WAMC: Low sGPA, currently working towards strengthening app.

[Guajiro_11]

Hello everyone! I graduated with a BS in Human biology in 2022. I am currently debating on whether I should give up on my dream of becoming a doctor. I had a rocky start to my undergrad and prior to my Senior year I didn't really know what it takes to get into medical school. You can find my stats below:

Semester System
Freshman Year GPA:
- BCPM 2.88 - 16 credits, AO 3.3 - 16 credits, Cumulative 3.09

Sophomore Year GPA:
- BCPM 2.84 - 21 credits, AO 3.57 - 6 credits, Cumulative 3.0 (3 C's Gen Bio, Gen Chem 2, Calc I)

Junior Year GPA:
- BCPM 3.34 - 25 credits, AO 3.7 - 4 credits, Cumulative 3.0 (P/NP Micro bio and Micro bio Lab, passed both)

Senior Year GPA:
- BCPM 4.0 - 20 credits, AO 4.0 - 16 credits, Cumulative 4.0

Current Post-bacc:
- BCPM nothing yet, AO 4.0 - 9 credits, Cumulative 4.0

Across all years:
- BCPM 3.28, AO 3.71, Cumulative 3.44

As you can see, pretty terrible until I got to my senior year and my mindset changed. I was going through some serious personal issues my sophomore year which netted the 3 C's. Right after that Covid hit and I had a difficult time adjusting online school. I had to make a change going into my Senior, and I did just that. It gave me a glimmer of hope that I could accomplish my dream if I started applying myself.

Clinical Experience:

Over the past year that I've been out of school I have gotten some much needed clinical experience (Paid) working as a clinical research assistant at a Cancer Research Hospital. I would categorize this as clinical experience as 95% of my role involves speaking with/consenting patients to a study and collaborating with providers/care teams on the patients that they refer to the study. This experience has shown me that a career in healthcare is something I want to pursue. I am planning on working here for at least one more year which will get me to ~4100 hours of direct patient care experience.

MCAT:

Haven't yet taken the exam, currently studying for test date in August 2024. What MCAT score should I aim for given my GPA?

My EC's go as follows:

1. Student Athlete ~ 1650 hours across 3 and a half years
2. Youth Soccer Coach
3. Soccer/Tennis/Gym
4. Local Chess Club
5. Lead singer of a band

Research:

1. Psych research ~ 30 hours (one summer)

Volunteer Experience:

1. Local emergency department ~110 hours (ongoing)
2. Suicide Hotline ~ 10 hours (ongoing)
3. Soccer Coach ~ 200 hours (ongoing)

Shadowing Experience:

None yet, planning on starting soon.

Planning on applying to wide range of MD and DO schools across the country.

Overall, I feel that I am on the right track to strengthening my application. I am planning on starting a post-bacc at a local state university and am shooting for >3.7 GPA. Is an acceptance to med school realistic for me?

Thanks for taking the time to read this long post!

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[MyOdyssey]

The post-bacc is a good idea.

Your improving GPA trend, if it continues in your post-bacc, will be sufficient.

Look up @Goro's long running thread on reinvention and the med schools that reward it.

You still need a good MCAT score, non-clinical volunteering with the underserved, more clinical experience + shadowing.

Count on spending many months prepping for the MCAT.

Keep up the good work.

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone! I graduated with a BS in Human biology in 2022. I am currently debating on whether I should give up on my dream of becoming a doctor. I had a rocky start to my undergrad and prior to my Senior year I didn't really know what it takes to get into medical school. You can find my stats below:

Semester System
Freshman Year GPA:
- BCPM 2.88 - 16 credits, AO 3.3 - 16 credits, Cumulative 3.09

Sophomore Year GPA:
- BCPM 2.84 - 21 credits, AO 3.57 - 6 credits, Cumulative 3.0 (3 C's Gen Bio, Gen Chem 2, Calc I)

Junior Year GPA:
- BCPM 3.34 - 25 credits, AO 3.7 - 4 credits, Cumulative 3.0 (P/NP Micro bio and Micro bio Lab, passed both)

Senior Year GPA:
- BCPM 4.0 - 20 credits, AO 4.0 - 16 credits, Cumulative 4.0

Current Post-bacc:
- BCPM nothing yet, AO 4.0 - 9 credits, Cumulative 4.0

Across all years:
- BCPM 3.28, AO 3.71, Cumulative 3.44

As you can see, pretty terrible until I got to my senior year and my mindset changed. I was going through some serious personal issues my sophomore year which netted the 3 C's. Right after that Covid hit and I had a difficult time adjusting online school. I had to make a change going into my Senior, and I did just that. It gave me a glimmer of hope that I could accomplish my dream if I started applying myself.

Clinical Experience:

Over the past year that I've been out of school I have gotten some much needed clinical experience (Paid) working as a clinical research assistant at a Cancer Research Hospital. I would categorize this as clinical experience as 95% of my role involves speaking with/consenting patients to a study and collaborating with providers/care teams on the patients that they refer to the study. This experience has shown me that a career in healthcare is something I want to pursue. I am planning on working here for at least one more year which will get me to ~4100 hours of direct patient care experience.

MCAT:

Haven't yet taken the exam, currently studying for test date in August 2024. What MCAT score should I aim for given my GPA?

My EC's go as follows:

1. Student Athlete ~ 1650 hours across 3 and a half years
2. Youth Soccer Coach
3. Soccer/Tennis/Gym
4. Local Chess Club
5. Lead singer of a band

Research:

1. Psych research ~ 30 hours (one summer)

Volunteer Experience:

1. Local emergency department ~110 hours (ongoing)
2. Suicide Hotline ~ 10 hours (ongoing)
3. Soccer Coach ~ 200 hours (ongoing)

Shadowing Experience:

None yet, planning on starting soon.

Planning on applying to wide range of MD and DO schools across the country.

Overall, I feel that I am on the right track to strengthening my application. I am planning on starting a post-bacc at a local state university and am shooting for >3.7 GPA. Is an acceptance to med school realistic for me?

Thanks for taking the time to read this long post!

You're good for a lot of DO schools right now.

 

[Guajiro_11]

The post-bacc is a good idea.

Your improving GPA trend, if it continues in your post-bacc, will be sufficient.

Look up @Goro's long running thread on reinvention and the med schools that reward it.

You still need a good MCAT score, non-clinical volunteering with the underserved, more clinical experience + shadowing.

Count on spending many months prepping for the MCAT.

Keep up the good work.

I appreciate the advice! You mentioned that I need more clinical experience. I am on track to hit >4000 hours at my current clinical position. Other volunteer activities/future paid positions will push me closer to 5000 hours or more. Will this not be enough? I would like to give my full attention to the post bacc when I start which is why I am planning on leaving that job in a year.

 

[Guajiro_11]

You're good for a lot of DO schools right now.

Thank you for the feedback!

 

[MyOdyssey]

I appreciate the advice! You mentioned that I need more clinical experience. I am on track to hit >4000 hours at my current clinical position. Other volunteer activities/future paid positions will push me closer to 5000 hours or more. Will this not be enough? I would like to give my full attention to the post bacc when I start which is why I am planning on leaving that job in a year.

4000-5000 clinical hours should be plenty.

But you also need nonclinical volunteering that helps underserved populations.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I think the suggestion really was for non clinical volunteering. You are definitely giving back in ways related to your athletic experience. More with in person food distribution, shelter work, job placement, tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. Find your why in serving others not like you.

Also buckle down for the MCAT. Shoot for the moon. Everything else looks fine for DO.