GRADES HELP/ADVICE

[pre-unsure]

So, I'm a sophomore college student who is interested in becoming a PA or MD. My problem is, I'm making B's in my science classes & I know everything is so competitive, that As are necessary. I know I can try harder, you can always try harder but I really have been studying my butt off & pushing myself and I'm still making Bs. I've thought of 2 options:

1. Focus on my major for the rest of undergrad (public health) & possibly do a post-bacc program when I graduate

2. Get an advanced nursing degree and become a NP. - Now, I am in no way saying that nursing is easier in terms of how much effort it takes to study, etc, but from my research nursing seems like a more direct route....obtain your BSN, get some experience under your belt, & apply to graduate nursing programs (which yes, I know are still competitive),

please give me advice, especially if you've been in this position.

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[NoDakDok]

Follow your passion. If you have the drive and the aptitude, you can do it. I can't stress the drive part enough - passion goes a long way. I would certainly not change career paths simply because you think another route would be easier, unless you are truly interested in that new path. RNs and MDs play very different but equally important essential roles, and the personalities of the people that fill these roles do not necessarily overlap.

If you need help in your coursework, do not be afraid to seek help. If you study as much as you say and you are not pulling As, you may not be efficient in your studying. Change things up, see what works for you and what doesn't. It's different for everyone.

 

[Shirafune]

Be self-critical. Understand how far you can get with your passion and your innate academic ability. Passion can get you very far, but ultimately, as I think you will agree, academic ability determines where you end up. Of course, you can say the same for the reverse. It's really two sides of the same coin. Try harder and harder to achieve your goals. If you are absolutely exhausted and burnt out with nothing to show for it, then I would consider alternative career options. Aim as high as you can and figure out what's actually a good fit!

 

[superpom_7]

You need to work your off even more. B's aren't the end of the world, but you want some A's. Don't give up just because you're only making B's. You have to figure out what the problem is and why you're getting B's if you're working so hard. Do you really like the material? Do you just do it because you know that you have to? From personal experiences, I see a huge difference in grades when I actually LIKE the material that I am learning. If it is something that I don't like or I know I wasn't good at it before, I TRY to like it and I work hard until I like it. DON'T GIVE UP.

 

[mimelim]

So, I'm a sophomore college student who is interested in becoming a PA or MD. My problem is, I'm making B's in my science classes & I know everything is so competitive, that As are necessary. I know I can try harder, you can always try harder but I really have been studying my butt off & pushing myself and I'm still making Bs. I've thought of 2 options:

1. Focus on my major for the rest of undergrad (public health) & possibly do a post-bacc program when I graduate

2. Get an advanced nursing degree and become a NP. - Now, I am in no way saying that nursing is easier in terms of how much effort it takes to study, etc, but from my research nursing seems like a more direct route....obtain your BSN, get some experience under your belt, & apply to graduate nursing programs (which yes, I know are still competitive),

please give me advice, especially if you've been in this position.

Go to nursing school if you are interested in being a nurse. Not because you are interested in becoming an NP. If MD/PA/NP are all a toss up, you need to do more research into what you are getting into.

Follow your passion. If you have the drive and the aptitude, you can do it. I can't stress the drive part enough - passion goes a long way. I would certainly not change career paths simply because you think another route would be easier, unless you are truly interested in that new path. RNs and MDs play very different but equally important essential roles, and the personalities of the people that fill these roles do not necessarily overlap.

If you need help in your coursework, do not be afraid to seek help. If you study as much as you say and you are not pulling As, you may not be efficient in your studying. Change things up, see what works for you and what doesn't. It's different for everyone.

+1. If you are struggling, get help. Education center, tutors, etc. frequently exist at most undergrads. Efficiency is king.

You need to work your off even more. B's aren't the end of the world, but you want some A's. Don't give up just because you're only making B's. You have to figure out what the problem is and why you're getting B's if you're working so hard. Do you really like the material? Do you just do it because you know that you have to? From personal experiences, I see a huge difference in grades when I actually LIKE the material that I am learning. If it is something that I don't like or I know I wasn't good at it before, I TRY to like it and I work hard until I like it. DON'T GIVE UP.

No. Just no.

If someone isn't doing well in school, the first thing you should check is how much they are actually studying and the quality of their studying (how many breaks, how much distracted time etc). But, if someone is working hard already, saying, "You need to work harder." is harmful. Burn out, mistakes, sacrificing other aspects of their life, etc. Sometimes you have to study or do things that you don't like. Yes, you should major in something that you enjoy, but there is a reason medical schools require a lot of different prereqs. You need to be able to still assimilate information, even if it is boring as hell. Lastly, knowing when to quit is an extremely overlooked skill. Not everyone can or should become a physician. It isn't the pinnacle of professions. If someone is better suited to do something else, they should explore that, rather than facing a constant, never ending up hill battle.

 

[Goro]

Pre-meds of American should be forced to write these words 100 times in their nicest, neatest handwriting.

If someone isn't doing well in school, the first thing you should check is how much they are actually studying and the quality of their studying (how many breaks, how much distracted time etc). But, if someone is working hard already, saying, "You need to work harder." is harmful. Burn out, mistakes, sacrificing other aspects of their life, etc. Sometimes you have to study or do things that you don't like. Yes, you should major in something that you enjoy, but there is a reason medical schools require a lot of different prereqs. You need to be able to still assimilate information, even if it is boring as hell. Lastly, knowing when to quit is an extremely overlooked skill. Not everyone can or should become a physician. It isn't the pinnacle of professions. If someone is better suited to do something else, they should explore that, rather than facing a constant, never ending up hill battle.

 

[hallowmann]

OP, if you want to be a physician, go MD or DO. Of you want to be a PA, go PA. If you want to be an NP, get an NP. They are not interchangeable. You really need to research much more and decide what you really want.

Getting Bs doesn't preclude you from any of those paths yet. You will have to do better, but that involves really looking at how you study and figuring out what's going wrong.