In desparate need of some inspiration

[heedy07]

This is my first post, so here goes nothing....I currently enrolled in my second semester and I just can't seem to get the hang of college academics. So, now with the not so good grades that I've gotten, I am questioning whether medicine is a realistic career option for me. So far for science classes I've taken: Biology I B+, Chem I C+, Microbiology C+, and Organic Chem I B. Also, I just bombed a Calculus class that I am planning to retake (are retakes okay with med school ac's?). This is SO FRUSTRATING because I was actually at the top of my class in HS (4.0) I swear. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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[jlee9531]

hi there new person...

you are just one of the many to pass through the halls of sdn and ask the similar questions most young undergrads have about whether or not they should consider med because of their low grades.

i think you would glad to hear from me at least and a few others on this site that grades are but a portion of what makes you a competitive applicant. but im sure you knew that. but this is not to say grades arent important.

now i see that you have listed a B+, C+, C+, B, and a class you will retake.

well there are people on here with many more Cs than what you have right now and have still got accepted to med school. ie.. me and exmike along with many others. If you are worried about those Bs...heres some advice. dont overly stress about Bs. Many applicants get Cs so dont worry about that either. Just dont make it a habit.

now about retaking a class. Sure med schools are OK with it, the question is whether or not you are able to do well when you retake it. I hope that you do. Your gpa will not reflect the alleged F you might get in Calc because it will be replaced by your retake grade....

however on your AMCAS application they do average out both grades. So potentially an A and an F will come out to be a C. Just to give your warning ahead of how they grade things.

now the real question is if you have any clinical experience to see if a career in medicing might be to your liking. Just because you have the grades doesnt mean you have what it might take to be a physician. get some experience by doing some volunteer work or shadowing etc...

dont give up just because some Cs are unnecessarily keeping you down.

GL in your future endeavors as a premed. (aka douche bags from what i hear today)

(that was only a joke and in refernce to another thread not to you...i have learned that new people take offense to things quite easily so i need to do this disclaimer...)

 

[Spitting Camel]

All you need to know in one reponse from the guy you can always count on... jlee9531!

 

[ixitixl]

Heedy,

Don't sweat it. Check your PM.

 

[NRAI2001]

Don't worry those grades are so bad, those are some pretty tough classes to be taking so early. I think u need to plan ur schedule better. Taking general bio and microbio at the sametime and taking G chem and O chem at the sametime is pretty rough. Aren't some of those classes prereqs for other classes you where taking?

 

[NRAI2001]

I meant to say those grades aren't so bad.

 

[smartreader]

In my opinion, If you can bring your grades up in the following semesters, you'll have demonstrated that you are able to overcome and adapt to the academic difficulties you initially faced. So don't be discouraged. This may actually be a blessing in disguise. That being said, where I'm from (in Canada), grades are everything. They're your lifeblood into medical school. I hate the system we have here in the true north, because I've seen horrible applicants get accepted and truly good ones rejected on the basis of grades. So I salute the American med school admissions system for at least attempting to overcome the limitations of numers.

 

[bella_dottoressa]

Sure medicine is a realistic career option for you! My first year of school I got a C+, B-, and then another C+ in three quarters of general chemistry and also a D in calc II. You're fine; some poor grades will be overlooked easily and upward trends are good. Work on getting As now; that's what i'm doing and I feel so restored confidence-wise after doing well the past few quarters. I think the hardest thing to do sometimes as a premed is keep getting up after you fail; but those of us who do are the ones who get where we're going. You'll be fine...work to improve your study habits and do whatever it takes to get As and Bs. Good luck!

 

[ATPase]

I can't believe you were taking some of those classes at the same time. Maybe you should look into spreading some of those out so that you're not taking gen chem and orgo all at once. (Just a note for future semesters.) Also, you might mix up some of the types of classes you're taking and not overload yourself with science classes. I was a history major, so I always took history and other humanities courses along with my science prereqs and upper-level sciences. It's very difficult to ace 5 science classes when you're taking them all at once.

Still, I wouldn't worry about these grades. What matters is an upward trend throughout undergrad, and you can certainly retake courses if you need to (though I wouldn't retake a course you got a C in just to get an A; if you got an F, that would be different.) Just stick with it - I thought I would never get to the point where I was applying to med school because it seemed like I would never get done with all those prereqs, the MCAT, etc. Now I've been accepted to two schools, and it's great! It will happen eventually, so just keep working hard. Good luck!

 

[NontradICUdoc]

What you need to do is find the way that YOU need to study in order to retain all the information you learned in lecture. As you can see, college is NOT HS and the classes are much different.

What you should do is calm down and find your niche. Once you do this, everything will fall into place.