New to SDN (sorta) and kinda sinking

[mmd0418]

Hi! A little bit about my situation.

Education: I've completed a total of 39 hours at a community college and will be done with my basics. I've spent a semester at a major public university in Texas and I had to leave due to financial issues. I need to retake two classes there

Volunteering: I've had probably a total of MAYBE 100 hours at a local hospital on the Mother and Baby floor. (I have no idea why they didn't rotate me.

Clinical experience: besides volunteering none!

Work: currently I'm a nanny. Im working on making the switch into something more my speed. (Pharm tech, CNA, phlebotomist)

I posted this because my college years have not been easy for me at all. And I keep running into problems and sort of getting discouraged. I graduated in 2014 from high school and initially planned to complete just one year at CC and transfer into a uni. (Which i did) but now I'm back where I started because of funding issues. I'm a first Gen student. I believe maybe my father was a college drop out. And my mother didn't pursue college at all. There is NO funding for my college at all anywhere besides what I save and financial aid.

I've run into another problem as well. Biology 1 at the uni I want to attend is only taught in the fall semesters! And it is completely FULL! when I return to the uni I will be in my third year and should be considered a junior. I'm frantically panicking about being SO behind. This means I would be taking my science prereqs my senior year. Is there anything I can do to fix this?! I can take all my chemistry and physics classes but no bio (which is my major) until my senior year!

My GPA definitely needs work! However I'm not worried too much about my non science courses. I want to retake a few classes to boost my gpa but not many.

Throughout my college career money will always be a problem for me and I'm aware of that. However as long as I make enough to scrape by i will be happy! So finding a job to gain clinical experience and pay you reasonable is difficult for me as well!

Recently I also got an MIC (minor in consumption) which is a class c misdemeanor. I haven't been to court to take care of it or to see what is even going to happen to me. This has totally thrown me over the edge because now I feel like my whole future will be ruined. Am I completely screwed?!

I'm looking for all the advice I can get right now, because at this point I'm feeling like just throwing the towel in.


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[ThoracicGuy]

Hi! A little bit about my situation.

Education: I've completed a total of 39 hours at a community college and will be done with my basics. I've spent a semester at a major public university in Texas and I had to leave due to financial issues. I need to retake two classes there

Volunteering: I've had probably a total of MAYBE 100 hours at a local hospital on the Mother and Baby floor. (I have no idea why they didn't rotate me.

Clinical experience: besides volunteering none!

Work: currently I'm a nanny. Im working on making the switch into something more my speed. (Pharm tech, CNA, phlebotomist)

I posted this because my college years have not been easy for me at all. And I keep running into problems and sort of getting discouraged. I graduated in 2014 from high school and initially planned to complete just one year at CC and transfer into a uni. (Which i did) but now I'm back where I started because of funding issues. I'm a first Gen student. I believe maybe my father was a college drop out. And my mother didn't pursue college at all. There is NO funding for my college at all anywhere besides what I save and financial aid.

I've run into another problem as well. Biology 1 at the uni I want to attend is only taught in the fall semesters! And it is completely FULL! when I return to the uni I will be in my third year and should be considered a junior. I'm frantically panicking about being SO behind. This means I would be taking my science prereqs my senior year. Is there anything I can do to fix this?! I can take all my chemistry and physics classes but no bio (which is my major) until my senior year!

My GPA definitely needs work! However I'm not worried too much about my non science courses. I want to retake a few classes to boost my gpa but not many.

Throughout my college career money will always be a problem for me and I'm aware of that. However as long as I make enough to scrape by i will be happy! So finding a job to gain clinical experience and pay you reasonable is difficult for me as well!

Recently I also got an MIC (minor in consumption) which is a class c misdemeanor. I haven't been to court to take care of it or to see what is even going to happen to me. This has totally thrown me over the edge because now I feel like my whole future will be ruined. Am I completely screwed?!

I'm looking for all the advice I can get right now, because at this point I'm feeling like just throwing the towel in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Applying to med school is a marathon, not a sprint. If it takes you another 2, 3, 4 years or even more, that's ok. Med schools aren't going anywhere. You need to be able to take the classes you need, excel, and put forth your best application the very first time.

Also, your future is not ruined by the alcohol charge... just don't let it happen again.

 

[Tabiyou]

Can you fight the misdemeanor? When I was driving through Virginia, I got pulled over for allegedly going 81 in a 70 mph zone. I hired a lawyer for $350 and he was able to get rid of the charges. I just had to take a safety course (12 hours) and pass a $50 test. A crappy way to spend $400, but worth it in the end.

