Advice on what to do with a 2.9 undergrad gpa

[Ngunnels]

Deleted

[mgriffiths]

I would definitely work to get your GPA above 3.0 as that is a benchmark a lot of schools use to even look at your application.

 

One question though, what is the narrative of your GPA.  For example, I started very "slow" in undergrad, doing relatively poorly for someone who was actually pre-med at the time.  I had multiple C's and C+'s.  But, as I changed majors (not because of the poor grades, I just wasn't sure medicine was right at the time which is probably why I did poorly being unmotivated), my grades changed drastically and I was able to pull out above a 3.0.  I believe this timeline helped get me accepted, along with retaking a couple of science courses I initially did poorly in.  It showed that overall I am doing better now than I was, maybe that I am more capable today, maybe I had to do a bit more maturing.

 

If it were me, I would work to get my undergrad GPA above a 3.0, and the higher the better - possibly retaking multiple classes to achieve this.  Personally, I would not have done the grad program as that would have had no interest for me, but if you find it interesting it could definitely show greater ability as you will have a masters degree (likely having completed research, which some schools like).  One thing to consider though is the expense.  This is something a lot of students ignore during undergrad and beyond, and it can really affect your future.  Make sure you don't dig yourself a MASSIVE hole of debt that you will struggle to get out of after you finish PA school.  Therefore, for me, I would retake courses and WORK as an MA/CNA/ect. to really drive home the healthcare hours, and don't forget shadowing.  That is a major part of the application for a lot of programs.

[CAAdmission]

[swanosaur]

You're going to need to take at least a few years to improve your application. Get a masters in stable field if you want another career to be your backup plan. Retake courses while working in something other than scribing, something that is actually patient contact, if you are determined to be a PA. It's going to take a LOT of extra coursework and time to raise that GPA 0.3 or 0.4 points, but you can do it. I've interviewed at UTwouthestern and Texas Tech this round and I'm not going to lie, while scribing may be considered, it is not going to cut it when you're competing against applicants with 3.6s and 3000 hours of say working as a neurophysiology or cardiac technician. You should look into Our Lady of the Lake's program in LA

[ilygurlie]

Did you have a lot of poor grades in nonscience classes? I had three D's and 5 C's on my transcript (all grades are factored) and still had over a 3.0.

[kelseym1016]

Did you have a lot of poor grades in nonscience classes? I had three D's and 5 C's on my transcript (all grades are factored) and still had over a 3.0.

I have 10 Cs, but over 180+ credit hours, and I have a 2.99 CASPA GPA. So sometimes you just screw yourself by taking more classes (and doing well, As...) but increasing the number of credits so you don't go up much...