Pre-med going to into third year....need some encouragement

[hadokenny]

Well let me first introduce myself. I am a pre-med at berekeley. I am definitely not the smartest at berkeley but I do have a lot of ambition. I was thinking that if I try really hard in school, I will get the grades I need to get into med school. Well after 2 years of struggling at berkeley I have finally realized the reality. It seems like no matter how much i studied, I will always be at average or just slight above average at Berkeley. Right now my GPA is around a 3.2-3.3 and I am getting kind of discouraged. I am afraid that I will not be able to get into med school and become what I have always wanted to be. And being Asian doesnt really help my chances either...Well at least now I am done with all my prereqs and a lot of people tell me that upper division classes should be easier than lower div pre-med prereqs. I hope thats true and I am hoping that I will do well in the next 2 years.

Well my questions are...how likely do you guys think I can still pull off a 3.5 by the end of my senior year? What are some ways for science majors to pull up their GPAs after they graduate? I know about pos-bac programs but most of them seems to be geared towards non-science majors. As far as ECs go, I consider myself a pretty well rounded student. I am volunteering at a hospital and I plan to be come an EMT in summer. I also plan get a lab position from my bio professor next year. I am on the taekwondo team and I placed 2nd at nationals last year (hoping to capture gold this year and try out for the US national team). I also founded a motorsports club in my school (I love cars). Do you guys think my ECs are decent enough to make a competitive applicant? Lastly, what other advices can you guys give to a discouraged pre-med like me?

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[xSTALLiONx]

Well let me first introduce myself. I am a pre-med at berekeley. I am definitely not the smartest at berkeley but I do have a lot of ambition. I was thinking that if I try really hard in school, I will get the grades I need to get into med school. Well after 2 years of struggling at berkeley I have finally realized the reality. It seems like no matter how much i studied, I will always be at average or just slight above average at Berkeley. Right now my GPA is around a 3.2-3.3 and I am getting kind of discouraged. I am afraid that I will not be able to get into med school and become what I have always wanted to be. And being Asian doesnt really help my chances either...Well at least now I am done with all my prereqs and a lot of people tell me that upper division classes should be easier than lower div pre-med prereqs. I hope thats true and I am hoping that I will do well in the next 2 years.

Well my questions are...how likely do you guys think I can still pull off a 3.5 by the end of my senior year? What are some ways for science majors to pull up their GPAs after they graduate? I know about pos-bac programs but most of them seems to be geared towards non-science majors. As far as ECs go, I consider myself a pretty well rounded student. I am volunteering at a hospital and I plan to be come an EMT in summer. I also plan get a lab position from my bio professor next year. I am on the taekwondo team and I placed 2nd at nationals last year (hoping to capture gold this year and try out for the US national team). I also founded a motorsports club in my school (I love cars). Do you guys think my ECs are decent enough to make a competitive applicant? Lastly, what other advices can you guys give to a discouraged pre-med like me?

Take easy classes..

3.2 (first 2 years) + 4.0 (2nd two years)= 3.6 (Average) (Replace 4.0 with projected GPA)

They already know you can't handle the classes you took the first two years and get a 4.0.. but you can show them that easy classes.. (Food Science 100) you can handle..

Or just take the advice of other and take hard classes and get a 3.0.. pretty simple decision..

 

[MEG@COOL]

Take easy classes..

3.2 (first 2 years) + 4.0 (2nd two years)= 3.6 (Average) (Replace 4.0 with projected GPA)

They already know you can't handle the classes you took the first two years and get a 4.0.. but you can show them that easy classes.. (Food Science 100) you can handle..

Or just take the advice of other and take hard classes and get a 3.0.. pretty simple decision..

This is a good idea. I also would like to congratulate you for having a good one. I also would like to recommend 100 level courses from the other departments that are easy. Does your school have any professors that are old? The old professors are very whimsical and will fold like a wet sausage if you lean on them. Old ones are very fragile. Try to search for these aged ones. They might help you get better GPA.

 

[melissa123]

I really wouldn't worry! I've been to several medical schools and asked them the same questions. One medical school in particular actually told me that they don't want someone with a perfect "4.0". They would prefer to have someone that has EC like you stated, and maintained a decent gpa, like you have. I myself actually fell to a 3.4 gpa due to a professors screw up this past semester (I'm still fighting him about it ), and I know that in the end, who I am overall is more important than getting all a's. That said, still strive for that high gpa, but don't give up! I'm not!

 

[ShyRem]

The biggest problem with the pre-med philosophy these days (and yes, the medical school admissions too) is that it encourages the doctors of tomorrow - those people who we will be entrusting our lives, our children's lives, our parent's lives - to take the easiest classes possible and learn as little as possible for the sake of the almighty GPA.

What a discouraging future for both ourselves and our children when we encourage the easy road. I'd rather go see a doctor who got a 3.0 in a field that he loved and that challenged him/her than a doc with a 4.0 in basketweaving.

 

[werd]

just remember nobody's a perfect applicant, and about have of all these non-perfect applicants get in each year. i can't really advocate going for easy classes to bring your gpa up, i mean, you're only in college once - make sure you take the things that interest you... there's probably no harm in avoiding the ones you know will be really hard though. also, anyone who's going to try out for an olympic team shouldn't be able to ask with a straight face if they're competetive in EC's. if you're really asking, that'll probably be looked upon very positively. re: something to motivate you... i've found it's true that the hardest part of med school is getting in. once you're in they really take care of you; heck, the first year isn't even that bad - it's more work than college but you can still keep a college sort of social life (or if you're really pounding the books for getting in, a better social life than college). at least that's my experience. good luck and ps - berekley has a really cool campus, seeing the bay from the clocktower and everything .