Low uGPA, don't know where to go from here. Please help!

[michifoo92]

Hi guys, first time posting so I'm kinda nervous/embarrassed, but here goes. I'm currently working at the College of Medicine at my alma mater and haven't been a student for nearly two years. I received a Psychology BA in 2015 and a Biology BS in 2016. I've been dreaming of becoming a doctor for as long as I can remember. However, my uGPA was not good at all (2.74).

My current dilemma is that I am at a crossroad and I don't know in which direction to move. All I know is that I don't want to give up on medical school and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

First, here's is some background information:

1) I am not unrealistic about my situation. I am well aware that it's going to take some serious work to make myself an applicant worth considering

2) I will be taking the MCAT in May and I scored a 497 on my last FL.

3) Since I work for the College of Medicine, I've been able to partake in several extracurricular activities that are beneficial to my application. I've been able to shadow, volunteer at a clinic, and will be starting a scribe program soon. Aside from this, I have already accrued 100+ hours shadowing physicians outside my university and volunteering at my local hospital.

4) I have great letters of recommendation from my previous professors and current medical supervisors.

Second, here are the options I am currently thinking about:

1) My university offers a post-bacc certificate program, but the program costs $21k and there's no financial aid available. I applied regardless as it was one of the only local options available to me, but I was not accepted due to my low GPA.

2) I am also looking into SMPs, but there are very few programs that accept applicants with a GPA below a 3.00. Additionally, there aren't a lot of options in my home state and, financially, I am not in a position where I can quit my job and move to another state to pursue a master's. I would really appreciate some insight here as I am probably not seeing the bigger picture and/or am not aware of financial aid/loans available to me in order to make this happen.

3) My pre-medical advisor discussed possibly doing an MPH. However, I am not quite sure if this would benefit me or not. Although it is a graduate degree, the courses are not related to the hard sciences nor is the program at my university as rigorous as the SMP programs. I personally think doing well in any graduate program after a history of poor academic performance goes to show that there has been improvement. But maybe I am wrong and I would hate to spend the money and time pursuing this option to have it barely make an impact on my record in the end.

4) I do not believe the option of retaking the undergraduate classes I did poorly in makes sense at this point as DO schools no longer do grade replacement and it'll barely make a dent in my cumulative uGPA.

5) Is my only option to give up? So many people have discouraged me up till now and I've been dead set on trying to do everything possible before I give up on being a doctor because I don't believe that it's impossible. I'm stressed with my options or lack thereof, I'm terrified of the future, and I hate that I feel so stagnant.

Guys, I'm not expecting a miracle, but if any of you could shed some light on my life and give me just a tiny glimmer of hope, I would be eternally grateful. I have no idea what to do and I keep getting different advice from different people. I'm torn. Help!

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[En3rgy]

If your goal is to improve your GPA so you can apply to medical school, an MPH won't help. Completion of a certificate program doesn't offer any sort of advantage during the application process either. If you want to attend a U.S. MD or DO school, your only option is to take informal/DIY post-bac undergraduate classes AND perform well. After 1-2 years of excellent academic performance in post-bac classes, you can look into completing an SMP program with linkage. Your MCAT score needs to be top-notch if you're aiming for MD. DO schools will generally accept a lower score.

Think long and hard before you pursue this route. You are looking at 2-3 years of hard work until you can consider yourself as a competitive applicant for medical school. You may even need to go through multiple application cycles despite solid performances during the post-bac and SMP years. Comeback schedules are not always set in stone, so you should always be prepared for that possibility.

You state you've been dreaming of becoming a doctor for as long as you can remember. Why weren't you working towards medical school earlier on? How do you know the same GPA issues won't occur again? I believe re-invention is always possible, but you need to address the reasons which lead to your prior poor performance BEFORE embarking on the road to re-invention.

 

[michifoo92]

If your goal is to improve your GPA so you can apply to medical school, an MPH won't help. Completion of a certificate program doesn't offer any sort of advantage during the application process either. If you want to attend a U.S. MD or DO school, your only option is to take informal/DIY post-bac undergraduate classes AND perform well. After 1-2 years of excellent academic performance in post-bac classes, you can look into completing an SMP program with linkage. Your MCAT score needs to be top-notch if you're aiming for MD. DO schools will generally accept a lower score.

Think long and hard before you pursue this route. You are looking at 2-3 years of hard work until you can consider yourself as a competitive applicant for medical school. You may even need to go through multiple application cycles despite solid performances during the post-bac and SMP years. Comeback schedules are not always set in stone, so you should always be prepared for that possibility.

You state you've been dreaming of becoming a doctor for as long as you can remember. Why weren't you working towards medical school earlier on? How do you know the same GPA issues won't occur again? I believe re-invention is always possible, but you need to address the reasons which lead to your prior poor performance BEFORE embarking on the road to re-invention.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it. I had a few questions regarding your post. 1) Why is it that an MPH or certificate program won't help? 2) What do you mean by taking an informal/DIY post-bac undergraduate classes? Do you mean to complete another bachelor's degree? I would like to take advantage of my tuition waiver as I am a university employee, but I can only do so as a degree-seeking student. Thank you again for taking the time to read and respond to my post

 

[Fun1nth3sun1]

I think by DIY Post bacc they mean you should take upper level science courses at a college and ace them not necessarily through a formal program.

