Academic probation. What do I do?

[AlongWay]

Im on academic probation after my dismal performance last year. I failed 5 classes because Im an idiot and decided to make some very poor choices with my life.

Either way, this semester I can only take 9 credits, which means that I will have to spend yet another year doing undergrad. I will only graduate when Im 23 an age when most people have careers or grad school, but not me. A thought that itself brings me to my knees. But this is my life, and I must somehow find a way to come to terms with my weakness and self-hatred for getting in this position.

I still want to be a doctor but I have the whole medical system stacked up against me. People with GPA's as bad as mine find it difficult to do anything in life, let alone med school. I can safely say that Im probably the only one from my culture in such a pathetic situation, but I have accepted that I will fail my cultural and family expectations. The only thing that gives me hope is this idea (though I doubt its actually true) that there must be at least ONE other pre-med from my culture who has had a similar background but is now in med school. Most of us are brought up to be perfect and successful early on, but I am sure that i can't be the ONLY ONE who is on the opposite end of the scale, it just doesn't make rational sense.

Anyways I am done railing my fate and hating myself. Its not going to help me change, and I desperately need to because I do not want to spend the rest of my life as an underachiever - no matter if I am a doctor or not.

So at this point, realistically, what can be done? I am starting to retake the classes I failed, I will only be graduating in 2014 and I have about 40 or so credits left.

My list of goals as of today:

- Try to establish as high of a trend as I can with the credits I have remaining.

- Graduate in 2014 (2 years later than when I was supposed too) and get a job in research as a low- level tech or research assistant at some major hospital or pharma company.

- Continue taking classes till my GPA is above a 3.0 (I'm not exactly sure how many I would need)

- Try to score as high as I can on the MCAT

- If this all goes well, apply for an SMP.

Does this sound realistic?

As for my non-academic goals. I wanted to travel abroad and do public health research in third world countries. I had aspirations to apply for various prestigious grants and fellowships, but since I'm on academic probation I shouldn't aspire for things that great. I wanted to backpack Europe, travel to Asia and the Pacific, but sadly will not have time anymore to do all those things.

I guess I will shadow/volunteer at the nearest hospital where I can get a job. Continue doing research. I am open to suggestions because Im not really sure what else I can do at this point.

Thanks.

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[Ironmandoc]

:troll:

 

[Catalystik]

Im on academic probation after my dismal performance last year. I failed 5 classes because Im an idiot and decided to make some very poor choices with my life.

Either way, this semester I can only take 9 credits, which means that I will have to spend yet another year doing undergrad. I will only graduate when Im 23 an age when most people have careers or grad school, but not me. A thought that itself brings me to my knees. But this is my life, and I must somehow find a way to come to terms with my weakness and self-hatred for getting in this position.

I still want to be a doctor but I have the whole medical system stacked up against me. People with GPA's as bad as mine find it difficult to do anything in life, let alone med school. I can safely say that Im probably the only one from my culture in such a pathetic situation, but I have accepted that I will fail my cultural and family expectations. The only thing that gives me hope is this idea (though I doubt its actually true) that there must be at least ONE other pre-med from my culture who has had a similar background but is now in med school. Most of us are brought up to be perfect and successful early on, but I am sure that i can't be the ONLY ONE who is on the opposite end of the scale, it just doesn't make rational sense.

Anyways I am done railing my fate and hating myself. Its not going to help me change, and I desperately need to because I do not want to spend the rest of my life as an underachiever - no matter if I am a doctor or not.

So at this point, realistically, what can be done? I am starting to retake the classes I failed, I will only be graduating in 2014 and I have about 40 or so credits left.

My list of goals as of today:

- Try to establish as high of a trend as I can with the credits I have remaining.

- Graduate in 2014 (2 years later than when I was supposed too) and get a job in research as a low- level tech or research assistant at some major hospital or pharma company.

- Continue taking classes till my GPA is above a 3.0 (I'm not exactly sure how many I would need)

- Try to score as high as I can on the MCAT

- If this all goes well, apply for an SMP.

Does this sound realistic?

As for my non-academic goals. I wanted to travel abroad and do public health research in third world countries. I had aspirations to apply for various prestigious grants and fellowships, but since I'm on academic probation I shouldn't aspire for things that great. I wanted to backpack Europe, travel to Asia and the Pacific, but sadly will not have time anymore to do all those things.