 

[Goro]

Go to your school's education or learning center for help with time mgt, study skills, etc.

 

[mmd0418]

Can you fight the misdemeanor? When I was driving through Virginia, I got pulled over for allegedly going 81 in a 70 mph zone. I hired a lawyer for $350 and he was able to get rid of the charges. I just had to take a safety course (12 hours) and pass a $50 test. A crappy way to spend $400, but worth it in the end.

I've gotten speeding tickets before but I'm not worried about that. I don't know I'm not sure if I can because the protocol for a cop to be able to give you a citation for an MIC is completely different. The officer doesn't have to give me a field sobriety test or breathalyzer. He can just say oh I think you've been consuming alcohol and write it.

 

[mmd0418]

Applying to med school is a marathon, not a sprint. If it takes you another 2, 3, 4 years or even more, that's ok. Med schools aren't going anywhere. You need to be able to take the classes you need, excel, and put forth your best application the very first time.

Also, your future is not ruined by the alcohol charge... just don't let it happen again.

I know there is a general timeline and I'm just worried I'm completely not following it.

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

You're not sinking at all. I have 42 credits at a CC and about 120 hours of clinical/nonclinical combined. Pretty much the exact same thing as you. You're on pace to have a strong app if you continue and expand your activities gradually.

Make up some gen eds over the summer if you want, or just take a summer off to add some volunteering and/or shadowing. Everything will work out fine.

My first year I didn't take any pre reqs except english, and soc/psy. Once I finish my AA I will have only taken 1 semester of gen chem, gen bio, and anatomy. I had to take a year of remedial math courses and an intro chem course before I could even start gen chem. ill end up a year behind or so. Its really not a big deal. The main thing is that you do well in all your classes and on the MCAT rather than finish in exactly 4 years.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I know there is a general timeline and I'm just worried I'm completely not following it.

Don't be worried. There are a lot more people who do things in the way you are describing than you would think. And also don't worry about the arbitrary levels of senior, junior, sophomore etc. this isn't high school where that actually matters. If your classes are full in the fall then take something else and take those classes in the next semester when there are seats, it really is a non issue. Those "levels" in college are based off of your credits which often doesn't reflects it true position with respect to graduating, I haven't even deviated off of my major track and I have been a "senior" for about 2.5 years now with two semesters to go. The biggest thing is make sure you are understanding the material and getting good grades, that is what is really important

 

[LizzyM]

Don't spend a lot of time or money on the MIC but don't do it again. Adcoms know that college kids do these things and sometimes they get caught.

If you have 39 credits you are barely finished with freshman year so don't worry about your timeline, worry about getting the best grades you can. It will cost you more time (and money) to do GPA repair if you try to do it fast and make a mess than if you go slowly and do well.

I think that this will be your timeline:
2016-2017: Chem I and II, Physics I and II, Psychology (if you haven't already taken it)
2017-2018: Bio I and II, O-Chem I and II, Statistics (if you haven't already taken it)
spring 2018: take MCAT (everything will be fresh in your mind but also plan on a study plan that focuses on practice tests)
decide whether to apply in summer 2018 to start in 2019 or whether to plan on a gap year.
Summer 2018: complete applications
2018-2019: finish requirements for your bachelor's degree and go on interviews for med school

 

[mmd0418]

Don't spend a lot of time or money on the MIC but don't do it again. Adcoms know that college kids do these things and sometimes they get caught.

If you have 39 credits you are barely finished with freshman year so don't worry about your timeline, worry about getting the best grades you can. It will cost you more time (and money) to do GPA repair if you try to do it fast and make a mess than if you go slowly and do well.

I think that this will be your timeline:
2016-2017: Chem I and II, Physics I and II, Psychology (if you haven't already taken it)
2017-2018: Bio I and II, O-Chem I and II, Statistics (if you haven't already taken it)
spring 2018: take MCAT (everything will be fresh in your mind but also plan on a study plan that focuses on practice tests)
decide whether to apply in summer 2018 to start in 2019 or whether to plan on a gap year.
Summer 2018: complete applications
2018-2019: finish requirements for your bachelor's degree and go on interviews for med school

Thank you! This helped a lot! However I'm not considered a freshmen. I am considered a sophomore at the uni after my fall semester. I've completed a total of 39 hours at the CC (some haven't been transferred over yet)
This helps ease my worry a lot thank you!!

 

[leonardoson]

I graduated high school in 2008. I'm 25 years old and heading into my junior year. I plan on taking a gap year, and won't matriculate into a med school till i'm 28 or later. You are not behind. Enjoy your life man, it's the only one you have.