Am I crazy for purusing this? Low GPA, medical issues, etc

[pandor]

I began my undergrad career in pre-med and became sick my second semester. It took years to figure out what was wrong, and I was dx with a progressive neuromuscular disease that has caused widespread issues. I tried to plow through, but I have several medical leaves, withdrawals, one or two "Fs" (not in sciences) and a 3.2 GPA. I just (finally!) graduated this month with a BA in Psychology.

I was groomed for medical school (father is a doctor) and it is the only thing I have ever wanted. The interesting part of this story is that over the course of the past few months, I have paved my own way regarding my health and to the astonishment of my team, I am getting better. I am hopeful that I will make a full recovery. Most of my interest now lies in functional medicine and the nutritional aspect of healing.

Do I even stand a chance? I will likely always have some limitations, but that aside I would have to re-do my sciences, get volunteer or research experience and basically start from the ground up I feel. I am in my mid 20s and probably wouldn't apply until I am 30. I think my history makes me an interesting candidate, but would certainly raise red flags. Prior to the onset of my illness (all throughout grammar and high school and for that first semester), I was a straight A high honor student. There is no doubt I am smart enough, but it's a matter of logistics and practicality at this point.

Any thoughts?

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[DoctorLacrosse]

First off, i am sorry about your health struggles. I would say to make sure that your condition will allow you to pursue a future in medicine, but if things are going as well as you say and you are on the way to a full recovery, why not go for it?

You are at a 3.2 with a more than valid reason for your past struggles. You seem like you want it bad enough, so why not go for it? With some hard work and good grades, you can get that GPA way up, and if you crush your MCAT in the future, you'll be able to accomplish your dream. Never settle, keep working hard for what you want. Only you can decide if it is worth it enough to you to pursue, but from what I can tell, I say go for it man.

 

[pandor]

First off, i am sorry about your health struggles. I would say to make sure that your condition will allow you to pursue a future in medicine

Thank you. That's my only concern. I plan to address this with various members of my team, but they are so excited I went and did this research and have applied it to my case that they are all for it. I want to be sure it's realistic. I have had multiple consults over the years with doctors telling me I should be in medical school, but I'm sure part of that was empty encouragement too because they knew I wanted it.

I know I would have to maintain a specific treatment regimen (special diet, supplements) long term which should keep things under control. My nerve damage may be permanent and slow to heal meaning I might always have hearing loss and some trouble walking, but I don't see those things as huge barriers.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

During hard times like rotations and residency, it is going to be vital that you can stay on your feet and walk for long periods of time. Hearing is also pretty important, because hearing the wrong dosage of a drug or something in times of panic can mean someone's life. My only advice is to REALLY be honest with yourself about whether or not you can realistically handle it before investing thousands of dollars into it, and if the answer is REALLY yes, then chase your dream.