Working on reinventing myself.

[Calizboosted76]

Hello everyone I just wanted to make a post telling everyone not to give up! I was very discouraged earlier this year but I took a look at myself in the mirror and decided I am going to give these last couple of semesters my all. I am currently working on reinventing myself. I had a rough start in college and my AA gpa really suffered. I retook multiple classes multiple times (the classes were not hard I was just immature). After reading on here and really doing some maturing I am coming to the end of a semester most would have viewed as suicide. (Genetics, orgo 1, orgo 1 lab, immunology, physics 1). I currently have an A in each of them. So enough of my babbling I just wanted to say thank you to @Goro and everyone else on here for the words of advice. I am going to continue on this path and I will get into a medical school next cycle. Again don’t give up if you feel like your at the end of the road. Keep pushing, you got this.

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[I'mJustCurious]

Thanks! Hope you end with all A's, good luck!

 

[ChiDr]

Kick kicking. Never give up on yourself. Always wake up looking forward. Be grateful for every accomplishment and be patient with your missteps. You got this.

 

[PapaGuava]

It was awesome to read this, good luck @Calizboosted76 !

 

[Calizboosted76]

It was awesome to read this, good luck @Calizboosted76 !

Thank you!!!!

 

[Calizboosted76]

****Update****
To elaborate on my situation as to why I need reinvention this is what my grades looked like since I started college in 2013.

Fall 2013
-BSCC 1010 General Biology 1 B
-HSC 1531 Medical Terminology C
-HUN 1201 Essentials of Nutrition C
-SPC 2608 Fundamentals of Speech Comm D 0

Spring 2014
-BSCC 2093 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 D
-ENC 1101 Communications 1 C
-MAC 1105 College Algebra F
-MCBC 2010 Microbiology F

Fall 2014
-BSCC 2093 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 B
-MAC 1105 College Algebra D
-MCBC 2010 Microbiology D
-PSY 2012 General Psychology 1 B

Spring 2015
-DEP 2004 Developmental Psychology F
-ENC 1102 Composition 2 C
-ISS 1011 Social Science 1 A
-SPC 2608 Fundamentals of Speech Comm B

Fall 2015
-HLP 1081 Health Analysis & Imprvt A
-HSCC 1000 Intro to Healthcare B
-MCBC 2010 Microbiology for Hlth Sciences C
1REL 2300 World Religions A

Spring 2016
-AST 1002 Intro to Astronomy C
-BSCC 2094 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 B
-DEP 2004 Developmental Psychology F
-HUM 2211 Hum Svy: Anc - Byzantine Cultu C

Fall 2016
-DEP 2004 Developmental Psychology C
-MAC 1105 College Algebra C

Spring 2017
-BSCC 1011 General Biology 2 B
-STA 2023 Statistics C

Fall 2017
-CHM 1045 General Chemistry 1 B
-CHML 1045 General Chemistry 1 Laboratory A
-MAC 1114 College Trigonometry B
-MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra C
-SPN 1121 Spanish 2 B

Spring 2018
-CHM 1046 General Chemistry 2 B
-CHML 1046 General Chemistry 2 Laboratory C
-ENC 3241 Technical Writing for Professi B
-HSC 4500 Epidemiology B
-MAC 1311 Calculus 1 W/Analytic Geometry C


Yes I know my GPA is beyond repair and that is why I am relying on reinvention.

This is my current semester and grades

Fall 2018
-CHM 2210 Organic Chemistry 1 REG *A*
-CHML 2210 Organic Chemistry 1 Lab REG *A*
-PCB 3063 Genetics REG *A*
-PCB 4233 Immunology REG *waiting on final but had an A prior*
PHYC 2053 College Physics 1 REG *A*

And yes I know it will take more than just this semester to prove reinvention, I have next semester and a summer semester.
@Goro you wanted a more in depth look at my year to year and this is it to a T.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

You still might need an SMP if you want to get in. Ace the rest of your classes, post your GPA and plans and we can give you more advice. Idk what your GPA is but it doesn't look like more than 3.0 Don't let this discourage you though, just keep grinding. Good luck

 

[Calizboosted76]

Possibly, I have a couple semesters and over 25 credit hours left after this semester.

