What are my chances of getting into a decent MD program in the United States

[Je$$ie]

Hello everyone,

I recently graduated for one of the big ten schools with a very low gpa (2.2). I am not sure what my chances are of getting into Medical schools. But my mcat score is pretty high (525).

I have a year of research experience, about 2 years of clinical volunteering and I worked for a year as a medical assistant. I also shadowed two surgeons for about a week or so.

Other than that, I have been very active in campus organizations.

Would really appreciate your views, and things I could do to improve my chances.

Thank you.

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[raiderette]

Do a master's or SMP and raise your GPA. During that time, volunteer with non-clinical and find a way to stand out.

 

[P0ke]

Honestly you probably took the MCAT prematurely, as the chances of being accepted with that GPA are slim, no matter what your MCAT. You could try to rush to get your GPA as high as possible, do an SMP and apply before your MCAT expires. Heck, if I were in your shoes, I might just roll the dice and apply broadly every year hoping someone takes me based off the MCAT alone, get the most mileage out of it before it expires, all while improving my GPA/doing an SMP. You might get lucky, and some school might accept you as their ceiling MCAT score, so they can advertise an MCAT range "up to 525".

 

[mcloaf]

Why the heck is your GPA so low?

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

Realistically, your GPA is far too low and it would take years of post bacc classes to make up for it.
Your best option is to take a SMP, especially one with strong linkages to a medical school.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

I recently graduated for one of the big ten schools with a very low gpa (2.2). I am not sure what my chances are of getting into Medical schools. But my mcat score is pretty high (525).

Why aren't you telling us why your GPA is sooooooooooooooooooo low, but you're obviously smart with that MCAT score??

I'm going to just throw this out there (I'm not an adcom, but I'm going to pretend right now). If I were to see that app, I'd be thinking, "smart, lazy, doesn't follow thru."

Now, tell us why that conclusion would be dead wrong.

 

[mellie0]

You might get lucky, and some school might accept you as their ceiling MCAT score, so they can advertise an MCAT range "up to 525".

On the flipside, they'd also have to report a GPA as low as 2.2!

 

[premeds_r_dumb_123]

Hello everyone,

I recently graduated for one of the big ten schools with a very low gpa (2.2). I am not sure what my chances are of getting into Medical schools. But my mcat score is pretty high (525).

I have a year of research experience, about 2 years of clinical volunteering and I worked for a year as a medical assistant. I also shadowed two surgeons for about a week or so.

Other than that, I have been very active in campus organizations.

Would really appreciate your views, and things I could do to improve my chances.

Thank you.

You have absolutely no shot with that GPA. You need to do a master's program. If you do well in that you will have a decent shot.

 

[Carmiche]

OP pls explain why this disparity is so huge. This is the biggest MCAT/GPA difference I have ever seen!

 

[Je$$ie]

what about PA school? would that be easier compared to MD.

my gpa is low because I went through an emotional phase, I was bit low psychologically and had lost interest in everything

 

[DubbiDoctor]

what about PA school? would that be easier compared to MD.

my gpa is low because I went through an emotional phase, I was bit low psychologically and had lost interest in everything

Why do you want to enter the healthcare field? If you're truly passionate about medicine, do a post-bac, and get straight As or close to it, then apply to med school.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

what about PA school? would that be easier compared to MD.

my gpa is low because I went through an emotional phase, I was bit low psychologically and had lost interest in everything

PA schools still want high GPAs and they also want far more clinical exposure than med schools (like years of employment)

 

[Je$$ie]

are psyd psych programs this hard as well? I don't mind doing a SMP, but I want to weigh my options. What if I still don't get into MD after a SMP

 

[Saifa]

Sounds like you need to think about what you actually want to do. Hoping to get into an MD program, I know I wouldn't touch PsyD with a barge pole. Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone but they are vastly different career and educational paths.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

are psyd psych programs this hard as well? I don't mind doing a SMP, but I want to weigh my options. What if I still don't get into MD after a SMP

Please answer the very relevant question: why is your GPA so low?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Also, what did you get your degree in? It appears that you were getting C's even in your classes in your major. That does not bode well

 

[Kingsmen2018]

:troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll:

 

[rmalia]

what about PA school? would that be easier compared to MD.

my gpa is low because I went through an emotional phase, I was bit low psychologically and had lost interest in everything

You obviously have the ability to do well, but your gpa doesn't support that fact. A number of posters suggest an SMP, and you've questioned what might occur if you followed that advice but still didn't get in. That's a reasonable question, so you really need to look inside yourself and decide just how important it is for you to become a doc. Time and money expenditures are realities, so you should take some time to think carefully about what is next. For what it's worth, though, if you academics become stellar, and LOR's are convincingly admirable, my instincts are you will likely garner some interest ('cause many adcom folks will want to meet a person with a 525 MCAT and a 2.2 UG).

 

[PreMedMissteps]

my instincts are you will likely garner some interest ('cause many adcom folks will want to meet a person with a 525 MCAT and a 2.2 UG).

