What are my chances? & how to combat a rough patch in my GPA

[Richa]

Hello everyone! I am a third-year student currently, and I'll be applying next year and taking a gap year. I would like some feedback on my stats so far and how to combat the weaknesses in my application.

Anticipated cGPA: 3.56

Anticipated sGPA: 3.35

GRE: not yet taken, but anticipating over 310 based on practice tests.

PCE at time of application: about 1000 hours as CNA in a skilled nursing facility with long-term care and rehabilitation; 80 hours during a medical internship in India

Volunteering: ~40 hours at a free clinic, ~200 hours working with an NGO in India through a student organization; ~20 hours miscellaneous

Shadowing: 24 hours Internal Medicine PA; 24 hours NP; 8 hours MD (will definitely have more shadowing hours with PAs in the next year)

Recommendations: 1 science professor, 1 MD, 1 PA

 

Here's my major weakness - science grades:

BIOL 1/lab - A/A

BIOL 2/lab - C+, retake A/A

CHEM 1/lab - B/A

CHEM 2/lab - B/A

A&P 1/lab - C, retake A/C, retake A

A&P 2/lab - D, retake A/D, retake A

Genetics - C, retake A

Organic 1/lab - A/A

Organic 2/lab - B+/A

Microbiology/lab - A/A

Biochemistry - not taken yet, but anticipating B+

Physics 1/lab - not taken yet, but anticipating A/A

 

Do you think schools will be able to look past my rough patch sophomore year in which I did poorly in two very important A&P classes and genetics? I am in the process of retaking these 3 classes and am doing very well. I can definitely master the material, but my mental health in that period of time was holding me back. I went to counseling in the beginning of junior year and my grades picked up significantly, so I'm hoping the upward trend is respected.

How do I address this in my application, and do you think I have a chance despite doing very poorly in A&P the first time I took it? Any recommendations for improvement? Also, would you all recommend that I use a recommendation from a nurse I work with over the MD? I know the MD will write me a strong recommendation, but I'm not sure if a PCE supervisor would be stronger.

Thanks!

 

[PACrankset]

If your application comes out like you posted, including GPA, GRE, Shadowing, Volunteering you should be at least getting some interviews. Your shadowing is fine if you are going to put time anywhere it should be in accumulating more HCE. 1000hrs is really on the lower end of things, with your gap year you should be able to push that number closer to 2800hrs by the time applications roll around in 2019.

[LadyNichiavelli]

Your stats look great!

[hustleforthePAC]

You'll get interviews no problem, ad coms are trained to pick students that are emotionally stable that are able to handle a rigorous academic environment so be ready to address any academic deficiencies and Turn it into a positive in your favor to show that you have a strong support group. 

[Richa]

On 3/16/2018 at 1:21 PM, PACrankset said:

If your application comes out like you posted, including GPA, GRE, Shadowing, Volunteering you should be at least getting some interviews. Your shadowing is fine if you are going to put time anywhere it should be in accumulating more HCE. 1000hrs is really on the lower end of things, with your gap year you should be able to push that number closer to 2800hrs by the time applications roll around in 2019.

Well, I have one more year of school and then I'll be taking a gap year. So I will be applying right when my gap year starts, around May/June. As far as I know, I can't record future hours for my gap year. So it seems like the most I can do by next May, when I'm applying, is about 1100 hours