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Medical School req

I'm currently 3rd-year human biology and minor in psychology
My goal is to go to medical school but my GPA isn't the best. I'm planning to take the MCAT next summer however, I'm told by my school advisor that I got no choice but to change my career plan because medicine isn't for me. I was planning to study for the MCAT as well as try to gain more experience during this summer. My question is whether having a low GPA would affect my acceptance to a medical school.
I know medical school is highly competitive but I don't see myself doing anything other than a physician, I've had an immense passion for the medical field since an early age since I have a brother who is paralyzed, and I've witnessed his struggles
Any advice on what I could do #school #medicine #medschool #physician

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Ransi’s Answer

Don’t be discouraged. Prep for
the MCAT. Do your best. If your grades suffered because of extenuating circumstances, use the med school essay to explain that. If you cannot, take more time. Sort out why your grades aren’t what you want and consider grad school (in something you really want to learn) to demonstrate academic excellence. Consider working in a research lab to master basic science as well as show your dedication to science. There is no expiration date on your dreams. You have lots of time to get this right and go to medical school.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Ransi for the advice. Angelica
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Fred’s Answer

Do you know what they call the person who graduates last in their class in Med School?

Doctor.

GPA is not the only thing that determines success. Passion, compassion, and personality can make a huge difference. I do not know what exactly is required to get into med school, but personality, GPA, MCAT, letters of reccomendation, extra-curricular activities may all come into play. With a low GPA will you get into Harvard Medical school? probably not. But realistically, I could not tell you what med school ANY of my doctors have ever gone to.

So try taking some MCAT prep classes. Get some study guides and study partners. Start taking it seriously now. And realize that there are many ways to be in the medical field without being a doctor. LPNs work directly with patients, treating them similar to how a doctor would. CRNAs work in the OR under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. There are many tech positions - xray, ultrasound, or other diagnostics. There is also Physical therapists and Occupational therapists, both of whom work with patients...

While I don't mean to discourage you from becoming a physician, you should be aware that there are MANY ways to help people like your brother without being a physician.
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Ashley’s Answer

Hi there!

While a low GPA may be a hinderance, I would not let that discourage you from your dream of attending medical school. Working on getting an outstanding score on the MCAT and gaining internship experience are some great ideas. In addition, you may want to consider entering a Master's program before heading off to medical school -- this will show that you are capable of completing graduate-level coursework (hopefully with a higher GPA than your undergraduate) and your commitment to the field.

Hope this helps -- best of luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Ashley! Angelica
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Paola’s Answer

Hi Angelica, when I read that you have "had an immense passion for the medical field since an early age", I knew that you have what it takes to succeed. When you are passionate about anything in life, obstacles are nothing more than learning opportunities. Use this circumstance to put more effort into your MCAT and your application. Find a good internship, summer rotation, or shadowing experience that you can use to strengthen that application. Admissions committees consider much more than just GPAs because there is a general understanding that scores alone do not reflect anybody's ability to be a good doctor, so don't be discouraged. Best of luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for giving me advice. Angelica
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Shannon’s Answer

one thing to consider is the PA/NP role. school is shorter & you get to do a lot of what MD's do. or you might consider being a DO, doctor of osteopathy. you'd go to a different school but perform pretty much the same role as an MD. DO schools can be a little more forgiving. "we'll forgive you for what you did in undergrad. it's what you've done since then that counts here" is the attitude of at least one school. maybe join the peace corps, volunteer for the red cross or at a hospital, get another advanced degree as suggested above. maybe become a paramedic to get a real feel for treating patients & school takes only a year or two.
check this out: you are responsible for your own education. you can attend every class & ace every test, but there's more to learning how to be a doctor. professors & physician-mentors hate wasting time teaching students who aren't really into it. show your passion by going the extra steps to learn more every day. if you say to your professor or a doctor/instructor "i was reading this journal article about (topic of your choice) and i didn't understand ____, they'll be impressed. Reading medical journals (New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the Americal Medical Association, and the best journal of any specialty like pediatrics, dermatology, cardiology etc) before you're required to will impress them a lot. this will show how serious you are about learning. even if you don't understand everything it's ok, look up what you don't get. professors & doctors will be willing to go out of their way to teach you at all levels of your education if you do this. since your grades weren't the best, this is one great way to vastly improve your reputation as well. no one will remember your grades but doctors will remember when you prove your smarts in conversation.
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. Angelica
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Madison’s Answer

Hi there, That is AWESOME that you want to be a doctor, for many people it is an incredibly rewarding career. I am sorry your advisor told you this and I wish that would not have happened. I also had many advisors tell me this and none was true. What really should be advised to you is that if you want to go to medical school but have a low GPA consider a few things: are there courses you can take over again and do better at, could you qualify for a masters in science degree to boost your GPA and application, do you have other parts of your application that can outshine your GPA (life experiences, work, volunteering, community involvement, research, clubs, leadership experience) all of those things are equally important on medical school applications to GPA/MCAT scores.
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