I have decided I want to go to medical school.

[Ryan Tran]

Okay, so I want to be as realistic as I probably can be. I am one of the worst candidates to get into medical school. I graduated college last winter with a piss-poor GPA in chemical engineering, mostly because I didnt' study a day in my life, but I have decided that becoming a doctor is what I want. I drifted throughout college because I didn't have a clear goal in mind and I had zero drive. But I feel like I'm ready to live out my potential. That being said, I want to know my realistic chances of getting into medical school. I can't erase the past, I can only act in the present. I'll do whatever it takes. I'll get a loan and restart college if I need to. What are the steps necessary in order for me to fully understand what I need to do? Should I start studying for the MCAT? Should I take the necessary prerequisite courses?

What do I need to do.

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[CjOz]

It isnt really possible to guage where you stand if you dont give us any statistical information about your undergrand performance. But if piss poor by your definition is a gpa that is sub 2.5, i would recommend finding another path or inventing a time machine to go back 5 years and give yourself a clue.

 

[Ryan Tran]

let's say my GPA is sub 2.5

is it realistically impossible? should i even bother to take the MCAT? What if i do really well on it?

 

[Omppu27]

let's say my GPA is sub 2.5

is it realistically impossible? should i even bother to take the MCAT? What if i do really well on it?

For DO schools you can use grade replacement to better your GPA. For example, let's say you got Ds in gen chem... Re take gen chem and get an A, your A will replace the D when calculating your GPA. As far as MD, i've seen stories of people in your position eventually getting an MD acceptance. For the different between MD and DO, search this website.

It is most certainly not over. Again, search this website and you'll find many stories of people in your position.

EDIT: With all this said, give us a list of all your science grades and extracurriculars. You should take all the medical school prereqs before studying for the MCAT.

 

[Ryan Tran]

I have the worst grades basically conceivable. How I even graduated is beyond me. But let's just say I didn't study a day in my life. I don't mean that figuratively either. But I didn't have a clear goal. And without a goal to achieve, there is no incentive. But perhaps I can retake classes as you said for grade substitution. I'll research the difference between DO and MD. I don't even know what DO stands for as of right now.

 

[Omppu27]

I have the worst grades basically conceivable. How I even graduated is beyond me. But let's just say I didn't study a day in my life. I don't mean that figuratively either. But I didn't have a clear goal. And without a goal to achieve, there is no incentive. But perhaps I can retake classes as you said for grade substitution. I'll research the difference between DO and MD. I don't even know what DO stands for as of right now.

I'm going to assume you received all Ds...

What prereqs have you taken thus far?

 

[Ryan Tran]

BIOL 005A INTRO: CELL & MOLECUL 11F 4.00 B
BIOL 05LA INTRO TO CELL & MOLEC 11F 1.00 B-

CEE 010 INTRO TO CHEM & ENVIR 07F 2.00 S
CEE 125 ANALY METHS FOR CHEM 10W 4.00 C
CEE 132 GREEN ENGINEERING 10S 4.00 B-
CEE 135 CHEMISTRY OF MATERIAL 10F 4.00 C
CEE 158 PREFESSIONAL DEV ENGI 11F 3.00 A CEE XRC158 UC Riverside Exte
CHE 100 ENGINEERING THERMODYN 10W 4.00 A-
CHE 110A CHEMICAL PROCESS ANAL 09F 3.00 D-
CHE 110B CHEMICAL PROCESS ANAL 10W 3.00 D
CHE 114 APPLIED FLUID MECHANI 10F 4.00 D
CHE 116 HEAT TRANSFER 11F 4.00 B CHE XRC116 UC Riverside Exte
CHE 117 SEPARATION PROCESSES 11F 4.00 C
CHE 118 PROCESS DYNAMICS AND 12W 4.00 C-
CHE 120 MASS TRANSFER 11F 4.00 C CHE XRC120 UC Riverside Exte
CHE 122 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 10S (4.00) F
CHE 122 CHEM EN KINET/RC-RPT 11F 4.00 B CHE XRC122 UC Riverside Exte
CHE 130 ADV ENGINEERING THERM 10S 4.00 D
CHE 160A CHEM&ENVI EN LAB 11F 3.00 B- CHE XRC160A UC Riverside Exte
CHE 160B CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 11F 3.00 C-
CHE 160C CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 12W 3.00 B
CHE 161 NANOTECHNOLOGY PROCES 12S 3.00 A Substituted for CHEN -TE1
CHE 175A CHEMICAL PROCESS DESI 12W 4.00 B-
CHE 175B CHEMICAL PROCESS DESI 12S 4.00 B-
CHEM 001A GENERAL CHEMISTRY 07F 4.00 A
CHEM 001B GENERAL CHEMISTRY 08W 4.00 C
CHEM 001C GENERAL CHEMISTRY 08S 4.00 B
CHEM 01LA GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB 07F 1.00 A
CHEM 01LB GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB 08W 1.00 C
CHEM 01LC LABORATORY 08S 1.00 C+
CHEM 112A ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 08F (4.00) D
CHEM 112A ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 09U 4.00 A-
CHEM 112B ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 09U (4.00) F
CHEM 112B ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 10W 4.00 B-
CHEM 112C ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 10S 4.00 D
CPLT 187 METAFICTION 12U 4.00 C Substituted for ENGR ABTS
CS 010 INTRO TO CS FOR SCI,M 09S 4.00 D+
ECON 002 ECONOMICS:MACRO 07F 4.00 S AP35 05 Educational Testi
ECON 003 ECONOMICS:MICRO 07F 4.00 S AP34 05 Educational Testi