I guess I will shadow/volunteer at the nearest hospital where I can get a job. Continue doing research. I am open to suggestions because Im not really sure what else I can do at this point.

Thanks.

Be aware that (AACOMAS) DO med schools only include the most recent grade when you retake a class for the same credits or more. This erases your Fs from inclusion in your application GPA calculation.

 

[Ironmandoc]

Although you can get forgiveness in your gpa, be prepared to answer for your F's. They won't go away.

 

[AlongWay]

Be aware that (AACOMAS) DO med schools only include the most recent grade when you retake a class for the same credits or more. This erases your Fs from inclusion in your application GPA calculation.

Ok. Well if I were to retake all of those classes and do well in them, would I still be able to get into an SMP provided I took enough credits to get my GPA above a 3.0 with a decent MCAT?

That's pretty much what I'm aiming for at this point, but I'm not sure how realistic it is.

Any other suggestions?

Im really not trying to troll. I just want to know what to do and where to go with my life since I am at an all-time low so that I can eventually be competitive for med school.

 

[Catalystik]

Well if I were to retake all of those classes and do well in them, would I still be able to get into an SMP provided I took enough credits to get my GPA above a 3.0 with a decent MCAT?

That's pretty much what I'm aiming for at this point, but I'm not sure how realistic it is.

A steep consistent upward grade trend from this point forward, GPAs > 3.0, As in upper level Bio, decent ECs and MCAT score, and an excellent essay on a challenge you overcame (where asked for) would give you a great shot at getting into an SMP if you want your best chance of getting into an MD program.

 

[AlongWay]

A steep consistent upward grade trend from this point forward, GPAs > 3.0, As in upper level Bio, decent ECs and MCAT score, and an excellent essay on a challenge you overcame (where asked for) would give you a great shot at getting into an SMP if you want your best chance of getting into an MD program.

Thank you. Now of course I am also going to apply to DO programs since, as you already mentioned, they take my highest of two grades instead of averaging them. I just have a few questions regarding DOs as I am not aware of OMT dynamics since I have only met and shadowed MDs so far.

1) How much harder is it to specialize as a DO compared to an MD? (Im interested in Oncology)

2) Can DO's also do other work in addition to being a doctor? What I mean is that you hear about some MD's who are authors, startup their own biotech companies, journalists, medical consultants to TV shows, hell some even go into acting!

Im not saying I want to do ALL of the above, but I'm curious if DO's can do those things too since you never really hear about any?

3) Stupid question: What is the stigma associated with DOs being "inferior" to MDs? Does that actually exist in the real world? Do MD's think "less" of DOs?

4) Stupid question #2: What kind of negative cultural stigma is associated with DOs in Asian/South Asian culture? Are there a lot of DOs from this demographic? Are they considered "lower" than MDs within their own culture?

5) If I want to apply to MD programs, the SMP is pretty much my only shot right? At this point, even if I graduate, get a research related job and continue taking classes with high grades, manage to do really well on the MCAT, get my GPA to a 3.0+, I couldn't apply to MD programs without an SMP right?

6) What kind of ECs are feasible and realistic for me? I had plans to want to apply for a prestigious Fulbright grant, but if Im on academic probation, its probably not going to happen now. I wanted to go abroad and do research in public health, I wanted to travel to a lot of places, I wanted to work in Africa, but I'm not going to have time for these things anymore. What kind of ECs are realistic?

 

[MedPR]

Thank you. Now of course I am also going to apply to DO programs since, as you already mentioned, they take my highest of two grades instead of averaging them. I just have a few questions regarding DOs as I am not aware of OMT dynamics since I have only met and shadowed MDs so far.

1) How much harder is it to specialize as a DO compared to an MD? (Im interested in Oncology) Impossible.

2) Can DO's also do other work in addition to being a doctor? What I mean is that you hear about some MD's who are authors, startup their own biotech companies, journalists, medical consultants to TV shows, hell some even go into acting! No.

Im not saying I want to do ALL of the above, but I'm curious if DO's can do those things too since you never really hear about any? No.

3) Stupid question: What is the stigma associated with DOs being "inferior" to MDs? Does that actually exist in the real world? Do MD's think "less" of DOs? Yes, very much so.

4) Stupid question #2: What kind of negative cultural stigma is associated with DOs in Asian/South Asian culture? Are there a lot of DOs from this demographic? Are they considered "lower" than MDs within their own culture? No, all the asians are MDs because they are actually smart. DOs are lower than MDs in every culture.

