What's better: retake classes or post-bac?

[badgpadoc]

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Hi guys,

I finished my undergrad in molecular biology with a 2.7 GPA (2.5 science GPA).

Would it be better to go to a local 4-year college to retake the classes I got C-'s in so that for the AACOMAS calculation, my GPA would be stellar? Or would it be more beneficial to go to a Post-Bac and hope that doing well there makes whatever performance in undergrad insignificant?

I e-mailed an admissions advisor at TCOM and she told me that doing well in post-bac catches her eye no matter the GPA. But I'm afraid that my 2.5 would get me screened out through automatic systems and that, even if I ace a post-bac, my low undergrad GPA would keep me from being competitive.

I was all set to start repeating classes starting with my C-'s, then moving on to the C's since that could quickly get me to a 3.5 or so most likely. But then the TCOM advisor has me second guessing myself.

I think the TCOM advisor only knows their way of calculating GPA (where everything counts) and so her advice is based on it being near impossible to make up that much ground when everything is averaged.

Thanks!

 

[DrMidlife]

What kind of postbac are you talking about? If you've already completed the prereqs, you aren't eligible for structured programs.

It's also considered a postbac to enroll in an undergrad school after you have an undergrad degree.

If you're talking about a medical masters aka SMP, that's graduate study. Typically you need an MCAT score in hand (among other things) to apply.

The postbac forum might be more helpful with this.

 

[badgpadoc]

Thanks for your help.

I was thinking about a structured Post-Bac (like the ones offered by the same schools that have DO programs) where they have you take anatomy, etc. Would doing that be better than upping my undergrad GPA?

I posted in the post-bac site and they helped a lot, so I thought I'd come to the pre-osteo site so that you guys might have more insight since we're all applying to DO programs.

Up undergrad GPA or take SMP and apply for OD with my super low undergrad GPA?

Thanks!

 

[linkDO]

i had a couple C-'s in my gen chem classes years back. i finished up my undergrad without thinking too much about them and finished with a decent GPA. since I have taken some post-bacc courses to try to broaden my education and background for when i get to med school. but now ALL of my acceptances so far have said that I must re-take the gen chem classes I got a C- in.

so while i think post-bac is great...you should prob fix those C-'s while youre at it as well. cause they will most likely make you redo them anyways. that's been my experience.

 

[rajaholick]

its because a C- isn't a passing grade for degree requirement classes right?
if the C- was in history, i doubt they'd care

 

[linkDO]

its because a C- isn't a passing grade for degree requirement classes right?
if the C- was in history, i doubt they'd care

well i already graduated and it wasnt really a "degree requirement." but at least a "C" IS required by most medical schools in all of the core science requirements. and according to this, a C- isnt a C. so you have to re-take it.

and yes, you're correct in stating they dont care if you get a C- in history. just the basic sciences listed in their admissions packets.

 

[Relativity]

Hi guys,

I finished my undergrad in molecular biology with a 2.7 GPA (2.5 science GPA).

Would it be better to go to a local 4-year college to retake the classes I got C-'s in so that for the AACOMAS calculation, my GPA would be stellar? Or would it be more beneficial to go to a Post-Bac and hope that doing well there makes whatever performance in undergrad insignificant?

I e-mailed an admissions advisor at TCOM and she told me that doing well in post-bac catches her eye no matter the GPA. But I'm afraid that my 2.5 would get me screened out through automatic systems and that, even if I ace a post-bac, my low undergrad GPA would keep me from being competitive.

I was all set to start repeating classes starting with my C-'s, then moving on to the C's since that could quickly get me to a 3.5 or so most likely. But then the TCOM advisor has me second guessing myself.

I think the TCOM advisor only knows their way of calculating GPA (where everything counts) and so her advice is based on it being near impossible to make up that much ground when everything is averaged.

Thanks!

Here is some advice from personal experience since I have been in the same boat as you and talked to many people with same dilemma.

Only apply to SMP/Post-Bac program if it has a medical school attached to it. Almost all school with SMP programs (eg. TCOM) will save spots for those student that perform around 3.5 or higher. Other SMPs however have no guarantees.

Now, if you don't get into those programs with medical schools attached, just retake all of your science classes with C's and below and all other non-science courses with D's and below. Because all better grades will get replaced for AACOMAS.

Also take your MCAT soon and make atleast a 27.
Shadow a D.O. and get lots of volunteer hours and some leadership roles.

PM me, if you need any more advice. Trust my words, I have done the research behind it.

P.S. ohh, if you take courses like anatomy in the post-bac programs, you can still replace your undergrad anatomy course. You just wont be able to replace basic level science classes, only equivalent upper-level courses(biochem,antamoy, molecular).

 

[rajaholick]

i wasn't able to replace classes i took in undergrad with classes i took as part of my smp
anatomy, physiology, biochem...
CBear explained to me that they wont do this because they are graduate (master's) level courses and not the same level as undergrad...

 

[Relativity]

i wasn't able to replace classes i took in undergrad with classes i took as part of my smp
anatomy, physiology, biochem...
CBear explained to me that they wont do this because they are graduate (master's) level courses and not the same level as undergrad...

I did it and it worked for me. Even logically, they are the same courses and maybe harder in graduate school. Upper level science classes cover similar material as some graduate school classes. I replaced immunology, anatomy, biochem.

