I’m new to this site and am looking forward to interacting with all of the fine folks who are in my similar situation.
I graduated from college in May 2004 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and have been in the corporate world for over four years now.
To make a really long story short, I have decided to get my premed classes completed and then go to medical school (HOPEFULLY!). I was actually “premed” during my freshman year of college and took some premed classes: Bio I&II, Chem I&II, and Cal I&II.
I graduated with a cumulative 3.52 GPA, but my science/math GPA is only 3.2 - strictly due to me being immature and unwilling to study and go to class (that’s why I switched to Bus School). I made A’s in all my math classes, a B in Chem I, and C’s for both Bio classes and Chem II.
Here’s my question: How will my GPA be calculated for med school admission purposes once I retake Bio I&II and Chem I&II and then take the rest of my premed classes (physics and organic)?
I’m much older and wiser now, as I botched up Bio and Chem over eight years ago. I’m certain now that I will do better on my science classes…motivation, not ability, was my problem as an 18-yr-old college freshman. Given the time that’s passed, will my new grades take the place of the old ones…or will they simply be lumped together?
Based on my above novel, do I have a chance of resurrecting my GPA enough to get into med school?
Please hit me with some advice!
sorry but your old grades will average in with the new ones. You will not be able to present a 4.0, except for osteopathic schools which let you replace old grades. But you can bring your grades up and demonstrate maturity and renewed sense of purpose, and admissions people do take that into consideration. Best of luck!
Thanks for the advice, Terry. I was afraid that was the case.
Anybody, please feel free to share any advice about this process. I’m just getting started!
Don’t get discouraged! As many of the folks in this forum have eloquently pointed out-- admission depends on many factors in addition to your GPA. My first GPA was a 3.0. Years upon years later I took 44 prerequisite/science credits and earned a 3.9. While my combined GPA was still not great, I was able to gain admittance.
As Terry pointed out, you’ll need to prove that you’ve matured. I would think the admissions committees will look at what you’ve done over the past four years also-- have you demonstrated leadership during this time, or been involved in service to others? It will also be critical for you to develop great relationships with your professors and demonstrate to them your sense of committment to academics and to your goal of becoming a physician. They can be your best advocates. Then, of course, there’s always the MCAT! Well, one step at a time. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Your GPA is not that bad. Lower than the average for med school, but still not that bad. both your cum and science are above a 3.2, which is more than a lot of us can say. You have lots of different options - your GPA is high enough that you could get into a formal post-bacc program if you so choose, or you can go the do it yourself route. Do a search for post-baccs and you’ll come up with lots of discussions on the topic.
You may want to retake the bio and chem - not so much because the grades are so horrible, but because it’s been several years ago and you want to have a good grasp on those subjects before moving on to higher level classes and the MCAT. You will also want to take a few higher level science courses - biochem, physiology, microbiology, immunology - stuff like that. You definitely want to take biochemistry as many med schools are now listing it as a prerequisite and it can do nothing but help you in medical school.
Welcome to OPM and good luck!
I concur with Emergency! on re-taking your science courses. I started a year-and-a-half ago in a very similar situation to yours. I’ve devoted myself to becoming a med student, and now my GPA is better, my MCAT scores are worthy, and my transcript illustrates my maturity and devotion. If you want it, you can get there from where you are. My own advice would be this: Shift gears from the start. If you are pursuing medical school, do it 100%. Be a pre-med with business experience (not a businessperson with a med school dream). You mustn’t limp into the chase if you want to demonstrate sure-fire commitment.
- ViceroyPlain05 Said:
Welcome to OPM! Great first post - I especially liked the part in bold
And welcome Rtanner. The advice here is sound. I came from a significantly worse GPA; when I applied, my cumulative was *barely* above 3.0. My advice to you is not to worry about the numbers themselves, especially those you can't change. Your cumulative GPA isn't bad, but it will never be splendid. Don't sweat that part. Just kick ass in all you do from here on out.