5) If I want to apply to MD programs, the SMP is pretty much my only shot right? At this point, even if I graduate, get a research related job and continue taking classes with high grades, manage to do really well on the MCAT, get my GPA to a 3.0+, I couldn't apply to MD programs without an SMP right? Right. Assuming you can even get into an SMP.

6) What kind of ECs are feasible and realistic for me? I had plans to want to apply for a prestigious Fulbright grant, but if Im on academic probation, its probably not going to happen now. I wanted to go abroad and do research in public health, I wanted to travel to a lot of places, I wanted to work in Africa, but I'm not going to have time for these things anymore. What kind of ECs are realistic? None. You can't even volunteer or shadow domestically if you've been placed on academic probation.

..

 

[AlongWay]

..

Anyone with real answers are more than welcome.

 

[Catalystik]

Thank you. Now of course I am also going to apply to DO programs since, as you already mentioned, they take my highest of two grades instead of averaging them. I just have a few questions regarding DOs as I am not aware of OMT dynamics since I have only met and shadowed MDs so far.

1) How much harder is it to specialize as a DO compared to an MD? (Im interested in Oncology)

2) Can DO's also do other work in addition to being a doctor? What I mean is that you hear about some MD's who are authors, startup their own biotech companies, journalists, medical consultants to TV shows, hell some even go into acting!

Im not saying I want to do ALL of the above, but I'm curious if DO's can do those things too since you never really hear about any?

3) Stupid question:
a) What is the stigma associated with DOs being "inferior" to MDs?
b) Does that actually exist in the real world? Do MD's think "less" of DOs?

4) Stupid question #2:
a) What kind of negative cultural stigma is associated with DOs in Asian/South Asian culture?
b) Are there a lot of DOs from this demographic?
c) Are they considered "lower" than MDs within their own culture?

5) If I want to apply to MD programs, the SMP is pretty much my only shot right? At this point, even if I graduate, get a research related job and continue taking classes with high grades, manage to do really well on the MCAT, get my GPA to a 3.0+, I couldn't apply to MD programs without an SMP right?

6) What kind of ECs are feasible and realistic for me? I had plans to want to apply for a prestigious Fulbright grant, but if Im on academic probation, its probably not going to happen now. I wanted to go abroad and do research in public health, I wanted to travel to a lot of places, I wanted to work in Africa, but I'm not going to have time for these things anymore. What kind of ECs are realistic?

1)
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=12109604

2) Yes.

3a) & 4a&c) Can be Searched out or asked in PreMedOsteo.

3b) I can't speak for all MD's opinions, but in my state, which has a DO school, we work and live side by side with equal pay for performance. I have not witnessed discrimination.

4b) See page 2 for Asian matriculant percent: http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2011Matriculantsummary.pdf

5) An SMP is not necessarily required. Three years of strong grades and a very good MCAT score can be enough for some schools. Wayne is well known to primarily consider the last 30 credit hours of grades. Other schools rewieght one's grades, giving less weight to freshman year, more weight to the junior and senior year, or tossing out a horrible semester all together. Unfortunately, few schools advertise their formula, thus the admonition to "apply widely."

6) It is premature to discuss any ECs until you nail down your study strategies and produce some excellent grades. Don't distract yourself with activities when GPA is your highest priority. Come back with a 3.7+ GPA over the next year, and we'll talk. Reading this forum extensively will give you a good idea of ECs to consider.

 

[jhuskp]

2) Can DO's also do other work in addition to being a doctor? What I mean is that you hear about some MD's who are authors, startup their own biotech companies, journalists, medical consultants to TV shows, hell some even go into acting!

Please don't tell me this is why you want to be a doctor.

 

[Goro]

Before you do anything else, go to a therapist and work on the self-esteem problems.

Once that's out of the way, fix what's broken academically. Re-take the poor grade classes...there's lots good advice on this in this and other forums.

Im on academic probation after my dismal performance last year. I failed 5 classes because Im an idiot and decided to make some very poor choices with my life.
- Continue taking classes till my GPA is above a 3.0 (I'm not exactly sure how many I would need)


I guess I will shadow/volunteer at the nearest hospital where I can get a job. Continue doing research. I am open to suggestions because Im not really sure what else I can do at this point.

Thanks.

 

[coolingglasses]

Please don't tell me this is why you want to be a doctor.

Yeah, that struck me as an odd question.

