What postbacc or SMP should my cousin (Very low GPA) apply to? Advice from those accepted with low GPA would be greatly appreciated!!

[MD2025-applicant]

Hi guys, I made this post for my cousin. His dream is to become a doctor. However, he is not sure what he should do once he graduates this spring. His current situation:

1. Senior Majoring in neuroscience with a sub 3.0 GPA (2.5-3.0 GPA range) at a T10 undergrad.
2. He did really poorly in Orgo and has to retake it. He completed all the other premed prereq's.
3. International student (Asian) with no green card
4. Currently has no clinical volunteering hours (can't volunteer in his school's hospital due to lack of green card), but he has EMT certification and some experience shadowing doctors in another country in Asia
5. Has a co-author basic science publication in a small journal

I know he has to do an academic enhancer type of program after completing his bachelor's and probably do a couple more years of application building before he is ready to apply.

In regards to postgrad programs,

1. If it is a good idea to apply to postbaccs, which will factor into his undergrad GPA, what specific postbacc programs should he apply to?
2. Should he do a DIY postbacc or a more formal postbacc record enhancer program that will also provide career guidance? If so, what are the most popular postbaccs of this kind that he should consider?
3. What courses should he take in the postbacc program?
4. Should he retake orgo this final semester of senior year or retake orgo during the postbacc.
5. Should he consider Special Master's programs (which doesn't factor into his uGPA) instead? If so, what programs should he consider (keeping in mind his GPA and visa status)?

In regards to years after postbacc,

1. What gap year opportunities should he consider following postbacc/master's?
2. Would spending 1-2 years scribing and pursuing a research position be enough to strengthen his application?
3. What other factors and opportunities should he consider?
4. Realistically, how are his chances at MD or DO schools? (I know this is also heavily dependent on his MCAT, which he hasn't taken).
5. What score should he aim for on the MCAT to be competitive for MD or DO.

I would greatly appreciate for those who are admitted that have finished undergrad with low GPA's to weigh in on my cousin's situation. Thank you guys so so much!

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[Mr.Smile12]

The first issue is to get a green card. Everything else will be a waste of money unless this barrier is removed, IMO.

 

[candbgirl]

Your cousin should spend some time on SDN Reading the WAMC threads to see what other future applicants have built in the way of applications. Frankly your cousin’s GPAs are not currently competitive for MD or DO. The average GPA for accepted MD students is 3.7xx and for DO students around 3.5xx(I think). Your cousin seems to be well below those averages. Both of these numbers get higher every year.
In addition he needs clinical experiences(paid or volunteer), nonclinical volunteering focusing on the unserved/underserved in the community, shadowing. All of this should be in the US and not being a citizen or having a green card makes the whole process more difficult. And there is absolutely no guarantee that he will ever be accepted no matter how hard he works to correct his deficiencies. Perhaps you should help him to look at other careers in health care. There are lots of options . I’m not even going to mention taking the MCAT because he won’t be ready to attempt the MCAT for a few years.

 

[Med Ed]

@Mr.Smile12 is correct, until he has has a green card he's dead in the water.

The few international students who get into US medical schools each year are either rock stars or very connected. It doesn't sound like your cousin is either.

 

[MD2025-applicant]

@Mr.Smile12 @Med Ed
My cousin is working on getting his green card in 2-3 years. Assuming he can successfully obtain the green card, could you guys provide any advice or insights on what he should do in the mean time? I asked in the post what specific postbacc programs he should consider. Is there any ones that you would recommend? Thank you!

 

[Med Ed]

@Mr.Smile12 @Med Ed
My cousin is working on getting his green card in 2-3 years. Assuming he can successfully obtain the green card, could you guys provide any advice or insights on what he should do in the mean time? I asked in the post what specific postbacc programs he should consider. Is there any ones that you would recommend? Thank you!

It's impossible to recommend anything with so few details. Why does your cousin have a sub-3.0 GPA in the first place? Where is he located? What financial resources can he bring to bear?

My standard advice to people graduating college with unfortunate GPAs is to first get a job for a couple of years. Nothing seems to motivate academic preparation like having to work for a living.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Mr.Smile12 @Med Ed
My cousin is working on getting his green card in 2-3 years. Assuming he can successfully obtain the green card, could you guys provide any advice or insights on what he should do in the mean time? I asked in the post what specific postbacc programs he should consider. Is there any ones that you would recommend? Thank you!

We've learned these past 5 years is that you cannot guarantee the timeline when you can get a green card.

Your cousin goes to a T10 and should get advice for the prehealth advisors there. It probably resembles what we said. I agree without more details we can't give any advice.

If he failed some of the prerequisite classes, those must be retake with A's. I have doubts your cousin is ready to take the MCAT, so avoid taking it just to get into a postbac program because a low score is going to undermine any chances as well.

Again, getting work experience in a clinical environment is definitely encouraged. We have seen career changers get in. But he needs a real reinvention of undergrad courses given the description we have here.