What is too "high" of a GPA for Post Bacc?

[cupcakesandcadavers]

I'm really conflicted. I'm trying to plan for the worst case scenario that i don't get into MD. i think my numbers are hurting me.
i applied with a less than 3.5 GPA (and was told that was too low) but now after another semester of extra courses in senior year, I'm above that and will (hopefully!) be trending upwards by the time graduation hits and be around a 3.6 (for both cGPA and sGPA). I feel like a basically 3.6 GPA is good enough for MD school and post bacc would be a waste of money (although money is not an issue right now, I'm more concerned as to whether it will actually help me get in to med school). but I'm still wary because if i want to reapply, i don't want to be concerned with my numbers again. i also started first semester freshman year with a 2.9 so id like to think i showed vast improvement!
should i try doing post bacc anyway and try to shoot for a 3.8/3.9+?
i also have a low 30's MCAT and am highly considering retaking it. my pre health office is being less than helpful and I'm really private with my friends about this so i turned to SDN...(god help me ahaha)

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[625233]

3.6 is relatively competitive, assuming you're ECs are in line with what SDN expects. In my opinion, so long as you apply broadly, and intelligently, you have a more than fair shot (assuming you're MCAT is a 31-32). So, is a post bac worth it? Probably not at this time, but I guess it's always an option. I don't know how badly you're chances are hurt after a 3rd cycle though @Goro @gyngyn

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

I think a post-bacc is pointless if you have better than a 3.5. The purpose of a post-bacc is to demonstrate that you are capable of handling rigorous coursework, and if you have a >3.5 you have already shown that. Unless you are only gunning for top tier and need to get your GPA over 3.7 then maybe you could consider it.

In my opinion a gap year would be better spent doing something you care about and that makes you a more unique applicant, or at least shores up a deficiency in another area like clinical experience or research.

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

my premed advisor and the doctor i know who i used to work for are really surprised at how I'm doing this cycle. they both reviewed my entire app and thought i was going to be just fine. i was aiming or mid tier schools and applied to some reaches because like, yolo i suppose. but then i started getting rejected from state schools and then a wait list and then rejections from places they thought was a bad sign. they seem to think its my numbers, not my ECs or essays thats holding me back. i just never though my numbers were THAT bad. I'm also at a top 10 undegrad, which apparently doesn't help 🙁

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

i even talked to multiple doctors on admissions boards that i met and gave them brief overviews of my application as well as a friend who attended a top med school program (who also reviewed my app) and didn't really see any red flags. the only thing they could comment on was my numbers. 🙁

 

[Goro]

There is no such thing as "too high a GPA" and you're expected to ace, not skate through a post-bac.

I'm really conflicted. I'm trying to plan for the worst case scenario that i don't get into MD. i think my numbers are hurting me.
i applied with a less than 3.5 GPA (and was told that was too low) but now after another semester of extra courses in senior year, I'm above that and will (hopefully!) be trending upwards by the time graduation hits and be around a 3.6 (for both cGPA and sGPA). I feel like a basically 3.6 GPA is good enough for MD school and post bacc would be a waste of money (although money is not an issue right now, I'm more concerned as to whether it will actually help me get in to med school). but I'm still wary because if i want to reapply, i don't want to be concerned with my numbers again. i also started first semester freshman year with a 2.9 so id like to think i showed vast improvement!
should i try doing post bacc anyway and try to shoot for a 3.8/3.9+?
i also have a low 30's MCAT and am highly considering retaking it. my pre health office is being less than helpful and I'm really private with my friends about this so i turned to SDN...(god help me ahaha)

 

[OllieDog]

There is no such thing as "too high a GPA" and you're expected to ace, not skate through a post-bac.

I think she means what undergrad GPA is too high to make enrolling in a post-bacc worthwhile, not what GPA during the post-bacc is too high.

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

I think she means what undergrad GPA is too high to make enrolling in a post-bacc worthwhile, not what GPA during the post-bacc is too high.

Yes yes lol

 

[Goro]

Ahh, I see. My apologies to OP.

I think that with a 3.4 and careful targeting, there are a number of MD schools that are in striking distance. For someone with a 3.3 who is only gunning for MD schools, then I would recommend a post-bac or SMP.

However, if one had a 3.3 or even lower, but with a steep upward trend over the last 2-3 years of UG, and a nice fat high MCAT score, then there are are MD schools that reward reinvention.

U Utah, Vanderbilt, Case, U Miami and Duke are only a few. Someone posted that Vandy accepted someone (not a URM) with a 2.9! That must have been one hell of a upward trend.

I think she means what undergrad GPA is too high to make enrolling in a post-bacc worthwhile, not what GPA during the post-bacc is too high.

 

[ridethecliche]

I'd take classes or a post bacc if lower than a 3.5.

I got in this cycle with a 3.55 and a 34 but am certain that my application would have been far more competitive had I taken even one class every semester that I've been a non trad. Seriously, that would have added a years worth of classes and raised my gpa by a fair bit.

That said, it wasn't what I was interested in doing so...