ENGR -HM3 EUROPEAN HISTORY 07F 4.00 S AP43 03 Educational Testi
ENGR 109 TECHNOLOGY IN MODERN 12S 4.00 C+
ENGR 118 ENGINEERING MODELING 09F 5.00 B-
HIST 010 WORLD HISTORYREHIST 11F 4.00 B

MATH 005 MATH PLACEMENT EXAM 07F 0.00 MATH5--- Uc Riverside
MATH 009A MATH:CALCULUS BC 07F 4.00 S AP68 03 Educational Testi
MATH 009B MATH:CALCULUS BC 07F 4.00 S AP68 03 Educational Testi
MATH 009C FIRST-YEAR CALCULUS 08W 4.00 B
MATH 010A CALCULUS:SEVERAL VARI 08S 4.00 B
MATH 010B CALCULUS:SEVERAL VARI 09W 4.00 C-
MATH 046 ORDINARY DIFF EQUATIO 08F (1.00) D
MATH 046 ORDINARY DIFF EQUATIO 08F (3.00) D Repeat, no credit
MATH 046 ORDINARY DIFF EQUATIO 09S 4.00 B-
MATH 09HB FIRST YEAR HONORS CAL 07F 4.00 C+
PHYS 040A GENERAL PHYSICS 08F 5.00 A-
PHYS 040A GENERAL PHYSICS 08W (5.00) D Repeat, no credit
PHYS 040B GENERAL PHYSICS 09W 5.00 B
PHYS 040C GENERAL PHYSICS 09S 5.00 C


Total 215.00 GPA 2.299

- - - - - - - - - - - General University - Residency - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BIOL 005A INTRO: CELL & MOLECUL 11F 4.00 B
BIOL 05LA INTRO TO CELL & MOLEC 11F 1.00 B-
CHE 117 SEPARATION PROCESSES 11F 4.00 C
CHE 118 PROCESS DYNAMICS AND 12W 4.00 C-
CHE 160C CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 12W 3.00 B
CHE 161 NANOTECHNOLOGY PROCES 12S 3.00 A Substituted for CHEN -TE1
CHE 175A CHEMICAL PROCESS DESI 12W 4.00 B-
CHE 175B CHEMICAL PROCESS DESI 12S 4.00 B-

 

[Ryan Tran]

All D's is a good assumption. I wasn't bluffing when I said I did the bare minimum. Sorry if the grades I posted are really sloppy.

 

[Ryan Tran]

So I think the prereqs that I'm missing are biology. I only need one quarter of biology to graduate, but I think I need a year of biology in order to apply to med school, is that correct?

 

[aspiring20]

bro...

a 2.2 is not going to cut if for any medical schools in the United States. however, you can CERTAINLY overcome it and become a doctor...you just need to have a lot of patience.

DO schools allow for grad replacement, which is your best bet right now. Retake all of your prereq courses that you got lower than a B- in and do really well in them. But regardless of your postbacc performance, your overall GPA will still be very low when you send in that application. Because of such, really blow the MCAT out of the water. You also need to have all the usual assortment of ECs, but those come after GPA repair, which is your #1 priority right now.

good luck!