As far as DO stigma in Asian families... I haven't seen it. But I don't think my folks pressure me that hard, yours may be different. Also, while we have a lot of health care professionals in the extended family tree, few are physicians... like no more than three. So the prospect of me becoming a physican, DO or MD, is a big deal.

But once again, your family may be different. Internationally, I know recognition and unlimited practice for DOs is limited (45 countries?). But all my relatives across the Pacific need to hear is that I'm fully licensed to practice in the US and I think they'll be happy.

 

[AlongWay]

1)
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=12109604

2) Yes.

3a) & 4a&c) Can be Searched out or asked in PreMedOsteo.

3b) I can't speak for all MD's opinions, but in my state, which has a DO school, we work and live side by side with equal pay for performance. I have not witnessed discrimination.

4b) See page 2 for Asian matriculant percent: http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2011Matriculantsummary.pdf

5) An SMP is not necessarily required. Three years of strong grades and a very good MCAT score can be enough for some schools. Wayne is well known to primarily consider the last 30 credit hours of grades. Other schools rewieght one's grades, giving less weight to freshman year, more weight to the junior and senior year, or tossing out a horrible semester all together. Unfortunately, few schools advertise their formula, thus the admonition to "apply widely."

6) It is premature to discuss any ECs until you nail down your study strategies and produce some excellent grades. Don't distract yourself with activities when GPA is your highest priority. Come back with a 3.7+ GPA over the next year, and we'll talk. Reading this forum extensively will give you a good idea of ECs to consider.

Thanks a lot!

Please don't tell me this is why you want to be a doctor.

Not at all, I want to be a doctor because I want to practice medicine. I just have some family friends who are in med school and are doing some of those things. It just struck me as a cool side-job to have. They are all in MD schools though so I was wondering if the opportunities were the same for DO schools.

 

[DrMario13]

So, excuse my ignorance, but I keep seeing 'SMP' mentioned, what exactly is that?

 

[Ironmandoc]

"Special Masters Program" typically one year masters programs in a medically related field. Not a true masters that you could use for anything other than medical school as they aren't thesis based.

 

[hali01]

It doesn't even seem like you want to be a doctor for the right reasons! You need to calm down and relax. You have all these things about what appears good to others. You failed to mention how passionate you actually are. Leave med school alone if you are only doing it to look good or for the wealth. Medical school can be quiet ugly if you go there for the wrong reasons. If you are truly passionate about medicine then you would not need to worry about all the stigma. If you go to a Do school you can still become a great physician. You need to sit down and think calmly. Also think realistically.

 

[AlongWay]

It doesn't even seem like you want to be a doctor for the right reasons! You need to calm down and relax. You have all these things about what appears good to others. You failed to mention how passionate you actually are. Leave med school alone if you are only doing it to look good or for the wealth. Medical school can be quiet ugly if you go there for the wrong reasons. If you are truly passionate about medicine then you would not need to worry about all the stigma. If you go to a Do school you can still become a great physician. You need to sit down and think calmly. Also think realistically.

I am very passionate about medicine. I have experienced quite a bit in my life and my reason for being a doctor is very personal. I know that I can be a physician as a DO, but at this point, with grades this bad, I was just wondering if there is ANY chance at a US MD school. Even though I am nowhere near competitive for either MD DO or even SMP right now, I just wanted to see what was possible. Im not asking for Harvard. I just wanted to know if MD was still an option. If not, well my bad choices throughout college have finally had their effect and I must accept it.

 

[AlongWay]

Ive just had a lot on my mind recently and have cycles where my anxiety and fear about med school admissions comes back to haunt me. Im an ORM, South Asian by ethnicity. All South Asian premeds are more or less academically perfect. I retook 2 classes I failed over the summer and didn't do well at all. It scares me to be the odd one out, and Im just asking for a vote of confidence to assess reality:

Is US MD still an option for me?

What is the best game plan for me to achieve this at this point? I know its going to take longer than most South Asians (or most people in general) to get into med school, but what is the most practical route for DO and US MD schools?

I know I sound repetitive but im just honestly looking for some good advice and a little hope.

 

[coolingglasses]

Ive just had a lot on my mind recently and have cycles where my anxiety and fear about med school admissions comes back to haunt me. Im an ORM, South Asian by ethnicity. All South Asian premeds are more or less academically perfect. I retook 2 classes I failed over the summer and didn't do well at all. It scares me to be the odd one out, and Im just asking for a vote of confidence to assess reality:

Is US MD still an option for me?

