2.7 cgpa please help

[David Flynn]

I am going to graduate from the University of Toronto with a low GPA of 2.7. I think most med schools take off your worst year so it is probably a bit close to, if not, 3.0. The good news is that my GPA shows a consistent upwards trend, and in my final year my annual GPA was 3.5. I haven't written the MCAT yet but I have been studying and feel like I can do well. Lets assume I can get a 515 on my MCAT. What would be my best option to get into med school? I want to do a masters in biomedical engineering but I don't know if I have the requirements. I did a double major in neuro and biology.

[Andre]

You should look into doing a second bachelors for 2 years (you don't have to finish the degree). If you manage to get a 4.0 or close to it, it can open up some med schools like Queens and Western.

[David Flynn]

2 minutes ago, Andre said:

You should look into doing a second bachelors for 2 years (you don't have to finish the degree). If you manage to get a 4.0 or close to it, it can open up some med schools like Queens and Western.

What if I don't want to do a second bachelors?

 

[IMislove]

1 minute ago, David Flynn said:

What if I don't want to do a second bachelors?

 

Caribbean time

[BernieMac]

-

[VigoVirgo]

8 hours ago, David Flynn said:

What if I don't want to do a second bachelors?

 

Then you have 0 chance at getting into a Canadian medical school, US MD school or DO school and will probably need to go down to the Caribbean. A masters will do very little for you. Even better international options like the UK/Ireland and Aus would probably be a lot harder with a 2.7. 

[David Flynn]

On 9/9/2019 at 2:39 AM, VigoVirgo said:

Then you have 0 chance at getting into a Canadian medical school, US MD school or DO school and will probably need to go down to the Caribbean. A masters will do very little for you. Even better international options like the UK/Ireland and Aus would probably be a lot harder with a 2.7. 

What about a post-bacc?

[Edict]

On 9/8/2019 at 5:30 PM, David Flynn said:

I am going to graduate from the University of Toronto with a low GPA of 2.7. I think most med schools take off your worst year so it is probably a bit close to, if not, 3.0. The good news is that my GPA shows a consistent upwards trend, and in my final year my annual GPA was 3.5. I haven't written the MCAT yet but I have been studying and feel like I can do well. Lets assume I can get a 515 on my MCAT. What would be my best option to get into med school? I want to do a masters in biomedical engineering but I don't know if I have the requirements. I did a double major in neuro and biology.

Have you considered other career options? Your best option is either 2nd undergrad like others have said or go abroad, probably to Australia or the Caribbean. 

[David Flynn]

1 minute ago, Edict said:

Have you considered other career options? Your best option is either 2nd undergrad like others have said or go abroad, probably to Australia or the Caribbean. 

No medicine is definitely it for me. The thing is that it wasn't really until my 4th year that I decided to be a doctor and get serious. I had no study habits and still slacked off thats why I only got a 3.5 annual GPA. I was just hoping that there would be something out there other than a second undergrad because if I don't get in after that then I wouldn't be too far from where I started.

[Edict]

7 minutes ago, David Flynn said:

No medicine is definitely it for me. The thing is that it wasn't really until my 4th year that I decided to be a doctor and get serious. I had no study habits and still slacked off thats why I only got a 3.5 annual GPA. I was just hoping that there would be something out there other than a second undergrad because if I don't get in after that then I wouldn't be too far from where I started.

Unfortunately medicine is one of those careers that isn't very friendly to career changes. I think your best bet is to do a 2nd undergrad, or go abroad but theres risks to both options. The safest thing though is to forget medicine as the other options are really quite risky. I mean, if you think about it, your highest GPA is 3.5, and in order to get into med from a 2nd undergrad you need a 3.9+ in both years realistically. You are already a longshot at McMaster, Ottawa and UofT even with a 2nd undergrad its going to be tough to be frank. Unless you lived rurally, NOSM isn't an option either. So you are stuck at 2 ontario med schools even with a 2nd undergrad.

Medicine isn't all its made out to be on the outside. People love to talk about the pros but everyone's mum on the cons. There are a lot of unhappy folks in medicine, you might just be dodging a bullet with this one. 

[David Flynn]

1 minute ago, Edict said:

Unfortunately medicine is one of those careers that isn't very friendly to career changes. I think your best bet is to do a 2nd undergrad, or go abroad but theres risks to both options. The safest thing though is to forget medicine as the other options are really quite risky. I mean, if you think about it, your highest GPA is 3.5, and in order to get into med from a 2nd undergrad you need a 3.9+ in both years realistically. You are already a longshot at McMaster, Ottawa and UofT even with a 2nd undergrad its going to be tough to be frank. 

you gotta risk it for the biscuit. Mac, Ottawa and UofT aren't the only med schools, and I'm confident that I can get a 3.9 as I have been improving my study skills and focusing more. If there's nothing else then I'll do a second undergrad. Do you know of any program that I can get a decent amount of transfer credits in (Given I did undergrad in bio and neuro)?

