Wednesday, January 11, 2017

A Post for the Pre-Meds: Low GPA? Low MCAT? There’s Still Hope!


A couple of people recently contacted me freaking out about the new AACOM Repeat Policy Coursework change that was recently announced, and it prompted me to write this post. I’ve always been transparent about the fact that I had extremely low undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores when applying to medical school, but outside of the MCAT, I never actually revealed how low my actual GPA was. I think now would probably be a good time to reveal those scores and explain why I think this new policy change is something that really shouldn’t be stressed about in the grand scheme of everything, especially when it comes to applying to osteopathic medical schools.

My AACOM GPA
My AAMC GPA

I graduated from my undergraduate institution with a 2.2 GPA and over 150 hours. No amount of retakes was going to raise my GPA above the 3-point-whatever GPA that everyone thinks you absolutely need to have when applying to medical school. Additionally, my school had a rule that you could not retake a course that you received a C or higher in, and the main reason for my low GPA was the fact that I made a lot of C’s in my courses. It was an absolute requirement to retake any course with a grade of a D or lower, and I will admit that I did have a few retakes in there. Additionally, I entered into college with a low GPA to start because I attended a full-time joint enrollment honors program at a university during my senior year of high school, didn’t take it seriously, and later found out that any and all college coursework would be included in my application. As you can see above, I barely scored above a 2.5 on my AACOMAS application with the retakes included, and my AMCAS GPA was absolutely abysmal! My graduate GPA was a huge saving grace for me (my GPA was higher when I graduated, but at the point of my application it was as listed), but even with that included, my AACOMAS GPA only went as high as a 2.7.

With that being said, I was still able to gain an acceptance into medical school, so it just goes to show that some schools really do more than just screen based on numbers. There are both MD and DO schools that will look at the last 30 or so hours of your coursework and only focus on that as your cumulative GPA which will still give an advantage to students taking post-bacc or graduate coursework. If you have been retaking courses and were counting on the DO grade replacement policy to help you get an acceptance, I wouldn’t give up hope. As stated on the AACOM website: “Osteopathic medical schools may continue recalculating and weighing applicant GPAs per their established admissions practices. The scope of this policy change is limited to the AACOMAS verified GPA calculation.” To me, this pretty much means schools will continue to look at applications in the same way as before, although now they might have to make a few adjustments. Just focus on continuing to improve both your GPA and overall application, and everything will work out the way it should in the end. Also, if you are applying to DO schools, keep in mind that the majority of them tend to focus on the entire applicant and not just the stats, which is a major reason why I applied. If every other part of your application is stellar, but your GPA and MCAT scores are lacking, just be able to explain it and prove that you would be able to excel in medical school despite your shortcomings.

My MCAT Scores


Speaking of the MCAT, this post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t throw that in here as well. I know there is a new MCAT with a completely different scoring system than there was when I took it, but as you can see (and also as I previously mentioned HERE) my scores were even low with that! I was seriously a true underdog when it came to applying to medical school, but my passion wouldn’t let that stop me from pursuing my dreams.

To those of you applying to medical school, I think it is extremely important to avoid the negativity and continue to push hard and work towards achieving your dreams. I remember reading posts on SDN that said someone with my stats (and especially a single mother) would never make it through the first year of medical school or pass their board exams, and now I am sitting here as a third year medical student who not only made it through my first two years without any major issues, but managed to pass the first part of both my MD and DO board exams, and to date, I have not received less than an honors evaluation (with some final grades as high passes after the shelf exams LOL) on any of my clinical rotations. I say this not to brag, but to be a source of encouragement and inspiration for those of you who have the dream of becoming a physician, but do not think it’s possible. I still have another year and a half to go, along with more upcoming board exams (please pray for me!), but even I have the faith that if I continue to do my best, keep the faith, and push through, everything will fall into place as it should. I’ll end here, but I truly hope this post helped motivate, inspire, and put some of you at ease.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dream and live the life you've imagined" - Henry David Thoreau



50 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this post. You inspire me so much! It is because of you I know becoming a DO is a very real and a very possible dream. I, too, really want to be a surgeon, so this answers a lot of questions I have had during the premedical process. Keep doing what you're doing Dr. Ward. Stay blessed. :)

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    1. Soooo happy I could help inspire you! Yes, your dream is very possible and I wish you all the best and nothing but success on your journey :-)

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  2. Loved this post so much! Thanks for your openness, it is truly inspiring and goes to show that if oh have true passion for your dream, you can accomplish it! I'm sure you'll be an amazing doctor and I hope I have as much success as you!

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    1. Awww, thank you! With passion and dedication you can accomplish just about anything :-) Best wishes to you!

