Academic Warning..

[PreMedStudent]

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People i should have taken your advice and not taken Organic after i got a D in Chemistry II. now i got a C- in orgo I and i took it during the summer TErm A.. now i am on Academic warning and i dont even know how... is there any way that i can get warning off of my transcript because the summer term is not over yet.. Can i still take a class during the next session and make my GPA over 2.0 , would it then take off the warning from my transcript since the term is not over..

Someone please help me ASAP... i feel like i am gonna DIEEEEE

 

[stinkycheese]

Every college is different, so we dont know your school's regulations about transcript notations. At my school, they didn't put academic warnings on transcripts, I don't think, although I don't know because I didn't have one... but I'm confused about why you seem to be concerned abou getting it taken off before the end of the summer. You can't be applying for 2005 withouthaving taken organic, so why does it matter if your academic warning is cleared over the summer or later?

You need to re-take your chems and do well in any case, if you want to go to medical school. And you need to get that GPA above 3.0. Slow down and do things right the first time, it looks bad to keep getting in over your head and messing up.

 

[medic170]

People i should have taken your advice and not taken Organic after i got a D in Chemistry II. now i got a C- in orgo I and i took it during the summer TErm A.. now i am on Academic warning and i dont even know how... is there any way that i can get warning off of my transcript because the summer term is not over yet.. Can i still take a class during the next session and make my GPA over 2.0 , would it then take off the warning from my transcript since the term is not over..

Someone please help me ASAP... i feel like i am gonna DIEEEEE

I don't believe in fluff, so I am going to come out and say what needs to be said. I am all for second chances and reviving one's mistakes. However, if you can't even keep your gpa over a 2.0, you seriously need to rethink your career choice. Sorry to be so blunt, but this medicine admissions process is so competitve, and for good reason. If you truly believe you are destined to be a physician, then I recommend you take a semester or two off and figure out what your problem is academically, Fix it and then return to college and kick some butt! Good luck!

 

[JDAD]

ouch, but he speaks the truth

 

[wytosk]

... its an unforgiving world out there

 

[SaltySqueegee]

If you didn't heed the warning before, then heed it now. Take some time off to get a perspective on life. Work for a year, volunteer somewhere for a year. Read some books. Do something, just not academics. Orgo, requires a crap load of time for memorization, much like medical school. Thus if Orgo doesn't work out, it won't reflect well in the App process.

Take the advice now, drop-out go hike in the back forests of Alaska, figure out if medicine is truly for you, or if some other path is right, go back to school if you feel that appropriate, and kick some ass.

Medical Applications are like an Action Potential-- You must go at it with an either All-or-None Mentality!

 

[SaltySqueegee]

And as a side note, I dropped out my first semester of college, worked for a year and came back with a renewed mindset. So, it can be done, and should be done if it will help renew your 'academic' mindset.

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

i don't see why you need to drop out for a year or anything. you just need to start kicking some serious ass, and retake the classes you blew. what i'd do is recommit yourself to your studies. give it every shred of effort you can muster. if you find that you still can't hack it, then medicine isn't for you. but, if you improve enough, then you'll be back on the right track.

 

[mooklyster]

I agree with the advice of those recommending some time off. Not only will it afford you some perspective...maybe you will decide that you do not have the overall desire/makeup to be a doctor, or maybe it will refocus you to bear down and make the full commitment. Medicine is not the be all and end all. There are many other viable, respectable and fulfilling career choices out there. We as pre-meds, med students and residents get so wrapped up in this that we often forget that. I remember a time when I could not understand why anyone would do anything else. Then I took a bogus class and realized that there are all types and if everyone was meant to be/wanted to be a doctor, what a boring world it would be.

That said, if you do decide to go for it, something you should certainly do if you so desire, taking time off will put some distance between you and your less than stellar achievements to this point. When explaining it to adcoms later, you can say you did not have a clue what you wanted to do the first time around, but after time off (ie working in a hospital, etc.) you decided that you wanted to do medicine. This method hinges on you kicking ass when you come back. The advice given here by the posters is not meant to be mean, but honest. So often people who think they are pre-med do not have anyone tell them that they are not viable candidates and they find out too late. Honestly, if you are having trouble with gen chem, you have a difficult road ahead unless you discover what your issue is.