I just looked at my application to make sure. It works for aamc & tmdsas as well.

Maybe CBear had'nt tried it. He still knows lot.🙂

 

[rajaholick]

dang, wish i had tried it :-/
what do you do differently other than just adding the courses? is there an option to indicate retake or something?

 

[wesleysj]

I ran into a similar situation. I was told by the AAMC that once a degree is obtained, that GPA is closed. A new post-bac gpa will begin, or graduate gpa. Even if the same classes are retaken, they will not effect your undergrad gpa.

... only chance would be if you haven't gotten your 1st degree yet. That is what I was told.

some of the other posts talk about programs linked to med programs...those would be good, or a second BS degree, or masters to show success in upper division courses at a four year university.

I am not sure if this is the case for the DO program, but it is confirmed for the md.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

i wasn't able to replace classes i took in undergrad with classes i took as part of my smp
anatomy, physiology, biochem...
CBear explained to me that they wont do this because they are graduate (master's) level courses and not the same level as undergrad...

I looked through your posts to find this conversation so I could see exactly what was said. I couldn't find it. If you have a link, I'd be interested to see it.

dang, wish i had tried it :-/
what do you do differently other than just adding the courses? is there an option to indicate retake or something?

Yes, you indicate when you repeated a course. There is a certain designation for the final time you took it and a separate designation for all attempts before the final one.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I did it and it worked for me. Even logically, they are the same courses and maybe harder in graduate school. Upper level science classes cover similar material as some graduate school classes. I replaced immunology, anatomy, biochem.

You say that it's "logical," but one could argue that it's equally obviously "illogical." UG and Grad school are different beasts, with different course requirements, degrees of difficulty, stringency levels, etc.

Would it also work that you could take a Grad course, do poorly, then go back to UG and retake it?

But my main reason for saying it wouldn't work was probably because the UG and Grad GPAs are calculated separately by AACOMAS, so it didn't make sense that they would let them overlap and allow one to influence the other.

Either way, sorry if I caused anyone confusion.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I just looked at my application to make sure. It works for aamc & tmdsas as well.

What does this mean?

What works for AAMC and TMDSAS as well??

Can you please explain this?

 

[rajaholick]

i really dont see how it could work, unless aacomas or aamc missed something

the convo we had was me ranting how its unfair that smp courses cant be used as retakes for undergrad courses
then you basically saying what you said 2 posts ago
followed by a light bulb going off in my head

 

[badgpadoc]

Thanks for all the help! I guess the answer to my questions is "a C- isn't passing so you need to retake them anyway". I really should have tried harder in college.....

But I really want this and so I gotta do what I gotta do.

 

[Relativity]

What does this mean?

What works for AAMC and TMDSAS as well??

Can you please explain this?

Okay let me be clearer. For AAMC and TMDSAS, if you take a course eg. biochem 1 in undergrad and take similar course called biochem 1 in grad school, it can be designated as repeat and will show up on application as a repeat. However, it doesn't really matter to your final GPA for TMDSAS and AAMC, because all grades are averaged and not replaced. It just makes it easier for admission to recognize comparable courses. My point was that it could be done, the repeat designation that is.

Now for AACOMAS, if you retake a course eg. Immunology in grad school and make higher grade, the higher grade in grad school will replace the lower grade in undergrad; the final and science GPA will reflect that. But be careful, if you retake the same course, make lower grade, and tell AACOMAS, your GPA will only include the lower grade(happened to me). They only take the grade for second attempt.

Okay Cbear sorry for confusion, what I meant by logically was totally based on personal experience. We used the same book and covered similar coursework in both the grad school course and my undergrad course. My point was that whole purpose of repeating a course, in my opinion, is to show that you were able to master a course. Now lets say that I take anatomy in undergrad an make "C" then take the anatomy course in grad school (more depth) and make an "A", I should have right to designate the course as a repeat. Yes, both are not taken at an undergrad institution but the course overlaps on material, in my opinion.

 

[Relativity]

dang, wish i had tried it :-/
what do you do differently other than just adding the courses? is there an option to indicate retake or something?

Yes, you just indicate repeat on application. Lets say undergrad course anatomy= repeat one, and grad school course= final repeat one. Just make sure they cover similar material.

Hey, I was just trying to help with my comments. I just think you still have great chance to get into a med school. Make sure to look at all courses taken in SMP/Post bac program and compare it to what you took in undergrad. Just plan your future course work wisely, and you will be on your way.

 

[Relativity]

i really dont see how it could work, unless aacomas or aamc missed something



Its like accepting yale's pass and fail grade system and tmdsas application's chopping up of B+'s and B-'s to B's . We dont know how or why, but it works.

 

[MrFixIt]

This is YEARS past the OP, but in case anyone is currently reading this for advice, I spoke with the admissions office at a DO school and this is what they told me:
"The grade will not be replaced on your AACOMAS unless it is the exact credit hours (ex. Inorganic Chemistry-4 hours that includes lecture & lab. Then some schools code it as 3 hours for lecture & 1 hour for lab)." So it seems as though you can change your GPA even after obtaining a degree as long as the credits and descriptions are exactly the same. So if you retake the courses at the same institution then I would imagine it would be fine, but if you take them elsewhere and your 4,0 Anatomy and Lab is now a 3,1 then the GPA won't be counted the same.