Hello all,
I have a similar story to some other people who have a lower UG gpa; except I never actually finished my degree.
I have 119 credits (four classes shy of a BS in Information Technology). I’ve attended three schools – one state technical college more than ten years ago (gpa 2.5), state college (gpa 3.7) and now another state school (gpa 2.6). I’ve worked in the IT industry for around ten years as a systems engineer.
I’ve wanted to be a physician for as long as I can remember, but I put those dreams on hold to stay home and attend college in-state because I’ve been my mother’s primary caregiver since I was 17. Like many others here, my grades suffered during my younger years due to family obligations. That part of my journey is over now, and I’m looking at pursuing my dream.
I have not graduated with my BS. Yes, my gpa is low and my science gps is non-existant. Yep, that’s right…I have NO science credits. I took departmental test-outs in Physics, Biology, and Chem.
I don’t have any plans to rush this – I’m 28 and have lived these years of my life at a whirlwind pace. I would rather spend 3 years in UG courses, take my time, and come out with a Biology degree than rush off to a post bacc program that would accept someone with my gpa.
I know only I can figure out how to proceed, but does my preliminary plan make any sense? Change majors, nail my science courses (as I did for my test-outs), and go from there? Or am I doing something that would be frowned upon by admissions boards?
All the best to everyone,
Brigit
Coming from a similar background (with a ugrad GPA of 2.4! - I pretty much never went to class) I think it’s important to do what you feel most comfortable with.
There are some post-bacc programs out there for people who do not have a ugrad degree in science. I know in CA they are very competitive and often require a 4-yr degree AND a 3.0 in the “non-science” major. Click here! My advice would be to go ahead and complete the bio degree - or whatever major you end up selecting. This is for 2 reasons: 1) you would prob finish early, esp. if you’ve completed most of the GE reqs, and 2) you would take your time to really learn the content you’ll need for the MCAT. It will also help you learn your study habits and try to perfect them before medical school.
One thing I’ve learned from all of the wonderful people on this site - this race to becoming a doctor is a marathon, not a sprint! Good Luck!
Thank you for your reply!
I completely agree - this is definitely a marathon. I tried to sprint through school the first time around, as I was needed at home, and it had disastrous results.
I do have all of my humanities, psych, etc. courses finished, so transferring back to my original school and completing 90 or so credits in my science-of-choice major will take less time than moving out of state and finding a post-bac program.
Thanks for your insight and good luck on your own journey,
Brigit