- Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel.
If you're new here, I'm Dr. Shemmassian
and I've been helping students get into med school
for over 15 years.
Today we're going to discuss
how to get into medical school with a low GPA.
Getting into med school is difficult
no matter how stellar your stats are.
But if you have a low GPA,
you might feel like it's nearly impossible.
You might wonder, "With all the 4.0 students
I'm competing against, what medical school would admit me?"
But the truth is, getting into medical school
with a low GPA is not easy, but it is possible.
In this video, I'll outline the best strategies
to maximize your medical school admissions odds
if you have a low GPA.
Your GPA signals your ability to withstand
the academic rigor of medical school.
Generally speaking, you need a high GPA
to get into medical school.
The average matriculant total GPA for all US medical schools
during the 2018 to 2019 cycle was 3.72.
However, each individual school
has its own average matriculant GPA
which may be significantly higher or lower
than the national average.
For example, Harvard's average matriculant GPA
during the most recent application cycle was 3.9
whereas Tulane's was at 3.52.
Therefore, it's important to do your research
and apply to schools that are within reach
based on your stats.
You can click above to view the average GPA and MCAT score
for every medical school in the US.
So what's a low GPA?
A low GPA is 0.3 or more below your target school's
average matriculant GPA.
All right, without further ado, let's start
with the first strategy to help you get
into medical school with a low GPA.
Your GPA and your MCAT are the two most important parts
of your medical school application.
If you have a low GPA, acing a few courses
during senior year might not move the needle much.
However, your MCAT offers some opportunity for redemption.
Many students ask me, "What score do I need on the MCAT?"
And the answer is, you should aim for your highest
possible MCAT score.
Why aim lower?
For the entering class of 2019,
the average MCAT score of matriculants was 511.2.
And as you prepare be sure to devote time to studying
test strategy in addition to test content.
The MCAT has a predictable question pattern.
And often times a lower score doesn't reflect
your level of scientific knowledge but rather
inadequate preparation with respect to study strategy.
The purpose of the MCAT is to test the skills
and knowledge that medical schools believe is required
to succeed in medical school.
By maximizing your score, you can, to some degree,
prove to admissions committees that you have a high level
understanding of foundational concepts upon which
your medical school courses will be based.
Special Masters Programs or SMPs and post-bacc programs
are one to two year programs specifically designed
for pre-meds who have completed an undergraduate degree
and are looking to boost their odds of admission
into medical school.
The main difference between SMPs and post-bacc programs
is the types of courses you'll take.
Post-bacc programs typically offer undergraduate
level coursework which gives you an opportunity
to retake the classes that you struggled
with during college.
For many students, it's gen chem, O-chem, biochem,
physics, and biology.
On the other hand, SMPs lead to a graduate level degree.
This means you'll be taking courses
alongside medical students such as biochemistry,
genetics, and pharmacology.
This is a great option if you don't have glaring
issues with specific courses or if you have
too many credits and won't benefit much
from acing a single additional undergrad course.
Successful completion of an SMP provides admissions
committees with hard evidence that despite your low
undergrad GPA, you are capable of handling
the rigors of a medical school curriculum.
There are two additional benefits of completing
a post-bacc or SMP program.
You can develop good relationships with your professors
and obtain letters of recommendation
that speak to the most recent demonstration
of your academic ability.
The second benefit: some SMPs and post-bacc programs
have linkages with medical schools
meaning there's an agreement in place
which allows qualified students to matriculate
into the partnering medical school.
To be eligible, students typically need to meet
certain GPA and MCAT requirements.
If you experienced a hardship that can reasonably
explain an uncharacteristic drop in your grades,
you can mention this in your application.
Some examples of a hardship that are worth mentioning
are an illness, financial hardship,
or death of a family member.
But be careful.
This strategy is not a get out of jail free card.
You should only mention a lower GPA
if you have a legitimate excuse for a temporary
decline in performance that significantly
impacted your GPA.
Some examples of scenarios in which
you shouldn't use this approach,
if you had a difficult transition to college,
you had a difficult professor or two,
and consistently earning low grades
over the course of your college career.
US MD programs are the most widely recognized
medical education programs
and therefore remain the preferred destination
for the majority of medical school applicants.
However if your GPA is simply not high enough,
you may still be competitive for DO programs
or MD programs in the Caribbean.
Many students are wary of applying to such programs
because of hang ups about prestige.
However, if your determined to become a doctor
but your numbers fall short of US MD program expectations,
I recommend considering these options.
In reality, students who do well in these programs
and ace their board exams can go on to have
successful careers in medicine
just like their US MD counterparts.
If you found this video helpful, hit the like button.
And if you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that here
so you don't miss out on new videos.
Finally, if you'd like to learn more
about medical school admissions and how to increase
your odds of getting in, you can also click
the link in the description to get a free copy of my book
"How to Get into Medical School" which contains
all the strategies we use to help students
get into great medical schools, regardless of their GPA.
Again, thanks so much for watching, see you next time.