8 years ago, horrible gpa, help!

I’ve been working in medical and dental distribution sales for the past few years in physician offices (McKesson and Henry Schein) and realize that I really should have become a gp. I recently did my amcas gpa and I have an atrocious 1.58 (b.sci. in chemistry). I worked my way through school and it wasnt a priority at the time.


I want in the med schools and have a good story, but I need to prove that I’m mentally capable to handle the coursework. What do you suggest?


graduated 2004, last class in december 2003.

Do it Billy Madison style - start at kindergarten and work your way up!


Ok, maybe that much isn’t necessary ;). As you probably surmised, you’ll need to prove your intelligence. You’ll likely want to do a post-bacc (either formal or informal; you can search the forums here to see some discussion on the topic). You may need to complete an entire new bachelor’s degree (as OMD did), though perhaps less than that would be sufficient.


Before all that, though, you’ll want to really delve into the question of whether this is the right path for you, and how much you are motivated for it. What makes you so interested in medicine?


And welcome to OPM, keen!

  • pi1304 Said:
What makes you so interested in medicine?



I love biochemistry and looking at things from the chemical level, plus I'm social and I like people. I like to solve problems, and really can read a person from all my years of sales.

I just think now, that after all these years, and all these years of working with doctors, that I have a better story and my reasoning for going into medicine has changed. I've seen from being a distributor rep that adorable friendship that these docs have with their patients. I want to have that.

welcome to OPM, you are among kindred spirits here.


From the information that you have given you have to realize that you have a long and hard road ahead of you. The first thing you need to do is to take ownership of you undergraduate GPA. It is a part of who you are and part of the past and there is nothing you can do about it.


what you should do is really look at medicine from the doctor’s point of view. It is important that you spend some time shadowing a doctor and seeing what it is like with the patients rather than seeing them from the outside while you were there for some other purpose. After seeing what medicine is really like (dealing with insurance companies, non compliant patients, and the boo boos that you will encounter) then decide if medicine is for you.


Your next step should be to take a look at your undergraduate transcript and see where you faltered. Considering your GPA, I am not sure that a Post Bacc will be enough. You need to be able to show the admissions people that not only are you a different person now than you were when you were an undergraduate but that you can handle the work that you are given and will be able to complete the program should you be admitted.


As for Dave, he had to go back to school because he had to leave it. Read his diary for the whole story it is not only fascinating but it is also inspirational.


Remember, this is a marathon and not a sprint. You need to take things one step at a time. Any questions that you have do not hesitate to ask. Someone will have “been there done that” and can help you.



well I faltered exclusively because I didnt understand calculus properly… my o chem classes, my physics one and bio 1+2 all were ok (3.0) but all classes that depend on calc killed me. My uni gpa was 2.20, amcas gpa is different.


what do you suggest? a 2 year program? shadowing is important, but grades I’m sure are critical…