Hi everyone!
I am a post bacc, premed student planning to apply to medical schools this upcoming cycle which I am very excited about!
A major concern I have is my GPA and the automatic cutoff from medical school admissions.
My overall GPA is 3.54, but my science GPA only reaches to 3.28.
During my freshmen and sophomore year, I was heading towards teaching mathematics, meaning I didn’t know my heart would open up to a career in medicine, so I did not do so well on my gen chem and my first bio course. I just wish that I could turn back the clock and try harder for any of my classes only if I found out about my passion towards medicine earlier.
Luckily, I graduated with cum laude, BS degree is Applied Mathematics, Chemistry last year from relatively newer undergraduate university.
Along with that,
I have been a clinical volunteer at the same hospital for the past almost 3 years, exploring different departments,
worked as a microbiology lab assistant under a professor for about a year during undergrad (no paper published),
was an officer of a student organization on my campus during my junior and senior year,
shadowed a chief of surgery for two weeks and a pediatrician for a week over the summer I graduated from a university,
have been working side-job as a tutor of 4th-12th grade kids for 6 years now,
am CPR certified.
I am already in my gap year, so it would be great if I can avoid taking more time off to take post-bacc courses or get a master’s degree just to raise my GPA.
I’ve been hearing stories about automatic GPA cut-off, which might not even give me a chance to be even considered from medical school admissions. What really is the truth?
Thanks in advance for your feedbacks!
Your science GPA is too low. I don’t think you have a good chance. A lot will also depend on your MCAT scores. Doing a post bacc will help. What is your backup plan?
As far as backup plan is concerned…
Only if taking a post bacc and getting good grades can guarantee acquiring competence as a medical program applicant, then I am going to take those post bacc courses over the next year, and apply next year.
However, I feel uncertain to what degree post bacc program will help me on medical school admissions.
I do have a passion, but I don’t feel competent enough as an applicant.
Thank you!
According to the admission rate grid of GPA and MCAT score,
with my current GPA, I have an acceptance rate of about 35%.
It is a very low rate, but it still tells me that it’s not impossible to gain acceptance!
The chart also tells me that even if I take a post bacc program, my total GPA would still remain within the same range.
While applicants in your GPA range may have an overall admission rate of 35%, you need to have an MCAT score to make a more realistic assessment of your chances. But also note that your lower science GPA is also likely to adversely affect your chances, so you may want to consider your chances based on your science GPA (and your MCAT score after you take it).
Note also that you need to find some good pre-med advising to tell you which medical schools are realistic to apply to, since not all medical schools may be willing to admit an applicant in your GPA range (i.e. some medical schools may have cut-off GPAs higher than yours, but others may not). Your state residency can also affect the amount of space available in public medical schools that you are in-state for, since some states have much more space relative to the number of in-state applicants than others.
I see!
I am currently in CA and am hoping to stay in CA during medical program.
I’m going to have to talk to my undergrad premed advisor after my MCAT score is released on the 23rd.
If my GPA is improved after taking a post bacc program,
would it be realistic to have a shot at CA medical schools with my listed ECs?
(While taking a post bacc program, I am going to continue volunteering at a hospital and tutoring kids.)
Did you consider DO programs? Or Carribean schools?
DO NOT under any circumstance consider Carribean schools.
Your odds may be lower unless you’re URM - a 3.28 science GPA is going to really really hurt, and even if you’re URM it’d be very difficult to offset.
Unfortunately, considering the bloodbath that is medschool admissions in CA, I doubt you stand any chance there so you’d need to look elsewhere. Or, are you at UCR?
DO may be a possibility.
What about trying to become a NP? A PA?
Carribean schools are good in some cases. Esp those who are late bloomers and screwed up in college. Also good for students who don’t have to worry about student loans.
But in most cases a Carribean degree will saddle you with lots of debt and difficulty in getting good residency spots.
Have you thought about a PhD program instead of post bacc? Schools are admitting mature students. They like post baccs and PhDs
Unfortunately, California is a state with a relative shortage of medical school spaces compared to the number of in-state applicants, so admission will be more competitive and chances of admission will be lower.
Thank you for all your genuine, realistic feedback on my current situation!
I am not considering applying to any Caribbean schools, because I would like to study in the US, preferably in California nearby home.
I also had a short talk with my premedical advisor (I will meet up with her in person after my MCAT score will be released on the 23rd), who suggested that I don’t apply to medical schools this year with my science GPA.
I’m not sure how much this will help or to what degree this will increase my chance at California medical program acceptance, but I am considering taking a career-changer post-bacc program at UCI through extension to increase my science GPA. I also think that my current science GPA is not competitive enough for DO programs, but after succeeding a post-bacc program, I will consider it as an option.
I was hoping that I could apply for a masters program in public health or in epidemiology, but the deadline to apply seem to have passed a while ago.