Greeting everyone, I hope you are doing well and wishes you well for your pre med journey. I have a difficult question to ask and I was wondering if someone can help me out.
So I graduate college with a 2.25 cGPA, 1.76 sGPA. This is accumulation of both university and community college of 10 years together. I stayed way too long and failed way too often at community college. I was immature, was directionless, and was depressed throughout my 20’s. I came back to do a DIY Post Bacc with a clear, clean conscience 2 years later and I was motivated to do very well. After taking 90 quarter units, I was able to sustain a 4.0 GPA after 4 years of taking both lower and division science and math courses. I have already fulfilled the prerequisite for medical school, took some upper division biology, and many more and was able to do very well. I have research experience with a PI I work with, have 900 volunteer clinical hours, work as an ER Tech at a hospital, and have experience working in administrative of healthcare. I have complete my shadow with a physician and even get a letter of recommendation from them. I took the MCAT and was able to score a 514 last year.
After calculating with Post Bacc, I could only get up to 2.51 cGPA, 2.24 sGPA. That was very depressing. Doing further calculation, I would need to sustain additional 330 semester units to get into 3.0 GPA of both categories which would take another 4-5 years. I thought about applying at SMP and talked to couple schools, but they said they’re afraid that the computer will screen me out and wouldn’t took my upward trend for consideration.
I feel this is so hopeless sometimes because that stupid GPA hindering my passion to be a physician. What else can I do from here?
Following. 42 yr old stay at home mom…Graduated in ‘99 with a BBA in International Business with a 2.27cGPA no science courses except the required Biology courses.
My suggestion would be to get in touch with some of the admissions offices of the school(s) that you may be interested in. Give them your story and ask for some advice on how to proceed, or how they might evaluate your application.
Some schools will look at your more recent coursework independently. For example, my school has a published “32 hour policy” in which they will look at your most recent 32 hours of post-bach coursework and substitute those numbers for your GPA. Other schools may have similar policies, but you may have to seek them out.
Other than that, SMPs may be a good option to help show that you can handle the academic rigor of med school and can help to get your foot in the door at schools as well.
is LSU the only school that does this?
I would be heartened to hear of any other schools also doing this…
I believe Wayne State does that. They have a “20 hour policy”. They also have a strong IS bias.
http://admissions.med.wayne.edu/faqs.php
See “How can someone strengthen their GPA?”
I answer this question on the next OldPreMeds podcast 