 

[Omppu27]

bro...

a 2.2 is not going to cut if for any medical schools in the United States. however, you can CERTAINLY overcome it and become a doctor...you just need to have a lot of patience.

DO schools allow for grad replacement, which is your best bet right now. Retake all of your prereq courses that you got lower than a B- in and do really well in them. But regardless of your postbacc performance, your overall GPA will still be very low when you send in that application. Because of such, really blow the MCAT out of the water. You also need to have all the usual assortment of ECs, but those come after GPA repair, which is your #1 priority right now.

good luck!

Agreed that DO is your best bet. This is by no means a looked down upon approach at becoming a doctor, regardless of the jokes/bashing you'll see on this site. Read around here and do you're research and you'll understand. More or less, it's easier to get into DO school, harder to get into the more competitive specialties, not an internationally recognized degree unlike the MD (someone correct me if i'm wrong), and some places will hire an MD before a DO (what i've been told by my uncle who has practiced for 30+ years, however this is not some rule of thumb when doctors are hired). Bottom line, if you become a DO, you are a doctor. period.

Retake all the classes with a B- or less. Get As. Then focus on MCAT. Sneak in ECs here and there. But again, main priority is GPA and GETTING A's....

 

[Ryan Tran]

How do I go about retaking a class? Would I have to reapply to an undergraduate school? I have already graduated from my university so I don't think I would be able to take it there. But perhaps I'll ask my counselor about that. Not only that but I think I've maxed out all the retakes that my university allowed me when I was still an undergraduate :|

I've retaken a lot of classes. Mostly English.

 

[Omppu27]

How do I go about retaking a class? Would I have to reapply to an undergraduate school? I have already graduated from my university so I don't think I would be able to take it there. But perhaps I'll ask my counselor about that. Not only that but I think I've maxed out all the retakes that my university allowed me when I was still an undergraduate :|

I've retaken a lot of classes. Mostly English.

Are you ESL?

Perhaps your retakes limit only applies to obtaining your degree. Maybe you can still take the classes. Definitely talk to your adviser about this.

 

[NekoBeats]

How do I go about retaking a class? Would I have to reapply to an undergraduate school? I have already graduated from my university so I don't think I would be able to take it there. But perhaps I'll ask my counselor about that. Not only that but I think I've maxed out all the retakes that my university allowed me when I was still an undergraduate :|

I've retaken a lot of classes. Mostly English.

+1 comments that DO is your best bet. Did you go to UCR? I thought they allowed people to re-take the class as long as they got a C or lower (due to limited seats, you can't retake if you get anything higher). I knew this one girl that went to UCR, graduated, and then was doing her post-bac there. She was able to retake OChem since she failed it the first time. Maybe you'll be able to re-take classes if you do a post-bac at UCR?

 

[Goro]

Start researching "post-baccalaureate programs for medical school"

You have so much damage done to your cGPA that even with re-takes of the science classes, it might not be enough. A second degree might be in order.

Okay, so I want to be as realistic as I probably can be. I am one of the worst candidates to get into medical school. I graduated college last winter with a piss-poor GPA in chemical engineering, mostly because I didnt' study a day in my life, but I have decided that becoming a doctor is what I want. I drifted throughout college because I didn't have a clear goal in mind and I had zero drive. But I feel like I'm ready to live out my potential. That being said, I want to know my realistic chances of getting into medical school. I can't erase the past, I can only act in the present. I'll do whatever it takes. I'll get a loan and restart college if I need to. What are the steps necessary in order for me to fully understand what I need to do? Should I start studying for the MCAT? Should I take the necessary prerequisite courses?

What do I need to do.

 

[Ryan Tran]

Do you guys think taking the MCAT would be suitable for me? I researched post-baccalaureate programs but most of them require a certain minimum GPA, which I clearly don't meet with my 2.2

But perhaps if I do exceptionally well on the MCAT then that will boost my chances? I'll still look into retaking some undergraduate courses if I'm able to do that of course.

 

[NekoBeats]

Do you guys think taking the MCAT would be suitable for me? I researched post-baccalaureate programs but most of them require a certain minimum GPA, which I clearly don't meet with my 2.2

But perhaps if I do exceptionally well on the MCAT then that will boost my chances? I'll still look into retaking some undergraduate courses if I'm able to do that of course.

Doing 'exceptionally well' on the MCAT, with that GPA, will not get you into a medical school. You must do something about the GPA.

