Worth retaking classes?

[MedDoc305]

Hello everyone,
Thank you in advance for your advice.
I need advice on whether it’s worth taking 15 credits of upper level courses for the small boost in GPA and and have a trend showing I can handle medical school.

Background information: graduated summer 2017

First 2 years: 4.0 GPA

3rd year devastating drop with 5 C’s in some sciences (Marine Bio, Gen Bio2, biochemistry, zoology, physics) and a C- in Calculus. Had to retake calc and got an A. I came out to parents after they got out of prison(this is another story) and had to move out of my own house due to hostility. No excuse but it made me depressed and lost all desire.

year 4: 3.70 GPA - more upper levels. Also did separate prerequisites for PA and nursing at a community college. Didn’t think I had a chance at medical school after 3rd year.

Undergraduate Cumulative: 3.41
Undergraduate Science: 3.21

Post Bac Fall 2018 (15 credits upper science): 4.00
Combined cumulative: 3.46
Combined science: 3.317

I took the MCAT spring of this year and got a 505 but only studied 2 weeks. I feel I can get a much better score and registered to take it March next year. I do have to work at least full time and don’t know if it’s worth taking the 15 credits of upper levels and dilute my focus to make sure I get a 4.0 again.

If I do my GPA bumps up to
Cumulative: 3.503
Science: 3.396

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[Magus5454]

Not really worth it imo. Retaking the MCAT unless you show amazing improvement is more troubling

 

[Blanky]

Unless you want to keep plowing away to get a 3.6 cGPA and 3.5 sGPA and retake the MCAT for a 510+ which will take 1-2 years, and then you can look into MD ranges.
If you are happy with Mid-tier to strong DO programs then you should be fine as long as you have decent shadowing, maybe some clinical hours and good LORs

 

[MedDoc305]

Thank you for the information! I’m honestly happy with any med school. I will also be applying to schools in Puerto Rico as well since I’m Cuban and Spanish is my first language. I was reading around the forum and saw that I can verify early with a throwaway application and push my mcat to June 15 so I can have over a month after classes are over for the mcat AND also get that GPA boost. I’m just paranoid about my grades/trend. Do you think it’s worth doing this given that I won’t be submitting till at least July 18 or so? Or just forget the classes and apply as soon as it opens.

 

[JSReed]

Thank you for the information! I’m honestly happy with any med school. I will also be applying to schools in Puerto Rico as well since I’m Cuban and Spanish is my first language. I was reading around the forum and saw that I can verify early with a throwaway application and push my mcat to June 15 so I can have over a month after classes are over for the mcat AND also get that GPA boost. I’m just paranoid about my grades/trend. Do you think it’s worth doing this given that I won’t be submitting till at least July 18 or so? Or just forget the classes and apply as soon as it opens.

If it were me, I wouldn't push your mcat. Technically, individual schools get your primary app on ~july 1 (for MD at least, may be off by about a week on either side). By pushing your mcat, what you might lose out on is staying in that first pack of people to get secondaries (if they're waiting for your new mcat). Many schools won't actually care-- they'll just send you a secondary regardless. But for those that either wait or screen between 500-510, you might be disadvantaged. Only push it off if your practice tests are coming out at or below 508 (practice tests generally a bit easier). My opinion, maybe someone more experienced with admissions wants to comment on this.

If you're looking for 510+, I'd guess you'll need ~513 on practice tests. Try balancing work+school+MCAT studying and see how the first couple practice tests go. If you're hitting good numbers (or just need to study a few specific topics). If they're not as high as you'd want, honestly I'd just drop it. 3.5/505 should be fine for DO and low-tier/state MDs (I think?). Don't spread yourself too thin.

 

[MedDoc305]

If it were me, I wouldn't push your mcat. Technically, individual schools get your primary app on ~july 1 (for MD at least, may be off by about a week on either side). By pushing your mcat, what you might lose out on is staying in that first pack of people to get secondaries (if they're waiting for your new mcat). Many schools won't actually care-- they'll just send you a secondary regardless. But for those that either wait or screen between 500-510, you might be disadvantaged. Only push it off if your practice tests are coming out at or below 508 (practice tests generally a bit easier). My opinion, maybe someone more experienced with admissions wants to comment on this.

If you're looking for 510+, I'd guess you'll need ~513. Try balancing work+school+MCAT studying and see how the first couple practice tests go. If you're hitting good numbers (or just need to study a few specific topics). If they're not as high as you'd want, honestly I'd just drop it. 3.5/505 should be fine for DO and low-tier/state MDs (I think?). Don't spread yourself too thin.

Thank you JSReed. MD, except for a couple of the schools in Puerto Rico, are out of the question for me in my opinion. My focus will be DO and I just want to be as competitive as possible. I think I will take your advice and try to balance it, worst case scenario ill drop it before it affects my grades or push it (assuming Im doing better by the 30 day mark) as I hear DO applications can run much later. I would be verified and submitted by July and then hopefully send secondaries back by beginning of August the latest.

Thank you all!

 

[Magus5454]

505 absolutely not for low tier MD
Maybe state but OP needs to realize every school treats MCAT retakes differently

 

[JSReed]

505 absolutely not for low tier MD
Maybe state but OP needs to realize every school treats MCAT retakes differently

You're right, it's a reach. URM status (and a 510 or higher) would help.

 

[Goro]

Not really worth it imo. Retaking the MCAT unless you show amazing improvement is more troubling

This