Wondering if I can do the impossible?

[anephew]

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Let me start off by saying that I am a new user to SDN, and it is nice to meet everyone! I hope the crowd here is much more personable than the group over at StudentDoc!

Anywho, here are my stats thus far: Was very immature and not to mention LAZY at the age of 18. I didn't know my passions, talents, abilities, or what I was meant to do in life and consequentally my marks suffered in my dual enrollment and first 2 semesters in university. While in high school I squeezed by with a 2.8 gpa for a total of 29 credits at the local CC. Then I finished my freshman year at ASU with 22 credits and a 2.7 gpa. I know right about now you must be thinking "dear god, this person must be right on par with woody the woodpecker!". I beg to differ, however even if it doesn't mean jack squat..

I am now 25 and have had 6 years of growing up to do. After my first 2 semesters at ASU I withdrew and became EMT-b certified. I worked full time and eventually worked my way up to an ER techy and various hospital positions while volunteering in my (urban) neighborhood, etc. etc. (This is how I found out that medicine is what I am meant to do). I even went back to ASU this summer and am so far sweeping the board with all 4.0's in upper divisional courses😀

So my question is: do you think i have a chance at reaching the MD (preferably) or DO route, assuming that I continue with atleast 3.5's to 3.7's from now on? Thank you for the help guys... and please don't be too harsh now

 

[wakipakidoc]

You can do it. Let the school know who you are today and what you bring to the table. Take responsibility for past actions but dont stress on them to much as that is your past, let them ask why and show them the change and your dedication by excellent grades.

I'm the same shoes as you are, except i'm turning 29 next month and just finished my first chemistry class. All my friends are docs so if you can beat them join them. It will take a lot of hard work and even more perseverance.

Good Luck to both of us!

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

main thing that MD schools (allopathic) will look at will be total, undergraduate, GPA. They don't really look, in general, at when the grade was earned -- any of us starting school in our 30s or beyond generally earned lots of credit hours many years ago so I have experience as an applicant in a similar spot.

Only suggetion that one allopathic admissions person told me -- it is expected that you'll have a 4.0 in all of your post-bac courses. This kind of deflated me due to all the hard work put in to earn a good post-bac (premed courses) GPA, but that's what he said. Average allopathic GPA is in the 3.6+ range, the closer you can get to this the better, although some applicants have gotten into US allopathic schools with GPAs well under this. Under 3.1 is pretty unusual, however.

DO schools will allow you to re-do a class and the higher grade counts; if you retake every C class and earn an A you can bring up your GPA (for DO schools, not MD) quite a bit, fairly quickly.

 

[gman33]

Just keep banging out those A's.
If you have 2-3 more years of school, you can probably get your gpa up in the 3.3-3.5 range. This is a little low for MD, but just do the best you can. If needed, you can follow up with a SMP.

It might take a little while, but it can certainly be done.

 

[Krisss17]

Let me start off by saying that I am a new user to SDN, and it is nice to meet everyone! I hope the crowd here is much more personable than the group over at StudentDoc!

Anywho, here are my stats thus far: Was very immature and not to mention LAZY at the age of 18. I didn't know my passions, talents, abilities, or what I was meant to do in life and consequentally my marks suffered in my dual enrollment and first 2 semesters in university. While in high school I squeezed by with a 2.8 gpa for a total of 29 credits at the local CC. Then I finished my freshman year at ASU with 22 credits and a 2.7 gpa. I know right about now you must be thinking "dear god, this person must be right on par with woody the woodpecker!". I beg to differ, however even if it doesn't mean jack squat..

I am now 25 and have had 6 years of growing up to do. After my first 2 semesters at ASU I withdrew and became EMT-b certified. I worked full time and eventually worked my way up to an ER techy and various hospital positions while volunteering in my (urban) neighborhood, etc. etc. (This is how I found out that medicine is what I am meant to do). I even went back to ASU this summer and am so far sweeping the board with all 4.0's in upper divisional courses😀

So my question is: do you think i have a chance at reaching the MD (preferably) or DO route, assuming that I continue with atleast 3.5's to 3.7's from now on? Thank you for the help guys... and please don't be too harsh now

I think that if you continue on the streak that you have been, you should have a good chance at an MD school if that is what you want. Do well on your MCAT, continue doing well in upper level sciences classes, stay with your ECs and get some good LORs..you have as good a shot any anyone.

Some applicants are able to do well right from scratch, for others it may take a little longer...Some may have the grades to start, but may never attain the maturity that you've found by 25...

Wishing you the very best of luck!!!!

 

[Krisss17]

main thing that MD schools (allopathic) will look at will be total, undergraduate, GPA. They don't really look, in general, at when the grade was earned -- any of us starting school in our 30s or beyond generally earned lots of credit hours many years ago so I have experience as an applicant in a similar spot.

Only suggetion that one allopathic admissions person told me -- it is expected that you'll have a 4.0 in all of your post-bac courses. This kind of deflated me due to all the hard work put in to earn a good post-bac (premed courses) GPA, but that's what he said. Average allopathic GPA is in the 3.6+ range, the closer you can get to this the better, although some applicants have gotten into US allopathic schools with GPAs well under this. Under 3.1 is pretty unusual, however.

DO schools will allow you to re-do a class and the higher grade counts; if you retake every C class and earn an A you can bring up your GPA (for DO schools, not MD) quite a bit, fairly quickly.

I didn't read where the OP is doing a post-bacc...It appear that he might have done two years of college at ASU (one cross enrolling when he was in HS and his first full year) before he withdrew.

I think that if he maintains the grades he has done this past year, his GPA might even be higher than a 3.3.

Without knowing what his actual grades are, specifically the prereqs, we really can't say anything one way or the other.

 

[Narnian]

You can do it. Let the school know who you are today and what you bring to the table. Take responsibility for past actions but dont stress on them to much as that is your past, let them ask why and show them the change and your dedication by excellent grades.

I'm the same shoes as you are, except i'm turning 29 next month and just finished my first chemistry class. All my friends are docs so if you can beat them join them. It will take a lot of hard work and even more perseverance.

Good Luck to both of us!

Make that the three of us. I am in the same boat as well. If I get mostly A's in all my classes I am only looking at a 3.2 or 3.3 hopefully. Except I am already 29 and I havent finished Gen Chem yet. Lol looks like I am the lowest man in this boat... I'll just start swabbing the deck now sir!