What is the best game plan for me to achieve this at this point? I know its going to take longer than most South Asians (or most people in general) to get into med school, but what is the most practical route for DO and US MD schools?

I know I sound repetitive but im just honestly looking for some good advice and a little hope.

Just how bad were the retakes? And were they science pre-reqs? Doing poorly on retakes at this stage is a huge red flag. I myself have some bad retakes, but they're from 2005 and only one of them was a pre-req (Chem 1... and did fine in Chem 2 & 3)

 

[deleted314957]

Ive just had a lot on my mind recently and have cycles where my anxiety and fear about med school admissions comes back to haunt me. Im an ORM, South Asian by ethnicity. All South Asian premeds are more or less academically perfect. I retook 2 classes I failed over the summer and didn't do well at all. It scares me to be the odd one out, and Im just asking for a vote of confidence to assess reality:

Is US MD still an option for me?

What is the best game plan for me to achieve this at this point? I know its going to take longer than most South Asians (or most people in general) to get into med school, but what is the most practical route for DO and US MD schools?

I know I sound repetitive but im just honestly looking for some good advice and a little hope.

i think you need to wake up and smell the coffee. you are on academic probation, are not doing well on retakes, seem to have nebulous reasons for wanting to be a physician. this is not a recipe for an MD or, for goodness sake, a FULLBRIGHT scholarship!

 

[TriagePreMed]

I will only graduate when Im 23 an age when most people have careers or grad school, but not me. A thought that itself brings me to my knees. But this is my life, and I must somehow find a way to come to terms with my weakness and self-hatred for getting in this position.

I hope troll. Otherwise some serious reality check is needed here.

Oh wait, this is the same guy from the Osteopathic thread. Now I'm sincerely sad for your existence.

 

[AlongWay]

i think you need to wake up and smell the coffee. you are on academic probation, are not doing well on retakes, seem to have nebulous reasons for wanting to be a physician. this is not a recipe for an MD or, for goodness sake, a FULLBRIGHT scholarship!

Its actually Fulbright. I don't have nebulous reasons for wanting to be a doctor. My desire for wanting to be a doctor stem outside of acting, writing, consulting, dancing, painting, and even skydiving. I was interested in that list because I know people who do things like that while in/after med school and it would be a cool side job to have. My interest in medicine stems from my encounters with 3 patients and the doctors who treated them.

Just how bad were the retakes? And were they science pre-reqs? Doing poorly on retakes at this stage is a huge red flag. I myself have some bad retakes, but they're from 2005 and only one of them was a pre-req (Chem 1... and did fine in Chem 2 & 3)

One non- science class I didn't pass, retook it and passed marginally. The other science class I got a W on before and I doubt I will pass it. The reason I did so bad last year and summer was completley my fault. I resorted to abusing weed to deal with my problems. I transferred to a new school, which is probably the worst decision I have made in my life. I didn't handle it well at all and I thought that I would smoke all my problems away. I thought that getting high and being numb to my problems would make them "magically" solve themselves. I learned the hard way that it takes ACTION and COURAGE in order to solve your issues.

I spent many months wallowing in self-pity, depression, and self-hatred. Almost going to some very extreme measures. However, I realize now that there is no use in crying over spilt milk. I cannot change the past no matter how much I choose to hate myself for it, so whats the point? I have spent the last few months trying to change my attitude about my choices and my perspective on my life. I have not touched weed in 2.5 months and counting, I don't plan to go near it ever again.

I still want to be a doctor because being a medical practioner has been a dream for so long, and I have sacrificed a lot. I want to be a doctor whether as an MD or a DO or an XYZ. It makes me happy, and I now realize that being happy is the most important thing. However, I have to scale up a mountain if I am going to make this happen.

My game plan for this semester:

1) DO NOT GO NEAR WEED OR ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

2) NO PARTYING TILL MY GPA IS AT OR ABOVE A 3.8.

3) GO TO EVERY SINGLE CLASS LIKE ITS THE END OF THE WORLD.

4) PROFESSORS PROFESSORS PROFESSORS. Meet with them and learn from their wisdom often.

My game plan for life:

1) I have about 1.5 years with about 40 credits left. I will try to get as high of a trend as I can and graduate.

2) Continue taking and retaking classes till my GPA is above a 3.0.

3) Kill the MCAT.

4) Get a temporary career to support myself while I do this.

