Is med school still feasible? Advice appreciated

[Lexxa525]

Hi! I would like some advice on whether medical school is still feasible or if I should really consider another route, sorry if it's long winded. I have always been interested in working internationally, Doctors without Borders in particular always captivated me since I was a kid. I had a lot of familial problems and come from a poor socio-economic background and to be honest I slacked off a lot in high school although I took a lot of AP, gifted and IB courses. I graduated Magna Cum Laude due to an inflated gpa, but without this inflation, it was a mere 2.83. When I went to a university, I fared no better, I wasn't encouraged to study pre-med. I always have excelled in the sciences and humanities despite being a slacker but decided my freshman year to pursue a degree in the fine arts. I love art, am talented but I was plagued thereafter that I wasn't meeting my full potential. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to study, who I was, I've traveled more and worked a variety of jobs. I did not excel in college, I ended up changing majors three times, all of them unrelated to my deep desire to pursue medicine. I took classes in so many different areas and would not commit myself continually thinking "what if", so by my junior year, I was academically dismissed from my university with a 1.89 gpa and enrolled in a community college. While there I obtained a 3.5 my first semester, sought out professional guidance and counseling and after another semester of being at a loss, I have applied and was accepted into a new university to pursue a degree in biology. I reconciled myself due to my poor academic history of 4 years of failures and withdrawals, to hopefully finish a B.S in Bio and then a M.S to be a P.A. The closest I can become to working in medicine to the capacity I dreamed of. My question is, I have read a lot on P.A's not being recognized abroad which is my end all goal, and have read that N.P's are more so. Doctor's w/o Borders does not recognize P.As for example. I have considered health admin as well but I feel patient care is more aligned with my interests. So I am at a dilemma, should I instead begin and apply into my new university's BSN program and then pursue a MSN or should I continue pursuing a degree in Bio with the hope of maybe being a contender for med school, becoming a MD? If I am successful at this new university, by the time I complete my biology degree; I will have a 3.7 gpa. I have a lot of credits to complete since I have yet to take any sciences and as mentioned earlier had a terrible tendency to withdraw from classes. I have 97 credits to complete for my Bachelor's alone. MD is really what I want to do. Will four years of bad performance derail that dream? Should I consider medicine in another light such as being an NP or PA? Thank you for any opinions.

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[Quik]

Short answer; nope, there are many comeback stories shared here on SDN. You could be one of them. Fortunately for you, you still have the bulk of your undergraduate left and could revive your GPA much more easily than others whom have completed their Ba/B.s and are forced to revive a poor GPA with a much bigger weight (accumulation of credits). Keep your sights on the goal, figure out how to truly excel and prioritize learning the material, get A's, and your academic record will show a strong turn-around and upward trend in the latter half of your undergrad.

There is a very recent thread (first page) of this non-trad forum where someone asked tips on essentially, how to be an A student after a history of academic mediocrity. I'd suggest you take a look at it, even if you think you have your strategy nailed, you might pick up something new and be a better student for it.
Here is that thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/straight-as.1088033/

 

[FutureDrB]

Hi! I would like some advice on whether medical school is still feasible or if I should really consider another route, sorry if it's long winded. I have always been interested in working internationally, Doctors without Borders in particular always captivated me since I was a kid. I had a lot of familial problems and come from a poor socio-economic background and to be honest I slacked off a lot in high school although I took a lot of AP, gifted and IB courses. I graduated Magna Cum Laude due to an inflated gpa, but without this inflation, it was a mere 2.83. When I went to a university, I fared no better, I wasn't encouraged to study pre-med. I always have excelled in the sciences and humanities despite being a slacker but decided my freshman year to pursue a degree in the fine arts. I love art, am talented but I was plagued thereafter that I wasn't meeting my full potential. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to study, who I was, I've traveled more and worked a variety of jobs. I did not excel in college, I ended up changing majors three times, all of them unrelated to my deep desire to pursue medicine. I took classes in so many different areas and would not commit myself continually thinking "what if", so by my junior year, I was academically dismissed from my university with a 1.89 gpa and enrolled in a community college. While there I obtained a 3.5 my first semester, sought out professional guidance and counseling and after another semester of being at a loss, I have applied and was accepted into a new university to pursue a degree in biology. I reconciled myself due to my poor academic history of 4 years of failures and withdrawals, to hopefully finish a B.S in Bio and then a M.S to be a P.A. The closest I can become to working in medicine to the capacity I dreamed of. My question is, I have read a lot on P.A's not being recognized abroad which is my end all goal, and have read that N.P's are more so. Doctor's w/o Borders does not recognize P.As for example. I have considered health admin as well but I feel patient care is more aligned with my interests. So I am at a dilemma, should I instead begin and apply into my new university's BSN program and then pursue a MSN or should I continue pursuing a degree in Bio with the hope of maybe being a contender for med school, becoming a MD? If I am successful at this new university, by the time I complete my biology degree; I will have a 3.7 gpa. I have a lot of credits to complete since I have yet to take any sciences and as mentioned earlier had a terrible tendency to withdraw from classes. I have 97 credits to complete for my Bachelor's alone. MD is really what I want to do. Will four years of bad performance derail that dream? Should I consider medicine in another light such as being an NP or PA? Thank you for any opinions.

Without sounding like I'm tooting my own horn, I've overcome just about every obstacle imaginable. (I guess I can't say "overcome" just yet because I haven't been accepted -- not applying until next year.) But you name it and I had it/have it going against me.

I've been working towards this goal for going on 17 years now. My opinion is that you are never completely sunk. (Although for MD you can be sunk with poor grades.)

