codyL Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I applied and figured I wouldn't get in. I applied with a B.S in interdisciplinary sciences (pre-med) but due to retaking courses I dropped from a 3.2 to a 2.8 after CASPA recalculation. I had volunteering, 6000 hours of phlebotomy, and 2000 hours of lab assistant in microbiology with solid LOR sources. I expected I would not get in due to the GPA so that's no surprise, but what are my options for improving my GPA? Is pursuing a masters online first a waste of time? Or does anyone have any sources for online post baccalaureate programs to boost the GPA to over 3? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTOPAC Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 What courses did you retake and what grade did you receive to have your cGPA drop considerably? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wake PA-S Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Did you retake courses to boost your GPA but instead did worse so your GPA dropped? Were they pre-req classes? I don't think it would look that great on an application if you took a class, retook it and did worse, and then took it for a third time online, no matter the grade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsylte Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 It depends on if you are talking about your cumulative or science GPA. EMT-B or MA are great for the cumulative, but doesn't count for science. A 0.4 drop is tough to make up quickly. I am guessing you have about 130 college credits so to raise it up past a 3 would be like 20 ish credits of all A. Make a spreadsheet or use an online GPA calculator to figure out exactly how many credits you need. I am not trying to discourage you, but there is no quick fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codyL Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 The courses I retook were General Chem 1 (Got an F, retook and got a C...was a big misunderstanding where I thought homework online was optional for practice but was actually a huge grade factor but did not know this until the end of the semester...I should have gotten better than a C when I retook it but was in my busiest semester ever when I was planning my wedding and working a lot). Calculus and trig hurt a lot. I received an F and a D, retook both courses, and got a C. Just couldn't wrap my head around math (and of course could have always dumped more effort and time into it) and Organic Chemistry 1 (Got an F, retook it and got a B) Also, if I were to pursue a secondary degree for an associates in medical laboratory science, do those credits go towards the new GPA or do those not count as any post baccalaureate credits? Or would I be better with a masters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegro Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 If you are just trying to up your GPA, it doesn't matter if the courses are master's or undergraduate level; they'll factor in the same either way. I'd advise retaking Gen Chem since a C as your best grade in a pre-req course already doesn't look that great, and then take some upper level science/chem/biology courses that you don't have already that might up your GPA - have you taken micro, genetics, or biochem? You'll want courses that factor into your BCP (biology/chem/physics) GPA as Fs in those chem courses are probably dragging that calculation down quite a bit, and general science courses won't help that calculation. Just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codyL Posted October 27, 2016 Author Share Posted October 27, 2016 I have taken micro, genetics, o chem, but not biochem. I feel as though it's going to take a pretty decent amount of courses to bring up the GPA to a 3.0. I found an online microbiology degree that is 30 credits and can be completed in a year. I may try to ace that program and then apply when that's over. Maybe I'll retake gen chem 1 on the side as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilygurlie Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 Online degrees don't look that favorable to admissions from what I've seen. I would try and take upper level science courses with face to face lecture. Before you retake classes, make sure you've fixed your study habits so you can make only A's from this point on. It's doable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codyL Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 Can anyone confirm this?^^ Locally, we don't have many masters options that would be very doable or even favorable for PA school. I am looking into the University of FL's online Master of Science in microbiology and cell science with a concentration in medical microbiology and biochemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegro Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 In my experience it depends on the course and the school; in general some schools are less comfortable with online courses than others; in the past, you even had to report courses on CASPA as taken "online" though they don't do that anymore since it was pretty much the honor system as transcripts often don't specify. Some programs have specific issues with pre-reqs taken online or courses with a lab component. I've rarely seen applicants with a full degree online, however, so that may be an additional issue. You may want to inquire with some of the programs you are interested in applying to and get their temperature on online courses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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