Session 45

In today's episode, Ryan is joined once again by Rich as they take questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums. Listen is as they try to outline possible routes to take to get into medical school when your GPA is too low to get into a postbac program.

OldPreMeds Question of the Week:

The poster is a recent BS graduate from a school in California and medical school has always been in their eyes but graduating with a 2.86 GPA and feeling they have no chance; they took too many units out f worry that they wouldn't be able to graduate in four years; bad grades in Gen Chem and O Chem, getting D's and repeating those and still didn't do well (B in Gen Chem and C in O Chem). Their premed advisor at their school told them to give up their med school dreams. They're still volunteering and still want to go to medical school; haven't taken the MCAT yet and looking at taking a postbac but GPA qualifications are too high for what their GPA is.

What is a student supposed to do when you have a low GPA and you're looking for a postbac when they have minimum requirements for GPA?

Here are the insights from Ryan and Rich:

Many students see a GPA number and don't see anything past that.

Rich recommends either of these two paths:

1. Start within a formal postbac.

• Take classes as a non matriculating student at whatever school you can get to in order to get better coursework and prove your GPA.
• The prerequisites are not the same as a Special Masters Program (SMP)
• You may have to go through informal postbac, a formal postbac, and then SMP to get into an MD school - this is long and expensive path

1. Go to a DO school.

• The repeats can be done again and they will only count the last retake in your GPA for school.
• The schools will know you repeated it but the GPA they will consider for entrance will be that.
• Assuming you want to stay in California, they have a limited space for postbac and limited space for informal postbac. California is probably the most competitive state for medical school.
• DO school may just be a better path in terms of time, chances, and money.

Going to a Caribbean school:

This should be your very, very last resort. The quality of education is not the point but it's their way of taking students and the chances for residency in the US

Do not think about the Caribbean until you've gone through two complete cycles, both MD and DO, with a break in between for repair and enhancement. One of the most common mistakes is students reapplying too soon.

Major takeaway from this episode:

Go through an informal postbac, formal postbac. Don't take the MCAT until you've got your GPA up and ready. If you don't get in, try a Special Masters Program. Or just take the DO route directly. Consider other medical mid-level professions such as NP and PA as you would still be part of the team.

Links and Other Resources:

www.mededmedia.com