5) EC's - volunteer, shadowing, do medically related things that actually interest me - only AFTER I am academically successful.

6) Apply to DO schools, and also some MD schools. If I hypothetically did all of the above succesfully, would an SMP be required for MD? Is it an absolute MUST for me if I want to have a shot at ANY US MD school if I were in that position?

7) Simultaneously work towards meeting my physical, financial, and social goals.

8) Consider grad school.

9) Travel (because why not?).

It maybe misguided or it maybe just plain wrong, but it is my belief that if I can do all of that, then one day I will be a doctor. I cannot in good consience quit because I know that I am not a pothead who should be on academic probation. I know I have the capability to be successful at school if I just stop getting distracted by my past and my fears. My school is in Canada, and our Uni's med school takes the overall average and an adjusted average where the worst 30 credits are removed. They also factor in grad school grades to both of the averages, so if I can do all of that I might actually have a chance of getting in.

As for my culture, will I be older than most of the Indian med students? Yea. Will I endure hell from my family as I go through this? You bet. But I just don't give a $hit anymore. I just can't. This is my life and I am going at my own pace. I do wish that I had been in a better position than this, but I hope that if I can do everything on that list, it will give me a better perspective on life when I enter med school. I believe that struggling like this to achieve a goal creates character.

Anyways, this is pretty much it. Ive made a contract with myself and will somehow see all of this through starting from today. Any other suggestions to the list are more than welcome. If your likely to post something similar to Triage's then please refer to the picture below.

I hope troll. Otherwise some serious reality check is needed here.

Oh wait, this is the same guy from the Osteopathic thread. Now I'm sincerely sad for your existence.

 

[Violagirl]

Its actually Fulbright. I don't have nebulous reasons for wanting to be a doctor. My desire for wanting to be a doctor stem outside of acting, writing, consulting, dancing, painting, and even skydiving. I was interested in that list because I know people who do things like that while in/after med school and it would be a cool side job to have. My interest in medicine stems from my encounters with 3 patients and the doctors who treated them.



One non- science class I didn't pass, retook it and passed marginally. The other science class I got a W on before and I doubt I will pass it. The reason I did so bad last year and summer was completley my fault. I resorted to abusing weed to deal with my problems. I transferred to a new school, which is probably the worst decision I have made in my life. I didn't handle it well at all and I thought that I would smoke all my problems away. I thought that getting high and being numb to my problems would make them "magically" solve themselves. I learned the hard way that it takes ACTION and COURAGE in order to solve your issues.

I spent many months wallowing in self-pity, depression, and self-hatred. Almost going to some very extreme measures. However, I realize now that there is no use in crying over spilt milk. I cannot change the past no matter how much I choose to hate myself for it, so whats the point? I have spent the last few months trying to change my attitude about my choices and my perspective on my life. I have not touched weed in 2.5 months and counting, I don't plan to go near it ever again.

I still want to be a doctor because being a medical practioner has been a dream for so long, and I have sacrificed a lot. I want to be a doctor whether as an MD or a DO or an XYZ. It makes me happy, and I now realize that being happy is the most important thing. However, I have to scale up a mountain if I am going to make this happen.

My game plan for this semester:

1) DO NOT GO NEAR WEED OR ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

2) NO PARTYING TILL MY GPA IS AT OR ABOVE A 3.8.

3) GO TO EVERY SINGLE CLASS LIKE ITS THE END OF THE WORLD.

4) PROFESSORS PROFESSORS PROFESSORS. Meet with them and learn from their wisdom often.

My game plan for life:

1) I have about 1.5 years with about 40 credits left. I will try to get as high of a trend as I can and graduate.

2) Continue taking and retaking classes till my GPA is above a 3.0.

3) Kill the MCAT.

4) Get a temporary career to support myself while I do this.

5) EC's - volunteer, shadowing, do medically related things that actually interest me - only AFTER I am academically successful.

6) Apply to DO schools, and also some MD schools. If I hypothetically did all of the above succesfully, would an SMP be required for MD? Is it an absolute MUST for me if I want to have a shot at ANY US MD school if I were in that position?

7) Simultaneously work towards meeting my physical, financial, and social goals.

8) Consider grad school.

9) Travel (because why not?).

It maybe misguided or it maybe just plain wrong, but it is my belief that if I can do all of that, then one day I will be a doctor. I cannot in good consience quit because I know that I am not a pothead who should be on academic probation. I know I have the capability to be successful at school if I just stop getting distracted by my past and my fears. My school is in Canada, and our Uni's med school takes the overall average and an adjusted average where the worst 30 credits are removed. They also factor in grad school grades to both of the averages, so if I can do all of that I might actually have a chance of getting in.