 

[PreMedStudent]

Thanks guys but no i will not take a year off.. i guess this since i kept overloading my schedule it messed me up... you know i have decided to keep my credit hours low and next semester bring my GPA up.. but i have to take an easy class in this summer session so that i dont get an official warning, since the semester is not over yet...

 

[gildas]

one question, are you considering med school or what?

 

[PreMedStudent]

yeah i guess the transition to college i really messed up my cum. gpa is now 2.4

 

[Medikit]

yeah i guess the transition to college i really messed up my cum. gpa is now 2.4

Take a year off. My cum. GPA was about that after my first year too. It's considered competitive now.

 

[PreMedStudent]

why should i take a year off..?

 

[Og kingofBashan]

why should i take a year off..?

To not only avoid the risk of further damaging your academic record but like others said in order to gain a better self-awareness and sense of direction. If you're absolutely against taking a break off, in the very least take a part-time courseload the following semester to give you a chance to recover (both mentally and academically).

 

[PreMedStudent]

Well to recover i am taking an easy class in this last summer session.. otherwise my semester gpa wont go above a 2.0 and i will have a warning.

 

[Medikit]

why should i take a year off..?

Why are you getting D's and C-'s? You can't just tell yourself to have motivation. You're not going to be that much different next semester. Take a year off, spend some time doing something you love and evaluate your life plan.

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

honestly, you don't need a year off. you're on the right path, take a less rigorous courseload and work your ass off. that's all you need.

 

[PreMedStudent]

Thanks Mr.. well i evaluated myself and the reason that i got low grades in those classes was since i was taking 2 sciences together and a greater credit load.. next semester i will just take more electives and be sure to get A's in them along with Cell bio..

 

[River Rat]

what did you mean by two sciences together? like a bio class and an organic chem class? if so, then that's pretty standard. Try to take [and do well in] electives that will count towards your BCPM gpa.

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

don't stop going to school. once you stop you may get caught up in everyday living and not go back as planned. Don't take BCMP classes in the summer anymore. If anything, summer should be the only break you take from school.

Go part time, reassess your study skills, and when you take BCMP classes exploit all of your resources: friends, study groups, tutoring, mentor programs, office hours of the TA & prof. , resources outside the classroom, etc. Have you declared a major yet?

 

[Bones2008]

well i evaluated myself and the reason that i got low grades in those classes was since i was taking 2 sciences together and a greater credit load.. next semester i will just take more electives and be sure to get A's in them along with Cell bio..

What do you think medical school will be like? Lots of work and lots of science. If the only reason you did poorly was because you took more than one science class, maybe you should figure out if science really is your thing. Taking some time off might help that, but it's probably not essential. If becoming a doctor is your passion, then of course continue to fight for it; but I think it might be a good idea to be honest with yourself about whether you're able to handle a lot of hard science work. If you can, great! If you can't, great! All that's important is that you figure out what works best for you. Best of luck.

 

[medic170]

What do you think medical school will be like? Lots of work and lots of science. If the only reason you did poorly was because you took more than one science class, maybe you should figure out if science really is your thing. Taking some time off might help that, but it's probably not essential. If becoming a doctor is your passion, then of course continue to fight for it; but I think it might be a good idea to be honest with yourself about whether you're able to handle a lot of hard science work. If you can, great! If you can't, great! All that's important is that you figure out what works best for you. Best of luck.

No kidding. Dude, some of us even worked full time through undergrad, and everybody takes at least 2 sciences together. Keep searching yourself, you should still be able to keep your gpa above a 2.0 even taking more than 2 sciences. Good luck!

 

[PreMedStudent]

Thank you all.. btw i am a biology major

 

[captain hazel]

you know best what you need to do for yourself, and you know best that taking a year off wouldn't suit you; however, at least take notice that people think it'll take something drastic to get turned around.

