r/postbaccpremed

Hi I wanted to post on here to ask if it was possible to get into MD (even possibly a T30 MD) with a low undergrad gpa but a high smp gpa. I’m planning on starting a SMP program soon in the fall and wanted to gain some insight on if it would matter and make me more competitive by completing the SMP with a high gpa even with a low undergrad gpa. If anyone would be open to sharing their experience or even stats I would love to hear!

Here are my stats for ref:

Cumulative gpa: 3.3
Science gpa: 3.2
Clinical hours: 2000 hrs
Research hours: 800
2 publications

Planning on working on volunteering hours and shadowing and taking the MCAT

Hi everyone, so a little bit background. I graduated with cGPA 3.38 and sGPA 3.34. Not very high due to working during school (25-35 hrs/week) and picking a major I do not enjoy so much. However, my grades for pre-req were very good with most As and some Bs, had 2 Cs but can attribute due to language problem (ESL).

I'm planning to med school next cycle 2027, currently working full time and preparing for MCAT. I had a lot of hours in ECs due to my job in clinical already, but my weakest part is the GPA.

Just want to plan out what I should do if I can't get into the cycle. Is it okay to do a part-time post bacc for upper div bio courses (genetics, anatomy, histology, etc.) with only 2-3 courses max per semester? Cost does become a concern since I can't afford a full time study schedule.

Or do a SMP? Loan is definitely something I need to do.

Hope you guys can have some insights to my problem.

Need honest insight from people who attended or seriously considered these programs, any advice is appreciated!

I’ve been accepted to:

- Nova FIM

- Midwestern AZ

- ARCOM pathway options

- Toledo

- California Health Sciences programs

Right now I’m trying to figure out two things:

1. Which program genuinely gives students the best shot moving forward

2. Which one is actually financially realistic

I’d really appreciate transparency about:

- student culture/support,

- rigor,

- outcomes,

- whether the program helped your application,

- and especially the financial side.

Did federal aid realistically cover enough?

How much private loan debt did people usually take on?

Were cosigners basically required?

Was it manageable to live during the program year?

And looking back now… was the cost worth it?

Trying to make the smartest long-term decision possible, so I’d appreciate real experiences instead of just what schools advertise any advice at all is appreciated again.

Hey everyone! Long time reader and finally decided to make the jump to pursue medicine.

Can I get your feedback if you’ve been through the med school process? What are my chances of admission? Any and all thoughts are welcome.
Please be kind! My goal is to attend a large SEC school, I’m not very interested in high caliber IVY esque med schools because I don’t want a repeat of my undergrad experience

I was recently admitted and will attend a post bacc that has a “100%” admission rate for qualified students and multiple linkage programs. Received a significant scholarship as well. It’s a bit expensive (~60k with my living expenses and tuition) but I think it’s most efficient way to get to med school ASAP

Key stats on me

- T10 IVY undergrad with 3.8 gpa, 3.9 sGPA with highest class being orgo 1 and lab. Earned 2 degrees with my main being an Applied Math degree
- first gen, URM student
- well spoken, kind to people & enjoy interpersonal interactions
- 10 years of work experience in finance with progressive leadership & responsibility. 55+ hours per week of work, multiple promotions
- 500+ hours of volunteering as board of directors member, urban housing related startup
- multiple significant research outputs as a senior in high school

I am working hard to obtain a clinical internship to fill that component of my application. I also plan to study hardcore for next 4-5 months for the MCAT and so far have enjoyed the process

Please don’t cook me for my stats, I messed up a few years ago and I’m trying to get myself back out of that hole.

Basically I don’t know if a postbac or a SMP is a better option for me. For context, I was doing well in college and then…I was not. I had multiple family deaths and personal problems that completely destroyed my progress. I withdrew from classes (sometimes entire semesters), I failed classes, ended with d’s and c’s in some, missed semesters for financial reason, etc. I essentially for like two years dug a huge hole. Well these past couple years I’ve been doing the work to get out but it wasn’t enough.

After 6.5 years I finally finished my undergrad. My finishing grades were really good but even with retakes, the amount of credits I have dilute any good good to essentially nothing. Anyway, I ended with:

1500 scribing hours in busy ED/lvl 1 TC
3.2 cGPA and 3.459 sGPA across 210 attempted credits and 138 completed credits
0 shadowing
Essentially 0 volunteering
3 strong LORs from biology department chair (research), ED physician, and anatomy professor
Approx. 500 hours research with upcoming publication.
I did take the MCAT during my hole digging phase unfortunately (did not study at all, scored a 491 :) )

I don’t know if I should just take a gap year, find a clinical job, volunteer and shadow a bunch and kill future Mcat attempts or if I should do a SMP or a postbac

Hello! I’m graduating (in a few hours) with a degree in Biology with a 2.87 cGPA. I kinda have an upward GPA trend? I finished last fall semester with a 3.8 and a 4.0 this semester (majority of the classes I took were also upper division science classes).

