Where Should I Go From Here?

[studentboost]

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Hi,

Before I begin with my question I'll share a bit of my info:
cGPA: 2.950 (2 Ds in upper level science courses last semester)
5th Yr Undergrad
No EC, besides part time jobs
Biochemistry Major

I am currently taking 14 credits and will need 20 credits to graduate this summer. I am doing a lot better in school than I have in the past due to leaving my part time jobs and dedicating time to studying as well as a better state of mind (Have felt very depressed the past two years). As of the past few months I've felt more optimistic about life and it has affected my grades for the better. I will be taking the MCAT in January and have already completed all the prerequisites. I was wondering what my next steps should be aside from getting better grades for the last couple of classes I have left. I am open to any advice that would help me become a better applicant overall.

Thank you


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[popopopop]

Get ECs?

 

[deleted480308]

Retake your worst grades to improve your gpa and apply DO

 

[Fluffy123]

You have several options but your first priority should be your mental health. After that:
1. Shadow and make sure medicine is what you want to do
2. Retake the classes you did C+ or lower in and ace them. Apply DO and take advantage of the grade replacement policy.
3. Do a Special Masters Program (SMP) and kill it. This should be your last resort as SMP is a do-or-die. If you perform less than 3.7, you just wasted time and energy.

 

[studentboost]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will try to finish strong this semester and do well on the MCAT and I'll see where I go from there.


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[thestrugglingturtle]

Sounds exactly like me. Re-take classes, get good MCAT is really all you can do, maybe SMP. Its going to be a long, hard, expensive road ahead, believe me...

 

[kamakazi5]

Just make sure you start picking up some volunteering and shadowing at some point. GPA and MCAT are obviously important but those arent something you can afford to slouch on.

 

[LizzyM]

Do not take the MCAT in January unless you are completely prepared and are scoring at least 125 in each section at at least 510 overall. Your MCAT will follow you forever, even though the scores expire eventually, so don't mess it up.

Consider that you are going to need a couple of gap years. Start planning now to take at least 2 years off during which you will work in a clinical setting in direct contact with patients or research subjects who are also patients. You may need some training but see what jobs are out there in your community at a hospital, outpatient facility or long-term care setting.

Find a non-medical cause you care about and try to volunteer at least 4 hours per month with a local organization. If you want to help people, get out there and help. Everyone has some skills that can be used to be of service to the community. There are websites that will match you with an organization.

Start looking for schools where you could repeat the courses in which you earned a C or lower. It doesn't matter where you do them as long as you do very well.

Find a osteopathic physician (DO) who will let you shadow. After you've shadowed for awhile, ask the physician for a letter of recommendation (you can store this for a small fee through Interfolio).

As an alternative to working in a clinical setting and volunteering in a non-clinical setting, you could work in a non-clinical setting such as a school (teaching, mentoring, coaching, etc) and volunteer in a clinical setting with face-to-face contact with patients. The point is, you should be working, going to school, and volunteering to show that you can handle the workload, that you are directed toward service, and that you have the academic preparation and stamina necessary to thrive in medical school.

Take an extra term if you have too, but get your gpa to not less than 3.00 before graduating. That is a real cut point for graduate study that can't be underestimated.

 

[TRPMinus]

I would also say that you need to stay away from the MCAT for a while..........even if you kill it, you don't have a GPA that is anywhere close to compatible with even a DO acceptance. You need to repair the GPA first, through retaking science classes if possible. These classes in and of themselves will help prepare you for the MCAT. If you find yourself becoming a strong student in the sciences, THEN take the MCAT. Using grade replacement should at least give you a shot at DO schools, but a strong showing on the MCAT is a must. You have to prove that you are not a 2.95 GPA student, and a strong MCAT speaks volumes. Trust me, I came from a lower GPA myself.