I was on academic probation myself. I started out school really strong; lots of credits, high GPA. Then mid-sophomore year I had a sorta crummy semester. Which turned into a lousy year. Yeah, when the semester came that I no higher than a D in any class other than piano, **** met fan.

That whole time I kept telling myself "okay, next semester I'll buckle down and really get on track." But it's more difficult than just telling yourself you'll turn it around, or even really wanting it.

I knew something was wrong. I should have just left, got my **** together, and then come back to finish strongly. Instead now I'm working on finishing my PS tonight trying to explain a rash of crappy grades in the middle of my transcript.

oh, and the dean who handled academic probation issues told me that it was an anomaly for me to finish well (or finish school at all); the usual outcome is for students to get worse. even if there's no big "issue." christ, I knew someone who ended up kicked out of school just due to a Gauntlet/Battlenet habit and toll it took on his grades.

sorry to be so long-winded. I'm sure you'll handle stuff well; just warning you to not let stuff get out of hand. g'luck with it all, okay?

 

[Drakensoul]

Yeah, I agree with the general concensus..

I took Chem2&Lab, Physics2&Lab, and Bio1&Lab at the same time along with an elective (or two?) . You have to realize that medical school isn't going to be easier. It's not something that you're just going to squeak into and then all of the sudden be safe because you've made it. It's just the beginning.

Taking two science classes at the same time isn't unreasonable, and it shouldn't have given you that much trouble if you put the time forth to do well in them. Some people don't need to spend hours a day studying, and some do. Figure out what you need to do in order to do well, and do it. I think most will tell you that the information in medical school isn't necessarily difficult, it's just that there is so much of it. High volume. More volume than two undergrad sciences. Figure out how you're going to handle that now, so that when you go and re-take the classes that you need to re-take, you'll have the mindset necessary to do well.

If you -know- that medicine is where you belong, you should also -know- that you're not going to make it with mediocre stats. If you -know- that medicine is where you belong, you don't have the option of doing badly (in a consistent manner). I think the reason people are suggesting time off is that, from the way you're posting, it sounds like you're delluding yourself into thinking that it's a given that you're going to med school when it doesn't seem like you're even putting the time into doing well in the basic undergrad sciences. In this case, it would probably be beneficial to have the advantage of an objective look at yourself (via time off) to peel away the layers of what you feel like you "should" do, what other people "expect" you to do, and figure out what you "want" to do.

If it's medicine, great. You come back and you do what you need to do.

You may not need the time off, though. We're just offering suggestions. 😀
We've all slipped a bit and done less than our best from time to time, but you can't make a habit of it.

Good luck! 👍

 

[EMDream]

Thank you all.. btw i am a biology major

You better get used to taking multiple science classes in the same semester.
If you think a lighter course load is going to help because it gets your GPA back on track, what about when you take biochem and microbiology or upper science classes? You arent going to be able to space them out that much.
Maybe you should think about another major then, so you can just pick out the pre med course requirements and wont have several science classes in the same semester. Anyways I suggest repeating chem and org chem (you said C- right? if it was a C then i guess dont bother.)

 

[Stranger]

That whole time I kept telling myself "okay, next semester I'll buckle down and really get on track." But it's more difficult than just telling yourself you'll turn it around, or even really wanting it.

I knew something was wrong. I should have just left, got my **** together, and then come back to finish strongly. Instead now I'm working on finishing my PS tonight trying to explain a rash of crappy grades in the middle of my transcript.

oh, and the dean who handled academic probation issues told me that it was an anomaly for me to finish well (or finish school at all); the usual outcome is for students to get worse. even if there's no big "issue."

My first quarter in college, I did alright, but from there it went downhill, then farther downhill, then to the point that I was on acedemic probation and about to be kicked out. I knew I was capable of doing well, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong and why I was failing, so I kept on going to school, trying to motivate myself, but not succeeding.

