Freshman Year

[Jackson Harvin]

Hi there! I'm new to SDN and am a sophomore in high school.

I have always wanted to pursue a job in medicine and have just recently found my love for surgery, specifically general. Many people in my family have had their lives saved by general surgeons and they have made great role models for me. I want to help save people and make them better.

I'm here today because I am afraid my freshman year grades might affect me in the future. I finished the year off with a 3.6 GPA.

89% in 9th grade honors literature
89% in Spanish 1
89% in audio video tech
93% in biology
92% in accelerated algebra and geemotry
90% in weight training
90% in health/physical education

I am also a competitive swimmer, 6th in the state for the 14&U 100 Fly and 7th in the state for the 14&U 100 Free. I do plan on swimming in college which can grant me a fair amount of financial aid.

Thanks for reading, and if you could please tell me if this year would affect my dreams of becoming a surgeon.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Hi there! I'm new to SDN and am a sophomore in high school.

I have always wanted to pursue a job in medicine and have just recently found my love for surgery, specifically general. Many people in my family have had their lives saved by general surgeons and they have made great role models for me. I want to help save people and make them better.

I'm here today because I am afraid my freshman year grades might affect me in the future. I finished the year off with a 3.6 GPA.

89% in 9th grade honors literature
89% in Spanish 1
89% in audio video tech
93% in biology
92% in accelerated algebra and geemotry
90% in weight training
90% in health/physical education

I am also a competitive swimmer, 6th in the state of Georgia for the 14&U 100 Fly and 7th in the state for the 14&U 100 Free. I do plan on swimming in college which can grant me a fair amount of financial aid.

Thanks for reading, and if you could please tell me if this year would affect my dreams of becoming a surgeon.

1) I wouldn't recommend using a real identity on here
2) I have literally no idea what my freshman grades were, and I'd bet that most current college and med students on here don't either. They become irrelevant once set foot on a college campus (just like your SATs/ACTs will)
3) A 3.6 after freshman year is very very very VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY far from a death sentence.

 

[Kurk]

Yes don't use real identity on here—it could bite you later. 3.6 gpa is my cumulative and I'm a upcoming senior; you're perfectly fine. Just keep an upward trend and you'll look great to colleges. As far as sports go, (don't take this the wrong way) they're honestly a waste of time unless you know for sure that you can reach a level where you're competitive enough to receive scholarships. Now if swimming is a hobby you genuinely enjoy for the long term, it's a little different (though judging from your stats, you're at the top so this doesn't apply to you). Now that I think of it though, some states require you to participate in some sport or take P.E, so pick your poison. Focus on preparing for the standardized tests and colleges for now; junior/senior year you can go more into depth for future plans. Feel free however to explore the field by taking advantage of volunteer opportunities at hospitals and such. Good luck.

 

[_atlas]

Yeah have to agree with the people above, maybe try to change the name of your account and change your profile picture. Also, the information that you provided can be used to easily identify yourself even further so I would recommend editing the post.

Your GPA is fixable so don't feel too bad about that. For now focus on extracurricular activities and volunteering (preferably at a hospital or health care clinic to reassure your inclination towards medicine). You still have years ahead of you to look at other professions, see if medicine is right for you. Best of luck this year.

Note that the name of the institution that you graduate from (college/university) hardly matters when applying to medical school, and that GPA trumps Name Value every time.

 

[efle]

the name of the institution that you graduate from (college/university) hardly matters

The more accurate statement is that undergrad matters little to state medical programs on average, but it is highly important to private medical schools.

To OP, you're fine. 3% away from a 4.0. Don't sweat your freshman grades too much, colleges will care a lot more about junior/senior grades, SAT/ACT, and extracurriculars like sports.

 

[Technology]

Can a forum moderator change his username now? It's making me anxious.

Anyways, why would you think a 3.6 GPA will hinder your chances of becoming a doctor? Once you graduate high school, your high school GPA is pretty much useless.

 

[efle]

Can a forum moderator change his username now? It's making me anxious.

Anyways, why would you think a 3.6 GPA will hinder your chances of becoming a doctor? Once you graduate high school, your high school GPA is pretty much useless.

Might be imagining that where you go to college determines a lot more than it does. Thinking about what I knew about this process when I was 15, questions like his make sense!

 

[Technology]

Might be imagining that where you go to college determines a lot more than it does. Thinking about what I knew about this process when I was 15, questions like his make sense!

In all honesty, when you are in high school, thinking about becoming a doctor is almost a 'dream' as you have years and years to study. I am sure most of the people on this forum (although I may be wrong) did NOT become doctors, although some may still be trying. I think he should take it easy because a 3.6 is in no way a bad GPA. If he can master the SAT/ACT he will definitely look good in undergraduate admissions.

I am just wondering, has 'where you are attending college' negatively/positively affected your likelihood of matriculating into medical school?

 

[efle]

I am just wondering, has 'where you are attending college' negatively/positively affected your likelihood of matriculating into medical school?

I went to WashU in St. Louis. For me, definitely positively. I had good grades and took advantage of lots of the resources here (research in a great lab, shadowing, hospital volunteering, a part-time job on the medical campus during school and a full-time job during gap year, etc). For others, definitely negatively. The majority of premeds are weeded out by the end of Sophomore year, and I had several friends give up on premed that I believe would have been just fine in a less intense premed track. It's a sort of risk-reward trade when you're looking at colleges, where the "better" ones might have advantageous resources but also a much higher risk of struggling academically.

I also have a sibling that chose to attend a small, rural liberal arts college for a scholarship and they've been struggling to find good EC opportunities there. The advice I'd give someone is to aim for a cheap (or free!) state school, with an honors college if possible, unless private options will be similar cost and they feel confident about doing well there.

 

[[POLAR] FlipSide]

Hi there! I'm new to SDN and am a sophomore in high school.

I have always wanted to pursue a job in medicine and have just recently found my love for surgery, specifically general. Many people in my family have had their lives saved by general surgeons and they have made great role models for me. I want to help save people and make them better.

I'm here today because I am afraid my freshman year grades might affect me in the future. I finished the year off with a 3.6 GPA.

89% in 9th grade honors literature
89% in Spanish 1
89% in audio video tech
93% in biology
92% in accelerated algebra and geemotry
90% in weight training
90% in health/physical education

I am also a competitive swimmer, 6th in the state for the 14&U 100 Fly and 7th in the state for the 14&U 100 Free. I do plan on swimming in college which can grant me a fair amount of financial aid.

Thanks for reading, and if you could please tell me if this year would affect my dreams of becoming a surgeon.

NEVER USE YOUR REAL IDENTITY ON HERE!!! i found what state you live in, what school you go to, and LITERALLY your address in 10 minutes. It doesn't matter what type of forum it is, you should never use your real name. OR give more hints about your life in your posts -_-
*Edit* just noticed other people already stated this.

 

[efle]

NEVER USE YOUR REAL IDENTITY ON HERE!!! i found what state you live in, what school you go to, and LITERALLY your address in 10 minutes. It doesn't matter what type of forum it is, you should never use your real name. OR give more hints about your life in your posts -_-
*Edit* just noticed other people already stated this.

Doxxing is really only a concern for people who post things they'd never want associated with them...his posts are harmless.

 

[[POLAR] FlipSide]

Doxxing is really only a concern for people who post things they'd never want associated with them...his posts are harmless.

I understand you. Harmless though? Not until he has some anonymity in his profile. But hey it's not me, and who am I to judge.