Tldr: 3.5 should be seen as the cutoff, but MCAT matters.

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

I think my mcat was too low for my GPA 🙁 oh well

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

I was told 30+ would be ok!

 

[mehc012]

I was told 30+ would be ok!

30+ is OK. 3.4 is meh. OK+meh is not a good combo.
3.6 with a strong upward trend is good. Good+OK is a better combo.

 

[wolfley]

30+ is OK. 3.4 is meh. OK+meh is not a good combo.
3.6 with a strong upward trend is good. Good+OK is a better combo.

what about extra-curriculars and life experience? hopefully those will be taken into consideration

 

[mehc012]

what about extra-curriculars and life experience? hopefully those will be taken into consideration

I never said they wouldn't...OP was asking about their numbers and seems to want to know whether their current set is different enough from their prior set that they don't have to spend another app cycle biting their nails hoping an adcom sees past the quantitatives.

 

[Catalystik]

i applied with a less than 3.5 GPA (and was told that was too low) but now after another semester of extra courses in senior year, I'm above that and will (hopefully!) be trending upwards by the time graduation hits and be around a 3.6 (for both cGPA and sGPA). I feel like a basically 3.6 GPA is good enough for MD school and post bacc would be a waste of money (although money is not an issue right now, I'm more concerned as to whether it will actually help me get in to med school). but I'm still wary because if i want to reapply, i don't want to be concerned with my numbers again. i also started first semester freshman year with a 2.9 so id like to think i showed vast improvement!
should i try doing post bacc anyway and try to shoot for a 3.8/3.9+?
i also have a low 30's MCAT and am highly considering retaking it. my pre health office is being less than helpful and I'm really private with my friends about this so i turned to SDN...(god help me ahaha)

You didn't mention your BCPM GPA, which is another important part of the equation.

Since money is no object and since extra upper-level Bio in med school-type classes would help ease your first year of med school, I think that doing some postbac work is a reasonable idea, so long as your grades are terrific. B grades are not going to help your case in update letters or where an official transcript is requested.

If your MCAT score is 30, then reapplying with a 33 would get you far more traction. If you have a 32-33, I would not suggest retaking.

i was aiming or mid tier schools and applied to some reaches

With a low 30s MCAT and cGPA <3.5 (Lizzy M score 64-67), an emphasis toward less-selective schools would have been a better choice.

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

thanks for the input! i feel pretty good on my life experiences. I'm most concerned with my numbers. i have another school to hear from that is good mid tier soon so hopefully i get some good news! just want to be prepared in case i have to reapply.

 

[QuentinT88]

@cupcakesandcadavers when was your application complete this cycle?

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

i had a unfortunate grade issue and was not complete until my committee was sent in mid/late august 🙁 also something that was out of my control and i think hurt me

 

[QuentinT88]

I think this was the biggest issue for you. Your stats seem fine in my opinion

 

[username456789]

Why is every poster in this thread confusing a post-bacc with an SMP?

A post-bacc is a program that includes the basic prerequisites for medical school for college students who graduated with a non-science degree or otherwise did not fulfill these prerequisites.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Why is every poster in this thread confusing a post-bacc with an SMP?

A post-bacc is a program that includes the basic prerequisites for medical school for college students who graduated with a non-science degree or otherwise did not fulfill these prerequisites.

Not necessarily. You can do a post-bacc of upper level science courses in order to improve your GPA. That is still a postbacc and different than an smp.

 

[mehc012]

Why is every poster in this thread confusing a post-bacc with an SMP?

A post-bacc is a program that includes the basic prerequisites for medical school for college students who graduated with a non-science degree or otherwise did not fulfill these prerequisites.

Not necessarily. You can do a post-bacc of upper level science courses in order to improve your GPA. That is still a postbacc and different than an smp.

Yup. All 'postbacc' means is 'postbaccalaureate'...it's any undergraduate level work completed after graduation (as a non-degree seeking student). This kind of work will improve your cGPA. Some nontraditional students complete them to get the prerequisite work out of the way, however other students with a low GPA may take upper level coursework to improve their uGPA. Many of the 'official' postbacc programs cover the intro work and are designed for career changers or those who did so poorly on their prereqs that they need to go back and actually learn the material...but 'official' programs are not the only category of postbacc work.

An SMP is a special category of graduate program where you take medical school courses while not enrolled in medical school. The purpose of an SMP program is to demonstrate that you could succeed in medical school, typically because your unsalvagable uGPA makes that seem doubtful. It's pretty much a "go big or go home" type program...if you do well, it can redeem your uGPA. If you perform poorly or even only mediocre, you are pretty much done trying to get into medical school.

 

[ridethecliche]

@cupcakesandcadavers when was your application complete this cycle?

i had a unfortunate grade issue and was not complete until my committee was sent in mid/late august 🙁 also something that was out of my control and i think hurt me

I think this was the biggest issue for you. Your stats seem fine in my opinion

Mid August is not late. That's when I applied and I have an acceptance and 3 more interviews. I also have a 3.55 and 34 though.

A 3.4 and a 30 is low for MD programs in general, especially mid tier schools...