Hi. I am a 2nd year at a Top 5 public university. I have not done amazing in STEM classes so far (C- in Calc 2, B in Gen Chem 1 and Gen Chem 2, B+ in Genetics, on track to get a C in Organic Chem 1) and my current GPA is a 3.33 overall. I have over 6000 clinical hours as a volunteer EMT. I am also heavily involved in laboratory research in a biology lab and currently in paramedic school to further the scope of my practice (which is a much more intensive program than EMT school and includes 500+ clinical hours). I know I have good clinical skills and experience but my academics/grades don't reflect my abilities/intelligence. My university is very competitive and I really challenged myself in attending this school, but it is very hard to stand out academically and achieve As in STEM classes. What are my chances at an MD school or what can I do to improve my chances? There's nothing I want more in life than to be a physician but I worry every day that I won't be able to prove it to med school adcoms with my grades.
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WAMC — Low GPA but evident passion for medicine?
- Thread starter bigyikes7
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You really need to focus on your grades. You have more than enough EMT work and research. I’d back off both of those activities and the EMT classes for awhile. You have to start doing much better in your college classes. Once you do that and are getting all As in your courses you can slowly add some ECs. You’ll need 50 hours of physician shadowing , including a good bit with a primary care doc. You also need 200+ hours of nonclinical volunteering focused on serving the unserved / underserved in your community. And of course you have the MCAT to deal with at some point. You should probably plan on taking a couple of gap years. Your current GPA is pretty low for MD. Spend some time researching and shadowing DO schools/ physicians. DO might be your most viable path to becoming a physician.
Thanks for the advice! Do you think if I back off on ECs a little and improve my GPA I would still have a chance at MD schools? What is the lowest GPA an MD school would generally accept? Also, I was considering a gap year to do a post-bacc if I need to get my GPA up, but what would you recommend (you said gap years?)You really need to focus on your grades. You have more than enough EMT work and research. I’d back off both of those activities and the EMT classes for awhile. You have to start doing much better in your college classes. Once you do that and are getting all As in your courses you can slowly add some ECs. You’ll need 50 hours of physician shadowing , including a good bit with a primary care doc. You also need 200+ hours of nonclinical volunteering focused on serving the unserved / underserved in your community. And of course you have the MCAT to deal with at some point. You should probably plan on taking a couple of gap years. Your current GPA is pretty low for MD. Spend some time researching and shadowing DO schools/ physicians. DO might be your most viable path to becoming a physician.
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The average cGPA for a matriculated MD student is around 3.71+ and it goes up every cycle. DO matriculants are lower but not by much. Understand that every cycle only about 42% of all applicants are accepted to any med school. That means that 56%+ of all applicants are rejected every cycle. This includes stellar applicants. So if you want to be a doctor slow down and do it right the first time. If you are only interested in applying MD you are going to have to get your GPAs up significantly. What is your sGPA? Every single course you have ever taken counts, including any retakes. You have your work cut out for you and there isn’t a short cut. Good luck.
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deleted1075353
You definitely still have a great shot at MD schools. You're only a sophomore lol.
I understand your concern but this is the wrong attitude. You should be genuinely enjoying the material and striving to get A's across the board barring exceptional circumstances. If you aim for a 3.5, you'll end up with your 3.3.
What is the lowest GPA an MD school would generally accept?
I understand your concern but this is the wrong attitude. You should be genuinely enjoying the material and striving to get A's across the board barring exceptional circumstances. If you aim for a 3.5, you'll end up with your 3.3.
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Get that GPA up in 3.5-3.6 range (cGPA and sGPA) and then really kill the MCAT and you'll have a good chance. My sense is that a strong MCAT (right or wrong) seems to carry more weight than a strong GPA.Hi. I am a 2nd year at a Top 5 public university. I have not done amazing in STEM classes so far (C- in Calc 2, B in Gen Chem 1 and Gen Chem 2, B+ in Genetics, on track to get a C in Organic Chem 1) and my current GPA is a 3.33 overall. I have over 6000 clinical hours as a volunteer EMT. I am also heavily involved in laboratory research in a biology lab and currently in paramedic school to further the scope of my practice (which is a much more intensive program than EMT school and includes 500+ clinical hours). I know I have good clinical skills and experience but my academics/grades don't reflect my abilities/intelligence. My university is very competitive and I really challenged myself in attending this school, but it is very hard to stand out academically and achieve As in STEM classes. What are my chances at an MD school or what can I do to improve my chances? There's nothing I want more in life than to be a physician but I worry every day that I won't be able to prove it to med school adcoms with my grades.
D
deleted889094
Agree with the others, you can always turn it around and get a good GPA. Just work hard at it and make school your priority
