Before I begin, I do have backups for my career. I just want an honest opinion because my college life started off really rocky and it would be a bummer to not get in due to situations out of my control.
So I’m a double major (English and Biology) and pre-med. I am planning on taking the MCAT next march and if all goes well I will be graduating Fall 2020 (maybe with English honors not sure yet). My GPA, however, is so below par I don’t even think my application will make it to the admissions table. By the time I graduate it will be a 3.0 (hopefully). My first major was Biology and it really brought my GPA down. I started college with a lot of personal problems (deaths) and that coupled with medical problems made my freshman and sophomore year hell. My GPA is on an upward trend but only because I decided to pursue English in junior year and now I’m currently nominated by my professors for the Honors Program. I worked for 3 years as a medical assistant for a GI practice and have volunteered abroad (Honduras) to help improve public health in local Latin American communities. I am active in 4 clubs in my school and I am also doing research with a doctor near my university. My current job is an SAT tutor (for about 6 months now). With these stats and strong recommendations (and hopefully a miracle on the MCATS), how likely is it for medical schools to overlook my GPA? I’m talking DO schools too. I would appreciate any feedback really I’m just wondering should I just apply next year. if anything I’ll just do a masters if I get rejected then reapply. Thank you in advance!
My science GPA is definitely not 3.0. I don’t know exactly what it is but not 3. I completed my bio major and pre-reqs in just under 3 years (the time when I was going through health stuff) so I really don’t have any more required science courses to take. I was thinking about taking some anyway so med schools can see I really did improve, but if I get accepted to the Honors Program then I won’t have time. I wish I can retake all my pre- reqs but unfortunately, I’m already graduating a year late because of English. Based on the pre-reqs though I would say I’m a B/ B- student. I was hoping I could pull a 515+ on the MCAT but even if I score high I don’t think they can forgive my grades.
A below 3.0 sGPA is lethal for med school admission (both MD and DO) no matter what MCAT score you get.
Retaking pre-reqs–unless you earned a C- or lower–is a poor idea. Earning an A in a re-take won’t impress anyone. It’s expected that you will get an A in a retake. Adcomms would strongly prefer to see a student take upper level science coursework and ace those classes.
Given your low current sGPA, you will need ~30 additional credits of upper level bio & chem coursework with all As in all of those classes to be a competitive candidate for med school admission.
Since you asked for “honest opinion”, a sub-3.0 GPA will not get pass any DO or MD application screening (i.e., automatic deny by software).
Based on your posting history, you asked about post-bacc back in April so you did have some idea how bad your situation is.
With that said, if you’re still very committed to med school journey, your path will be a long & hard one. You will need more science classes with A to raise your sGPA; or you can go for SMP (special master program, not post-bacc); or work couple years in medical-related field (you were MA) then SMP.
Look for SMPs with linkage. But your sub-3.0 GPA may not even qualify you for the good SMPs…that’s how bad your situation is.
But there is always a chance if you keep on it. Go to SDN site and read up on those non-traditional success stories and get some inspiration and encouragement.
It’s not a total loss, but medical school right now isn’t going to happen. I think you might need to take a good year of graduate school, then apply again. If you can get top grades, your chances should increase significantly.
If you are proficient in Spanish to the extend at a graduate level you may have a chance at one of the Porto Rico medical schools. They have a local bias but you can try anyway. Make sure you have an above average Mcat, nevertheless.
To expand on @coolguy 's answer-- only enroll in grad SCIENCE classes if you’re planning to apply only to DO schools. MD schools do not include graduate classes when computing GPAs for admission; DO schools do. (MD schools, however, will “consider” SMP grades even though they’re not included in GPA calculations)
RE: Puerto Rican schools. You need to proficient in Spanish (both written and oral) for admission consideration. (Some classes and most of your clinical training will be conducted in Spanish. Textbooks used may be written in Spanish.) UPR (best of the PR schools) only admits those who are current PR residents. SJB & Ponce strongly favor those who are of PR heritage living on the mainland. However, even for those schools, your sGPA is well below their accepted medians.
I suggest that you step away from any ideas of med school right now, finish your English degree & continue your work as a MA . In a few years, when you are financially stable and in good place mentally/emotionally, if you still want med school, try taking 1 or 2 upper level science (bio & chem) classes at your nearest 4 year college to see if you can perform at the high level needed to be a successful pre-med. If you earn the As you need, continue taking classes until you have raised your sGPA above 3.0, then enroll in a SMP. It will be a long road, but probably your only viable path.
NOTE–there is almost no financial aid for for post-baccs and SMPs. Full time students enrolled in a degree-granting program may be eligible for UNsubsidized federal student loans. You will need a cash reserve if you plan to take this route.