As for my culture, will I be older than most of the Indian med students? Yea. Will I endure hell from my family as I go through this? You bet. But I just don't give a $hit anymore. I just can't. This is my life and I am going at my own pace. I do wish that I had been in a better position than this, but I hope that if I can do everything on that list, it will give me a better perspective on life when I enter med school. I believe that struggling like this to achieve a goal creates character.

Anyways, this is pretty much it. Ive made a contract with myself and will somehow see all of this through starting from today. Any other suggestions to the list are more than welcome. If your likely to post something similar to Triage's then please refer to the picture below.

I think you have a good, solid plan in getting your GPA up. I think it's great that you saw where you were going wrong and I congratulate you on getting back on track. I too am also working on getting my GPA to above a 3.0 with a year of undergrad left along with a few retakes for classes that I got C's in. I wish you all the best and hope it all works out for you.

 

[deleted314957]

hope springs eternal.

 

[SnowyRox]

Good plan.

It's not an easy path from your situation, but if you believe that you can do it, then who are we to tell you that you can't?

I hope you didn't get any police charges from the weed.

My only advice: add some short-term goals. You have a very long-term goal and that can be very frustrating as you hit little hiccups on the way. Also, cut back on your courseload. It's much better to do well and take longer to build back up than to burn and crash trying to squeeze it all in.

 

[AlongWay]

I think you have a good, solid plan in getting your GPA up. I think it's great that you saw where you were going wrong and I congratulate you on getting back on track. I too am also working on getting my GPA to above a 3.0 with a year of undergrad left along with a few retakes for classes that I got C's in. I wish you all the best and hope it all works out for you.

Thanks. Best of luck to you as well. Im sick and tired of people telling me to quit because of a low number. If anything, I want to prove that people with low GPAs CAN become successful doctors.

Good plan.

It's not an easy path from your situation, but if you believe that you can do it, then who are we to tell you that you can't?

I hope you didn't get any police charges from the weed.

My only advice: add some short-term goals. You have a very long-term goal and that can be very frustrating as you hit little hiccups on the way. Also, cut back on your courseload. It's much better to do well and take longer to build back up than to burn and crash trying to squeeze it all in.

Thanks. I know I should have short term goals, and I have written them down in my own journal rather than here. Do you have any suggestions as to what else I can do at this point to turn things around? Does that list seem pretty solid?

Oh, you are that one guy who was banned once because he started talking about harming himself and stuff. I remember you. Dude, you've got way too many screws loose in your head. Do the profession a favor and do go into unless you've seem a mental health specialist for some time.

 

[TriagePreMed]

...

I'm seriously not trying to hate. I'm glad to hear you're taking steps to make your life better, but I also think you need some real help. You have some deeply rooted beliefs that are simply incompatible with reality and that are antagonistic to your self-esteem. Life is not going to become better by magical thinking. Last thing you need in your life is to be a 50 something year old DO still feeling a failure deep inside.

 

[AlongWay]

I'm seriously not trying to hate. I'm glad to hear you're taking steps to make your life better, but I also think you need some real help. You have some deeply rooted beliefs that are simply incompatible with reality and that are antagonistic to your self-esteem. Life is not going to become better by magical thinking. Last thing you need in your life is to be a 50 something year old DO still feeling a failure deep inside.

If your referring to the comments about culture I made in my other thread, well yes, I think I would thrive much better in a culture that is more open minded and understanding. Indian mentality is fully prestige and status driven. Its all about what degree who has from where and how much money they have etc. It makes me sick, and I wish I could break out of it but im a broke college kid relying on my parents for college. However, I can't change that and its taken me a long time to learn to stop berating myself over things that I can't change.

Sure, even if everything on that list is done successfully, I still probably won't be an MD and would be lucky to be a DO. Yes, I will probably be much older than most med students (25 or 26 at the least) and way older than most Indian med students. I know that, and im accepting that. I think that in the end, that might not be a bad thing. Graduating and working as a research tech in a lab or hospital for some time while retaking classes and boosting up my GPA will give me some freedom from an academic environment and will also allow me to earn some $$ going into med school to support myself through 4 years of having no way to earn good money.

