chances...

[TiggidyTooth]

I graduated from a 2nd tier university with a degree in economics and took all pre-med courses except physics 2. I finished with a very lack luster gpa of 2.4 mainly due to immaturity and thinking that I was going to go work for a pharmaceutical or biotech company and forget about about medicine or graduate school.

I moved out west and switched gears all of the sudden. I worked as a research assistant for 2 years bagging in a couple publications for a very well respected PI. 1 of which I am first author the rest I am mentioned as second and third. I started volunteering in the ER and volunteer my time with underprivledged kids.

So...I decided to move to my home state to do a do it yourself post-bac at the university of houston. I just finished up physiology and physics 2 recieving an A in both. This fall I'm retaking chem 1 and physics 1, and am diving into genetics and biochem. A similar course load will follow the following semester after which I will take the MCAT. During the year I will be volunteering at a homeless clinic and gaining more valuable experience.

After taking the MCAT in august do I stand a chance at allopathic admissions considering a good showing on test day? Will I still need to complete a Master's in order to get in? Any and all advice will be most helpful in this matter.

Regards,

Tooth

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[pyau03]

Hi,

I think it's best to focus on doing well in your post-bac classes. Having a Master degree is certainly a plus. However, the adcoms probably won't pay any attention to that until you passed the stats screening phrase. I heard that in order to have every applicant on a level paying field, they will look at everyone's undergrad GPA. If you do well in your post-bac courses, it will work in your favor since post-bac grades will be caculated along with your undergrad marks. Just my two cents. Good luck!

 

[beanbean]

My undergrad gpa (BU, 1990, Biomedical Eng.) was only a bit higher than yours (due to a chronic illness). I spent the past two years doing informal and a formal post-bacc and started med school on Friday. Get 'A's in your post-bacc classes, a stellar MCAT score, keep up the EC's and obtain excellent LORs. You can recover from a low undergrad gpa, it takes time and effort but it can be done. It is important to show constant excellence in your "new" gpa in order to convince adcoms that you are able to handle a rigorous academic schedule and are not the same "immature person" who earned the 2.4.

Talk to some adcoms at schools you are interested in applying to and ask for their advice.

Not everyone who wants to go to med school gets in, but if you work hard to make each piece of your application outstanding, recovery from a low gpa is possible.

Deirdre