Hello everyone. After a very rough semester this year,I was wondering if you all can please give me your honest opinion on my status as a viable applicant to med school. Here are my current stats:
I got As in all my pre-med prereqs, except for biology II and lab, where I got a B. I got a C in microbiolgy, Cell biology=A, Animal phys=A, Calculus=A ecology=B med. bacteriology=A, virology=A, immunology=A,human physio=A;not counting this semester’s classes.
I am really hung up on the B in biology I and lab,B in ecology and C in micro. Those were the first classes I took when I started doing my post bacc, and i was not adjusted to the rigors of the sciences yet. I was told that the C and the two Bs will have considerable effect on my chances, given I am already doing a post bacc, and my initial bacc gpa was not all that steller. What do you all think. I am really losing sleep over this as I have worked really hard since that initial slow start, and don’t want to potentially do all this for nothing.
- Joe_10 Said:
I got As in all my pre-med prereqs, except for biology II and lab, where I got a B. I got a C in microbiolgy, Cell biology=A, Animal phys=A, Calculus=A ecology=B med. bacteriology=A, virology=A, immunology=A,human physio=A;not counting this semester's classes.
I am really hung up on the B in biology I and lab,B in ecology and C in micro. Those were the first classes I took when I started doing my post bacc, and i was not adjusted to the rigors of the sciences yet. I was told that the C and the two Bs will have considerable effect on my chances, given I am already doing a post bacc, and my initial bacc gpa was not all that steller. What do you all think. I am really losing sleep over this as I have worked really hard since that initial slow start, and don't want to potentially do all this for nothing.
Joe, I think it depends on whether all those A's were before or after those 2 B's and 1 C, as well as your overall GPA. If you can show an upward trend in your post-bacc, I would think they'd chalk it up to getting used to school again. Also, if your overall GPA for your post-bacc is still pretty high such as 3.7 or above, I don't see why it would be cause for concern, although I have no experience with post-baccs myself so you may want to wait until some others on OPM weigh in with their opinions.
I’m a novice at this, but I wouldn’t think that one C changes everything. What’s your post-bacc GPA? From what you posted, it seems like you’re doing fine. Remember that AdComs are looking at the whole package, including your MCATs, to decide whether you’re a strong candidate or not. I would say don’t be discouraged, and focus on your current semester 
It’s not that you shouldn’t worry about that… it’s just that you shouldn’t lose sleep over things you can’t change. True, two Bs and a C aren’t stellar - but I can’t imagine that they’d sink your application. Continue to make yourself as competitive as you possibly can, and prove those naysayers wrong.
Definitely don’t lose sleep over what you can’t change. Do the best you can from here on out and concentrate on making the rest of your application as good as it can be (extracurriculars, shadowing). Devote time to doing well on the MCAT.
I’m also not sure who told you it would have a “considerable” effect on your chances, but if it was anybody but a med school admissions person, I would take it with a grain of salt. Even if it was a med school admissions person, keep in mind that statement may not be true for all med schools.
You’ve done very well in your upper level classes. Assuming you do well in the chemistries (and I would recommend taking biochemistry as well), I think you can make a strong case that those initial grades were not reflective of your abilities. A stellar MCAT will help that argument.
Good luck.
Don’t laugh…I had 4 F’s on my undergrad transcript…and those were graduate level courses that I took while screwing around figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up…I explained them in my application and made sure they didn’t happen again…I took my prereqs at a community college (A’s) and have an undergrad from DeVry Institute…I’m about to sit for the COMLEX I
Message: YOU CAN DO IT…you just have to be determined…don’t give up before you get there…Heck, call some admissions offices of schools you are interested in and ask them about it. If I must say so, TCOM and KCOM are great schools about working with people and advising them on their application.
Guys,
Thank you so much in responding to my rant.
Emergency, thanks for the response, it really made me feel a little better. If you were asking about my grades in chemistry, it has been by far my strongest subject. Chem I and II and lab, I got a very high A in all of them. Organic I nd II and lab were all also very high As. I really sure hope they will over look that C and two Bs.
OMTDave, thank you for the positive motivation,I really need that. Anyways, do you think your overall post-bacc gpa can mask those Bs and C if it is high enough to do so, as well as the 2.7 undergrad gpa? My undergrad gpa is why I am so hung up on my 2 Bs and a C in my post bacc.
Thanks again guys.