Thanks so much for the words of wisdom! Once I quit my current business job, pre-med will be my full-time job at that point…grades, MCAT preparation, volunteer service, physician shadowing, etc. It’s “do-or-die” at that point, and failure is not an option.
If I make a 4.0 over 40 hrs, my GPA will be 3.63 (3.5 science), which still isn’t stellar. With that being the case (also assume a competitive MCAT - not over the top, but respectable), I will need to beef up my credentials elsewhere. My wife is in private banking and has a bunch of physician clients from all specialties. The plan is to tap into her network and talk to/shadow specialists of all types. Relatively speaking, what would be considered a respectable number of shadow hours?
Also, for volunteer work: What’s a respectable number of hours there? I would assume the number to be in the hundreds, and that’s fine…I’d just like to have a number to base my own work on. Would volunteer time spent at a hospice be considered just as good as time spent at an actual hospital? I think the whole purpose of volunteer work is to show that you care for people in general…so does it make a difference if they are in a hospital or hospice?
I know that there is more than one way to skin a cat, so mainly I’m just thinking out loud. But please give your thoughts. Much appreciated!
To be honest, I think the hardest part of me pursuing my medical degree will be the day I quit my job and the “security” it provides. Once that part’s completed, I have no other option but to succeed. Did you folks face similar feelings of fear once you decided to take the plunge?
Thanks again!
As far as taking the plunge and quitting my business job, I won’t be doing that until shortly before starting med school, but it sure is scary to think about.
Have you considered keeping your job while taking your pre-reqs? My husband and daughter were both full time students and I needed to support our family, so quitting my job was not an option. While it seemed like a negative at first, I honestly believe this helped me stand out from other applicants and erased any “bad taste” generated from my mediocre performance as an undergrad the first time around. My job afforded me the opportunity, not just to participate, but plan and lead service and charitable endeavors for my company. I also interacted directly with area physicians in setting up onsite medical care for our employees as well as managing worker’s comp, fitness for duty etc. stuff. Believe it or not, I never actually shadowed a physician or planned/counted volunteer hours. These activities came from the heart and I would have done them even if I wouldn’t have been trying to get into medical school. And all these opportunites came about through my job!
But think about how this looks to an admissions committee. You’ve proven your leadership and service skills in the “real world”. You’ve demonstrated that you excel in time managementas well as traditional academics. And you’ve proven your committment to this goal-- you’d be crazy to inflict all this upon yourself unless you were totally committed to becoming a physician.
Food for thought… 'cause there are many ways to skin a cat… 
Another thing: Once I get started on my prereqs (both the re-take courses and new courses), do I HAVE to re-take the science Lab courses I have already completed (both Bio’s and chem’s)? I made A’s in the labs.
If not, will I be at a disadvantage for Org Chem lab if I haven’t freshly taken the Gen Chem lab? Keep in mind it has been almost nine years since I’ve taken a science class, let alone a science lab.
Thanks again for all the advice! I’m thankful to have found you folks!
- RTANNER81 Said:
The point of volunteer work is to learn, and participate, and give of oneself. Students who volunteer purely for CV-building tend to get little out of the experience and the professionals they work with can usually see right through them.
When I started volunteering at a hospital, it was not to impress a future admissions committee but rather to learn whether this was an environment I would be happy in. As it turns out, I loved working with patients and found it a refreshing change from the tech jobs I had been doing for years. My enthusiasm was noticed by those I worked for and they treated me with respect and kindness (most of the time
).I would say, follow your heart, pick something that really interests you, and pour yourself into it. If a situation does not suit you, move on and find one that does. It doesn't have to be anything glamorous like assisting with surgeries. Bringing a patient a cup of coffee or a pillow and spending 5 minutes chatting with them can be the most rewarding thing in the world--and makes their experience of an otherwise grim situation that much more pleasant. You don't need to pick your volunteering jobs based on the medical experience it will give you; you'll get plenty of that later on. You might prefer to tutor math to disadvantaged inner city youth.
Best of luck,