 

[TheFuture_22]

Maybe change your identity and name to something like, say Mike Honcho and start fresh. Haha! But on a serious note, this will take a significant amount of time and patience to repair the GPA enough through grade replacement (need at least 3.0 with 30 plus MCAT and good ECs at minimum) for a chance at the newer DO schools. Keep in mind that this may take 2-3 years or more of taking classes full time and will by no means be easy. Best of luck to you though! It really would be an inspiring story if you were able to pull it off.

 

[DokterMom]

OK - so you were lazy and unmotivated. How brilliant are you? Are you so brilliant that you can outscore 95% of the other people taking the MCAT, bearing in mind that most of them are pretty darned bright also? Like SAT = 2400 brilliant? If not, then I'd suggest your best remedy is going to be time. You see, medical schools don't want people who are lazy and unmotivated or immature, no matter how brilliant they are.

Spend at least five years working as a chemical engineer, demonstrating that you're bright, capable, mature and dedicated. You'll need a solid performance record to counteract your record from the past four years. While you're still being an engineer, spend some time shadowing some physicians to make sure you actually want to become a doctor. Do some volunteer work in a hospital or medical clinic -- enough to really get a feel for the place and make sure it's your true calling. Then start taking classes to replace your lousy grades with great ones.

Some states have something similar to grade replacement -- a 'fresh start' program where if you restart college after say, ten years, they erase your old grades (ALL of them, not just the bad ones) and let you start over. Texas does this (10 years), and they have their own medical school application that, if I recall, ignores the purged grades. I don't think the 'regular' AMCAS application 'times out' old grades ever.

 

[FxnOverload]

not an internationally recognized degree unlike the MD (someone correct me if i'm wrong)

Only because you asked... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Osteopathic_Medicine

Not sure how to link directly to the section but it's under International Practice Rights. Seems about 90-95% of the countries you have unlimited practice rights, with many of the countries being smaller countries like Barbados, etc. A quick glance shows that France allows only OMM. A lot of these are bound to change within the years.

You can also do Doctors Without Borders and if I'm not mistaken (someone correct me if I'm wrong) you can practice in any country on their behalf with unlimited practice rights.

 

[FxnOverload]

Do you guys think taking the MCAT would be suitable for me? I researched post-baccalaureate programs but most of them require a certain minimum GPA, which I clearly don't meet with my 2.2

But perhaps if I do exceptionally well on the MCAT then that will boost my chances? I'll still look into retaking some undergraduate courses if I'm able to do that of course.

And to actually answer you... try to take a step back from everything for a second. Read all of these responses and what it takes to not only get INTO medical school, but also graduate medical school. I know you said you didn't do well in undergrad because you lacked vision with what you wanted to do, but be REALISTIC with yourself. If that was really the reason, then fine, just make sure you don't put yourself in the same position if you get into medical.

Realize that you will definitely have to do well on the MCAT, and expect to not just retake "some" of the prereq courses, but a whole lot of them. I'd assume you'd have to dedicate at least a year of taking classes/studying for the MCAT. Just make sure it's really what you want to do.

 

[survivordo]

Do you guys think taking the MCAT would be suitable for me? I researched post-baccalaureate programs but most of them require a certain minimum GPA, which I clearly don't meet with my 2.2

But perhaps if I do exceptionally well on the MCAT then that will boost my chances? I'll still look into retaking some undergraduate courses if I'm able to do that of course.

Man you're going to have to do a LOT of work to even get your GPA up above cutoff levels. I would worry about the MCAT later.

First you need to research medical school and a career as a physician. Honestly, I'm pretty friggen lazy but I can't see myself ever letting myself have grades like that, I think you'll find most people that are successful at this whole being doctor thing are a little more internally driven than you have demonstrated in the past.

My suggestion would be to take some time. Shadow. Learn what this is really all about. If you dig it, then follow the suggestions others have laid out for you above.

Survivor DO

 

[elw2118]

spend some time shadowing some physicians to make sure you actually want to become a doctor. Do some volunteer work in a hospital or medical clinic -- enough to really get a feel for the place and make sure it's your true calling. Then start taking classes to replace your lousy grades with great ones.
.

