What are my chances?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hi, I am new to these forums. I found this forum during a google search about Medical school advice and I love it. I read the stickies and would like to get people's opinions about my situation.</p>

<p>I am currently a sophomore in Virginia Tech majoring in Biological Systems Engineering. I have a fairly low GPA (2.1) ranked 14/18 in the program, which is my primary concern. I have AP Credit for Chemistry, but I still took the first semester Chemistry with Lab and Received a grade of B. I am planning to take two semesters of biology over the summer and my goal is to receive at least a B+ or preferably A- both semesters.</p>

<p>I would like to know what people think my chances of getting into a decent (not going for an John Hopkins or anything, but fairly decent, such as UVA or VCU) medical school. I am fairly confident I can score well in MCATS (I am shooting for a 28+). I am involved in a fair number of extracurricular activies, although none of them are medicine based (Fraternity, engineering programs, summer volunteering, ASABE, which is the most prestigious association for biological systems students/professionals). I am thinking about throwing in some medicine based extracurriculars such as VTRescue (basically EMT) and volunteering in hospitals over the summer. My goal for GPA is a 2.7 at the end of my junior year.</p>

<p>Another huge concern for me that requires its own paragraph is physics. My physics grades are C+/D for 1st/2nd semesters respectively. The problem is the physics department assigns their worst professors to the classes that engineering students are required to take, the class average grade never exceeds D. How can I address this problem?</p>

<p>Any comments/suggestions appreciated and thank you for your time.</p>

2

<p>You’re going to have to retake the class you made a D in - med schools don’t accept anything less than a C for a pre-req course. </p>

<p>And to be perfectly honest, even with a huge upward trend a 2.7 is going to basically keep you out of all US Allopathic schools. Many of them have automatic cutoffs for GPA where they simply won’t look at your application if you are below their cutoff (which is usually 3.0).</p>

<p>Your best bet is to buckle down and start making As in your classes, retake classes you did poorly in (i.e. Cs) and rock them (maybe during the summer), do well on the MCAT, and apply broadly to DO schools (which will use your most recent grades for the retakes rather than averaging them). You may have to end up doing an extra year of undergrad work to repair your GPA, or you could consider a postbacc program or SMP (but these typically require at least a 2.75 or 3.0 as well).</p>

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<p>The class average never exceeds a D? More kids fail than get C’s? Two students fail for every B handed out? This is not credible.</p>

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<p>that is what was given to us. They said the class overall GPA this year was around 1.7, which is D range.</p>

5

<p>At a school like Virginia Tech? I doubt that.</p>

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<p>If true, I’d say you need to hug your classmates real hard when you leave for the summer because half of them won’t be back. No program can survive that.</p>

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<p>First of all, a 1.7 is a C-. Second, I still don’t think that’s credible.</p>

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<p>Well, I think that is why engineering department requires a C in all courses except for physics, in which they let you get away with anything but an F.</p>

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<p>I wasn’t suggesting that the school would not gladly continue to take their tuition money. (I don’t know the policies of the school.) I was suggesting they (the student and/or “payor of the bills” ;)) would consider continued attendance untenable and seek out greener, or at least less brown, pastures.</p>

10

<p>No chance for VCU or UVA. No chance for any US allopathic med school.</p>

<p>With a GPA in the low 2’s, I don’t even think you have much of a chance for osteopathic med schools or even high end Carribbean schools.</p>

11

<p>OP, are you the same poster who posted this? Or has someone sniped your login?

The mind boggles.</p>

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<p>Yes, I am the same posted obviously. I wrote that because lately I have been having an upward trend and I realized I was having too much fun the last 2 years, and not organizing my time properly. I failed once but corrected myself, and tried to pass that on. Just because i had trouble getting into a rhythm does not mean I don’t have any advice to offer others.</p>

13

<p>korayt. If (any) med school remains your goal drastic, maybe surgical action is required. You cannot afford another semester of below exceptional grades.</p>

<p>( If anyone else is in this position earlier than this poster, recognize it and take immediate corrective action. Do NOT wait until you have over 60 hours of UG credit dragging you down. He is 5 1/2 feet down a 6 foot hole. ) </p>

<p>OP, transfer out of engineering or out of VT or hunker down like few have hunkered down before. Good luck. You have a hard row to hoe. I wish you luck.</p>

<p>edit: You will have to do all/most of these same things to get into a good post-bacc program, too. But you do stand a better chance.</p>