Note that you can apply to a university as a Bachelors degree seeking candidate and you never have to necessarily graduate but you can just take as many classes as you want. A lot of people do that to be considered for financial aid.

I think to Admissions committee completing an MPH will not give them the assurance that you can handle hard sciences since your undergrad gpa was low and will not be as impressive The best way to prove that is to take science courses and ace them

For the post-bacc certificate, is this also an MPH certificate or what kind? If the program consists of taking majority undergrad science courses that would work but the certificate itself will not necessarily be an asset to your application. My only concern with the formal post bacc is that it would be fast paced
First you should figure out why you did poorly in undergrad. Take it slow and start with 1 class then 2 classes and ace them. If you do well continue with 3 classes

I had a low gpa in undergrad too and this is what I Did!

Definitely do not give up! Just focus on taking her upper level science courses and ace them. Then focus on doing well on the MCAT and do not take it unless you are making at least 505 scores for D.O schools. The key is making sure all other parts of your application are great. There are medical schools that reward reinvention!

 

[michifoo92]

I think by DIY Post bacc they mean you should take upper level science courses at a college and ace them not necessarily through a formal program.

Note that you can apply to a university as a Bachelors degree seeking candidate and you never have to necessarily graduate but you can just take as many classes as you want. A lot of people do that to be considered for financial aid.

I think to Admissions committee completing an MPH will not give them the assurance that you can handle hard sciences since your undergrad gpa was low and will not be as impressive The best way to prove that is to take science courses and ace them

For the post-bacc certificate, is this also an MPH certificate or what kind? If the program consists of taking majority undergrad science courses that would work but the certificate itself will not necessarily be an asset to your application. My only concern with the formal post bacc is that it would be fast paced
First you should figure out why you did poorly in undergrad. Take it slow and start with 1 class then 2 classes and ace them. If you do well continue with 3 classes

I had a low gpa in undergrad too and this is what I Did!

Definitely do not give up! Just focus on taking her upper level science courses and ace them. Then focus on doing well on the MCAT and do not take it unless you are making at least 505 scores for D.O schools. The key is making sure all other parts of your application are great. There are medical schools that reward reinvention!

Thank you so much for the kind advice! I guess I am still a bit unclear. I already took all of the pre-medical pre-requisite courses, including Biochemistry. Are you suggesting to just start over and redo all the courses under a different major (Chemistry maybe)? Retaking these classes won't make much of a dent in my uGPA, but will it actually prove that I've been able to learn from my mistakes? I hope I don't sound too ignorant. I truly appreciate the help.

 

[9s_2b]

Thank you so much for the kind advice! I guess I am still a bit unclear. I already took all of the pre-medical pre-requisite courses, including Biochemistry. Are you suggesting to just start over and redo all the courses under a different major (Chemistry maybe)? Retaking these classes won't make much of a dent in my uGPA, but will it actually prove that I've been able to learn from my mistakes? I hope I don't sound too ignorant. I truly appreciate the help.

Don't retake any classes unless you received less than a C on a pre-requisite. You'll need to prove your capacity to handle the academic rigors of medical school by taking upper level science courses and blowing them out of the water. A prominent poster on this site has made a step by step guide for people looking to re-invent themselves.
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[Fun1nth3sun1]

Thank you so much for the kind advice! I guess I am still a bit unclear. I already took all of the pre-medical pre-requisite courses, including Biochemistry. Are you suggesting to just start over and redo all the courses under a different major (Chemistry maybe)? Retaking these classes won't make much of a dent in my uGPA, but will it actually prove that I've been able to learn from my mistakes? I hope I don't sound too ignorant. I truly appreciate the help.

No, I am suggesting taking new upper level undergrad science courses (at least 30 credits) and acing them. As previous posters have said do not retake any prerequisites unless you got lower than a C.

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

2) I will be taking the MCAT in May and I scored a 497 on my last FL.

I wouldn't bother taking it in May. Take it when your full length scores are at least in the mid-upper 500's. In addition, taking your MCAT now means it's only good for 3 years. That may not be sufficient time to improve your GPA. Everything the other poster wrote is great! I would just suggest focusing on fixing your GPA, and then worry about the MCAT after your GPA improves based on time

 

[michifoo92]

No, I am suggesting taking new upper level undergrad science courses (at least 30 credits) and acing them. As previous posters have said do not retake any prerequisites unless you got lower than a C.

Edit: Never mind, I answered my own question. Thanks again!

So you mean more along the lines of Neurology, Immunology, Physiology, etc?