I took the MCAT last year and got a 517. I have no research experience but my clinical experience is kinda good. I have over 1200 hours volunteering as a medical scribe and 2000 hours as an EMT. I was also a TA for organic chemistry and biochemistry for a year.

I just wanna know what my chances are in getting to an SMP? I was initially hoping to get into BU MAMS or Tufts (I’m from Massachusetts) but at this point, I’ll take what I can get.

I was in an abusive relationship (my ex boyfriend used to beat me lol) the first 2 1/2 years of college. That’s mainly the reason why my grades were extremely bad. We broke up, I’m in therapy now and I’m really confident I can crush an SMP.

Anyhoo, I’d really appreciate any advice you guys can give me! Well, except telling me to give up. I’m not ready to let go of this dream just yet. Thank you. :D

Im currently a senior who is taking another semester to boost gpa. Currently 2.7 gpa, but I believe I can get it up to at least a 3.0 if I nail this summer and autumn semester. My gpa is so low to due poor study habits/mental health issues. Im planning on taking the mcat in either January or February. My extracurriculars are okay -- 1.5 years as a pediatric medical assistant, health scholar (TA + peer mentor within program), anatomy club eboard member, 300 non clinical volunteer hours, rural healthcare club (had some leadership).

I just dont know what path to take to get me to medical school. I thought about doing an SMP, but I would want to start those in Spring 2027, but there are only a handful of spring start SMPs. I could also do a diy post bacc/take courses as a non degree student. I was hoping to apply to med school summer 2027 for a autumn 2028 start. Is this reasonable?

Would a diy post bacc be sufficient to prove I can handle med school or do I need a masters/SMP to prove I can handle it?

Basically, I'm a rising 3rd year at the University of Virginia, and I recently completed my 4th semester, which was my worst. I got a C+ in Orgo II and a B in Biochemistry.

My cGPA is around a 3.71 right now, while my sGPA is around a 3.6, and I still have 4 semesters left to go. I am planning to take Physics I and II, as well as some other upper-level bio courses such as Immunology during this time.

My question is if it is too early to decide if I need a post-bacc, or if I should wait till my 3rd year is over to decide.

Hi everyone,

I graduated last summer of 2025 with a cGPA of 3.02 and sGPA of 2.36 (Several retakes, some medical withdrawals due to health issues, and bad study habits/time management in my first 3 years of college). But I have a decent upward trend. I had to retake some classes this year, hence the gap between my graduation and present day of Spring 2026. I have not taken the MCAT yet; I want to ideally take it near the end of my SMP so that I am more prepared.

Do you guys think I have a shot at getting in to SMPs for this Fall 2026 cycle? Are there any SMPs where I can get past their screening filter/or are there any SMPs that don't have a screening process that auto-rejects sGPAs under 3.0?

I'd much rather start my SMP this year than take another gap year, but I'm not sure if I will have a chance of being accepted, especially since it is already May and the admissions are rolling admissions for almost all SMPs. I really need some advice here.

My ECs:

Research - 1000+ hours (1 mid-author publication + poster presentation; 1 first-author paper that will be submitted into journal for peer review and hopefully publication)

Clinical hours - 200+ (Paid hours: scribe, medical assistant) (Unpaid hours: volunteering at homeless shelters with health screenings)

Non-clinical volunteering: 700+ hours (gardening, environmental help, soup kitchens, helping at a nursing home, volunteering at a diabetics support group nonprofit, etc.)

Leadership: ~400 hours

- Co-founder and VP of a cultural club (3 years); grew to 48 active members; helped establish two annual traditions: a cultural event that gathered over 200 attendees; and another cultural event tradition that gathered 70+ attendees per year.

- Established and led the service + volunteering branch of the student chapter of a national nonprofit (1 year); organized over 19 service events for members and provided 100+ volunteer hours; also led an initiative that raised over $3k for our chapter

- led a philanthropy campaign for our local hospital where we raised $1000+ for kids with congenital heart disease

So given all of this info, can I apply to SMPs to start in this year, or am I ineligible as of now (because of the 2.36 sGPA), and need to take more postbacc science classes to get that sGPA up to a 3.0?

Getting it up to a 3.0 would take me 43 more credit hours of straight A's in science courses, which is so much at this point. I'd rather get into an SMP now and not have to take any more postbacc classes, then prove myself by focusing on a high SMP GPA and high MCAT.

Are there any SMPs that yall would suggest me applying to, if you think I'm able to get in this cycle?

Trying to decide between a DIY post-bacc vs SMP and would appreciate advice.

By graduation, my projected cGPA should be around a 3.65 with a strong upward trend. My freshman/sophomore years were bad, but I have around a 3.9 junior year GPA and 4.0 senior year GPA.

I’m also an Econ major and won’t have all of my premed prereqs completed by graduation, so I still need several core science courses and upper-level biology classes.

Given this, would a DIY post-bacc at a 4-year state university make more sense than an SMP?