You still might need an SMP if you want to get in. Ace the rest of your classes, post your GPA and plans and we can give you more advice. Idk what your GPA is but it doesn't look like more than 3.0 Don't let this discourage you though, just keep grinding. Good luck

 

[Calizboosted76]

You still might need an SMP if you want to get in. Ace the rest of your classes, post your GPA and plans and we can give you more advice. Idk what your GPA is but it doesn't look like more than 3.0 Don't let this discourage you though, just keep grinding. Good luck

But from my understanding from @Goro the goal isn’t to raise my gpa, it’s to show that i can handle the course work.

 

[Shotapp]

@Calizboosted76
You are doing great. Keep pushing to maintain your upward trend. You don't need a SMP to get into DO. A lot of people on these forums have done just fine getting in with a postbac and decent MCAT ex. @CJhooper123
I intend to do the same thing so don't worry you aren't alone.

 

[Calizboosted76]

@Calizboosted76
You are doing great. Keep pushing to maintain your upward trend. You don't need a SMP to get into DO. A lot of people on these forums have done just fine getting in with a postbac and decent MCAT ex. @CJhooper123
I intend to do the same thing so don't worry you aren't alone.

Awesome! I appreciate everyone’s feedback! So I do have a question @Shotapp . Would this be considered a post bacc if I am still currently working on my bachelors? Or you are meaning just the same concept?

 

[Shotapp]

Since you are still working on completing your bachelor's, it won't be a postbac but it doesn't matter because it's going to be factored into your undergrad gpa (postbac or not). A postbac is when you take upper level sciences at a 4 yr college after your bachelor's.

 

[Calizboosted76]

That’s what I figured. I just want to be sure haha. Thank you!

Since you are still working on completing your bachelor's, it won't be a postbac but it doesn't matter because it's going to be factored into your undergrad gpa (postbac or not). A postbac is when you take upper level sciences at a 4 yr college after your bachelor's.

t

 

[Shotapp]

That’s what I figured. I just want to be sure haha. Thank you!

t

Your welcome man. Just keep doing what you've been doingt. It's working. If you have undergrad debt, then do a SMP (adding more debt) then medical school debt...even though you will pay it off eventually you will be miserable and in debt for a very long time. I know you get the message already but I will mention it again for guests that might read this. Don't do a SMP to get into DO (if your undergrad gpa is super low where it is mathematically impossible for you to reach a 3.0, do a postbac and 1 yr biomedical master's).

 

[CJhooper123]

That’s what I figured. I just want to be sure haha. Thank you!

t

Your welcome man. Just keep doing what you've been doingt. It's working. If you have undergrad debt, then do a SMP (adding more debt) then medical school debt...even though you will pay it off eventually you will be miserable and in debt for a very long time. I know you get the message already but I will mention it again for guests that might read this. Don't do a SMP to get into DO (if your undergrad gpa is super low where it is mathematically impossible for you to reach a 3.0, do a postbac and 1 yr biomedical master's).

Great advice mentioned above!

The SMP's are money grabbers; they can get you into a lot of debt really fast with no guarantee of an acceptance. I was really close to matriculating at an SMP but opted against it for a DIY PB. I am really glad I did - I've had several DO acceptances this year at some solid programs while saving thousands of dollars. Still waiting to hear back from most of my MD applications.

Looking at your numbers above, it looks like your starting to turn the corner. I was in a very similar position ~2-3 years ago. If you can continue with the A's and show ~35-40 consecutive credits of solid grades (coupled with a decent MCAT), you will be sitting pretty in no time.

You got this! One class at a time.... one test at a time. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

But from my understanding from @Goro the goal isn’t to raise my gpa, it’s to show that i can handle the course work.

Yup!!!

 

[Calizboosted76]

Great advice mentioned above!

The SMP's are money grabbers; they can get you into a lot of debt really fast with no guarantee of an acceptance. I was really close to matriculating at an SMP but opted against it for a DIY PB. I am really glad I did - I've had several DO acceptances this year at some solid programs while saving thousands of dollars. Still waiting to hear back from most of my MD applications.

Looking at your numbers above, it looks like your starting to turn the corner. I was in a very similar position ~2-3 years ago. If you can continue with the A's and show ~35-40 consecutive credits of solid grades (coupled with a decent MCAT), you will be sitting pretty in no time.

You got this! One class at a time.... one test at a time. Good luck!

Thank you!!!!!

 

[WhereMyLiberalsAt]

Do NOT touch an SMP, just be consistent and stay strong!

