Bright PreMed - Rocky Start in College- Can he Make Up later?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>I know a student who had excellent academic performance in High School ( AP Scholar, 3.9 GPA, multiple EC's including Journalism and Debate at Leadership positions etc) . He joined an Ivy League College, with a year's worth of AP credits under his belt, blew the first year , ending with a GPA of 2.5, and his self-confidence went down the tubes. eg AP Bio = 5; but Bio 1, 2 in College = C. The student then moved to his State Flagship Univ as a Soph, had a rocky beginning there, but has pulled up GPA to 3.0. He has understood his mistakes ( homesick and depressed as a Frosh; girlfriend issues; insufficient focus; unclear career goals), and has now turned a leaf. He is not so much a Science techie - but is already becoming noticed by his teachers as a very bright student with particular aptitude for humanities courses such as English, Philosophy, Medical Ethics ( all of which he is Acing) , and strengths in soft sciences like Microbiology. He has not taken Orgo yet. His parents, recognizing the challenge and noting his renewed efforts now to improve performance, has encouraged him to take an extra year to finish UG, so he has 3 years ahead of him now, to "catch up" and build up credentials for Medical School application or whatever other career track he wishes to follow. He is still very committed to a Medical Career, and is already doing a lot of Volunteer hours at the Hospital. </p>

<p>My question is : Given that he had C in Bio 1,2 ; C+ in Calc 3 (exempted from Calc 1-2 via AP tests ) ; and just a B+ in Gen Chem 1 - does this student have a chance at pulling up his GPA sufficiently, in the next 2-3 years, as he returns to his full potential in academic performance, to be able to apply for Med School with confidence ? He plans to double-major in Microbiology and Philosophy(or Ethics), and I think he will easily pull a 32-33 in MCAT, may be higher. Should he retake Bio 1-2 to improve grades ? Is the C+ in Calc 3 a killer for Med school application ? Does he need to consider an SMP , even though that would mean his taking a loan to fund that ? Appreciate all inputs and all suggestions that could help this student achieve his dream profession. He is also realistic about his poor grades, and is considering a career in Public Health as a "backup" career.... but his heart is in Medicine.</p>

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<p>A single C+ isn 't a killer. But given his low overall BCMP (2.45), it’s going to be very, very difficult to pull the sGPA up sufficiently to be a viable allopathic candidate. He absolutely needs to aced every single science/math class from here on out. He cannot afford any more B’s in math or science, not to mention C’s.</p>

<p>And OChem is real challenge for most kids. And he still also need physics. (And possibly other coursework–new MCAT exam in 2015 with more science and non-science requirements.)</p>

<p>Allopathic medical schools do not allow grade replacements. They will include both the original C and retake grade in their GPA calculations. (And unless he is 100% confident he can earn an A, then he shouldn’t even consider a re-take since anything less than A on the re-take will only make his record look worse than the original C.)</p>

<p>Osteopathic schools do allow for grade replacement so that should be one option he ought to consider. </p>

<p>Whether he will be a viable candidate for SMPs will largely depend on what his GPA/sGPA looks like in 2 years. Most reputable SMPs require a minimum GPA/sGPA of 3.0 and some require a 3.3+. It’ll also depend on his MCAT score. (You cannot “assume” he’ll score a 33 since most kids–esp those who are not strong in the sciences–do not.)</p>