What are my chances of getting into medical school?

[Triathlete]

Hello everyone,
I am wondering what my chances are when it comes to getting accepted into med school. I am at a huge disadvantage. My GPA hovers around 2.8 to 3.0. I was irresponsible and not very serious back then. This is my first year back in college, and I am 25 right now. My GPA may be low and I may be a bit older than the average applicant, but I feel I have a bit to contribute later on, because I have clinical experience. I've been an RN for almost two years now, and I have a bit of critical care under my background. Right now I am a Biology major taking Chem and Calc. I have a long ways to go, which in a way, is good, because I have many chances to improve my GPA. I go to school during the week and I spend at least 6 hours a day, five days a week studying. I work the night shift Friday and Saturday at a local hospital, med surg. I am hard working, persistent, and consistent! I also hope to compete in Vineman (Ironman competition) next year. Please, I am not interested in anything less than Medical School.

Thanks,
Mick

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[ONYX4000GT]

Do like the Marines do.. You can do anything you put your mind to..
Also go check out MDAPPLICANTS.COM youll be surprised too see some of the GPA's and MCATS that were accepted into MD schools. There are MANY acceptees with GPA's LESS than 3.0. Sounds like you have plenty of time to raise your GPA. Your fine.. GL MAN

 

[desout777]

Hmm... this is usually a bad question to ask on these forums because people aren't going to give you confidence if that's what you're looking for. Also, it's tough to give you any advice with that little information.

I'm sure it's possible to overcome a very low undergrad GPA, but you'll need to do well in your coursework now, score high on the MCAT, and hope for the best. This vague and generic advice is the best you can really expect...

If getting an MD is what you want, then just work as hard as you can from now on to make yourself as competitive as possible - no med school can expect any more or any less from you.

good luck!

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Do like the Marines do.. You can do anything you put your mind to..
Also go check out MDAPPLICANTS.COM youll be surprised too see some of the GPA's and MCATS that were accepted into MD schools. There are MANY acceptees with GPA's LESS than 3.0. Sounds like you have plenty of time to raise your GPA. Your fine.. GL MAN

That's just not true. There are NOT many acceptees with GPA's less than 3.0. In fact, this is very, very rare.

 

[Wackie]

Did you do the four year degree for RN? I ask because the more schooling you've got under your belt, the more difficult it will be to raise your GPA.
Ace your courses (and I mean ace them) and take the MCAT once you are very well prepared. Then you can have a better idea of whether or not you have a stab at it.
If your GPA isn't high enough, you can do a post-bacc.
I suggest looking through the non-trad forum. You'll find information about what people in a similar situation have done.

It's still a lotto for anyone, but you can't win if you don't play.

 

[Merissa87]

If you look at the admission stats... out of around 30 something thousand applicants around 15-17,000 receive acceptances. this is Around a 50% chance give or take some. The way I look at it is that no one on SDN giving you advice is going to have an actual say to whether you receive your acceptance or not. Raise your grades, put in your ECs and clinical experience and you can do ANYTHING with hard work determination and prayer, just don't give up.

YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST....

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

Do like the Marines do.. You can do anything you put your mind to..
Also go check out MDAPPLICANTS.COM youll be surprised too see some of the GPA's and MCATS that were accepted into MD schools. There are MANY acceptees with GPA's LESS than 3.0. Sounds like you have plenty of time to raise your GPA. Your fine.. GL MAN

Yeah, not many, but there are some here or there.
They usually have Master's degrees, significant research backgrounds, and mid to upper 30 MCATs.

 

[masterMood]

if you really want to go to medical school also consider osteopathic medicine unless you're going into medicine just for the prestige in which case work harder and longer to become an M.D.

 

[SitraAchra]

YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST....

no need to yell now...


[or proselytize]

sorry that's just bothersome, thrusting your beliefs on someone.


ANYways, I agree with everyone else. Just do your best, sounds like you can get things done if you study almost every day, have a job, and are triathalon-fit. Very cool!

 

[Law2Doc]

That's just not true. There are NOT many acceptees with GPA's less than 3.0. In fact, this is very, very rare.

