Below 3.0 gpa Support Group/Thread

[astrostellar]

How are classes that were pass/fail factored into GPA? I have 7 1 credit courses from undergrad. There was no option to take these for a traditional grade. On the transcript they are marked as "CR" and if I input that into the excel GPA calculator it counts it as a C+ (2.3). Thanks!

They aren't. If they're P/F, they go into a separate group of credits that doesn't affect your GPA.

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[oneke]

Applying for Post-Bacc programs and not sure how to document EMT school. I went to a private, for profit school that does not pop up when I go to enter it into my application. The school is not based on a traditional semester system and was a full time, 8 week course. I don't care about adding it, its not like it's going to really effect my GPA but I also don't want to get accused of omitting it on purpose. Any suggestions on what to do?

 

[BlastedHeath]

Applying for Post-Bacc programs and not sure how to document EMT school. I went to a private, for profit school that does not pop up when I go to enter it into my application. The school is not based on a traditional semester system and was a full time, 8 week course. I don't care about adding it, its not like it's going to really effect my GPA but I also don't want to get accused of omitting it on purpose. Any suggestions on what to do?

I'd contact the programs you are applying to, post-bacc applications aren't really standardized and you want to make sure you put things in correctly

 

[SingingBlackbird]

Alright I have a few questions I'd love some help with, background first:

I'm 24, married w/a toddler, and graduated with my BA in History this past April. My cGPA is a 2.66 and sGPA is a 3.08. I still have several pre-reqs to take and will be starting my DIY post-bac in September.

I took Gen Chem four years ago when I was a Bio major and made Bs. I technically could jump straight into O Chem and would definitely need to brush up on my Gen Chem before that. Is there is a fairly huge link between the two? Do I need to relearn everything from Gen Chem or more the basics? I'd rather not retake Gen Chem but I will if the alternative is crashing and burning in O Chem.

Also! I am thinking about taking a class or two through BYU's Independent Study. Will those be considered acceptable? It would be an upper level writing class and Calculus I. I would take them at my current school but they will only allow me to take 9 credits a semester, which is painstakingly slow. Thoughts?

 

[esob]

Some fundamental concepts of Gen Chem are critical to Ochem: acid/base reactions, formal charge, Le Chatelier's, etc. However, overall I think there is a lot of disconnect between GenChem and Ochem. For me at least, GenChem was a lot about math and a little about abstract concepts. Conversely, Ochem was a lot about abstract concepts and an absolute ton of rule memorization. So, to answer your question, you can get away without doing a full course review of GenChem but be prepared to have your study skills tested. I've finished all the gateway courses (physics, bio's, gen chems, ochems) and organic chemistry is in a league of its own. It's also my favorite subject now and I'm tutoring it at my school starting in the Fall so if you approach it with a positive attitude you may find it to be quite enjoyable.

 

[Major]

HOLY CRAP!!

I am officially today a Medical Student!!

What a wild ride this past 4 years have been since I created this thread!

I'll admit There were moments I thought this day would never come, but I had to push those thoughts/feelings aside and keep working.

I am so glad to see thread staying active and having a life of its own! Keep working hard everyone!

Also stay perisent, hungry, humble, and good things will come your way!!

 

[bado123]

HOLY CRAP!!

I am officially today a Medical Student!!

What a wild ride this past 4 years have been since I created this thread!

I'll admit There were moments I thought this day would never come, but I had to push those thoughts/feelings aside and keep working.

I am so glad to see thread staying active and having a life of its own! Keep working hard everyone!

Also stay perisent, hungry, humble, and good things will come your way!!

Congratulations and keep grinding!! Let us know how the Doc student life is


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Major]

Congratulations and keep grinding!! Let us know how the Doc student life is


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! I'll pop in from time to time.

These next 4 years are gonna be a wild ride!

 

[SingingBlackbird]

Some fundamental concepts of Gen Chem are critical to Ochem: acid/base reactions, formal charge, Le Chatelier's, etc. However, overall I think there is a lot of disconnect between GenChem and Ochem. For me at least, GenChem was a lot about math and a little about abstract concepts. Conversely, Ochem was a lot about abstract concepts and an absolute ton of rule memorization. So, to answer your question, you can get away without doing a full course review of GenChem but be prepared to have your study skills tested. I've finished all the gateway courses (physics, bio's, gen chems, ochems) and organic chemistry is in a league of its own. It's also my favorite subject now and I'm tutoring it at my school starting in the Fall so if you approach it with a positive attitude you may find it to be quite enjoyable.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[mavric1298]

HOLY CRAP!!

I am officially today a Medical Student!!

What a wild ride this past 4 years have been since I created this thread!