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  3. Contrary to popular belief, med school admissions aren't evil gatekeepers bent on destroying people's dreams. There's a reason people with your academic record are normally kept out. It's to protect you. Odds are you're likely to just waste 2 years of your life now and wind up 100k in debt before you eventually fail boards and have nothing to show for it.

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    1. Looks like you missed the part about me being a third year medical student who already passed the first part of both MD and DO board exams. Reading is fundamental

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    2. @3:52, the ONLY thing worse than a dumbass is a dumbass that can't read!

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    3. Don't you find it interesting that people like this person are always anonymous? Success will be the best revenge.

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    4. Exactly! Pay no attention to the negative people of the world. I just use it as a fuel for my success ;-)

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  4. I have a 3.4 no retakes and I was nervous that I can't get in my top school which is a D.O school. I haven't took the MCAT yet but I'm beyond scared. I also am undecided about doing a post back to boost it vs getting a master's.

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    1. Your 3.4 is way higher than my below 3.0 gpa, so hopefully this gave you hope to keep pushing. Feel free to check out this post to help you decide between a postbacc or masters: http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2014/07/post-bacc-smp-or-another-degree-whats.html?m=1

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  5. Thank you for sharing your story, you give me a lot of hope and inspiration to keep striving to be a doc, even though my first semester in college I only gained a 2.4 in which I tried my hardest, but this semester i'm shooting upward. :)

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  6. Thank you for being so real and authentic!

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  7. Thank you for posting this and being so transparent with your stats. Reading this post was exactly what I needed right now because it's been hard to stay encouraged. I randomly came across this post, and I thank God I did! Xo

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    1. Glad you found me :-) Please stay encouraged and don't give up hope!

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  8. Is the GR your graduate degree and did they average the UG and graduate degree together?
    I am not native to the US, so I am trying to understand the GPA portion.
    Thank you.

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  9. wow you are truly inspiring. This is the second time I will be applying to med school. I have a year in between applications where I have taken a few undergrad classes needed to gain admissions into a 1yr biomedical engineering masters program. I will be retaking the mcat next friday after obtaining a 499 a few years back. my ugpa is only a 3.0 so hopefully now with my 3.7 grad gpa and me graduating with a masters in December I will get some love from medical schools. Thank you so much for sharing your story, just by reading your story you increase my hope after I crush it completely some days. God bless you and congratulations on how far you've come.

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    1. Sorry for the super delayed response, and I hope the MCAT went well for you! Wishing you all the best on your journey!

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  10. Hello,
    You mentioned that there are some schools that focus on the last 30 hours or so...
    I have searched and simply cannot find a reliable source for a list of these schools.
    Do you happen to know which schools do this? Or do you at least know of a couple?
    Thank you so much and I wish you well for 4th year! :-)

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    1. You can find out the information by contacting schools directly. The one I know for sure is LSU-NO, but they do not take out of state applicants. Also, I believe Wayne State had something similar.

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  11. You are such a blessing! We are in similar boats. I didn't take undegrad seriously and I am paying the price. I just got admitted to a masters program and plan to kick butts in the next two years. I am trusting in my hardwork and also in God. Thank you for inspiring! Your blog is my new favourite place to hang out.

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    1. Thank you for reading, and best of luck to you in your masters program!

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  12. Hello I am so grateful that you decided to post your story! I am a 34 year old single mother of four and I am in my final year of ug I have not yet taken the mcat or applied to medical school because I am completely stuck in fear that my cumulative gpa of 3.3 and sci-gpa 3.11 are not going to cut it. I am senior undergrad MCB (molecular and cellular biology) major and have completed all of the courses I need for my major except for physics and calculus I waited until the last minute to take these courses because I absolutely suck at math and have lived in perpetual fear of taking these courses and destroying what little gpa I have left. I plan on taking next year to try and engage in some sort of research experience to enrich my overall application but I have always worked full time so a lot of the extracurriculars that really make an application shine I have not been able to participate in. I know that my life story is compelling and my struggles are compelling but I am worried it is not enough. I would appreciate any advice you would like to throw my way. Also congratulations on your success and I will definitly pray for you and agree with you in prayer that your journey is already complete and declare that you have already been successful and just need to walk right into your blessing. God Bless You DOCTOR!

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    1. Thanks for the message! Please don't let fear stop you from pursuing your dreams! The road isn't easy, but anything is possible with hard work, persistence, and determination. Wishing you all the best!

