MD What should I do. Low GPA from undergrad BA but determined to become a Doctor.

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Papercrane

New Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hi, this is my first post and needless to say I'm new to this site. I'm a non-traditional pre-med student. I graduated a couple years ago with a bachelors of arts and received a whopping 2.6 gpa. My grades were all over the place as I had a turbulent life during undergrad. I'm finally at a point in life where I'm ready to buckle down and pursue my life dreams. I'm not quite sure what I should do in order to make myself a competitive applicant. I have a couple options including going back to school and getting a 2nd bachelors, but in science and trying for the best grades possible or doing post-bac pre med and and applying with my current gpa. I only want to attend medschool in the U.S. as I have a family and I don't think it would be fair to move them to the Caribbean. Any advice?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Look for a biomedical science/medical science program. The program is suppose to teach the core classes of medical and basically prove you can do the work
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Look for a biomedical science/medical science program. The program is suppose to teach the core classes of medical and basically prove you can do the work
Would I be able to receive acceptance to any of the bio medical programs with my gpa? The only one I found was a masters program that required at least a 3.0.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Some of the programs also consider letters of recommendation, GRE/MCAT/DAT scores.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hi, this is my first post and needless to say I'm new to this site. I'm a non-traditional pre-med student. I graduated a couple years ago with a bachelors of arts and received a whopping 2.6 gpa. My grades were all over the place as I had a turbulent life during undergrad. I'm finally at a point in life where I'm ready to buckle down and pursue my life dreams. I'm not quite sure what I should do in order to make myself a competitive applicant. I have a couple options including going back to school and getting a 2nd bachelors, but in science and trying for the best grades possible or doing post-bac pre med and and applying with my current gpa. I only want to attend medschool in the U.S. as I have a family and I don't think it would be fair to move them to the Caribbean. Any advice?
Your "old" grades will be averaged into any new undergraduate degree (for MD programs). For DO programs, you can dramatically improve your uGPA by re-taking courses in which you scored poorly. They will replace the old (bad) grade with your new score. You can investigate this grade replacement policy at the AACOMAS website.
 
Would I be able to receive acceptance to any of the bio medical programs with my gpa? The only one I found was a masters program that required at least a 3.0.

Definitely do not do a masters program right now. Before you consider a masters program, you need to at least raise your GPA so it won't be auto-screened. Follow the advice of gyngyn.
 
I've been out of school for about 5yrs lol. I had no idea about the grade replacement policy for DOs. I guess I was advised to do the masters because I've been out so long?
 
I think many are under the assumption that a masters degree will vastly improve your resume. while this will be true for those in an SMP program, those with lower than average stats will benefit more from retakes and more undergraduate classes. The quickest and most painless route for you would be to research DO, retake classes and include more upper-div science courses until your GPAs are above 3.0. Good Luck.
 
I think many are under the assumption that a masters degree will vastly improve your resume. while this will be true for those in an SMP program, those with lower than average stats will benefit more from retakes and more undergraduate classes. The quickest and most painless route for you would be to research DO, retake classes and include more upper-div science courses until your GPAs are above 3.0. Good Luck.
I'm a massage therapist and am interested in DO. I've already gotten my bf to log on the computer and get all the schools I'm interested in applying info. I'm going to email them and hopefully to be advised otherwise. I had no idea about that policy. Truly good info! Thanks! Will save me tons also
 
For GPA repair, re-take all F/D/C grade science coursework and apply to DO programs. AACOMAS's grade replacement policy does wonders for the GPA. You can do this in a post-bac, either an organized one, or a DIY.

OR: enroll in a SMP given by a medical school. These programs are your backdoor into medical school.

Then ace the MCAT. There ARE MD schools that reward reinvention.



Hi, this is my first post and needless to say I'm new to this site. I'm a non-traditional pre-med student. I graduated a couple years ago with a bachelors of arts and received a whopping 2.6 gpa. My grades were all over the place as I had a turbulent life during undergrad. I'm finally at a point in life where I'm ready to buckle down and pursue my life dreams. I'm not quite sure what I should do in order to make myself a competitive applicant. I have a couple options including going back to school and getting a 2nd bachelors, but in science and trying for the best grades possible or doing post-bac pre med and and applying with my current gpa. I only want to attend medschool in the U.S. as I have a family and I don't think it would be fair to move them to the Caribbean. Any advice?
 
Top