I'll admit There were moments I thought this day would never come, but I had to push those thoughts/feelings aside and keep working.

I am so glad to see thread staying active and having a life of its own! Keep working hard everyone!

Also stay perisent, hungry, humble, and good things will come your way!!

Details!! So excited to see another person I've been following get in! I'm starting on Wed. and it still doesn't feel real!

 

[Hahn9010]

HOLY CRAP!!

I am officially today a Medical Student!!

What a wild ride this past 4 years have been since I created this thread!

I'll admit There were moments I thought this day would never come, but I had to push those thoughts/feelings aside and keep working.

I am so glad to see thread staying active and having a life of its own! Keep working hard everyone!

Also stay perisent, hungry, humble, and good things will come your way!!

You've helped many of us stay encouraged I hope you are enjoying med school!!

 

[premedbrah]

Doing the calculations for my GPA. After this upcoming school year and an additional post-bacc year after I graduate, if I get all A's it only puts me at a 2.6 cGPA and 2.91 sgpa (3.46 sgpa for ACCOMAS). Have yet to take the MCAT (next summer). Just feels crummy knowing that even with these next 2 academic years of straight A's I'll still be way below cut offs for most schools.. :/
Not sure what else I should be doing to improve my future application? I'm currently an ED scribe and a clinical researcher assistant. Anyone have any advice?

 

[NABIHANA]

Doing the calculations for my GPA. After this upcoming school year and an additional post-bacc year after I graduate, if I get all A's it only puts me at a 2.6 cGPA and 2.91 sgpa (3.46 sgpa for ACCOMAS). Have yet to take the MCAT (next summer). Just feels crummy knowing that even with these next 2 academic years of straight A's I'll still be way below cut offs for most schools.. :/
Not sure what else I should be doing to improve my future application? I'm currently an ED scribe and a clinical researcher assistant. Anyone have any advice?

Your AMCAS sGPA should not be so different from the ACCOMAS one especially after ACCOMAS changed their repeated course policy

Notice of Repeat Coursework Policy Change

I just want you to know what you are really working with from now. I believe you might have a chance if you score high on the MCAT. Good luck

 

[premedbrah]

Your AMCAS sGPA should not be so different from the ACCOMAS one especially after ACCOMAS changed their repeated course policy

Notice of Repeat Coursework Policy Change

I just want you to know what you are really working with from now. I believe you might have a chance if you score high on the MCAT. Good luck

Hey thanks for the reply! I think the reason the sGPA is drastically different is because of the number of math courses I have taken (and retaken) and since math is not included in the ACCOMAS science gpa

 

[NABIHANA]

Hey thanks for the reply! I think the reason the sGPA is drastically different is because of the number of math courses I have taken (and retaken) and since math is not included in the ACCOMAS science gpa

Ok these are new information to me lol. That's gonna suck so bad because a few of the A's I had calculated in my science GPA were from math classes Anyways, your sGPA in the ACCOMAS is looks nice.

 

[premedbrah]

Ok these are new information to me lol. That's gonna suck so bad because a few of the A's I had calculated in my science GPA were from math classes Anyways, your sGPA in the ACCOMAS is looks nice.

Thanks! Either way, you have A's in math which is very good!

 

[etp123]

Doing the calculations for my GPA. After this upcoming school year and an additional post-bacc year after I graduate, if I get all A's it only puts me at a 2.6 cGPA and 2.91 sgpa (3.46 sgpa for ACCOMAS). Have yet to take the MCAT (next summer). Just feels crummy knowing that even with these next 2 academic years of straight A's I'll still be way below cut offs for most schools.. :/
Not sure what else I should be doing to improve my future application? I'm currently an ED scribe and a clinical researcher assistant. Anyone have any advice?

What about another post-bac semester or year? If after so many credits, fulfilling your prereqs, and taking upper div science courses you will not be able to pull your GPA above a 3.0, I would suggest looking into a SMP. Unfortunately many SMPs have a cutoff at around 3.0; however, do your research and get into contact with prospective programs. Give them a brief rundown of your situation and ask them for advice, whether they will consider your application, etc. If you complete an SMP successfully it will show adcoms you can handle the rigor of a medical curriculum and will help ease apprehensions.... although still having your cGPA below 3.0 is concerning for schools that may automatically screen you out

I know that this bit of advice will be frowned upon but if after GPA repair, a stellar MCAT, an SMP, and like 2 application cycles you are unsuccessful then you may consider going the Caribbean route. But only if you know for sure you are a motivated, adaptable person who can succeed independently. Caribbean students are at a very big disadvantage, but each year they do produce bonafide physicians.