I'm gonna second this. You say you want to be a doctor now, and you will do anything. But how much experience do you have with medicine, that you know it's really what you want to do for your whole life? Not only is this a question adcoms will be wondering, but also its something you should answer for yourself... once you're in med school, there's no turning back. So I'd say get a job for a while, in the medical field if you can.... it's very easy to get certified as an EMT-B, for example, and very easy to get a job once you are, at least that was my experience in NYC. Supplement this with research, shadowing, volunteering, etc. if you can. I would do this for a year or two at minimum, and THEN go and retake a whole bunch of science classes. You don't necessarily have to do an official postbac program... lots of schools allow you to take classes that don't count towards a degree if you already have a bachelor's. If you do all that, and kill the MCAT, you should have no problem getting into a decent med school, say, 5 years from now. And remember, there's no rush! Life is long, and you'll enjoy your 20's more this way anyhow. Good luck!!

 

[KittySquared]

Physicians asst. isn't a bad gig either. And it's much much much less competitive than med school.

 

[Omppu27]

Physicians asst. isn't a bad gig either. And it's much much much less competitive than med school.

False false false false. Don't let anyone tell you this. Here's a post I had in another thread

However, regardless of what path you take, you need to start getting As. Don’t let anyone tell you that getting into PA school is some cake walk. Although you don’t have to take the MCAT, you still need a competitive GPA (3.5+) and have to do well on the GRE, especially if you lack in the EC department (same goes for MD/DO). Also, many PA schools have a strict requirement of patient contact hours (some 1000+). Many, many non trads choose the PA route because it is less schooling, thus you will be competing with some people who have over 5000+ hours of clinical experience (former medics, RNs, RTs, etc.).

As far as ECs go, both PA and MD/DO want to see volunteering, clinical and nonclinical. MD/DO would prefer research more so than PA, but that doesn’t mean that PA would value it at all….

I would look up some class profiles of PA schools to give you an idea of the kind of applications they accept. I would also suggest checking out http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/forum.php

 

[gmcguitar4]

Doesn't Texas have some sort of fresh start program? Could OP use that and get another undergrad degree and do very well, then take MCAT and build EC's in that time and apply to MD schools?

 

[volcomx]

.

 

[CjOz]

Doesn't Texas have some sort of fresh start program? Could OP use that and get another undergrad degree and do very well, then take MCAT and build EC's in that time and apply to MD schools?

Texas does have an academic fresh start, but they course grades that you plan to replace need to be 10 years old or older. They may have changed it the past few years but that is my understanding of it. I only know about it because the doctor I am working for did the academic fresh start 10 years ago.

 

[Ryan Tran]

Hey guys, I've gotten a lot of very helpful replies and thank you all for giving me all your responses. So all in all, my priority for getting into med school in the future is to do something about my grades, right? So I have to look for a way of improving my GPA...that's basically my only chance of getting into medical school. But I see that some people are questioning whether or not I actually have the capability or the determination to actually be successful in medical school in the first place...so they're suggesting that i first do some "shadowing" to see what it's all about. So I'll do both those things, then. I'll look for ways to get my GPA up as well as look into some kind of clinical volunteering in order to gain some kind of experience.

 

[solitarius]

Okay Ryan Tran,

Would love to see you succeed, but you would have a serious credibility gap with not just MD, DO, but even Caribbean school at this point.

My man, nobody who gets into medical school just decides they want to be a doctor. They get thoroughly trashed by the premed process, which is designed to sift out people with your academic record. Harsh words, I know, but they are true. Even if you did a second degree and graduated with a 4.0 summa cum laude, any reasonable adcom would have doubts about your maturity and reliability to complete medical school.

Why? Because people don't just flip on a dime like that. Your best bet is to take a job in the real world, grow up a bit, test your resolve. I'd even throw in having fun to see if you're willing to toss that out to re-do a post-bac many years later.

GPA repair done right after a disastrous undergraduate academic degree carries little weight. Done many years later, adcoms may be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that you matured. If you wait 10 years, consider moving to Texas and looking into their fresh start program.

Best.

 

[Ryan Tran]

Hm I see. So my best bet is to just find a regular engineering job at this point? And years down the road if becoming a doctor is still what I want, then I can decide to pursue it?

 

[solitarius]

Keywords here: credibility gap.

Before you put in your first application cycle, you have to figure out how you're going to overcome it and convince some school to take a serious chance on you.