 

[michifoo92]

Don't retake any classes unless you received less than a C on a pre-requisite. You'll need to prove your capacity to handle the academic rigors of medical school by taking upper level science courses and blowing them out of the water. A prominent poster on this site has made a step by step guide for people looking to re-invent themselves.
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Thank you so much for linking that wonderful guide! That's exactly what I needed to read!

 

[redfish955]

Your other option would be to attend nursing school and then apply for nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and ect programs a year later. That will likely give you the same career earnings if you blow nursing school out of the water. Even if you don't do well you will still have a good career as a nurse. With your current path your six years away from residency and still may not get to med school.

 

[summergirl]

If your last MCAT FL was 497 and your MCAT is scheduled in May, then you should cancel your MCAT. With your circumstances, your MCAT score will make or break you. As in, anything less than an amazing MCAT score will likely mean the end of your medical school dream. Only take it when you are absolutely sure you will crush the MCAT (515+ or even 520+) and maybe, just maybe you have a chance. Yes I am aware of how difficult it is to get the score I mentioned, but you kind of dug yourself in a hole there already, so you’ll have to do much better than everyone else to have a fighting chance. Seriously, anything remotely close to 497 is not going to be good enough.

 

[Forever Geebs]

Don't take the MCAT right now. Focus on improving GPA and redeeming yourself. Someone else already linked Goro's guide for that; follow it and get ready for the long journey that awaits.

Best of luck to you.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it. I had a few questions regarding your post. 1) Why is it that an MPH or certificate program won't help? 2) What do you mean by taking an informal/DIY post-bac undergraduate classes? Do you mean to complete another bachelor's degree? I would like to take advantage of my tuition waiver as I am a university employee, but I can only do so as a degree-seeking student. Thank you again for taking the time to read and respond to my post

To answer your first question, the reason why an MPH or certificate program won't help is because they will not be considered as undergraduate courses and therefore will not benefit your uGPA even if you do good in them. So in your app, you'd still have a bad uGPA and whatever you earn for your master's GPA, and as you already know schools are all about stats. On the the other hand, whatever you take as a DIY post-bacc will go towards your uGPA in your app. Though, contrary to other posters above, I'd still advise retaking some of your Cs because even without grade replacement, if you end up with As in those classes that averages into a B. But you gotta be sure you can ace those classes the second time around because Bs will not help much.

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[Magus5454]

Just going to reiterate that you absolutely should not take the MCAT till you are scoring much better on practices. Save the AAMC FLs till you are more confident with the material.

 

[Magus5454]

Edit: Never mind, I answered my own question. Thanks again!

So you mean more along the lines of Neurology, Immunology, Physiology, etc?

Yes. Anything upper level you have not taken before

 

[9s_2b]

Adding my voice to the others in saying that you should not take your MCAT this year. You have about a year or two of transcript repair before you should take the MCAT.

 

[michifoo92]

MCAT has been cancelled. Thank you all again for your advice and support. I really thought this thread would get lost, but I'm thankful you all took the time to help me. I appreciate it. I will be following Goro's advice and hopefully I'll be able to follow up here in the future bearing only good news

 

[summergirl]

MCAT has been cancelled. Thank you all again for your advice and support. I really thought this thread would get lost, but I'm thankful you all took the time to help me. I appreciate it. I will be following Goro's advice and hopefully I'll be able to follow up here in the future bearing only good news

Good decision! Good luck with everything.

 

[Entadus]

The elephant in the room, and the most essential question that's so far unaddressed by the OP, is WHY were you unsuccessful in achieving a competitive GPA during undergrad? You say you've wanted medical school for as long as you can remember, which is inconsistent with your subpar performance. Where do you put the blame for your GPA<2.8? How can you be assured it won't happen again? What is your (detailed) strategy to improve?

This criticism is purely constructive, and I hope you take it that way.

 

[michifoo92]

The elephant in the room, and the most essential question that's so far unaddressed by the OP, is WHY were you unsuccessful in achieving a competitive GPA during undergrad? You say you've wanted medical school for as long as you can remember, which is inconsistent with your subpar performance. Where do you put the blame for your GPA<2.8? How can you be assured it won't happen again? What is your (detailed) strategy to improve?

This criticism is purely constructive, and I hope you take it that way.

Without getting into unnecessary detail, a slew of family and health-related issues where a lot of the burden fell on me. Not just for emotional support, but financial. I worked full-time throughout undergrad because I had to support my family. My days consisted of classes back to back during the day then work at night and on weekends. Very little time to focus on school. And because of everything that I was dealing with and knowing that if I lost my job, my family couldn't make ends meet, that brought on a lot of stress, depression, anxiety, therapy, etc. It really affected me. It hasn't been easy for my family and I and I'm happy to say that we are all in a much better place now. But that's why I want to prove that I am not the person I used to be. As I previously stated, I'll be following Goro's advice. I will likely be taking 1 or 2 classes this upcoming Fall semester and now that my life is far more stable, I want to work on building those study habits back up. I hope that addresses your questions.

 

[michifoo92]

Yes. Anything upper level you have not taken before

Do you recommend that I take just the lecture or both lecture and lab?