Low undergrad GPA with high graduate GPA and high MCAT

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Hi everyone,

I am new here, so I apologize if this question has been asked before. Just for some quick background, I am a student who did not join the premed game until late (originally planned on being a teacher when I first entered undergrad). Long story short, I didn’t take school very seriously the first 5 or so semesters of undergrad, failed two chemistry classes, and really shot myself in the foot. I had a strong upward trend over the last 3 semesters of undergrad ( >3.6 cGPA and sGPA each semester), but still ended up graduating with a 3.15 cumulative GPA and about a 2.6 science GPA. To address that issue, I decided to enroll in a master’s program in physiology, which I am now close to completing with a 4.0. I have also just retaken the MCAT and improved from a 501 (two years ago) to a 516.

Essentially, my question boils down to this: how much is my poor undergrad GPA going to weigh me down? Between the upward trend at the end of undergrad, my 4.0 graduate GPA, and a 516 MCAT, I feel like I have done a decent job of demonstrating that I am academically up to par despite my low undergrad GPA. However, that undergrad GPA is hard to ignore, and since all of my prerequisites are tied to it, I’m not certain how to go about gauging my odds going forward. Any advice on how to navigate this scenario?

2

From what I can tell, you’ve already hit on the key points. Your upward trend is amazing, though I am curious how your physiology masters coursework compares to undergrad. Either way, I think that trend is what you should focus on with your GPA. It could be a good idea to reach out to schools to put your name out there and avoid the automatic discard pile, but I don’t actually know what that looks like. Either way, while some schools will let you know up front that they have an absolute minimum GPA around 3, most schools only give you their average GPA’s because there are always outliers.
Your MCAT is good. You also seem to have a sense of your own growth. Obviously, there will be more to telling your story in the PS and interviews than just what you’ve discussed above, but if you can articulate what was going on with your grades and explain why you’re equipped to be a killer student now, you’re good on that front.

3

Thank you for replying! I appreciate the information. I’ll definitely utilize the statement and interviews to explore that in depth a little bit more. Great advice!