I think you're being overly-optimistic. I'm not an adcom, but I'm confident that adcoms are very familiar with the smart/lazy/doesn't complete projects/resulting-in-low-GPA student that they don't need to waste a precious II spot on one.

Hell, they may have one at home on their couch.

 

[bjwbell]

what about PA school? would that be easier compared to MD.

my gpa is low because I went through an emotional phase, I was bit low psychologically and had lost interest in everything

PA would be cheaper. You'd have a shot by taking community college classes and bumping your GPA to 3.0

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[libertyyne]

Smp, or a long postbac to bring your gpa up to 3.0

 

[cactusman]

Why aren't you telling us why your GPA is sooooooooooooooooooo low, but you're obviously smart with that MCAT score??

I'm going to just throw this out there (I'm not an adcom, but I'm going to pretend right now). If I were to see that app, I'd be thinking, "smart, lazy, doesn't follow thru."

Now, tell us why that conclusion would be dead wrong.

Or "there are a lot of unresolved mental health issues, likely to be a disaster for both school and the student if accepted."

 

[rmalia]

I think you're being overly-optimistic. I'm not an adcom, but I'm confident that adcoms are very familiar with the smart/lazy/doesn't complete projects/resulting-in-low-GPA student that they don't need to waste a precious II spot on one.

Hell, they may have one at home on their couch.

lol...maybe so.

 

[mistafab]

I do not believe it one bit.

But then again, would someone do that? Just come on the internet, and tell lies?

 

[En3rgy]

I do not believe it one bit.

But then again, would someone do that? Just come on the internet, and tell lies?

OP probably wants to know what his/her chances are if they scored a 525, given his/her low cGPA.

 

[Je$$ie]

I do not believe it one bit.

But then again, would someone do that? Just come on the internet, and tell lies?

well, you don't know what I've been through, so I guess its best to refrain from judging.

 

[Je$$ie]

Are my chances better with DO schools?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Please answer the very relevant question: why is your GPA so low?

Also, what did you get your degree in? It appears that you were getting C's even in your classes in your major. That does not bode well

Are my chances better with DO schools?

Why don't you answer some of the Q's posed here and then we might be able to help

 

[mcloaf]

well, you don't know what I've been through, so I guess its best to refrain from judging.

If you want more helpful advice you need to give more information. Based on what you've provided the chances are zero.

 

[Ad2b]

On the flipside, they'd also have to report a GPA as low as 2.2!

Not necessarily - you'd be surprised at how institutions report things...

 

[Je$$ie]

If you want more helpful advice you need to give more information. Based on what you've provided the chances are zero.

Well, I think Ive already mentioned my gpa was low because of mental illness... I don't think or I don't want to provide more elaborate details on a public forum...

 

[Je$$ie]

Why don't you answer some of the Q's posed here and then we might be able to help

I got my degree in biology, I've a C above in all my pre requisites

 

[Ad2b]

Well, I think Ive already mentioned my gpa was low because of mental illness... I don't think or I don't want to provide more elaborate details on a public forum...

I don't think anyone is asking for you to release the nature of the brain chemistry/behavioral issues. To me, which is nothing I'm not an adcom or anything else, there's missing pieces of the puzzle and generally, on here, a little more is helpful (how did you shadow a surgeon for 2 weeks? how did that come about? most people barely get to a primary care doc let alone surgery? ) you speak of clinical volunteering - is that like cleaning rooms after patient is discharged? or taking calls at desk? or running errands? or ??? what about other volunteering like homeless shelters or food shelves or animal shelters/rescues?

That makes you seem more "Real" and more likely to get decent advice (though, I submit, you've been given some... that 2.2 is lethal right now and if that MCAT score is legit, then it really raises more questions than answers... I truly don't know anyone who has done that... 3.7 w/525+? yes... because the content was legit solid and it was learning the MCAT ways)...

Either way, I wish you the best of luck sorting this out. But that 2.2 won't get you anywhere without significant A's in courses like the pre-reqs or pre-reqs+ upper division.

 

[21Rush12]

I am sure you could provide some relevant details like what it was about your illness that prevented you from academic success. This is relevant because you will have to explain at an interview what happened and how you think you can handle things moving forward. You need to be able to prove that you are capable and prepared to handle medical school, standardized tests, clerkships, and residency. C or above means nothing, you are miles from a competitive GPA and your application presents a huge red flag and makes you a risky admission. Holistic review exists, but to even have a human being evaluate your application you are going to have to be so stellar in every other aspect that they humor you and read it before pocketing your secondary fee and throwing it in the trash.


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[PreMedMissteps]

what about PA school? would that be easier compared to MD.

my gpa is low because I went through an emotional phase, I was bit low psychologically and had lost interest in everything

Well, I think Ive already mentioned my gpa was low because of mental illness... I don't think or I don't want to provide more elaborate details on a public forum...

I got my degree in biology, I've a C above in all my pre requisites

So, for four years you struggled with a mental illness and got C's in almost everything? What would convince an adcom that you're healthy enough for med school?

Which classes did you get B's in? Did you get any A's? If so, in which classes? Did you get any D's or F's?