I started my reinvention 4 years ago; 85 credits with a 0.68 sGPA.... It was emotionally exhausting to consistently take 15+ credit semesters pulling 3.7+ GPAs along with all the other hoops (grant writing, research, and multiple volunteer organizations). My wife was an amazing source of support!

Even though I never cracked the 3.0 GPA gold standard.... At the end I came out a stronger, and more empathetic man.












Oh, I also came out with 5 acceptances. Which is a plus...

 

[Calizboosted76]

Do NOT touch an SMP, just be consistent and stay strong!

I started my reinvention 4 years ago; 85 credits with a 0.68 sGPA.... It was emotionally exhausting to consistently take 15+ credit semesters pulling 3.7+ GPAs along with all the other hoops (grant writing, research, and multiple volunteer organizations). My wife was an amazing source of support!

Even though I never cracked the 3.0 GPA gold standard.... At the end I came out a stronger, and more empathetic man.












Oh, I also came out with 5 acceptances. Which is a plus...

This is awesome! Thank you so much!
Next semester I am taking 18 and plan to ace them as well, that will be close to 30 credit hours if all goes well. I plan to take the mcat in May. And then I will have a summer semester, and a fall semester.

 

[Calizboosted76]

@Kirph

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Do NOT touch an SMP, just be consistent and stay strong!

I started my reinvention 4 years ago; 85 credits with a 0.68 sGPA.... It was emotionally exhausting to consistently take 15+ credit semesters pulling 3.7+ GPAs along with all the other hoops (grant writing, research, and multiple volunteer organizations). My wife was an amazing source of support!

Even though I never cracked the 3.0 GPA gold standard.... At the end I came out a stronger, and more empathetic man.












Oh, I also came out with 5 acceptances. Which is a plus...

and what was your MCAT?

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

OP is doing phenomenally this semester and has a few more semesters of undergrad to rock, so why wouldn't it be more financially advantageous to do a one-year SMP with direct linkage to a medical program the following year rather than multiple years of a DIY post-bac and a one-year masters program? Although an SMP would cost more in the short term, what about the multiple lost years of physician salary?

I think it is all dependent on his final GPA and MCAT. If he pulls straight A's until he graduates he might be able to prove to adcoms that he has changed his mindset and is ready for medical school. I would still say his GPA should still be above 3.0, but even with that he has to have an MCAT that compensates for a below average GPA. It is hard to talk about all of these hypothetical situations, we need to wait until he finishes and has all the information gathered for us to give him appropriate advice. His only concern right now should be to ace the rest of his classes and then we can help OP out.

 

[CJhooper123]

I guess I'm just wondering why, in the event that OP takes a gap between undergrad and medical school, people are opposed to a one-year SMP but not multiple years of post-bac work and a non-SMP masters program? It seems like they're dismissing SMPs purely for financial reasons even though what they're suggesting is the more costly route in the long term. The cost of a quality SMP is higher, yes, but both routes would result in additional debt, and taking two or more extra years off between undergrad and medical school to "avoid" a one-year SMP would also result in a loss of ~$300,000 or more in eventual physician salary.

Of course, the ideal route would be to move on to medical school directly after undergrad, but I'm addressing the ideas that have already been suggested in this thread for potential gap-year plans.

In the context of DO schools, I would recommend avoiding an SMP if possible. In my experience so far (and I think Goro has mentioned this before), DO programs are more receptive to reinventor applicants than MD programs.

If OP is mostly interested in the DO route, he can save a lot of money but not matriculating at an SMP.

n=1, I completed a DIY PB (23 credits I think?) and spent about ~$14-15k total on upper-level biology courses at local universities. This took me about 1 year to complete (while working full time). I was very close to matriculating at an SMP, which would have cost ~$50k+. There was another, "non-SMP" PB program I also considered (UPenn) that had a tuition ~$26k. But I also opted against this due to the cost of relocation. The DIY PB worked out nicely for me - I've had a several DO acceptances at some top programs and even more interview invites.

If OP is gunning for MD, then maybe an SMP with linkage is in store. Personally, the extra price tag for the pointless masters degree and small probability of linking into an MD program was not financially worth it for me. I was (am) ok going DO. Have people had success going with the SMP route? Absolutely. I just wasn't willing to take the risk.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

In the context of DO schools, I would recommend avoiding an SMP if possible. In my experience so far (and I think Goro has mentioned this before), DO programs are more receptive to reinventor applicants than MD programs.

