what are my chances of getting into medical school?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

i study biochemistry and molecular biology. During my freshman year, i got c in calculus, and c in biology and b- in chem 2, then i took organic during my sophomore year i got A and A-.
Now during my first semester of my junior year i got a c in biochemistry and a c+ in cell biology. I was taking 17 hours of science classes, leadership positions, work and volunteering at the free clinic. it was a very hard semester for me. Now i am taking biochem 2. i think i can get an A.
I am worry about my options, biochemistry is an important class for medical school and it is my major. Should i retake biochemistry and cell biology???
(i already retook calculus I and i got and A and i also took calculus II and i also got an A)
what should I do? does retaking classes look bad on medical school application?

2

MD schools do not allow “grade replacement”. The old grades are included with the new grades in the calculation. When you retake and get an B or an A, that’s not all that impressive because you’ve taken the class before.

I’ll be honest with you…your chances of getting into a MD med school are quite slim.

However, DO schools do allow for grade replacement, so if you retake and do well, then apply to DO schools.

3

Even do schools now a day need a Gpa of around 3.4 to get in as a traditional student. Don’t be fooled with published “average” Gpa.

4

i am not sure if i will be consider a traditional student. I had some medical conditions after my first semester of my junior year, I left college for one year. I return to school this semester. I am doing a lot better at school. I was not pre-med before, but after spending months in a hospital i am considering this career path. What do you suggest? I was considering an SMP or a master program after my undergrad ???

5

You have 2 choices:

  1. Use DO grade replacement policy to improve your GPA by retaking every course that you had C/D/F grades in.

  2. If you can get your GPA/sGPA above 3.0 and get a decent MCAT (say ~27 or higher), you can try a SMP. A SMP should only be considered if you fully understand the risks. A SMP is kind of Hail Mary-last chance thing. If don’t do very well in your SMP (think top 10-25% with a GPA >3.75)–it game over forever. You blew your chance.

Given your poor performance in biochem & cell bio this year, I think a SMP would be a very high risk proposition for you.


You would be considered a traditional student if you plan apply directly after undergrad or within 1-2 years of graduation. A true non-trad is older (28+) and is switching careers after being out of college for several years.
6

DO fix up your GPA to demonstrate your fitness; however, [US schools’] admissions won’t forgive past mistake. You COULD do international schools for medicine, if insisted and persisted. There are wills, they are ways. PERIOD!

7

Your second chance is to attend grad schools to ‘erase’ undergrad GPA

8

^^
going to grad school does not erase your undergrad gpa.

9

OP
You are weak in Biology, so my suggestion is that unless situation changes, do not try med school. Md schools are mostly Bio related subjects, if you are weak in that, med schools can see that and even you got in, you will have difficulty to follow the classes. Try some thing in the Chemistry field.

After you are in the society working for few years, if you still feel strongly in medicine, you can make up your grades then and return as an non-traditional.