If your GPA was b/n 3.0 and 3.5, doing a post-bac right after university may seem reasonable. With a GPA in the low 2's, how easy is it to repair that? (Not easy). Put it this way, repeating a second degree with a 4.0 will put your cumulative GPA at 3.1. Think about that. Four years of straight A's will only get you a 3.1 (average of 4.0 and 2.2).

It's unlikely a human would even see your app, as it wouldn't make it through their automated cutoffs.

 

[Chuchunezumis]

Hm I see. So my best bet is to just find a regular engineering job at this point? And years down the road if becoming a doctor is still what I want, then I can decide to pursue it?

A lot of people work while taking classes. Seems really hard and time consuming, but that might be what you need to do right now. As others have said, DO grade replacement will still take a while (but it likely your best bet).

 

[Chuchunezumis]

Hm I see. So my best bet is to just find a regular engineering job at this point? And years down the road if becoming a doctor is still what I want, then I can decide to pursue it?

A lot of people work while taking classes. Seems really hard and time consuming, but that might be what you need to do right now. As others have said, DO grade replacement will still take a while (but it likely your best bet).

 

[Doctor Strange]

From reading your posts, it seems like you're turning to medicine as a default "next thing to try since engineering didn't work out." It sounds like you have zero clinical experience and have no idea what being a doctor is like.

You clearly don't have a track record of academic success, and I quite frankly don't think you are capable of it. How can you go through four years of undergraduate work with grades like that and still find yourself unmotivated and unwilling to even try to study and do better? It's pathetic.

At this point, is it even worth trying to go to medical school? Considering your non-existent exposure to the field, your abysmal GPA, and your yet-to-be-taken MCAT, it's going to take at least two years, in my opinion, before you are ready to start applying. Even then, there's no guarantee that you're getting in, either.

Do you really want to be a doctor? Why? How much are you willing to sacrifice now, and do you realistically think it's going to pay off in the end? Ask yourself these questions, because the uphill battle you'll be fighting won't be fun at all.

 

[AdrianVeidt]

From reading your posts, it seems like you're turning to medicine as a default "next thing to try since engineering didn't work out." It sounds like you have zero clinical experience and have no idea what being a doctor is like.

You clearly don't have a track record of academic success, and I quite frankly don't think you are capable of it. How can you go through four years of undergraduate work with grades like that and still find yourself unmotivated and unwilling to even try to study and do better? It's pathetic.

At this point, is it even worth trying to go to medical school? Considering your non-existent exposure to the field, your abysmal GPA, and your yet-to-be-taken MCAT, it's going to take at least two years, in my opinion, before you are ready to start applying. Even then, there's no guarantee that you're getting in, either.

Do you really want to be a doctor? Why? How much are you willing to sacrifice now, and do you realistically think it's going to pay off in the end? Ask yourself these questions, because the uphill battle you'll be fighting won't be fun at all.

I hope you want to be a surgeon and only deal with unconscious people because you have zero empathy.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I hope you want to be a surgeon and only deal with unconscious people because you have zero empathy.

I've mirrored everything that has already been said in this thread. I'm not taking the time to sugar coat anything, because the OP needs to wake up and get real.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using SDN Mobile

 

[TheFuture_22]

The OP seems to have the right attitude about it though. I think he knows that it won't be easy, and it will take awhile. Everyone makes mistakes, and I have heard of people who are initially immature and unmotivated in college turn it around later in life.

 

[volcomx]

I hope you want to be a surgeon and only deal with unconscious people because you have zero empathy.

Yes, because surgeons have no empathy and never interact with conscious patients.

Seriously, I agree with Doc Strange. He comes in with 4 years of proof of laziness and lack of ambition. Why the sudden the change of heart and the motivation to enter one of the most grueling and time consuming trainings for one of the most stressful professions? Hah. Right....

 

[Goro]

Ryan. becoming a doctor isn't a mere career choice like "shall I do sales or product development, or tech support or...?" It's a calling, like being a fireman, policeman, soldier or priest.

Once you start hanging around sick people, you'll know if this is for you or not.

Maybe the earnestness isn't coming across a mere forum, but I can see why you're getting pounded by the past few posters...your comments are both naïve and a tad superficial.

Hm I see. So my best bet is to just find a regular engineering job at this point? And years down the road if becoming a doctor is still what I want, then I can decide to pursue it?

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

I say take the Chem Eng degree and run into a decent job, even with that GPA. Work for a few years, save up some money, and if you really think medicine is your calling, then start thinking about going back to school.