If OP is mostly interested in the DO route, he can save a lot of money but not matriculating at an SMP.

n=1, I completed a DIY PB (23 credits I think?) and spent about ~$14-15k total on upper-level biology courses at local universities. This took me about 1 year to complete (while working full time). I was very close to matriculating at an SMP, which would have cost ~$50k+. There was another, "non-SMP" PB program I also considered (UPenn) that had a tuition ~$26k. But I also opted against this due to the cost of relocation. The DIY PB worked out nicely for me - I've had a several DO acceptances at some top programs and even more interview invites.

If OP is gunning for MD, then maybe an SMP with linkage is in store. Personally, the extra price tag for the pointless masters degree and small probability of linking into an MD program was not financially worth it for me. I was (am) ok going DO. Have people had success going with the SMP route? Absolutely. I just wasn't willing to take the risk.

Both of what you and raindrop said were valid points, the undeniable fact is that some sort of post-bach work might be the road OP has to take to get into medical school. It is all dependent on his final GPA and MCAT, and without those it's hard to make recommendations right now. If he has an average MCAT -500 and below average GPA like 3.0 GPA he could just take upper level courses at his university or he could go for a SMP. Obviously the SMP looks more prestigious and more appealing to medical schools, especially if he can ace the courses, but postponing graduation to take higher level science classes is always an option as well, the only thing is that it doesn't further any alternative options if medical school was to fall through.

 

[Calizboosted76]

From my understanding from Goro it would take me YEARS to bring my GPA up higher. Even with aceing the following semesters I have. But Goro said (along with the admissions from a couple MD and DO schools in my state) that if I ave the past couple semesters paired with a good MCAT score, ECs, and LORs, that it will still be possible for me to get an interview with a sub 3.0 GPA.

 

[Calizboosted76]

I really appreciate everyone’s insight too!

 

[WhereMyLiberalsAt]

and what was your MCAT?

502...

If OP wants MD then he needs an SMP.

If you’re non-trad, fine with DO (and acknowledge the disadvantages that come with it) then a SMP is a waste... @CJhooper123 mentioned “risk”, and that should always be accounted for in an underdog’s journey! (Side note: his MCAT was substantially higher than mine)

Many of my friends that did SMPs had one thing in common; they couldn’t delay gratification! They jumped into 50k+ debt without a second thought!

The argument about saving a years worth of salary is silly... If you maximize an SMP you will apply the cycle after you complete it! Once again people can’t delay the gradification of telling everyone they got accepted to med school and apply mid cycle after they get Fall grades back...

Another side note: I didn’t even do a post-bac. I just had a crazy upword trend!

After they axed grade replacement @Goro released a guide on how to reinvent yourself... For the most part I thought the guide was complete bull****, but nevertheless followed it out of desperation. That damn Black Cat got my ass into med school! Reinvention is not about getting above a 3.0 or “killing the MCAT” it’s about the complete package! That’s obtained from maximizing ones personal growth through the journey! And in my opinion the journey is longer than a 1-year SMP.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Reinvention is not about getting above a 3.0 or “killing the MCAT” it’s about the complete package! That’s obtained from maximizing ones personal growth through the journey! And in my opinion the journey is longer than a 1-year SMP.

And that's terrific, I am all for one trying to "reinvent" themselves and prove an upward trend, but the cold hard fact is that you still have to be a competitive applicant in terms of your academics. The average matriculant data is useful for a reason and that is because the majority of students reside in that range. In regards to your specific stats, you were not a competitive applicant, by the least bit... I don't know your background if you are an URM or if you just had amazing EC's, but your academics sure didn't get you an acceptance. I am trying to be realistic with OP while you are sugar coating everything and it's not fair to him. I am not discouraging him from the path of medicine, I am just stating that his road might be longer or have more bumps in the road due to his GPA. He can surely still accomplish it, BUT it might take a higher than average MCAT or post-bach work/SMP.

 

[Shotapp]

OP is doing phenomenally this semester and has a few more semesters of undergrad to rock, so why wouldn't it be more financially advantageous to do a one-year SMP with direct linkage to a medical program the following year rather than multiple years of a DIY post-bac and a one-year masters program? Although an SMP would cost more in the short term, what about the multiple lost years of physician salary?