 

[premedbrah]

What about another post-bac semester or year? If after so many credits, fulfilling your prereqs, and taking upper div science courses you will not be able to pull your GPA above a 3.0, I would suggest looking into a SMP. Unfortunately many SMPs have a cutoff at around 3.0; however, do your research and get into contact with prospective programs. Give them a brief rundown of your situation and ask them for advice, whether they will consider your application, etc. If you complete an SMP successfully it will show adcoms you can handle the rigor of a medical curriculum and will help ease apprehensions.... although still having your cGPA below 3.0 is concerning for schools that may automatically screen you out

I know that this bit of advice will be frowned upon but if after GPA repair, a stellar MCAT, an SMP, and like 2 application cycles you are unsuccessful then you may consider going the Caribbean route. But only if you know for sure you are a motivated, adaptable person who can succeed independently. Caribbean students are at a very big disadvantage, but each year they do produce bonafide physicians.

Thanks for the reply! I have thought about the caribbean route (SGU specifically), just because of how much longer it would take to exceed the 3.0 cut off. I would need an additional post-bacc year after graduating (so 2 years total after graduation of post bacc upper-div classes) to get to a 3.0. I am currently 25, and I know I am not old as compared to some students, but I would like to get started with Medical School sooner than later (as I'm sure so does everyone else). I will definitely apply in the 2019 cycle after I complete my 1 year post-bacc. I am hoping to score high enough on the MCAT that my application gets noticed (along with all the A').

 

[etp123]

I would need an additional post-bacc year after graduating (so 2 years total after graduation of post bacc upper-div classes) to get to a 3.0. I am currently 25, and I know I am not old as compared to some students, but I would like to get started with Medical School sooner than later (as I'm sure so does everyone else).

In my opinion if an extra year would pull you up to a 3.0 then I would take it. I know you want to get started as soon as possible but you're in a position that is a marathon not a race, despite how it feels. You should be showing not only to the adcoms but also yourself that you can succeed over the course of several rigorous academic years. This is your life and you only get one shot at this, so why not make sure you do it right? Honestly, what is an extra year in the grand scheme of things? If just 1 extra year will help pull you over that threshold, the security and benefits of going to a US med school greatly outweigh going to the caribbean. This is why it's normally suggested to go there if you've honestly exhausted all other options after 2 application cycles.

Please take a careful look at the pros and cons first, especially in the caribbean forum from users such as Skip Intro so you know what you're getting into. You will be at a disadvantage all around. You might not have the best living situation or resources academically, socially, etc... You'll have to do a lot of self teaching and it will be much more expensive altogether than taking that extra year of postbac coursework. There is way more competition because those schools fill more seats than they have spots for so they are hoping people will fail out. Not only that, but US MD and DO are much more favored for residencies. Now again I am not saying you won't be successful because like I said out of the hundreds who fail out of the caribbean each year, there are still a good number who manage to successfully navigate the process and become respected MDs. You might be one of them, or you might not. Just think carefully before you commit. Good luck to you!

 

[Major]

Details!! So excited to see another person I've been following get in! I'm starting on Wed. and it still doesn't feel real!

So far so good! Earned As on my first exams, I have my SMP to thank for that because we covered exactly the same material my SMP did. Everything is just at a faster pace!

However, I still don't feel like I am in "medical school." It feels like a very fast paced graduate school.

 

[astrostellar]

I'm currently working on trying to secure a retroactive withdrawal for my first non-trad semester back in 2015. It's a weird process. I feel like they can just turn it down for no reason. I have substantiating records from my mental health clinic, but I dunno what will happen. It would really, really help my GPA to have that semester charged from Fs to Ws, and the reasoning behind the retroactive withdrawal is legit. Hmmm.

 

[BlastedHeath]

So far so good! Earned As on my first exams, I have my SMP to thank for that because we covered exactly the same material my SMP did. Everything is just at a faster pace!

However, I still don't feel like I am in "medical school." It feels like a very fast paced graduate school.

I've been in it for 5 weeks now and it still doesn't feel like I'm in "medical school" either. My medical school campus is very small compared to where I did my SMP, and I think I keep trying to compare them but they are nowhere near the same. PBL curriculum is weird too, I like it, but it feels very low pressure compared to sitting in lectures and having exams all the time. Another thing I keep catching myself thinking about, is I was planning and working towards medical school for years and years, it often consumed my thoughts. Sometimes I catch myself thinking about admissions, different schools, or alternative careers, and then I realize "oh right, I don't have to think about that anymore."

 

[Major]

I've been in it for 5 weeks now and it still doesn't feel like I'm in "medical school" either. My medical school campus is very small compared to where I did my SMP, and I think I keep trying to compare them but they are nowhere near the same. PBL curriculum is weird too, I like it, but it feels very low pressure compared to sitting in lectures and having exams all the time. Another thing I keep catching myself thinking about, is I was planning and working towards medical school for years and years, it often consumed my thoughts. Sometimes I catch myself thinking about admissions, different schools, or alternative careers, and then I realize "oh right, I don't have to think about that anymore."

