What are my chances? And what can I do to increase my GPA for medical school?

[sydzhr]

Hi,
I am going to be going into my junior year of college, I am currently a Biology major. I REALLY had a rough start to college my advisor was no help to me at all freshman I started out taking 18 credits all math and science credit and doing 3 science labs. It was very rough for me. I ended freshman year with a 3.20 GPA. Unfortunately, I was stupid to take Organic Chemistry and do Physiology together this year and I went down to a GPA of 3.15, my science GPA is unfortunately a 2.75. I tried to talk to my advisor of letting me redo my classes in which I got C's because unfortunately I have some in and she will not let me do a do over; I really don't know what to do at this point. I REALLY WANT to get into Osteopathic school in the US. I currently am volunteering at the hospital, I am shadowing an Osteopathic doctor right now as well, and I am also in the Honors program. I have time to turn around my GPA but I just don't know where to exactly start and I really want to make it into medical school but at this point I am SO LOST. Can someone give me some guidance please? I would appreciate that.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi,
I am going to be going into my junior year of college, I am currently a Biology major. I REALLY had a rough start to college my advisor was no help to me at all freshman I started out taking 18 credits all math and science credit and doing 3 science labs. It was very rough for me. I ended freshman year with a 3.20 GPA. Unfortunately, I was stupid to take Organic Chemistry and do Physiology together this year and I went down to a GPA of 3.15, my science GPA is unfortunately a 2.75. I tried to talk to my advisor of letting me redo my classes in which I got C's because unfortunately I have some in and she will not let me do a do over; I really don't know what to do at this point. I REALLY WANT to get into Osteopathic school in the US. I currently am volunteering at the hospital, I am shadowing an Osteopathic doctor right now as well, and I am also in the Honors program. I have time to turn around my GPA but I just don't know where to exactly start and I really want to make it into medical school but at this point I am SO LOST. Can someone give me some guidance please? I would appreciate that.

You don't need to retake the coursework at the same school, just be sure the credit hours are the same or greater and that the course description is largely the same if the title varies.

And if you were to somehow retake at your current school, even if your schools' policy is to not count a retake in calculating your GPA or give grade forgiveness, the med school applicaton service will still include it their calcualtion and only count the most recent.

 

[octupus]

don't overload your schedule more than you can handle.
retake those classes elsewhere.
take a year off to do so if you have to.

 

[SixStringPsych]

You should feel lucky that you are going into your junior year and have 2 more years of full time coursework to boost your GPA. I just ended my undergrad career with a science GPA close to yours and I am now doing a full year of post Bacc work to recover. All that can be said is study hard, get A's, and If all you are interested in is DO, retake courses. It seems stupid that your advisor won't let you...doesn't sound right. You're paying tuition, you should be able to retake courses if you want.

 

[sydzhr]

I know its really stupid. But that is our university policy that as long as you have a C or better in a class you cannot retake the course no matter what. I hope that I can bring up my science/undergrad GPA and do well on the MCAT to get into DO school. Otherwise, I may end up doing postbac work like you to recover. I just wish I was never screwed over in the beginning. The advisors at my school SUCK, and I don't have anyone to help me out. All of my friends are geniuses or very smart who have 4.0 science/undergrad GPAs, and they were able to do everything at once. And, the worst part is that this year is their final year they were able to complete all of there premedical stuff in three years and still do very well!

 

[coolingglasses]

Ha, yeah I think my university has the same retake policy. But if I end up doing retakes I'd be taking them at a different 4-year anyway (moving back to St. Louis as of tomorrow)

 

[AshPreMed]

They probably waste far less time than you do. Just probability here.