I don't know OP's cumulative/science gpa. I was assuming OP gpa is or will be around the ballpark of a 3.0. I have been on these forums for a while now and from what I've seen, DO schools favor/value applicants that reinvent themselves a lot more than MD. From my understanding from @Calizboosted76's post, he is primarily targeting DO schools. It would make sense to do a true SMP at an MD school if op wants to be competitive for MD/DO. Doing a diy postbac doesn't cost more than a 1 year biomedical master's or SMP.

There are pros/cons for either path to reinvention. A diy postbac allows you to continue working, gain meaningful life experiences, volunteer, family support, no moving cost (if you're are married man or woman). There really isn't any cons in going the diy postbac unless if you're in a rush to get into medical school and don't want any gap years I guess. In terms of going the Biomedical master's or SMP route, getting a high gpa is your sole objective, there should really be little to no volunteering because when you apply to these types of programs your app should already be the rock solid ready.

The only deficit you should be trying to fix is the gpa hence the reason for doing a biomedical master's/SMP in the first place. The degree you get from the biomedical master's/SMP is useless so if you bomb it...then you're stuck with 50k to pay back.

 

[Calizboosted76]

So my situation is as follows


I have a pretty amazing story, in and out of hospitals, Chiari malformation, craniectomy, so on and so fourth. Oldest of 4 kids, helped mom with bills and such since I was 11. We lived in a shelter for a while Yada, yada, yada. So my personal statement will be very well written. I have currently been working as a scribe for about a year and have LORs from 3 DO physicians(including the chief of medicine and head of entire agency). I have LOR from my calculus prof, genetics prof, orgo prof, so on and so fourth. I am a walk chairperson for CSF and syringomyelia foundation. 1st generation college student. I have other ECs as well. I don’t care if I go DO or MD, I am going to apply both because my state MD schools offer reinvention. Only flaw really is my GPA from my early years and I will admit I was immature when it came to school. I was to busy working 50+ hours a week to help support my mom and siblings and just didn’t focus on my education as much as i should have.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

So my situation is as follows


I have a pretty amazing story, in and out of hospitals, Chiari malformation, craniectomy, so on and so fourth. Oldest of 4 kids, helped mom with bills and such since I was 11. We lived in a shelter for a while Yada, yada, yada. So my personal statement will be very well written. I have currently been working as a scribe for about a year and have LORs from 3 DO physicians(including the chief of medicine and head of entire agency). I have LOR from my calculus prof, genetics prof, orgo prof, so on and so fourth. I am a walk chairperson for CSF and syringomyelia foundation. 1st generation college student. I have other ECs as well. I don’t care if I go DO or MD, I am going to apply both because my state MD schools offer reinvention. Only flaw really is my GPA from my early years and I will admit I was immature when it came to school. I was to busy working 50+ hours a week to help support my mom and siblings and just didn’t focus on my education as much as i should have.

well it sounds like your non-academic application will be very good. I am glad you have the clinical experience/shadowing, and letters of recommendation. The only other thing would be your volunteer work, but other than that it sounds solid.

 

[Calizboosted76]

well it sounds like your non-academic application will be very good. I am glad you have the clinical experience/shadowing, and letters of recommendation. The only other thing would be your volunteer work, but other than that it sounds solid.

The volunteer work that I am leaning on is being the walk chairperson I set up fundraising walks to bring awareness to chiari malformation and syringomyelia. I do multiple walks. But I agree I do want to add some more volunteer work.

 

[WhereMyLiberalsAt]

And that's terrific, I am all for one trying to "reinvent" themselves and prove an upward trend, but the cold hard fact is that you still have to be a competitive applicant in terms of your academics. The average matriculant data is useful for a reason and that is because the majority of students reside in that range. In regards to your specific stats, you were not a competitive applicant, by the least bit... I don't know your background if you are an URM or if you just had amazing EC's, but your academics sure didn't get you an acceptance. I am trying to be realistic with OP while you are sugar coating everything and it's not fair to him. I am not discouraging him from the path of medicine, I am just stating that his road might be longer or have more bumps in the road due to his GPA. He can surely still accomplish it, BUT it might take a higher than average MCAT or post-bach work/SMP.