Joe -
You can’t change those Bs and Cs at this point. Instead of focusing your energy on worrying about that, you need to focus it on studying for the MCAT, any current classes, and otherwise making your application strong. If you haven’t already, start thinking about letters of recommendation - strong LORs will also help your cause.
If you have any medical schools close to you, see if you can make an appointment and talk to someone in admissions. See how they feel about your application package as it stands and if they can give you any input on what, if anything, you can do to make yourself more competitive.
I asked about the chemistry grades because you didn’t mention them in your original post. Those are great grades. Do well on the MCAT, and I have a feeling you’ll be fine.
Thanks,
I am going to take yours and OMTDave’s advice and see if I can schedule an appointment with some of the med schools in my city and see what the admisssions people have to say. That is actually a very good idea.
Joe -
Good luck with the appointments. Don’t be discouraged if some of them are very non-committal about your specific situation. Some offices are really honest and helpful, and others will just give you generic statements and not really say anything specific to your situation. And, one school may say “We don’t think you’d have much of a chance here” while another may say you’d definitely have a shot.
- Joe_10 Said:
Thank you so much in responding to my rant.
Emergency, thanks for the response, it really made me feel a little better. If you were asking about my grades in chemistry, it has been by far my strongest subject. Chem I and II and lab, I got a very high A in all of them. Organic I nd II and lab were all also very high As. I really sure hope they will over look that C and two Bs.
OMTDave, thank you for the positive motivation,I really need that. Anyways, do you think your overall post-bacc gpa can mask those Bs and C if it is high enough to do so, as well as the 2.7 undergrad gpa? My undergrad gpa is why I am so hung up on my 2 Bs and a C in my post bacc.
Thanks again guys.
Ok---here's what I know....
What they want to see out of non-trads is improvement....if you really tanked your undergrad but have shown steady improvement since you got serious about medical school....that's a plus.
If you show that you can work and handle the stress of lots and lots of hours....that's a plus....
I was working 2 (sometimes 3) jobs when taking my prereqs and made A's...how bad do you want it? My question to you is: Have you absolutely made up your mind that this is what you want to do and they're going to have to lock and bar the doors to keep you from getting accepted somewhere? If not, then quit now and find a job. I would have relocated to KCOM and pulled my family up from the only home they've ever known if I had to.....
What are you willing to do?
Now, having said that, there's a fundamental dysfunction in most pre-meds and non-trads especially....Zig Ziglar calls it 'The Loser's Limp'.....it's the cornerback who pulls up short with a hamstring pull after the TE as outrun him to the endzone.....it manifests when you're approaching something you're not sure you can do and is a built in excuse for failure? Now, only you can answer this, but is your undergrad your built in excuse for failure to get into medical school? Please don't take that wrong, but think about it.....
Also, don't over analyze the situation. As they say in the military...deal with the objective realities of the situation and get on with the war.....
Back to studying....
I am very serious about it. I quit my full time job, with health insurance and moved to a smaller apartment. My wife has sacrificed her way of life and put her personal goals aside, so I can get to my goals first. If anything, this accomplishment will mean very much to me and her. And if for no other reasons, I want this for her. Especially after what she has done and gone through for me.
Anyways, here is my update: I emailed several admissions offices, and gave them my undergrad gpa, and current post grad gpa and explained to them some of my lesser grades. I am very nervous about what they have to say about my chances.
- Joe_10 Said:
Anyways, here is my update: I emailed several admissions offices, and gave them my undergrad gpa, and current post grad gpa and explained to them some of my lesser grades. I am very nervous about what they have to say about my chances.
Cool. Just function checking....
I personally would have called and asked about arranging a visit for some admissions advising from a school or two I was really interested in....
For instance, I called and spoke with someone in the admissions office 'asking questions' about my application just to get my name going on in their heads. I think I must have called either every week or biweekly during the entire thing. By the time I sent in my secondary, I had an interview invite w/in two days of submitting it. They knew that I wanted to come in and my name got around.
Don't forget the state medical association--- you may want to call them for a list of 'doctors to shadow'...most of the people at the upper echelons of the state association know administrators of the medical schools and may be able to help out there.....
Personally, I’d be leery of biweekly contact with any admissions office. I’d just feel like I were imposing on them and perhaps bothering em. Perhaps that’s just me. shrug
Either way, Joe, you’re doing great by trying to get that information directly from the horses’ mouths! Good luck with it, and let us know how it goes.