Started gross anatomy this week. It feels a little more real now, haha.

 

[68PGunner]

The guys at my class who did SMPs at my school did very well initially in biochemistry and immuno. However, once we moved into the organ system and actually learned real medicine, they got destroyed. So, stay humble and not be complacent.

 

[dingdong28]

How's everybody doing? I hope classes and everything is going well for you all.

I was supposed to take classes this semester but was offered a new full-time night shift med lab tech job at a much smaller hospital to help with taking classes and such. $20/hr + $2 shift differential with $6000 signing bonus. No trauma and the patient population isn't as interesting but I need a slower paced job where I can focus on the remainder of classes I have left to graduate and move to doing either a post bacc or SMP or both.

What do you guys/gals think? I took basically all of the prereqs almost 5 - 6 years ago with the exception of a physics II retake this summer (D -> B-). By the time I'll be ready for taking the MCAT, it'll be close to 7 - 8 years since taking the prereqs. I didn't do medical school competitive good when I entered undergrad because I never had medicine in mind back then. If in a perfect world, I can end with a cGPA of a low 3.0x and a sGPA of high 2.9x to low 3.0x if I manage to ace the rest of my classes. I'm leaning towards doing a 2 year formal post bacc of (50 - 60 credits) to prove my worth. It's hard to tell without an MCAT but do you think that doing a post bacc of that magnitude will offset my poor GPA from before? Will ADCOMS think I'm naive for retaking all of my prereqs even though they're kinda old? Do you think doing a post bacc and SMP are a better option?

Other things to note - military (supervisor and trainer at the lab I drill at), hospice volunteer, member of student veteran organization, member of Team RWB, former div 1 cross country runner, tons of clinical (work) experience, will have great LORs (work supervisors/leaders, DO physician, still deciding on which science professor)

I'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks everyone.

 

[FromDMtoMD]

Hi all,
I would like to provide my profile and begin my quest to become an MD which will be documented here.

My currents stats are as follows:
Age:31
Degree: BS in Business Management (3.05 cGPA)
Clinical experience: Worked at a outpatient clinic as a supervisor for about four years. In that time, I've gotten great exposure to the administrative aspect of medicine which I plan to leverage in future interviews. I've also landed some very good connections within the teaching hospital (Director of Internal Medicine & Specialty) who is helping me build my application by writing me letters of recommendations, connecting me with other physicians/specialties and providing me with shadowing experience.

EC: Eight year military war veteran with combat experience that I hope to leverage in my personal statement. Currently working full time but plan to throw in some shadowing/volunteer time.

MCATs: Never taken.

Prereq's taken: Calculus - C, Calculus Lab - B, Managerial Statistics (I think this counts?) - C, General Chemistry I - C, General Chemistry I Lab - B, General Biology I - P (awaiting detail grade from the school) General Biology I Lab - P, General Biology II - P, and General Biology II Lab - P.

*This poor performace was a result of a schedule overload. At the time I lived in Staten Island, worked in Brooklyn and went to school in New Jersey. I had a new born and was a member of the Air National Guard. This life meant zero sleep, 16+ hour days with travel time, and no weekends. As a prior military member, I was accustom to this life style, however, I had to sacrifice many assignments and study time to balance it all out.

Anyhow, using a GPA calculator this will put my sGPA at 2.1ish . This is my biggest dilemma, along with my cGPA. Now, from reading and doing research it seems I have some options in my approach which is where I'll seek guidance from the group. Should I retake the abovementioned courses and score As in them? Or should I take advance courses and show growth from there? Should this be done in DIY format or should I go for a post bacc program?

Any guidance would be truly appreciated as this has become my main focus for the next decade or so.

Regards,
DM

 

[sassypenguin]

Hey

Basically, I was on track to start a PhD when I realized I wanted to go to med school. Complete 180 and I'm now rushing to fulfill all of the requirements. While I hadn't previously taken the pre-reqs, which preserves my sgpa, it also makes it much harder for me to improve my cgpa. I'm an URM. I have significant work experience related to my undergrad degree.

My current stats are as follows:

Age: late twenties
Degree: B.A. Political Science/Psychology (2.745) (no science almost no math) (prestigious university)
Calculus-C
EC: from undergrad and work experience

Grad GPA
Degree: Masters (4.0 but not science-based) (prestigious university)
EC: Significant EC during grad school and volunteering/clinical hours. (About 150 clinical hours)

Post-bacc
(random state school)
Prereq's taken: Gen Chem I-A, Gen Chem II- A (on track to finish with A), Calculus-A (on track to finish with A), Bio I- A (on track to finish with A

MCAT: not taken

Any guidance for what to do going forward? Even if I make all A's in my post-bacc, my GPA will still barely budge.