Agree with this. There are a few here and there, but they are certainly not common, and most of them have pretty significant and lengthy postbac or SMP track records which deomonstrate a solid ability in the sciences, as well as other non-numerical "hooks". I also would suggest that the really unusual stats in MDApplicants.com are fakes more often than not -- the majority of people who post on there either have stats they are very proud of, or they have somehow defied the odds -- it is simply not a fair cross section of premeds by any stretch of the imagination.
Lots of schools do an initial screen, and I suspect a 3.0 is a pretty common screening point (I don't know this for a fact but that's the word on the street).
To the OP -- you can get there if you want it bad enough, but don't expect it to be a quick road. You have a lot of grade rehabilitation to do.

 

[Goguryo]

I was impacted by your post. Hopefully you will be a doctor.

 

[Lanced]

I graduated with a 3.2, but got really good post-bac grades and MCAT score and I feel like I'll do well (I've gotten 4 interview invites to top 30 schools).

Please PM if have more questions -- also check out the non-trad forum. There's less traffic there but its more oriented towards your question/situation.

Good luck!

 

[Triathlete]

Hello everyone thank you for your advice. I guess this is the advice I expected to hear, a few yes's and no's. Within these next four and a half years I plan on going to med school either way. I have (some) help into school in the Philippines, if comes to that point because I know someones, bla bla bla. And I can take my USMLEs upon returning. (I am sure I can pass test II right now.) I sound a bit out of my mind, but this is coming from someone who has his head set on becoming an MD and will do whatever it takes to become one. (I suppose that is all of us, anyhow.) The traffic in the non-traditional forums is too slow to get enough opinions, so I will stay here. If it means doing getting a Master's Degree or doing post-grad work if my second option falls through, then I will. I've seen worse situations. If I remember correctly, I can only go back so many years before those grades get ignored. And, since nursing is its own field, anything I accomplished at that time (for my ADN), will not count towards my gpa. I think if I can manage getting mostly A's and a VERY few B's I can pull between a 3.3 and a 3.4 trying to get my Bachelors. Pray for me, even though it will not do anything. I will wish you guys the best also.

 

[silas2642]

Hello everyone,
I am wondering what my chances are when it comes to getting accepted into med school. I am at a huge disadvantage. My GPA hovers around 2.8 to 3.0. I was irresponsible and not very serious back then. This is my first year back in college, and I am 25 right now. My GPA may be low and I may be a bit older than the average applicant, but I feel I have a bit to contribute later on, because I have clinical experience. I've been an RN for almost two years now, and I have a bit of critical care under my background. Right now I am a Biology major taking Chem and Calc. I have a long ways to go, which in a way, is good, because I have many chances to improve my GPA. I go to school during the week and I spend at least 6 hours a day, five days a week studying. I work the night shift Friday and Saturday at a local hospital, med surg. I am hard working, persistent, and consistent! I also hope to compete in Vineman (Ironman competition) next year. Please, I am not interested in anything less than Medical School.

Thanks,
Mick

I guess one of the first things that you have to do is deal with the fact that you can put 110% into this process and end up with nothing. Are you really really sure that this is what you want; an NP isn't enough for you? If you still want to become a doctor, then I'd buckle down because the road is going to be pretty long and hard.

First, I would really look into DO schools in addition to MD schools-- this increases your chances of acceptance, especially considering that DO schools are more willing to look past the numbers and accept more non-trad schools than allopathic ones.

Second, you have got to see what you can do to get your gpa up. This may require a post-bac program to show the adcoms that you have what it takes to finish med school. It's going to be hard to raise it from a 2.5 if that is from a four year degree, which I'm assuming it is.

Third, nailing the mcat is imperative. I would definitely consider taking an mcat review course (and I normally don't advise this to most people) because if you don't do well on this exam, your chances are pretty much shot. Do not take this exam until you are scoring 30+ on the practice exams.

If you still don't get into any US schools, then think about the Caribbean, particularly if you're interested in a non-competitive residency. Good luck, and I hope to see you on the wards someday as a colleague.