I will go to med school when Im ready. If that takes me a couple extra years, so what? This is the rest of my life at stake. And my parents and family WILL give me hell, but its my life not theirs. I hope that one day when im a successful doctor, they will be proud enough to forego their initial dissapointment.

Thoughts lead to action, Action leads to habits, Habits lead to character, and Character leads to destiny. The only way to change your destiny is to start by changing your thinking.

 

[TriagePreMed]

The problem I see is that you have an unrealistic view of the world. Most people are not settled in careers and in grad school. The majority of people don't go to college, and a minority of students go to graduate schools. Most people change "careers" all the time. The rate of unemployment and the amount of young people still supported by their parents (in some way or all) is amazingly high. Most medical students are >24 as the average entering age falls between 25 and 27 at almost all schools. You have a self-loathe that's really frightening too, but I won't go into that.

 

[shadyicekid]

..

People like MedPR should burn in hell.

 

[Mjolner]

People like MedPR should burn in hell.

OP should take solace in the fact the next post with advice was from an adcom who basically refuted every point MedPR made.

 

[AlongWay]

The problem I see is that you have an unrealistic view of the world. Most people are not settled in careers and in grad school. The majority of people don't go to college, and a minority of students go to graduate schools. Most people change "careers" all the time. The rate of unemployment and the amount of young people still supported by their parents (in some way or all) is amazingly high. Most medical students are >24 as the average entering age falls between 25 and 27 at almost all schools. You have a self-loathe that's really frightening too, but I won't go into that.

That's based on what you have been exposed too in your life. From what I can tell you, and what I have seen, most people I know entered med school around 22-23 - when i'll be finishing undergrad. The majority of my friends who graduated already have full time careers and are more or less successful in life. Sure, what you say maybe true for the majority of people, but im unfortunately surrounded by a minority of successful people and just hate being the odd one out.

And yes, we all have our demons and im taking steps to fight mine. No need to open a can of worms.

 

[TriagePreMed]

That's based on what you have been exposed too in your life. From what I can tell you, and what I have seen, most people I know entered med school around 22-23 - when i'll be finishing undergrad. The majority of my friends who graduated already have full time careers and are more or less successful in life. Sure, what you say maybe true for the majority of people, but im unfortunately surrounded by a minority of successful people and just hate being the odd one out.

And yes, we all have our demons and im taking steps to fight mine. No need to open a can of worms.

It's not "my" experience in so much that it is reality based on the statistics offered by most medical schools. Also, most undergraduate colleges graduate traditional students at 22 or 23. To say you have a "career" and "successful life" when you're straight out of undergrad is simply exaggerated. Most people will not stay at those jobs forever or are, at the very least, in a low rung of a company changing to a "career" position in 5 years time.

My point here is that you can't keep living in your bubble if you want to be successful/happy. I know you've been cultured into a world of competitiveness and comparison, but it's up to you now, as an educated adult, to transcend that.

Oh well, good luck.

 

[Yoseph101]

OP, If I were you I would take time off of college and find a job and provide for yourself. You need perspective and to develop more emotional maturity. I find that a lot of people who take a few years away from school and see what its like in the real world come back to school with a renewed focus. Consider doing the Peace Corps or Americorps. I have a friend who went to peru for the Peace corps and worked with a OBGYN there. She came back to the states and is rocking a 4.0 as she hightails it to med school. She is also almost 30. There's no time limit on these things.

I think maybe going to see a therapist occasionally would go a long way too.

 

[AlongWay]

OP, If I were you I would take time off of college and find a job and provide for yourself. You need perspective and to develop more emotional maturity. I find that a lot of people who take a few years away from school and see what its like in the real world come back to school with a renewed focus. Consider doing the Peace Corps or Americorps. I have a friend who went to peru for the Peace corps and worked with a OBGYN there. She came back to the states and is rocking a 4.0 as she hightails it to med school. She is also almost 30. There's no time limit on these things.

I think maybe going to see a therapist occasionally would go a long way too.

Yea I can't take time off before I graduate. Maybe I should, maybe it would be in my best interest, but I think having a bachelor's degree would help me get a research job at a lab. This would help me support myself while I retake and try to destroy classes and the MCAT.

Everyone has their inspiration for wanting to be a doctor. I certainly have mine after working with an oncologist in India. Unlike most people, I fell off that road and am in an absolute mess now due to poor choices. That's good for your friend. I don't want to be working 80+ hours a week when im 40. Unless you think 40 is really the new 20.....