 

[Benedict.Cumberbatch]

OK GUYS CAN I MAKE IT IN med school?

Current GPA 2.7
I have taken 0 pre req EXCEPT bio which I got B+
I’M Majoring in political science at a 4 year college. I was young dumb
Didn’t know what, I wanted to be I let my grades slip. but every year since, I’ve only
Increased my gpa final year of community college I was on deans list.
I TRANSFERED to 4 Year and have kept the momentum strong have never seen a D or C will never go back to that path again. I wonder now what to do ? I have 3-4 semesters left. I have yet to touch my pre req. I was going to wait till the end. And take them all or start little by little 2 in winter 1 in the summer. Need help guys? Also I’ve started studying for the MCAT 10/01/17 WILL plan to take it end of next year or summer of next year. That way classes wont be to foreign to me. I will have some scienctific understanding (I already do I had science rebirth a long time ago).

 

[popopopop]

OK GUYS CAN I MAKE IT IN med school?

Current GPA 2.7
I have taken 0 pre req EXCEPT bio which I got B+
I’M Majoring in political science at a 4 year college. I was young dumb
Didn’t know what, I wanted to be I let my grades slip. but every year since, I’ve only
Increased my gpa final year of community college I was on deans list.
I TRANSFERED to 4 Year and have kept the momentum strong have never seen a D or C will never go back to that path again. I wonder now what to do ? I have 3-4 semesters left. I have yet to touch my pre req. I was going to wait till the end. And take them all or start little by little 2 in winter 1 in the summer. Need help guys? Also I’ve started studying for the MCAT 10/01/17 WILL plan to take it end of next year or summer of next year. That way classes wont be to foreign to me. I will have some scienctific understanding (I already do I had science rebirth a long time ago).

Do well on your pre-reqs first then think about your MCAT.

 

[sassypenguin]

OK GUYS CAN I MAKE IT IN med school?

Current GPA 2.7
I have taken 0 pre req EXCEPT bio which I got B+
I’M Majoring in political science at a 4 year college. I was young dumb
Didn’t know what, I wanted to be I let my grades slip. but every year since, I’ve only
Increased my gpa final year of community college I was on deans list.
I TRANSFERED to 4 Year and have kept the momentum strong have never seen a D or C will never go back to that path again. I wonder now what to do ? I have 3-4 semesters left. I have yet to touch my pre req. I was going to wait till the end. And take them all or start little by little 2 in winter 1 in the summer. Need help guys? Also I’ve started studying for the MCAT 10/01/17 WILL plan to take it end of next year or summer of next year. That way classes wont be to foreign to me. I will have some scienctific understanding (I already do I had science rebirth a long time ago).

I don't know if I should be the person to respond, but I'll take a shot at it. First, how are you taking the MCAT without having taken the pre-reqs? That sounds like a recipe for failure. It also doesn't matter if you get a perfect score, you are still required to take the pre-reqs for med school.

You want to take the MCAT as few times as possible. Not only does the test suck (or so I've heard), but it doesn't look good to schools to see you take it multiple times.

The fact that you increased your GPA is good. Med schools like to see an upward trend. Now you need to step it up even more. You can't shoot for/be happy with B's anymore. (Because you need to repair your GPA, you're gonna need A's from here on out.)

The good news if you work your butt off, you can complete the typical pre-reqs in about 4 semesters. (You may need to take a few courses in the summer depending on what your school offers when.) Now, when you complete them, you need to beast them out. No b's. I don't care if that means that you don't get to bond as much with other seniors. Also, that assumes that you are going to take pretty much only science courses from here on out. If you can't do that, start off with one science course. It's better to start off slowly and get great grades then to jump into the deep end and drown.

 

[Benedict.Cumberbatch]

I don't know if I should be the person to respond, but I'll take a shot at it. First, how are you taking the MCAT without having taken the pre-reqs? That sounds like a recipe for failure. It also doesn't matter if you get a perfect score, you are still required to take the pre-reqs for med school.

You want to take the MCAT as few times as possible. Not only does the test suck (or so I've heard), but it doesn't look good to schools to see you take it multiple times.

The fact that you increased your GPA is good. Med schools like to see an upward trend. Now you need to step it up even more. You can't shoot for/be happy with B's anymore. (Because you need to repair your GPA, you're gonna need A's from here on out.)

