time then 3-4 hours isn't going to cut it. You could even spend that much time alone just doing your lab reports on top of everything else.