Your Opinion would help a lot...

[mcatismydrug]

Ok, so this is a multiple part question. I went to my state school (first tier) for 3 years, getting mostly A's majoring in biology and minoring in spanish. I believe going into my fourth I had a 3.8-3.9 gpa? A few w's sprinkled in there, but nothing too crazy. Plenty of extra curriculars, shadowing, honors program, leaderships programs, etc. Anyway, I had an eating disorder in junior high that I kept to myself. My mother was/is anorexic and my parents are divorced, so I didn't really have anybody that I felt like I could go to about it, and of course, it feels very shameful to the afflicted. I sort of grew out of it when I entered high school, so I thought I had dodged that bullet....until my fourth year of college. I had gained weight from being a pre-med student and one day I looked in the mirror, and something...broke? Things went downhill really fast. I went from handling all of the activities in my life to not being able to leave my apartment, weighing myself compulsively, and just in a depression I couldn't seem to pull myself out of. Fast forward through that year. The fall semester I ended up with 2 F's and the rest W's. I thought I could pull it together for Spring.... thought wrong. I ended up with 1 F and the rest W's. At this point, I realized something drastic needed to be done, or things were going to go to the point of no return...death/permanent health problems, treatment facility, breaking my family's hearts, etc. Anyway, I chose to take a year off, move away from my biggest trigger (mother) and get healthy, inside and out. Fast forward to now. I've worked through a lot of my issues, I'm at a healthy weight, I'm happy, and I've been studying for the MCAT. I've been studying for about a month and I'm getting in the low 30's on the AMCAAS practice tests. I would like your honest opinions. If I can get (conservatively) in the low 30's on the MCAT and do as well as I did in school before I got sick when I go back, do you think that the med schools/osteo schools will understand? (As it stands I have a 3.45 gpa, 3.2 sci which I can raise before I apply) Also, I have the choice now of going to a school here in TX, although the only schools I can afford in the area that I live are 3rd tier, or going back home and going to a first tier school for the same $. Do you think tiers really matter? Should I go back to the same school I went to before to prove that I can finish what I start and am healthy enough to succeed in a difficult program? Any (constructive) opinions would be greatly appreciated.

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[Catalystik]

If I can get (conservatively) in the low 30's on the MCAT and do as well as I did in school before I got sick when I go back, do you think that the med schools/osteo schools will understand? (As it stands I have a 3.45 gpa, 3.2 sci which I can raise before I apply)

Do you think tiers really matter? Should I go back to the same school I went to before to prove that I can finish what I start and am healthy enough to succeed in a difficult program?

Adcomms believe in redemption. You'll need to retake the classes you got the Fs in, take more classes to raise your GPAs further, and write a great essay about the challenge you overcame (or variation on the same theme), what you learned from it, how it made you stronger, and why it won't happen again. Where you can reasonably apply will depend on how much GPA improvement you make. What is your reasonable estimate, projecting into the future? I'd plan on at least two-three more semesters of excellent coursework before you apply.

You don't need to go back to the same school if you don't want to. Next best choice would be any four-year school. And if your finances are dismal, many med schools won't look down on you for attending a CC, so long as your MCAT score proves it provided sufficient rigor in its coursework.

Be aware that DO schools, except for TCOM, practice grade forgiveness. This means that they only include the grade from the most recent retake, provided the credit hours are the same or greater. Older grades still appear on the transcript, but are not included. TMDSAS will average all grades earned.

 

[mcatismydrug]

Adcomms believe in redemption. You'll need to retake the classes you got the Fs in, take more classes to raise your GPAs further, and write a great essay about the challenge you overcame (or variation on the same theme), what you learned from it, how it made you stronger, and why it won't happen again. Where you can reasonably apply will depend on how much GPA improvement you make. What is your reasonable estimate, projecting into the future? I'd plan on at least two-three more semesters of excellent coursework before you apply.

You don't need to go back to the same school if you don't want to. Next best choice would be any four-year school. And if your finances are dismal, many med schools won't look down on you for attending a CC, so long as your MCAT score proves it provided sufficient rigor in its coursework.

Be aware that DO schools, except for TCOM, practice grade forgiveness. This means that they only include the grade from the most recent retake, provided the credit hours are the same or greater. Older grades still appear on the transcript, but are not included. TMDSAS will average all grades earned.

Thank you so much for your post. I very much appreciate it. I suppose it was too long-winded for most people? Reasonably, I should have around a 3.6 cumulative by the time I apply, 3.8ish for DO schools. I can't do a CC because all I only lack upper level classes to finish. Should finish with a major in zoo-biomedical sciences, minor in spanish, minor in chemistry, and an honors degree. Do you have any thoughts between OK residency and TX residency for med or osteo schools? I'm at a point where I can move back to OK to maintain my OK residency, or stay here and gain TX residency. TX obviously has more schools, but I know the UNT osteo school doesn't use grade forgiveness.