The good news if you work your butt off, you can complete the typical pre-reqs in about 4 semesters. (You may need to take a few courses in the summer depending on what your school offers when.) Now, when you complete them, you need to beast them out. No b's. I don't care if that means that you don't get to bond as much with other seniors. Also, that assumes that you are going to take pretty much only science courses from here on out. If you can't do that, start off with one science course. It's better to start off slowly and get great grades then to jump into the deep end and drown.

Thank you, I will focus on building my GPA here on out especially My science GPA i only have a B+ In bio 1. I Started studying for the MCAT mainly for the exam. But to also brush up on the pre reqs so i can get an A. But if i should hold out i will. Also I’m a political science major should i do half my political science courses and half my pre reqs? I was thinking of doing pre reqs during the winter and summer. And little by little so i don’t “drown” but i still want to earn my political science degree. That major different it could be good on my applitication

 

[Benedict.Cumberbatch]

Do well on your pre-reqs first then think about your MCAT.

I wanted to use the Kaplan 2015 as guide to help me get a on my pre reqs.

 

[sassypenguin]

I wanted to use the Kaplan 2015 as guide to help me get a on my pre reqs.

I'm definitely not going to discourage you from getting a poli sci degree. (I was actually a poli sci major.) I'm not sure how many required courses you have left for your degree. If you have too many courses left, you may just want to hold off on taking your science courses. Bump your GPA up to a 3.0 and apply to a post-bac program to take your required classes. The unfortunate part is that that will mean shelling out more money. (However, in all likelihood, you would have to do a post-bac/SMP anyways.)

You can definitely use the MCAT review to help you on your courses, just don't actually take the MCAT yet. Some other resources you may want to look into include: Wikipremed, Kahn academy, youtube, the pre-med forums here, etc. etc.

You don't need all of them. Find out what works for you (and what doesn't) and go from there.

 

[popopopop]

Thank you, I will focus on building my GPA here on out especially My science GPA i only have a B+ In bio 1. I Started studying for the MCAT mainly for the exam. But to also brush up on the pre reqs so i can get an A. But if i should hold out i will. Also I’m a political science major should i do half my political science courses and half my pre reqs? I was thinking of doing pre reqs during the winter and summer. And little by little so i don’t “drown” but i still want to earn my political science degree. That major different it could be good on my applitication

Ok, I get what you mean now with the MCAT thing. I wouldn't put your pre-reqs in the winter/summer because you don't want a lapse of knowledge. When it's time to review for your MCAT, you want that info to be as fresh as possible so you have ample time to just do practice exams or work on timing. I wouldn't rush it nor go too slow. Perhaps start off with 1 pre-req then work yourself up by adding more.

 

[Benedict.Cumberbatch]

Ok, I get what you mean now with the MCAT thing. I wouldn't put your pre-reqs in the winter/summer because you don't want a lapse of knowledge. When it's time to review for your MCAT, you want that info to be as fresh as possible so you have ample time to just do practice exams or work on timing. I wouldn't rush it nor go too slow. Perhaps start off with 1 pre-req then work yourself up by adding more.

Ok I see, should I take 1 or 2 courses along side my current degree poli science? Or finish my current degree and do a post bac ?

 

[Benedict.Cumberbatch]

I'm definitely not going to discourage you from getting a poli sci degree. (I was actually a poli sci major.) I'm not sure how many required courses you have left for your degree. If you have too many courses left, you may just want to hold off on taking your science courses. Bump your GPA up to a 3.0 and apply to a post-bac program to take your required classes. The unfortunate part is that that will mean shelling out more money. (However, in all likelihood, you would have to do a post-bac/SMP anyways.)

You can definitely use the MCAT review to help you on your courses, just don't actually take the MCAT yet. Some other resources you may want to look into include: Wikipremed, Kahn academy, youtube, the pre-med forums here, etc. etc.

You don't need all of them. Find out what works for you (and what doesn't) and go from there.

I'm definitely not going to discourage you from getting a poli sci degree. (I was actually a poli sci major.) I'm not sure how many required courses you have left for your degree. If you have too many courses left, you may just want to hold off on taking your science courses. Bump your GPA up to a 3.0 and apply to a post-bac program to take your required classes. The unfortunate part is that that will mean shelling out more money. (However, in all likelihood, you would have to do a post-bac/SMP anyways.)

You can definitely use the MCAT review to help you on your courses, just don't actually take the MCAT yet. Some other resources you may want to look into include: Wikipremed, Kahn academy, youtube, the pre-med forums here, etc. etc.

You don't need all of them. Find out what works for you (and what doesn't) and go from there.

so hold out on taking any pre reqs ? I was gonna take them little by little ? But if you feel that better I will follow that angle. Plus I have 3 semesters left of poli science if I take winter and summer by end of next year I could be out the door. Any advice keep my major ? Whatever it takes to succeed I’m willing to do ... but the post bac sounds promising I’m probably going to do it.