After I left school, I got a full time job, and resigned myself to the fact that I would never finish college. I had a lot of free time, and no reason to study, but as time went by I found within myself a desire for knowledge. I read a lot of nonfiction, and finally I got to the point (after a year out of school) that I decided that, for my own personal enrichment, I would try taking classes at a community college. My first semester back in school was very, very difficult, even though I was only taking psych classes, and I got C's. But I learned a lot about myself, and about how to study and make sure I'm on track and not get overwhelmed by my workload. I kept taking classes, and my grades improved. Nowadays I'm taking a full course load (science classes) and I get mostly A's.

While taking time off may not be right for anyone, and while I realize that you're situation isn't as bad as mine was, continuing to do what you've been doing all along is definitely not the way to go. If you aren't going to take time off, reduce your courseload significantly and do what it takes to get A's. Increase your courseload gradually, and you can keep getting A's even with 2 or more science classes if you're willing to do whatever it takes, and you take advantage of the resources available to you (like office hours, tutoring, etc.).

I wish you the best of luck, and I really hope that you'll realize that if you are serious about wanting to go to medical school, you'll need to make some changes in your life. I can't tell you what those changes are. I f***ed up my transcript majorly by not taking time off school when I first started to struggle. If your problems are due to a lack of motivation or some other psychological hurdle, you need to do something to get back on track. If that GPA of less than 2 that you got last semester is all that you're capable of, you need to forget about medical school. Obviously, I don't know why you're not doing well in your classes. You need to find out why and deal with it.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

I have been reading with great interest but decided that now it was time to answer. I was not on academic probation but my UG GPA was not very good. It has been 7 years since I graduated and am almost finished with my grad school and my GPA is phenominal.

I had a meeting with several medical schools who told me that while it will be hard to get in it is not impossible and more and more the UG stuff is becoming ancient history. So it is not impossible. Here is what you need to do.

1) No more summer classes. Give your mind a rest.
2) During this break think about your study habits and how they may have affected your work.
3) Try to figure out why you had a poor performance. I too had a VERY VERY bad transition into college and it took me a long time to figure out my problem.
4) For now, drop every single EC that you have. You need to focus ALL of your energy on academics and not on wether you can make a meeting or activity. AdComs don't care about ECs if your GPA is DOA.
5) Look over your requirements for graduation, your liberal arts classes and your english classes. Take those classes now for two reasons a) you get them out of the way for graduation and b) Do well on them and boos your cumm. GPA to get out of probation and feel good about yourself.
6) Think about changing your graduation year to +1. That way you have an extra year to get it all done and you will not be in a rush and do things wrong. If the adcoms see that in your first year you did poorly but then changed your graduation year and did very well, they may over look the first year as a blip.
7) Don't let pride get in your way. Go to office hours, go see a tutor, and set up study groups before exams. Screw the people who call you geek or nerd, they are not trying to get into medical school. You are.

If you want more in depth as to what I did PM me. If you have any other questions PM me as well.

 

[mooklyster]

Just on a side note, also realize that cutting back your course load shows up and adcoms do pay some attention to this. I am not trying to imply it carries a ton of weight, but they look at it in the same respect as they look at CC transfers who ace community college and then drop a great deal in Univ. If you go from very low GPA to a light course load and a high GPA, that many not provide all the benefit you are looking for.

Can we please be honest, if you are having this much trouble with the introductory undergrad classes you need to take a step back and reexamine whether med is truly where you are going, and examine, if possible, why these courses are giving you trouble. School does not get any easier, and delusion just makes it even tougher. Most people do not find orgo easy, but it is one of the weed out classes. You need to do some serious reflection before a hole is dug that is too deep to get out of.

 

[PreMedStudent]

Thanks everyone , yes EMT i really liked your suggestions thanks alot.

Well i think i may have not made myself very clear. The thing is that my cumm GPA is above 2.0 the only reason i got warning is becuase during the summer session i took only one class and got a C- in it.. what i am saying is that if i take another class in this same term it will average and thus my warning wont be official..

 

[imsotired]

Thanks Mr.. well i evaluated myself and the reason that i got low grades in those classes was since i was taking 2 sciences together and a greater credit load.. next semester i will just take more electives and be sure to get A's in them along with Cell bio..

We have all taken more than 2 classes per semester of science....And I'm sure more than just one semester.