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What are my chances..
- Thread starter Xcar_
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Going to be rough for you. It is hard to say since A) no MCAT, B) you've only taken one science class. If you start taking science classes/doing pre-reqs/get a degree and get As in them and rock the MCAT along with having ECs and you apply broadly to MD and DO then yes, you have a shot. Big takeaway here is to start that upward trend; it is going to take time and you are going to have to show a couple years of As in your pre-reqs and maybe upper division science classes.
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892002
If you’re black, you might have a shot at a HBCU, but otherwise, your best bet might be a Carribean school. If you do go down that route, it’ll be much tougher, but there are plenty of people who have succeeded coming out of Carribean schools, especially SGU and Ross. The 98 hours is really concerning. BUT if you can start a strong upward trend with lots of science classes/score >508 on the MCAT, you have a decent shot at a US MD/DO!! Having so much improvement shows med schools how dedicated you are to the career.
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I hear that upward trend a lot. I've accepted I'm a dork so no need to say more. I want to major in Biology, so far so good. I plan on having the MCAT and upward trend work in my favor, so I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.
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FYI, your grades earned for ALL undergrad coursework follows you whether you change degrees, institutions, or have a gap period. That means the ~2.0 you earned and the ~100 credit hours will need to be factored in when calculating your cumulative GPA and science (BCPM) GPA. There is no avoiding that unless you're a TX resident, the coursework is >10 years, and you invoke AFS.
That said, you will need to complete ALL the prerequisite coursework for medical school. You can check out the MSAR for specific school specifications, but generally speaking you're looking at at least 8 hours biology (2 hrs of labs), 8 hours general chemistry (2 hours of labs), 8 hours of organic chemistry (2 hours of labs), 8 hours physics (2 hours labs), 3 hours biochemistry, 6 hours English (but not as a second language), and 3 hours statistics or calculus. All of the science/math classes must be for science majors, as those that are not science majors will not be counted.
With a ~2.0 GPA, you have a steep uphill battle but it is NOT impossible. It will, however, take persistence, grit, and commitment both in time, money, and other resources. The journey involves many sacrifices and is designed that way to weed out those that aren't fully committed.
How bad do you want it?
That said, you will need to complete ALL the prerequisite coursework for medical school. You can check out the MSAR for specific school specifications, but generally speaking you're looking at at least 8 hours biology (2 hrs of labs), 8 hours general chemistry (2 hours of labs), 8 hours of organic chemistry (2 hours of labs), 8 hours physics (2 hours labs), 3 hours biochemistry, 6 hours English (but not as a second language), and 3 hours statistics or calculus. All of the science/math classes must be for science majors, as those that are not science majors will not be counted.
With a ~2.0 GPA, you have a steep uphill battle but it is NOT impossible. It will, however, take persistence, grit, and commitment both in time, money, and other resources. The journey involves many sacrifices and is designed that way to weed out those that aren't fully committed.
How bad do you want it?
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Graduate with whatever and do well from here out (ALL A's or nearly so).
Get a job. Work it for a few years.
Volunteer through ALL of that (now until you're in a casket, seriously... it's not a check-the-box thing)
Take the pre-reqs AFTER all that. Get A's (seriously, A's)
Shadow docs.
Take the MCAT.
Apply. I think, to me, you're looking at a 10 year plan here before you apply. Not trying to be harsh but realistic... as someone who has walked in your shoes.
Get a job. Work it for a few years.
Volunteer through ALL of that (now until you're in a casket, seriously... it's not a check-the-box thing)
Take the pre-reqs AFTER all that. Get A's (seriously, A's)
Shadow docs.
Take the MCAT.
Apply. I think, to me, you're looking at a 10 year plan here before you apply. Not trying to be harsh but realistic... as someone who has walked in your shoes.
Just no to Carib. OP, you have a rough journey in front of you. @Goro gives great advice.
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Look up my post on reinvention
I forgot to say thank you.
What do you think about if I decide to go the military? I really want to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor but after looking at this tread LOW GPA/MCAT Success Stories (Posts by Nontrads Already Accepted to Med School)
Something is telling me time is on my side haha. I'm considering doing a 4 year stunt and out sort of the thing. But chances are my family won't improve with trump under leadership and all lets just not go there.. But I really was thinking of becoming a medic. What are some of your thoughts and reactions? What would you say to YOUR son if he was in my position?
What do you think about if I decide to go the military? I really want to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor but after looking at this tread LOW GPA/MCAT Success Stories (Posts by Nontrads Already Accepted to Med School)
Something is telling me time is on my side haha. I'm considering doing a 4 year stunt and out sort of the thing. But chances are my family won't improve with trump under leadership and all lets just not go there.. But I really was thinking of becoming a medic. What are some of your thoughts and reactions? What would you say to YOUR son if he was in my position?
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Looking through the thread, I've seen a lot of great advice. However, being someone who has been through the process, I would highly discourage you pursuing any medical school outside the US, especially if you intend to practice in the US. The bias against IMG and FMG's is real and unless your future plan is to specialize in family medicine or internal medicine, then I would highly suggest not to think of it.
Your GPA is obviously not where most schools would like it, but honestly, you have an uphill battle. I think that you have a good chance of boosting your GPA through the means listed in the other post, but one thing that could potentially save you is doing well on the MCAT. Medical schools look at applicants based on several domains: Academic rigor, social skills, service to the field, etc...You have to work on the academic rigor because the thinking is if you can't handle an undergraduate program and at least pass it, why should they take a chance on you and have you potentially screw up their statistics (graduation and matching rate for all their students). So buckle down and realize that for you to even have a shot, your academic plate must reek of nothing but perfection (>3.7+). Even then, you may have a hard time getting into top schools. My advice again is to AVOID overseas medical schools. I've heard horror stories and I think that the following should be your algorithm for applying to schools: US MD > US DO > International MD > International DO (not sure if this exists).
Hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Good luck!
Your GPA is obviously not where most schools would like it, but honestly, you have an uphill battle. I think that you have a good chance of boosting your GPA through the means listed in the other post, but one thing that could potentially save you is doing well on the MCAT. Medical schools look at applicants based on several domains: Academic rigor, social skills, service to the field, etc...You have to work on the academic rigor because the thinking is if you can't handle an undergraduate program and at least pass it, why should they take a chance on you and have you potentially screw up their statistics (graduation and matching rate for all their students). So buckle down and realize that for you to even have a shot, your academic plate must reek of nothing but perfection (>3.7+). Even then, you may have a hard time getting into top schools. My advice again is to AVOID overseas medical schools. I've heard horror stories and I think that the following should be your algorithm for applying to schools: US MD > US DO > International MD > International DO (not sure if this exists).
Hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Good luck!