 

[Blanky]

so hold out on taking any pre reqs ? I was gonna take them little by little ? But if you feel that better I will follow that angle. Plus I have 3 semesters left of poli science if I take winter and summer by end of next year I could be out the door. Any advice keep my major ? Whatever it takes to succeed I’m willing to do ... but the post bac sounds promising I’m probably going to do it.

Sounds like you are really gaining momentum. You still have a road ahead and thats ok. It might be wise to get the chemistry sequence started as it is 5 semesters (chem1/2 orgo1/2 and biochem.) as you graduate it will be easy to add in physcis 1/2 and bio2 after graduation and you will be looking good.

 

[colourless]

Hey guys, I'm feeling a bit run down and hopeless right now. My cumulative GPA is 2.8, and my sGPA is a 2.6. I'm doing a DIY post-bacc. I can only afford to retake 1-2 courses a semester while working full time to repair my GPA so it's been slow going. However, I recently retook Physics 2, and it's been 10 years since I took it .. I had reviewed Physics 1 as well before the course began but it didn't help. I ended up withdrawing from the course, as my grades in the exams were trending downwards, so I would have to retake it a third time anyway and thought it was more logical to withdraw before getting another bad grade to bring my GPA down. Anyone have any advice or words of encouragement? Feeling a bit down and out :\

 

[Blanky]

Hey guys, I'm feeling a bit run down and hopeless right now. My cumulative GPA is 2.8, and my sGPA is a 2.6. I'm doing a DIY post-bacc. I can only afford to retake 1-2 courses a semester while working full time to repair my GPA so it's been slow going. However, I recently retook Physics 2, and it's been 10 years since I took it .. I had reviewed Physics 1 as well before the course began but it didn't help. I ended up withdrawing from the course, as my grades in the exams were trending downwards, so I would have to retake it a third time anyway and thought it was more logical to withdraw before getting another bad grade to bring my GPA down. Anyone have any advice or words of encouragement? Feeling a bit down and out :\

You should start your own post. You have cause some serious damage if your gpa is 2.8/2.6 with over 120 credits. You cant afford to get Bs and would need a couple years of all As

 

[colourless]

You should start your own post. You have cause some serious damage if your gpa is 2.8/2.6 with over 120 credits. You cant afford to get Bs and would need a couple years of all As

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm doing a post-bacc. It would take me about 3 years of A's until my GPA is even above 3.0. Thanks for the encouragement though.

 

[etp123]

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm doing a post-bacc. It would take me about 3 years of A's until my GPA is even above 3.0. Thanks for the encouragement though.

You have got to figure out a study method or learning style that will work for you else if you cannot make A's having only 1-2 classes a term it will not help instill faith in your academic ability to handle med school.

How do you study now? Do you go to lecture, take notes, review them after? Maybe that isn't enough and you need to be trying other things in addition to that. One thing that really helped me was recording my lectures and listening to them later so I could go back in detail and re-listen to topics that needed reinforcing. Do you have trouble focusing? Try breaking it up by sitting down for 20-30 minutes and trying to hammer in one point, then get up and do some stretches/meditate for 5 minutes, get back into it, repeat.

After class, perhaps try rewriting your notes slowly and making sure you understand the logic of each example, the topics, etc. Take advantage of your TAs or profs office hours. After you go over your notes try rewriting them from memory, or teaching the concept to your friends. There's an abundance of online materials and tutorials for physics such as AKlectures or Khan Academy that you can also look into. Khan Academy does a great job at breaking down difficult topics into very very friendly digestible videos.

There are many resources out there to look into from helping you with physics topics to rethinking your study strats. Use this time to find something that works for you. Also try watching the Khan Academy or AK lecture videos so you begin to get a general idea of the topic before you take the class again, so hopefully next time you'll have a more solid footing/understand where the course content is going to go.

Lastly, you are your greatest motivator. If your dream of med school matters enough to you, you cannot let this class set you back. Every student, traditional or not, runs into a class that is difficult or challenging to them, and what matters is how resilient they are in tackling this challenge. I started this journey with a 2.6 cGPA after 120 hours. 2 years and many credits later I managed to pull that to over a 3.0 cGPA. There's still hope my friend, keep fighting for it.

 

[astrostellar]

I am super-bummed. I definitely overloaded myself this semester (10 credits) and am looking at getting an ~87-88 in two out of three of my classes. Since my school doesn't do B+, they would count as 3.0s. Uuuuugh.