Hey! I’m a way old (47) non trad wannabe doctor with a low undergrad GPA of about 2.2! This was more than 20 years ago. I earned a MS in Biology about 10 years ago with a GPA of about 3.6. I wasn’t into studying or school when I was younger.

I don’t care about being too old but what would you suggest I do about this low undergrad GPA and that most of my prerequisites are very old. Would an SMP be the better option or a post bacc to bring up my GPA. Any advice or experience from others in a similar situation that actually got into med school, would be awesome. Thanks!!

My situation is a bit complicated where I earned a BA in history but also an AS from CC nearly 10 years ago. I took a lot of the basic stuff like gen Chem and intro to bio. I went back to CC and took A&P 1 and 2 and aced them both, as well as the other science classes.

I started nursing at CC but decided I wanted medicine instead so I got into a local post bac program but had to leave because I quickly ran out of money and I work weekends at a local hospital. The guy in charge of the program agreed my position wasn't sustainable and I left under favorable circumstances, same as nursing at the previous CC. The postbac program reccomended I retake all those science classes I aced years back because of the amount of time passed and since it looks neater done at the 4 year school.

But the biggest thing is money. The head of the program told me a lot of the people there have support from family and friends and I am basically alone and am a first generation college student in my 30s. He also said FAFSA doesn't give as much money to post bac programs that don't give out degrees.

So now I'm thinking maybe it's worth it to just apply to a competitive BS like biochem and skip all the gen ed stuff from my history degree and still be done before either med school or PA school since I'm still not sure between the two.

I feel like I should ask here since, like I said, im basically doing this alone. No wife or kids yet. Just me and my mom and she's as clueless as I am. I was a commuter student at my first 4 year school I got my BA in history from. Got grant money for tuition only.

So I messed up in undergrad, 2.7 overall gpa and probably 2.3 science gpa. I had a lot going on mentally and just couldn’t do it. I now graduated and have been working post grad in marketing and realized how unfulfilled I am. I’m currently 24 and want to go back into healthcare and pursue my MD. I don’t want to start too late but am not sure what the process is from here. If I do a postbach that would at least take me until I’m 25 ish. From there I would have to do mcat prep and then apply so 26-27, and probs start med school at 27. Any thought or advice on what to do, as someone who’s working in marketing right now and wants to pivot?

Hello all, I’m a postbac at NIH (about 40 hrs/week) also taking Orgo Chem 1 over the summer. The course is about one month. Chemistry is not my favorite subject, took Gen Chem 1 and 2 3 years ago and “passed” with Cs. What are you guys tips for this? I talked to my professor to gage feasibility and she said it’s possible that I should brush up on Gen Chem 2 and dedicate about 10-15 hrs per week outside of class.

Please drop actual tips , taking it in a semester long course isn’t really an option for me. :(

Study tips? How long should I spend studying per day? Best resources for studying? Thanks in advance

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for honest advice on my situation.

My stats so far:
UGPA: 3.5
sGPA: 2.5 (only took 3 gen chem + 3 gen bio) retook a few class
Haven’t taken physics, ochem, genetics, or anatomy yet

Experience:
2 years clinical research
1 year working as a medical assistant
50 hours shadowing
150 hours volunteering (food pantry + hospital housing)
Strong LOR from my research lead

I’m planning to do a DIY post-bacc to finish all my prereqs and take upper-level science classes to improve my sGPA.

My question is:
Would a DIY post-bacc be enough to make me competitive again, or is my sGPA too low where I should be considering a formal post-bacc/SMP instead?

I’ve rescheduled my mcat twice already. my next test date is end of august. I gave myself the summer to study. my problem is I’m really struggling to find time. between work, kids, daily house stuff, and gym im exhausted when it comes time to study. my study time is supposed to be 8pm -11pm on the weekdays but I almost always starting yawning at 9:30. any tips/ tricks for nontrad students studying for this test?

So ive been doing a lot of research and im nearing my last 2 semesters of postbacc. I retook the classes i had to Biochem, micro, a&p 1, calc and took genetics, human phys as extra (i thought i would apply this cycle so i only took 2 classes to focus on test scores but pushed it back for next cycle). Now im taking english over the summer because of the time limit alongside bio 1101k solely to boost my science gpa above a 3.0. In the fall ill be taking cell bio, med term, gen chem 1 (time limit expired), and human anatomy. the spring ill take gen chem 2 (time limit expired) and 3 upper level science courses most likely mycology and evolution or something. My main question is , would taking bio 1101k hurt my application since its an easy course? If i dont take it this summer then my sgpa would be a 2.995 after im completely done with post bacc and i would like to be above the 3.0 cut off. There are also no upper level courses that are offered for this summer semester that i havent already taken so i dont really have an option.

i recently learned about my gen chems and english expiring, it wasnt part of the schedule to take those courses. but im also running out of courses to take lol when im done itll be 60 credit hours of postbacc courses

Title says it all looking for any postbacc or smps with direct linkage to an acceptance as long as you hit requirements that accept Canadian applicants