Senior here.
About to graduate this May, and I am looking to apply to medical/DO school. I have a low gpa of 2.96 with a load of about 16 credits next semester at Notre Dame. I will definitely be taking and retaking some classes after I graduate. Planning on volunteering, doing observations at a dentist’s office, and taking up arts and crafts.
Should I do a post-bac program? Should I stay an extra semester to up my GPA? Or should I just graduate on time and take more classes? I also have 2-3Ws on my transcript.
How should I explain my low GPA? Started out high then lowered because of marching band from sophomore year on.
What should I do to up my chances of being accepted into an MD/DO school? Would it be wiser to take two years schooling and shadowing before applying to MD/DO schools?
A few thoughts–
- you are absolutely non-competitive for MD programs at this point. A 2.9 GPA will get you autoscreened out almost everywhere.
Since you’re close to graduating, it will take lots and lots and lots of As to move your GPA into the MD range (3.69 was the average for accepted students in 2014.) I don’t think doing an single additional semester of undergrad will be enough to raise your GPA. Use a GPA calculator to see how many As it will take to get you GPA above 3.5.
- Right now you not competitive for osteopathic schools either. GPA is too low. While DO programs tend to have lower average GPAs than MD programs, their average accepted GPA is close to 3.5. You’re not a non-traditional who is trying to overcome a bunch of crappy grades from 10 years ago; you’re a current undergrad, so the expectation is that your GPA will be closer to the average.
You should retake every course you got a F, D or C, then use DO’s grade replacement policy to your advantage.
It’s critical that every new grade, esp in the sciences, but at least a B. The higher the better.
And since you already have several Ws–no more Ws!
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You can do a structured post-bacc if you want to. There are some structured programs for students who need to retake undergrad science coursework. But these are not cheap. You can also do a do-it-yourself post-bacc, either full- or part-time as a non-matriclated student, at a college near wherever you live post-graduation. Only you know what your personal and financial situation is. Choose wisely and avoid excessive debt if you can. Med school is expensive.
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Don’t explain your GPA drop. Especially don’t explain why your GPA went down as your classes got harder. Several reasons: First, it looks like you’re making excuses (and that’s never acceptable). Second, it screams that you lack the most basic of time-management skills. (HINT: successful med school applicants are masters of doing lots of things at once. And doing them well. You need to have superb time-management skills if you want to survive med school.) Thirdly, it also suggests that you lack a core commitment to medicine. (If med school was an important goal for you, you would have dropped marching band as soon as you knew you couldn’t manage both band AND good grades.)
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Shadowing a dentist is absolutely pointless if you plan to apply to medical school. You need to shadow physicians–both allopathic and osteopathic. DO programs require a LOR from a physician; some specifically require a letter from an osteopathic physician.
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Besides physician shadowing, you need some altruistic volunteering. I strongly suggest you try volunteering at a nursing home, group home for the disabled, at a hospice or stand-alone health clinic for the medically underserved. Or with a suicide or sexual assault hotline. These are your future patients. You need exposure to them, their needs, foibles and experiences.
So going forward….
<pre><code>● retake every class where you earned a C, D or F
● no more Ws!!
● improve time-management skills
● shadow physicians, including at least one osteopathic physician
● altruistic volunteering at a clinical medicine site
</code></pre>
After you've raised you GPA above 3.3, then study for the MCAT and if your score is high enough, apply DO.
What is your major? If it is Bio, then there is not many alternatives.
Perhaps you should find a job and work for a while before attempt medical schools. I have heard that after 5 years, you will become non-traditional and if you take the med school required courses over again, they might use that gpa as admission standard.
The best SMPs (those with linkages) have minimum GPAs, typically around 3.0 or above.
Also–
A SMP should be a last resort, nuclear option. Why? Don’t do well in the SMP and any chance for med school is permanently gone.
It’s not clear based upon the OP’s grades and time management if s/he has the horsepower to be a top student at a SMP.
If the OP’s grades were on strong upward trajectory after a couple of early disastrous semesters and had all the necessary ECs in place, I’d say go for the SMP, but as things stand….not something I’d recommend.