 

[etp123]

I am super-bummed. I definitely overloaded myself this semester (10 credits) and am looking at getting an ~87-88 in two out of three of my classes. Since my school doesn't do B+, they would count as 3.0s. Uuuuugh.

Chin up! On the bright side you've still got many more classes to take and a couple B's in the middle of a sea of A's wont be so bad!

 

[InspiredUnderdog]

Hey guys, I'm feeling a bit run down and hopeless right now. My cumulative GPA is 2.8, and my sGPA is a 2.6. I'm doing a DIY post-bacc. I can only afford to retake 1-2 courses a semester while working full time to repair my GPA so it's been slow going. However, I recently retook Physics 2, and it's been 10 years since I took it .. I had reviewed Physics 1 as well before the course began but it didn't help. I ended up withdrawing from the course, as my grades in the exams were trending downwards, so I would have to retake it a third time anyway and thought it was more logical to withdraw before getting another bad grade to bring my GPA down. Anyone have any advice or words of encouragement? Feeling a bit down and out :\

Physics is tough. The first time I took physics I got a D. I learned how to study for it (which to me, was a very different strategy compared to biology or chemistry) and I managed to get a B+ the second time. It's not an A, but is still a huge improvement. All I did was study for it... A LOT. I solved a boatload of problems, read the book a little, and really studied the way they asked the questions. Physics 2 is tough, but a lot of the concepts stem out of physics 1, so since you didn't do so hot in physics 2, that tells me you probably need to review physics 1 a little more in depth. I also figured out it is very easy to forget physics (I took physics last summer and started studying for the MCAT this fall..totally forgot half the crap I learned!). So learning a quick, but efficient way to review is important!

Remember, science is hard and the fact that you are even trying for med school is impressive. Good things take time and work. You obviously have the drive to get the job done, SO DO IT.

"It always seems impossible until it's done" -Nelson Mandela

 

[Shotapp]

The semester is coming to a close (thank goodness).

Virology 3 credits and Human Physiology 4 credits (both upper division classes). Hopefully I will pull A's in both. I dropped a Research methods class 4 days after the drop/add period and now I got an unattractive W on my transcript. Whatever, I'm just going to keep moving forward and nail the rest of my post-bac classes.

 

[etp123]

Getting LORs together has been such a struggle. One of my profs replied to me after I sent the initial request 5-6 MONTHS ago lol... yeesh. I've been considering just adding a few more classes to try and get more profs to get LORs from

 

[Shotapp]

Getting LORs together has been such a struggle. One of my profs replied to me after I sent the initial request 5-6 MONTHS ago lol... yeesh. I've been considering just adding a few more classes to try and get more profs to get LORs from

I won't start asking for LORs til a year from now. Are you going to apply to medical schools and some of the well known SMPs in 2018? (assuming a solid Mcat score).

 

[etp123]

I won't start asking for LORs til a year from now. Are you going to apply to medical schools and some of the well known SMPs in 2018? (assuming a solid Mcat score).

Yep! Application cycle will for sure be in 2018 so long as I do well on my MCAT. Already got my extracurriculars, GPA repair, etc under my belt all that's missing is my MCAT. Also I'm sure you've already heard this but do ask for LORs not long after the class ends so they still remember you and can write a better letter than if you contact them later down the line. And if your professors are anything like mine it'll be a long struggle to get the letter from them anyways so better to start early hah

 

[Calizboosted76]

This thread has literally given me hope. I have been stressing myself out to no end. I screwed up while working on my AA and got a low gpa like a 2.6 or 2.7. As of right now I’m working on my bachelors of biomedicine and I just completed my first semester. With The following grades:
Chem1: B
Chem1 lab: A
Spanish: B
Trigonometry:B
Precalc: C (I had a 78.5) smfh
But I have been stressing to no end. I am terrified that I will not get into medical school. Anyone have any tips or advice for me?

 

[tryptamine]

But I have been stressing to no end. I am terrified that I will not get into medical school. Anyone have any tips or advice for me?

Figure out what is preventing you from consistently getting As, as they are the currency of medical school admissions. Your trend up is good, but it's going to have to be more drastic. Are other commitments getting in the way? Are you starting off with too many classes? Are you procrastinating studying until the night before the test? There is plenty to be read online about cultivating good time management and study skills, but it's up to you to figure out how to apply that to your own situation.

There are a lot of semesters in my past that look like the one you listed, and worse. For me at the time, my heart wasn't in it, I didn't have internalized a reason to be there, and as a result, I invested myself minimally. Think about why it is that you're terrified of not getting into med school and why that terror isn't enough. You're right, if you keep it up like this, it will be really difficult for you to get in anywhere. Fear is a poor and ineffective motivator-- make sure that you're clear about what's driving you, and direct your efforts toward seeing it through.