[Edict]

5 minutes ago, David Flynn said:

you gotta risk it for the biscuit. Mac, Ottawa and UofT aren't the only med schools, and I'm confident that I can get a 3.9 as I have been improving my study skills and focusing more. If there's nothing else then I'll do a second undergrad. Do you know of any program that I can get a decent amount of transfer credits in (Given I did undergrad in bio and neuro)?

If you're down to take the risk, go for it. Honestly, i'm a big believer in taking the risk once you've understood the pros and cons. 

Another big risk big reward option is to move to a different province. Other people can probably talk more to the details of this, but essentially in some provinces if you study there a certain number of years they will consider you local and as long as you went to ontario for high school you usually don't lose your ontario status (which only matters for Mac to be honest). If you did high school in south west Ontario you get local benefits for western too. 

 

[David Flynn]

Unfortunately I'm too east of south west ontario to be eligible for western's bs. But I don't know how worth while it would be to go to another province. I know Saskatchewan is pretty good for that because out of 100 seats 95 are reserved for in province. That being said that's a pretty huge move and I don't even know if I'm comfortable with it. Ideally I can do my second undergrad at Mac because I live pretty close to it so commute won't be an issue and neither would living costs.

[Meridian]

2 hours ago, David Flynn said:

you gotta risk it for the biscuit. Mac, Ottawa and UofT aren't the only med schools, and I'm confident that I can get a 3.9 as I have been improving my study skills and focusing more. If there's nothing else then I'll do a second undergrad. Do you know of any program that I can get a decent amount of transfer credits in (Given I did undergrad in bio and neuro)?

Note for UWO that the 2nd undergrad degree needs to be a 4 year degree.   Read here

     https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/med_dent_admissions/medicine/admission_requirements.html#four_year_degree

[Medase]

I don't think there is any option for you except doing a second undergrad (or Caribbean). There are people with 3.85+ with four year degrees that don't get in, so you chances are actually 0 without at least 2 years of 3.85+, and even this only applies to Queens and Western only. Second degree at Mac is a great idea, but take heed on the specifics on how to do a 2nd degree to properly be assessed separately from your first undergrad degree.

[gnatcatcher]

On 9/9/2019 at 2:39 AM, VigoVirgo said:

Then you have 0 chance at getting into a Canadian medical school, US MD school or DO school and will probably need to go down to the Caribbean. A masters will do very little for you. Even better international options like the UK/Ireland and Aus would probably be a lot harder with a 2.7. 

SGU is the Harvard of the Caribbean 

[gnatcatcher]

18 hours ago, Edict said:

There are a lot of unhappy folks in medicine, you might just be dodging a bullet with this one. 

i'd rather be crying in a range rover than on the bus...

[Edict]

2 hours ago, gnatcatcher said:

i'd rather be crying in a range rover than on the bus...

more like crying in a range rover vs happy in a merc or crying in your private jet. If you put in as much effort, could've gotten into med school, you'll likely do much better financially. Alternatively, you could have a more relaxed life and still have a nice job. Its also not all about money, its about where you live, your work environment and how much time you have off and a whole skew of factors. 

I'm just saying, if getting into medical school is a walk in the park, it might be worth it, but otherwise, idk, if you really really want it, sure, i guess. It's your life.

[David Flynn]

20 hours ago, Edict said:

more like crying in a range rover vs happy in a merc or crying in your private jet. If you put in as much effort, could've gotten into med school, you'll likely do much better financially. Alternatively, you could have a more relaxed life and still have a nice job. Its also not all about money, its about where you live, your work environment and how much time you have off and a whole skew of factors. 

I'm just saying, if getting into medical school is a walk in the park, it might be worth it, but otherwise, idk, if you really really want it, sure, i guess. It's your life.

I feel like I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't give it a go.

[1D7]

Honestly from the tone of the post alone I doubt you'll make it in even after doing another degree (into a Canadian school anyway). There's nothing in your post that tells us you could maintain a 4.0 with another degree, nor anything that tells us you would do well on the MCAT. The fact that you feel you would do well on the MCAT and second degree without anything solid is probably indicative that you won't.

If you already have a career stick with it. If not, there are plenty of good careers with lower barrier to entry. Just trying to save you time, money, and energy.

[Vivieeeeeee]

Second bachelors probably the best route. 

[moonlitocean]

I suggest you move on with your life, medicine isn’t for everyone 

[David Flynn]

3 hours ago, moonlitocean said:

I suggest you move on with your life, medicine isn’t for everyone 

no u

[David Flynn]

On 9/12/2019 at 6:14 PM, 1D7 said:

Honestly from the tone of the post alone I doubt you'll make it in even after doing another degree (into a Canadian school anyway). There's nothing in your post that tells us you could maintain a 4.0 with another degree, nor anything that tells us you would do well on the MCAT. The fact that you feel you would do well on the MCAT and second degree without anything solid is probably indicative that you won't.

If you already have a career stick with it. If not, there are plenty of good careers with lower barrier to entry. Just trying to save you time, money, and energy.

but if I do, then I have a good chance?

[IMislove]

12 minutes ago, David Flynn said:

but if I do, then I have a good chance?

Of an interview? Will depend on your ECs and how you write about them really. And then the interview is a whole other game that many fail to pass through for one reason or another. Hence the higher barrier of entry.