- Joined
- Jan 15, 2012
- Messages
- 120
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- 86
Hi everyone,
I have been struggling in college (though the problem goes back further...), but I have finally taken action. Of course, it's my second semester of junior year, but better late than never. Believe me, the past few years were terrible for me before I could accept I had a problem.
I'll try to be concise:
I have been struggling with "something" my entire life. In kindergarten through second grade, I received special help because I couldn't pay attention, always appeared to be daydreaming, and couldn't focus on what I was supposed to. No formal diagnosis was ever made - I can't remember exactly what they thought I had, and I don't know if my parents somehow refused. However, my school district was terribly underfunded, and they dropped my special help in third grade without warning (as far as I can remember).
Though I was a decent student from K-12, teachers always complained how I was daydreaming, obsessive, and had trouble making friends. I was always the target of bullying because I "never talked" and was thus "weird" to my classmates - some of these bullying incidents were quite traumatic and cannot be described here.
In middle and high school, I nevertheless made a few good friends.
My parents thought I never had anything wrong with me - teachers thought otherwise (but remember, I was still under 18 most of this time, so my parents had control).
When I got to college, however, my issues, academically, were becoming more apparent. Socially, college was somewhat easier because people were becoming more mature, but the new academic expectations were frustrating, to say the least. I knew that college was supposed to be harder than high school, but the issue was that I could not keep up with the work, resulting in poor grades.
The worst of those was a D in organic chemistry II (though I did retake it and get an A-).
Still, last semester, I took physics I with calculus (hah!) and was failing at every test. I withdrew when I still could, but I was now very depressed and angry and had to seek psychological help.
Long story short, I was sent to be evaluated for ADHD and its relatives (covered by insurance!), and while I still haven't gotten the results back (next Friday I will), it's most likely some combination of ADHD/OCD that's been getting at me all these years.
I need to make one thing clear - I am not seeking some magical "happy pills". I'm just trying to get out of the mess that the problems I've always had eventually added up to create. I know it will be tough, but I am determined to achieve my goal of going to medical school, osteopathic or otherwise. I just want to get the tools, resources, and understanding I need.
So, the issue is that I have to work with a GPA of 2.8 (without the orgo factored) or 2.94 (osteopathic replacement for orgo).
My ECs have been on and off - I hope to get some shadowing in very soon, and I am getting to know some osteopathic physicians who I can shadow.
My parents want me to take a fifth year somehow - is this a wise idea, or should I do a post-bacc?
When should I take MCATs? Apply early?
What other advice can the SDN community give me?
I appreciate your help. Thanks!
I have been struggling in college (though the problem goes back further...), but I have finally taken action. Of course, it's my second semester of junior year, but better late than never. Believe me, the past few years were terrible for me before I could accept I had a problem.
I'll try to be concise:
I have been struggling with "something" my entire life. In kindergarten through second grade, I received special help because I couldn't pay attention, always appeared to be daydreaming, and couldn't focus on what I was supposed to. No formal diagnosis was ever made - I can't remember exactly what they thought I had, and I don't know if my parents somehow refused. However, my school district was terribly underfunded, and they dropped my special help in third grade without warning (as far as I can remember).
Though I was a decent student from K-12, teachers always complained how I was daydreaming, obsessive, and had trouble making friends. I was always the target of bullying because I "never talked" and was thus "weird" to my classmates - some of these bullying incidents were quite traumatic and cannot be described here.
In middle and high school, I nevertheless made a few good friends.
My parents thought I never had anything wrong with me - teachers thought otherwise (but remember, I was still under 18 most of this time, so my parents had control).
When I got to college, however, my issues, academically, were becoming more apparent. Socially, college was somewhat easier because people were becoming more mature, but the new academic expectations were frustrating, to say the least. I knew that college was supposed to be harder than high school, but the issue was that I could not keep up with the work, resulting in poor grades.
The worst of those was a D in organic chemistry II (though I did retake it and get an A-).
Still, last semester, I took physics I with calculus (hah!) and was failing at every test. I withdrew when I still could, but I was now very depressed and angry and had to seek psychological help.
Long story short, I was sent to be evaluated for ADHD and its relatives (covered by insurance!), and while I still haven't gotten the results back (next Friday I will), it's most likely some combination of ADHD/OCD that's been getting at me all these years.
I need to make one thing clear - I am not seeking some magical "happy pills". I'm just trying to get out of the mess that the problems I've always had eventually added up to create. I know it will be tough, but I am determined to achieve my goal of going to medical school, osteopathic or otherwise. I just want to get the tools, resources, and understanding I need.
So, the issue is that I have to work with a GPA of 2.8 (without the orgo factored) or 2.94 (osteopathic replacement for orgo).
My ECs have been on and off - I hope to get some shadowing in very soon, and I am getting to know some osteopathic physicians who I can shadow.
My parents want me to take a fifth year somehow - is this a wise idea, or should I do a post-bacc?
When should I take MCATs? Apply early?
What other advice can the SDN community give me?
I appreciate your help. Thanks!