The applicant that identifies as an underdog or is trying to reinvent themselves has to ignore this BS... You want to use average matriculation stats to shore up your argument, but the individuals that identify with these groups are in definition not apart of this distribution. Yes, you have to match these average stats one way or another, but this is done by adcoms reading between the lines. For example, when adcoms read between the lines for me they saw a white, male applicant that had obtained a 3.8 gpa for the last 120 credits and a completely average DO mcat of 502... You're right on paper I was "not a competitive applicant, by the least bit" but I was not a typical applicant... I was a "reinvented" applicant and because of that I belong to a different population distribution; a distribution that requires a great deal of reading between the lines. Some adcoms read between a different set of lines and said "no way"! While others read between a different set of lines and said "give this kid an invite" (8 II in total and 5 actually attended).

I'm not sugar coating ****! I followed the advice set out in @Goro guide... Like he said it's transcript repair not 3.0 or bust! Sadly, the weight of a horrible transcript weighs heavily on the mind and spirit, and many (I'd actually say most) don't even get to the point of applying! The rest get pushed into SMPs because of fear or horrible advice that isn't vetted... (Once again, SMPs are almost essential for MD schools unless you're in a lucky state where your state school looks at the past X amount of credits.)

Also @Calizboosted76 rethink your mcat schedule. Every part of your reinvention needs to point towards maturity and good decision making... Slow down and ask yourself if squeezing the mcat in is a good decision.

 

[Calizboosted76]

The applicant that identifies as an underdog or is trying to reinvent themselves has to ignore this BS... You want to use average matriculation stats to shore up your argument, but the individuals that identify with these groups are in definition not apart of this distribution. Yes, you have to match these average stats one way or another, but this is done by adcoms reading between the lines. For example, when adcoms read between the lines for me they saw a white, male applicant that had obtained a 3.8 gpa for the last 120 credits and a completely average DO mcat of 502... You're right on paper I was "not a competitive applicant, by the least bit" but I was not a typical applicant... I was a "reinvented" applicant and because of that I belong to a different population distribution; a distribution that requires a great deal of reading between the lines. Some adcoms read between a different set of lines and said "no way"! While others read between a different set of lines and said "give this kid an invite" (8 II in total and 5 actually attended).

I'm not sugar coating ****! I followed the advice set out in @Goro guide... Like he said it's transcript repair not 3.0 or bust! Sadly, the weight of a horrible transcript weighs heavily on the mind and spirit, and many (I'd actually say most) don't even get to the point of applying! The rest get pushed into SMPs because of fear or horrible advice that isn't vetted... (Once again, SMPs are almost essential for MD schools unless you're in a lucky state where your state school looks at the past X amount of credits.)

Also @Calizboosted76 rethink your mcat schedule. Every part of your reinvention needs to point towards maturity and good decision making... Slow down and ask yourself if squeezing the mcat in is a good decision.

I feel i am in a lucky state a lot of MD schools I have talked to said they look at like the last 40-60 credit hours. State of residence is Florida. I understand where everyone is coming from!

 

[Calizboosted76]

Also @WhereMyLiberalsAt I will only take the MCAT if I am consistently scoring around my target score on practice tests. I definitely will be ready IF i decide to take it when i planned!

 

[strugstofunc]

Hello everyone I just wanted to make a post telling everyone not to give up! I was very discouraged earlier this year but I took a look at myself in the mirror and decided I am going to give these last couple of semesters my all. I am currently working on reinventing myself. I had a rough start in college and my AA gpa really suffered. I retook multiple classes multiple times (the classes were not hard I was just immature). After reading on here and really doing some maturing I am coming to the end of a semester most would have viewed as suicide. (Genetics, orgo 1, orgo 1 lab, immunology, physics 1). I currently have an A in each of them. So enough of my babbling I just wanted to say thank you to @Goro and everyone else on here for the words of advice. I am going to continue on this path and I will get into a medical school next cycle. Again don’t give up if you feel like your at the end of the road. Keep pushing, you got this.

Wow I needed this. I'm not doing so great on MCAT drills or practice exams. It's really easy to feel defeated. I know I just need to keep working at it, until it all just clicks one day.

 

[Calizboosted76]

Wow I needed this. I'm not doing so great on MCAT drills or practice exams. It's really easy to feel defeated. I know I just need to keep working at it, until it all just clicks one day.

You got this!

 

[Calizboosted76]

An update for everyone. I dropped the ball in immunology and only pulled a B (88.54) smfh.

 

[Calizboosted76]

You've still done a fantastic job this semester with all of those As, so keep up the good work! Remember that excellence is the goal, not perfection. You still have more semesters to continue getting those high grades.

Thank you!!!

