Session 130 When you don't get into medical school, you may feel like your journey is over. It's not. The question is what to do next and that's what we talk about today. Our questions are taken from the Nontrad Premed Forum. If you have any questions, register for an account and ask away. The OldPreMeds Podcast is part of the MedEd Media Network, which includes The Premed Years, The MCAT Podcast, Specialty Stories, Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A, as well as The Short Coat Podcast, a production of the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa. [01:58] Old PreMeds Question of the Week: "I applied to med school last cycle and got rejected by all of the schools that I applied to. When I asked the schools directly how to improve my app for next time I apply, I was given generic information. I visited a premed advisor from my alumni and I was suggested to either apply to Caribbean schools or choose another path. The problem with my app is the averaging of my grades made my GPA low for the app report when it calculates my undergrad in graduate GPAs. So the med schools would screen me out because they cannot see that my current GPA for grad school is a lot better than the past. I cannot go to the Caribbean because it does not line up with my plan to join the military to help pay for school as I'm financially responsible for my mother who is disabled. I do not want to choose another path either. I've come too far. I graduated undergrad with a 3.0 GPA, went to grad school and didn't do well due to family issues at home. I re-enrolled in a different grad school and now have a 3.8 GPA. I should not be judged by my mistakes in the past. That's what I feel is happening with my app. I've done volunteer work, worked in a hospital, took a course to get a license as an EMT, and have even done medical scribing and shadowing. I'm getting information on how to become an RN and medical assistant in the meantime. However, I do not want to give up my dream of being a doctor. That is the end goal. I'm not sure what else to do to make my app stand out. The premed advisors stated to me that retaking any courses from the past from undergrad is just a waste of money that would not help much with my app. So any advice on how to improve would be greatly appreciated. I should add to my prior post that I had already applied to a postbac program and another master's program that has a linkage with med schools that if you do well in the program, you're guaranteed an interview. I'm currently waiting for a news of acceptance along with registering for a few courses to apply for the accelerated PSM program near me. I'm also considering to retake my core BCPM classes from ten years ago. However, I have to look at my financials and see what I'm able to do." [04:38] Should You Be Taking More Classes? If you've had issues in the past, then it just makes sense to take more classes to show that you've overcome those issues and to show to the admissions committee that you can handle the coursework. For your premed advisors to tell you not to take any more classes, doesn't logically make sense. Because there's no other way to show to the admissions committee that you're not what you used to be. [06:11] Undergrad vs. Graduate GPAs and Master's Degree A 3.0 GPA is not terrible. But try to look at the trend because this is important. What is the science GPA? Then grad school was mentioned. Was this immediately after undergrad or five years after undergrad? How did "starting poorly" look like? How long was the process? The norm is that most schools are going to look at your undergrad and graduate grades separately. The assumption is you're doing a master's program for a reason, whether you're just passionate about the subjects or you're trying to fix your past mistakes. And these are going to be looked at differently. To not be judged for past mistakes, that's what grad school is for. But you also stumbled in grad school, so how do you overcome that? "In the applicatio