This method is a bit circuitous, but it does work. GPA bump followed by a post-baccalaureate.If you are still determined to be a physician, there’s one more route: Use the AAMC post-baccalaureate and master’s database to find programs that will help you boost your academic qualifications for medical school.īut what if you don’t have the GPA to get into a post-baccalaureate program? Some programs, like Drexel’s IHS program, accept applicants with GPAs below 3.0, but many are more competitive. in Biomedical Sciences, Drexel’s Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (IHS) and Pathway to Medical School programs. Some programs even cater to the lower end of the GPA/MCAT spectrum, such as East Virginia Medical School M.S. Programs like GeorgeSquared, JHU’s Health Science Intensive and Georgetown’s Special Master’s in Physiology immerse students in a rigorous science-based curriculum similar to what they will experience in medical school often, they are even taking classes or being graded alongside first-year med students. Success in these programs, which are usually one or two years long, can show the admissions committee that you’re ready for medical training, which means that once you’re accepted into a SMP, the odds are very good you’ll eventually get into medical school. Prove your potential in a post-baccalaureate or special master’s program (SMP).Or you might not have the minimum GPA required for admittance in the first place. Master’s programs aren’t right for everybody – you might not want to commit to a multi-year program, or you might not be confident about your academic performance. Keep in mind though that you need to excel in your coursework and that you will have to finish the entire program making below-average grades or dropping out before the program ends will do more harm than good when you reapply to med school. It can be especially useful if you don’t have a research background already. This is another good route for would-be reapplicants because it provides opportunities for more independent, self-directed research and demonstrates scientific acumen. Improve your GPA with a science-based master’s program.An attractive option is to see if your own alma mater will allow you to take additional courses often this can be done at a reduced cost. The quality of the institution offering the courses is also important – community college won’t cut it. If you have any doubt about your ability to get an A, then this is probably not the best path for you. Retaking science classes can show you’ve mastered the material, but a better strategy is to take advanced classes and do well. This is a popular route, especially for applicants who did well on the MCAT but need some help with their GPA. Boost your GPA with post-baccalaureate coursework.So what can you do if your grades are lower? Getting into a DO program is still going to require a strong GPA. And, with the recent merger of allopathic and osteopathic residencies, the distinction between MDs and DOs will likely be blurred even more. For instance, in 2021, a higher percentage of DOs matched with emergency medicine programs than did MDs ( 12.5% vs. This makes them especially strong in primary care specialties – family practice, general internal medicine, and pediatrics – and popular in many other specialties. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine focus on integrating the whole person into the healthcare process. Although still extremely competitive, DO programs have slightly lower GPAs and MCAT requirements and a more holistic criteria for evaluating applications.īefore you apply, be sure to shadow some osteopathic physicians and learn about the osteopathic approach – these schools don’t want to be a fall-back plan for allopathic applicants. If you only applied to MD programs previously, you should consider an osteopathic medical program. And the lower your GPA, and the more classes you’ve taken, the longer it will take to reflect improvements in your academic record.įortunately, whether your GPA is just a bit off the mark or well below the competitive level, there are steps you can take. Why is it so hard to “fix” a low GPA?Ī low GPA is probably the hardest area to improve – it can take about a year in advanced level science courses to bump a high 2.x GPA over 3.0. Today we’ll move forward and discuss ways to improve a critical factor in your med school application profile: a poor GPA. Anticipating the problems so you can correct them is critical for success in your next attempt. If you’re feeling a bit fragile now, that’s to be expected – you’ve just undergone a pretty brutal review of your application! But the admissions committee is scrutinizing submissions with the same critical eye. In our last post, we talked about how to assess your application weaknesses.
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