 

[Shotapp]

late to the SMP debate but I'll add my two cents. I am a non-traditional applicant who had a 2.57 sGPA even after going back to school to readjust what I messed up the first time in undergrad. Worked professionally in research for years. If your GPA is bad, and you want DO, I would recommend an actual SMP. When I say actual, I mean avoiding the typical ones most people on here warned you about, which are 1 year (no matter what the program says no one takes a one year master's program seriously. The researchers I worked with ignored those emails from students in those programs) unless its your only option. Some schools offer a true master's program that is two years pending completion of your thesis. Several DO and MD schools have these attached. Your basic science courses will be taken with the medical school, however you will have actual grad classes that make your degree marketable (grant writing, ethics, thesis work, etc). I am currently finishing my master's, and my program is a true biomedical MS degree, meaning if you graduate and don't want to do medicine, you can actually work in research and make decent money. It also is used by students who want PhDs or dental school and is not solely focused on medicine (another tell tale sign if its an actual working degree). If the program makes you defend an actual thesis to graduate (not a set graduation after so many credits) and not just take a bunch of med classes, its a legit investment that will help you later on in medicine. These programs will allow you to publish etc. Because of my age and credit limit, it was advised to me to stop investing in undergrad course work and see if I could get into grad level classes. For AACOMAS, these still factor into your science GPA. If you are unsuccessful this time around, I would look into a masters. Also many of them allow for work study, which is just you working on your thesis and not the 50k down the drain like many of the one year programs (those still are fine if that is what you decide, all roads lead to Rome). Even though my sGPA didn't break the overall 3.00 mark even after a 3.6+ in the first year of my masters, I am sitting on two acceptances this year from DO programs (those are traditionally more friendly to non-traditional students as stated). At the end of the day, it is only over when you say it is over. Don't get discouraged, but have a plan, a backup plan, and a back up plan to that, and make sure not to rush as you must make good progress. You will get there.

I agree with this. A traditional biomedical science master's is an investment.

 

[JStokes870]

late to the SMP debate but I'll add my two cents. I am a non-traditional applicant who had a 2.57 sGPA even after going back to school to readjust what I messed up the first time in undergrad. Worked professionally in research for years. If your GPA is bad, and you want DO, I would recommend an actual SMP. When I say actual, I mean avoiding the typical ones most people on here warned you about, which are 1 year (no matter what the program says no one takes a one year master's program seriously. The researchers I worked with ignored those emails from students in those programs) unless its your only option. Some schools offer a true master's program that is two years pending completion of your thesis. Several DO and MD schools have these attached. Your basic science courses will be taken with the medical school, however you will have actual grad classes that make your degree marketable (grant writing, ethics, thesis work, etc). I am currently finishing my master's, and my program is a true biomedical MS degree, meaning if you graduate and don't want to do medicine, you can actually work in research and make decent money. It also is used by students who want PhDs or dental school and is not solely focused on medicine (another tell tale sign if its an actual working degree). If the program makes you defend an actual thesis to graduate (not a set graduation after so many credits) and not just take a bunch of med classes, its a legit investment that will help you later on in medicine. These programs will allow you to publish etc. Because of my age and credit limit, it was advised to me to stop investing in undergrad course work and see if I could get into grad level classes. For AACOMAS, these still factor into your science GPA. If you are unsuccessful this time around, I would look into a masters. Also many of them allow for work study, which is just you working on your thesis and not the 50k down the drain like many of the one year programs (those still are fine if that is what you decide, all roads lead to Rome). Even though my sGPA didn't break the overall 3.00 mark even after a 3.6+ in the first year of my masters, I am sitting on two acceptances this year from DO programs (those are traditionally more friendly to non-traditional students as stated). At the end of the day, it is only over when you say it is over. Don't get discouraged, but have a plan, a backup plan, and a back up plan to that, and make sure not to rush as you must make good progress. You will get there.

I love this line - it is only over when you say it is over.

 

[Calizboosted76]

Just to update those on this thread about my situation.
I am wrapping up my semester with the following grades

Orgo 2 - A
Orgo 2 lab - A
Cell Bio - B (Super upset about this)
Emerging and infectious disease - A
Physics 2 - A

I have spoken to the knowledgeable @Goro and he has stated that with a good MCAT I am good to go ahead and apply this cycle by utilizing reinvention. I will report back after receiving my MCAT score. I just want to say thank you to everyone who may have given me advice.