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  13. Your words are truly inspiring. Lately I've been wondering if I should move on to a new dream because so far it has seemed so impossible to get into medical school. I got into a school in Australia in 2015 but my pregnancy made it impossible for me to stay as the insurance I had purchased would not cover any expenses relating to pregnancy and by the time I left I had lost over 20 pounds and was suffering from severe malnutrition and dehydration (from the extreme morning sickness). I've been looking to retake the MCAT and find any way to raise my undergrad GPA which took a hit after I'd been sexually assaulted by a family member. Reading this post makes me feel like there really is hope. Thank you for sharing your experience.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your story, and I am so happy I could help give you a little hope. Please keep pushing for your dreams. I wish you all the best and thank you for reading!

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  14. This is such an inspiring story! May I ask which schools you applied to and got interviews for?

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    1. Thank you! I applied to around 26 schools both MD and DO the final time around, but my only interview and acceptance was GA-PCOM where I am happy to be in my fourth and final year today :-) All it takes is one!

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  15. I am graduating in the spring of 2018. I have really struggled throughout my undergraduate education because of the family situations I had to carry. With that being said I current have a gpa of 2.3 and have one more semester to go. I want to do a SMP program to help with my gpa, but I am very scared that I won't get accepted with my stats. I also cannot decide if I want to take the MCAT in the summer or the GRE to get into a graduate program because I do not want to fail the first time I take the MCAT. Any advice? Your story really gave me hope.

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    1. Congratulations on your graduation! I guess the best advice would be to prepare your best for both exams. I didn't have to take the GRE to get into my program, so you could also look into programs that don't require it. Hope this helps, and I wish you the best on your journey!

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  16. Hi,
    I am somewhat close to your place and I think SDN has to be one of the scariest and most pessimistic places for me to visit. I have been working my butt off (I just graduated undergrad in December - 2 quarters early and am applying this June), so it's really nice to hear that it does pay. I wish you the very best and appreciate the light you brought with your post.

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    1. Thank you so much, and congratulations on your graduation! Wishing you good luck as you begin to apply.

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  17. Hi! First I would really like to thank you for this post and giving everyone so much encouragement. I just had a question that I would like your feedback on--
    I currently have a 3.4 GPA and a 496 on the MCAT. I really want to apply to GA-PCOM, and I was wondering what you think my chances are?

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    1. GA-PCOM looks at the entire applicant so I couldn't tell you what your chances are based on numbers. My best advice is to make sure the rest of your application is strong, and retake the MCAT if you feel it will help (sorry, I don't have much knowledge on what's a good score these days since I took the old MCAT)

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  18. Just wanted to say how grateful I am to have read your post.
    Do you feel that your internal faith in your purpose in this life, helped you to overcome the negativity of the naysayers?
    A feel that a strong enough faith in oneself can move mountains, and it's so very inspiring to read your work.
    Thank you so much for your positivity and reassurance

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    1. Thank you for reading. And absolutely, my faith has been everything in this journey and a major reason why I was able to make it through!

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  19. Thank you so much for your inspiring post. I was in a dark place for a while and thought I wasn't good enough for medicine due to some of my bad semesters. Reading your post inspires me that just because I had a bad past doesn't mean I should give up my dream in being a doctor and work as hard as I can from here on out to make that dream a possibility. I hope one day I can get into medical school so I can share my dream and inspire others just as you have inspired me.

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    1. Thank you so much for reading, and I'm happy I could help inspire you. This road can get hard, but there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. Wishing you all the best!

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  20. You are such an inspiration! I needed this so much!
    I just graduated undergrad with a 2.3 and will do a post-bac in the fall to somewhat repair my GPA. Then I will probably need to do a SMP to further boost my application.
    With that being said what other things could I do to help? Did you do any other health-care related work as you were doing academic repair?
    Thanks!

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    1. Happy I could inspire you! I actually volunteered in a hospital for a year prior to medical school. Feel free to check out the posts under my "applying to medical school" tab to learn more about what I did to boost my application.

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  21. Congrats.

    How many years did it take you to get acceptance when you first started applying?

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    1. Thanks. I applied 3 different application cycles over a span of 5 years. Feel free to check out my "applying to medical school" section where I have posts detailing my experiences.

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  22. I am so glad I came across your post today. I really was ready to give up on my dream of becoming a physician. My undergraduate gpa is a 2.3. In my undergraduate career, I failed and made Ds in a few courses including some sciences due to depression. I retaking a few of the sciences I did poorly in, but it will only bring me up to a 2.5. I plan on applying to a SMP, but I fear I won’t be accepted due to my very low gpa. Anyways, you have given me the little hope I needed to not throw in the towel.

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    1. Glad you came across my post, and happy I could give you some hope! Please keep pushing! The road won't be easy, but there definitely is a light at the end of the tunnel.

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  23. What medical school did you end up attending?

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    1. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia Campus (I'm a proud graduate of the Class of 2018!)

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