MD & DO Starting Junior year this fall... NEED HELP!

[FutureSurgical]

Hey all, rising junior here. Freshman year I ended with a 3.43 cGPA and a 3.25 sGPA. Not bad. Sophomore year I became an RA, which was a full time job and my GPA plummeted to what it is now: a 3.13 cGPA and 2.95 sGPA (3.02 sGPA with grade forgiveness). What happened was that I've been a long-time depression sufferer. Throughout sophomore year depression hit me hard, so I lost focus on my job, friends, and unfortunately, my grades. I left the job after sophomore year ended to pursue raising my GPA and other opportunities this upcoming fall to improve my application. I made a C+ in a Genetics course and a C in Gen Chem II. However, spring semester I made an improvement on my GPA.

My questions are:

• What should I do this coming year as a junior to really prove to adcoms that I really do have what it takes to become a physician?
• How do I show sophomore year as a lower point in my life rather than me just slacking off

Some other stats:

• Haven't taken the MCAT (I have to take the 2015 MCAT...)
• Being an RA gave me a leadership role for an entire year, so that's a positive
• 72 hours in physician shadowing
• 100+ hours in volunteering in a clinical setting, both in and out of the U.S.
• Still working on my Letters of Recommendation.
• Held an RA position last summer for the month of July before I shifted to another building for the fall and spring.
• Currently holding a job this summer (non clinical) while volunteering at both a children's hospital 3 hours a week and volunteering at the ER for 5 hours a week.
• Taking science courses this fall where professors give research to A students that ask him/her.

I need advice on how to proceed. I have sought help and it has helped tremendously. Should I focus on getting research? More leadership? All help is greatly appreciated!

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[Kochanie]

GPA GPA GPA GPA GPA GPA
I had a 2.6 sGPA, now it's a 2.8 after one quarter, and my goal is 3.0 after this summer. Try not to focus too much on ECs until you are comfortable getting good grades and can make more time for them.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

As the above poster said, really focus on doing the best you can with grades the next couple years. Make your coursework the #2 priority... behind your health. I'm glad to hear that you have been able to get help and turn things around. However, make sure you get any issues resolved as fully as possible, because the eventual stress of medical school can really make anything resurface that has not been fully dealt with.

You're only halfway done with undergrad, and have a lot of upward mobility. Maybe think about taking a class or two during the summer as a retake (any C grades) and you could see a great improvement in your AACOMAS GPA (and a decent uptick in the AMCAS GPA).

So, to answer your questions:
1) Focus on doing your best during the Fall and Spring semesters. Perhaps do some re-takes during the summer if possible. I know retakes are a pain, but they're a great way to demonstrate capability and effectively repair some damage to your GPA.
2) Some schools allow you to explain any fluctuations in your grades on their secondaries. However, I think the best way to show it's a low point is to make it contrast the last two years of classes.
3) Start thinking about getting some research experience, and hopefully you can get into that this Fall. Even a few hours a week is helpful.

There's a lot of room for you to improve your GPA, and my future advice would depend on your MCAT and ending GPA. Do your best to take control of your immediate future, and don't worry about things that are too far in the future!