With that said, @Quik is right, you still have a long way to go. Right now you need to be focusing on your undergraduate program, but it's never too early to start on your ECs and do some shadowing and get some clinical exposure to make sure you really know what being a physician and working with sick people entails.

 

[Lexxa525]

Thank you so much @Quik and @FutureDrB I've reread your replies many times over now and I appreciate both your insight and the link to that thread as well. Hearing it's possible from others is a huge relief. I just really needed that because I was starting to psych myself out. I haven't really shared my dream of being an MD, I think Im going to start saying Im doing a degree in Bio with the intent of applying instead of holding back saying its to be a PA. And @FutureDrB to read that you have pursued your dream and still continue to do so as well, is definitely up lifting. I know I'm going to be one of those come back stories you mentioned @Quik, thank you both a bunch!

 

[Law2Doc]

You can dig out of even a fairly deep hole, but it will take time.

My bigger concern is that, frankly, unless you are independently wealthy, you are going to have to work as a doctor quite a few years until you are able to pay off your debts and get yourself financially secure enough to do something internationally philanthropic and low revenue like "doctors without borders". As appealing as that path sounds when you are younger and idealistic, the reality is that economics make this a really bad career path until the much later stages of your career (and maybe not a viable goal for older nontrads at all). There are plenty of ways to be charitable here without quitting your day job.

It's going to take several years before you have the credentials for med school. Then four years of med school and at least three years of residency. So at least a decade. You will be in a very different personal and financial situation by then. The glamor of international philanthropy may fade and you probably will have debt to service and a family to support by then, if you don't already. So you probably don't want to make your choice based on this end goal, appealing though it sounds. Most people with interests like yours manage to satisfy this urge with a week here and there during med school or residency, doing a "mission" to Haiti or wherever disaster relief is needed, before going back to what actually will pay the bills and bring home the bacon.

 

[jl lin]

You can dig out of even a fairly deep hole, but it will take time.

My bigger concern is that, frankly, unless you are independently wealthy, you are going to have to work as a doctor quite a few years until you are able to pay off your debts and get yourself financially secure enough to do something internationally philanthropic and low revenue like "doctors without borders". As appealing as that path sounds when you are younger and idealistic, the reality is that economics make this a really bad career path until the much later stages of your career (and maybe not a viable goal for older nontrads at all). There are plenty of ways to be charitable here without quitting your day job.

It's going to take several years before you have the credentials for med school. Then four years of med school and at least three years of residency. So at least a decade. You will be in a very different personal and financial situation by then. The glamor of international philanthropy may fade and you probably will have debt to service and a family to support by then, if you don't already. So you probably don't want to make your choice based on this end goal, appealing though it sounds. Most people with interests like yours manage to satisfy this urge with a week here and there during med school or residency, doing a "mission" to Haiti or wherever disaster relief is needed, before going back to what actually will pay the bills and bring home the bacon.

Wow, I love your posts Law2Doc; b/c they are so sensible. There are ways to do philanthropy in this country. I can see the OP's position, but one can do much as a DO. Sadly the many costs of becoming a physician are quite burdensome.

 

[Quik]

You're welcome! Good luck to you! Remember, it's so much easier said than done... It takes a ton of maturity, and constant sacrifices to turn those habits around that

You can dig out of even a fairly deep hole, but it will take time.

My bigger concern is that, frankly, unless you are independently wealthy, you are going to have to work as a doctor quite a few years until you are able to pay off your debts and get yourself financially secure enough to do something internationally philanthropic and low revenue like "doctors without borders". As appealing as that path sounds when you are younger and idealistic, the reality is that economics make this a really bad career path until the much later stages of your career (and maybe not a viable goal for older nontrads at all). There are plenty of ways to be charitable here without quitting your day job.

It's going to take several years before you have the credentials for med school. Then four years of med school and at least three years of residency. So at least a decade. You will be in a very different personal and financial situation by then. The glamor of international philanthropy may fade and you probably will have debt to service and a family to support by then, if you don't already. So you probably don't want to make your choice based on this end goal, appealing though it sounds. Most people with interests like yours manage to satisfy this urge with a week here and there during med school or residency, doing a "mission" to Haiti or wherever disaster relief is needed, before going back to what actually will pay the bills and bring home the bacon.

While this post is extremely realistic and pragmatic in that sense, I think the bigger picture here and another point to emphasize, is that as an MD at any point (even while in med school) allows international philanthropic work, which is so damn rewarding. If you want to take your two week vacation and go surf the coast of Ecuador and volunteer in a village/orphanage, you'll be welcomed with open arms and that vacation might mean more to you than just a refreshing break from your real world life.

Remember too, the reoccurring theme echoed here that this journey is a marathon. This is great if you enjoy a constant challenge and have a distaste for monotony (unless you despise the monotony of constantly being challenged). If you commit to this path, hopefully you embrace and enjoy that challenge and realize every day, not just at the finish line, that it is the climb that is making you stronger and better.

 

[Mars41]

I definitely believe that you can recover. You are fortunate that you have a lot of undergrad work left to complete and plenty of time to redeem yourself.

I am at a disadvantage because I GRADUATED with a low GPA but it is still possible with years of hard work.

Don't get too enamored with the doctors without borders lifestyle. It is an amazing opportunity but not pragmatic for an entire career. Don't forget about all the med school debt that you will take on. There will always be plenty of volunteer opportunities available for MD's and DO's though and you'll be able to give back in a variety of different ways.

Good luck with your journey. Work hard and stay the course and you will succeed.