In need of guidance/ support

[letsdothis94]

Alright, here it goes...I'm in my senior year of undergrad, non-URM, 3.4 cGPA/sGPA, good EC's, blah blah blah.

My "upward trend" since freshman year has a very good chance of being disrupted this year (yes, upward trend resulting in a 3.4 by end of junior year, I know...) and I fear my career may be put in jeopardy. Basically lost my best friend in a car accident a few days before school started as he was driving back home from visiting me. I've felt personally responsible ever since it happened (he wanted to leave earlier but didn't end up leaving till later that night). It didn't help that his family basically disowned me and, I've watched his family fall apart in the few months after it happened. Needless to say, I didn't do very well the first half of the semester and will probably end up with an even crappier GPA than I already have, I've rescheduled my MCAT till after I graduate. Before the osteopathic suggestions pour in, you should know that one of the last discussions my deceased friend and I had was about how we both would try to get into MD schools as a bit of friendly competition. Really just needed to vent and need to hear if anyone else has gone through a traumatic event as an undergrad. I also need to know how I can show adcoms the magnitude of how this event effected me and my studies. While I'm here, will a perfect semester this spring (20 credits) and a good MCAT show adcoms I can bounce back from this event and that I'm capable of succeeding in medical school?

-Thanks Guys

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[cantankerous]

It will, but a perfect semester almost never happens......

 

[JessebenBenjamin]

I'm very sorry about your friend. Have you gone to any couseling since it happened? You really shouldn't blame yourself, but I know that's easier said than done. Don't focus on his death, but on how good your friendship was.

Also, is there any chance you could take a semester off?

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

I can't imagine how devastating that must be. My advice is to give yourself time. Take a semester off if you think that would help. There's no rush to get to med school. If necessary, you can always do a postbac to improve your GPA and show medical schools that you really do have what it takes, you just hit a bit of a rough patch.

While I totally understand your wanting to improve and show an upward trend, don't expect to have a perfect semester. It would certainly help to show medical schools how much your science grades can improve but that sounds like a lot of pressure to put on yourself in your last semester. Just do the best you can and know that you have options.

 

[moisne]

Even with a "good" senior year, you are looking at 3.5 (at best?). It will be tough.

I know you touched on why you wanted MD... but the "competition" you had with your friend, shouldn't be the deciding factor then or now.

While I'm sure that experience certainly dampened your performance in school - I'm not quite sure how well adcoms will look on it. I know people who lost a parent (due to cancer and one due to driving accidents), another friend who's parents divorced with a psycho dad who threatened to kill everyone, and another friend who got really sick. But all of this requires you to have an insight and strong self evaluation - If you felt it would disrupt your learning - it is your responsibility to take time off and take care of yourself mentally. That shows maturity. So maybe you will have a chance to explain the dip in your GPA, and maybe they will care - but I think it's better to prepare for the worst.

 

[SOMBound13]

sorry to hear about your friend. give his family some time to come around. they're in shock and hopefully they will realize that they can't blame you for their child's accident. (or am I misunderstanding? are you saying that they "disowned you" because they blame you for the accident? what are they claiming?)


Back to your issue: Don't even try to do 20 credits next semester, you'll just end up with either W's or a lesser GPA....unless all the classes are truly easy A's.

What can you do to salvage this semester? Can you talk to some profs that might be amenable to working something out?

Adcoms are not likely going to give you a pass in regards to this issue. Their thinking will be: as a doctor, you're going to be expected to function at 100% even when your personal world has problems. Throughout a doctor's life he/she will lose parents, siblings, friends, spouses, children, as well as face other stressful situations.