Adding Pre-Med Junior Year (Need Advice)

[TulaneCarpeDiem]

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I am a current sophomore in college. Throughout my first two years of college I was very confused about my goals and plans for the future. During my freshman year I considered the medical school route, but did not have much exposure to medicine until I was chosen to be on our university's student-run EMS program at the end of my second semester. After riding throughout my sophomore fall with my university/with the city's EMS and shadowing, I recently decided that I would like to attend medical school. I naturally have a few fears that make me doubt whether it is feasible or not. During these first two years I was very lost in regards to what I wanted to major in and do in life, so I took many different classes (including some pre-req classes due to coinciding majors) and didn't work that hard due to my lack of motivation and a path.

1st Semester: 15 credits (3.091) - Calculus (C-)
2nd Semester: 15 Credits (3.668) - Cell Bio (B) / Ecological Bio with lab (A) and (A-)
Summer: 3 credit Stats (C)
3rd semester: 12 credits (3.668)
4th semester: 12 credits (N/A) I also did not start off well in a class so I will be taking one of these pass/fail.
So I am worried that my sophomore year will look very terrible and lazy, but I was very confused about my future and had no real goals for the future. I am also worried because i was in 12 credits then basically 9 credits the next semester and still only had like 3.6+ instead of a 4.0 in such little hours. I was lost. I most likely will have 2 A's and a B for the remaining 9 credits for this semester. My current GPA is a 3.457 and I predict it will be about a 3.5 at the end of this school year.

For student activities I am an EMT on our school EMS, a Senator for our Undergraduate Student Government, a tour guide, and I shadow.

So my plan the rest of undergrad would be

5th Semester: Gen Chem I & Genetics
6th Semester: Gen Chem II
Summer: Orgo 1&2
7th Semester: BioChem & Physics I
8th Semester: Physics II

So my question basically is basically is being pre-med a possibility for me at this point considering my very lack luster first two years, especially my sophomore year and my bad math grades, or will I be able to come back from this if I do very well in my future classes. This is something I am very passionate about and I could really use the guidance. Thank you.

 

[TulaneCarpeDiem]

I am a current sophomore in college. Throughout my first two years of college I was very confused about my goals and plans for the future. During my freshman year I considered the medical school route, but did not have much exposure to medicine until I was chosen to be on our university's student-run EMS program at the end of my second semester. After riding throughout my sophomore fall with my university/with the city's EMS and shadowing, I recently decided that I would like to attend medical school. I naturally have a few fears that make me doubt whether it is feasible or not. During these first two years I was very lost in regards to what I wanted to major in and do in life, so I took many different classes (including some pre-req classes due to coinciding majors) and didn't work that hard due to my lack of motivation and a path.

1st Semester: 15 credits (3.091) - Calculus (C-)
2nd Semester: 15 Credits (3.668) - Cell Bio (B) / Ecological Bio with lab (A) and (A-)
Summer: 3 credit Stats (C)
3rd semester: 12 credits (3.668)
4th semester: 12 credits (N/A) I also did not start off well in a class so I will be taking one of these pass/fail.
So I am worried that my sophomore year will look very terrible and lazy, but I was very confused about my future and had no real goals for the future. I am also worried because i was in 12 credits then basically 9 credits the next semester and still only had like 3.6+ instead of a 4.0 in such little hours. I was lost. I most likely will have 2 A's and a B for the remaining 9 credits for this semester. My current GPA is a 3.457 and I predict it will be about a 3.5 at the end of this school year.

For student activities I am an EMT on our school EMS, a Senator for our Undergraduate Student Government, a tour guide, and I shadow.

So my plan the rest of undergrad would be

5th Semester: Gen Chem I & Genetics
6th Semester: Gen Chem II
Summer: Orgo 1&2
7th Semester: BioChem & Physics I
8th Semester: Physics II

So my question basically is basically is being pre-med a possibility for me at this point considering my very lack luster first two years, especially my sophomore year and my bad math grades, or will I be able to come back from this if I do very well in my future classes. This is something I am very passionate about and I could really use the guidance. Thank you.

 

[SuaveCardigans]

No, its not too late.

There are several people that start med school in their 30s and 40s each year. I became pre med going into senior year of college, starting next fall (at 24).

Have you shadowed physicians? How do you know you want to go down this route and not another healthcare profession?

A 3.5+ with an upward trend is very workable, and if you can finish around 3.7 youll be in a very good spot

 

[TulaneCarpeDiem]

No, its not too late.

There are several people that start med school in their 30s and 40s each year. I became pre med going into senior year of college, starting next fall (at 24).

Have you shadowed physicians? How do you know you want to go down this route and not another healthcare profession?

A 3.5+ with an upward trend is very workable, and if you can finish around 3.7 youll be in a very good spot

I've shadowed both physicians and PA's and ultimately decided MD is the route I would like to follow. I am just worried about my science GPA from my first two years which is a 2.667 because I only have a few science classes and the C and C- in my maths are what brought my science GPA down.

 

[HomeSkool]

You've got plenty of time and you're not in as bad of shape as you think.

• Kick your performance into high gear from here on out and your GPA won't be an impediment.
• You'll probably need to retake the calculus course due to having earned lower than a C (many schools won't accept lower than a C on a prereq course), but you shouldn't retake anything else due to the reasons I've posted here.
• Make sure you're getting adequate shadowing exposure -- no, the EMS thing doesn't count as shadowing (shadowing is intended to let you see many aspects of a physician's work, and it can't be done by work in a non-physician role). Shadowing PAs doesn't count for med school admissions purposes, either.
• Work on clinical and nonclinical volunteering.
• Do what it takes to kill the MCAT.
• And remember: you should always do your best academically because you never know which doors you may want open to you in the future.

Keep working hard -- you're still in fine shape.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using SDN mobile

 

[SuaveCardigans]

I've shadowed both physicians and PA's and ultimately decided MD is the route I would like to follow. I am just worried about my science GPA from my first two years which is a 2.667 because I only have a few science classes and the C and C- in my maths are what brought my science GPA down.

If you only have a few classes, then it will be easier to bring up.

Trend over the next two years is more important that final GPAs, assuming you clear the 3.0 mark for each. Aim for 3.6+ from here on out, and you can reassess in a year or two.

Point still stands though, not even close to too late for you

 

[DBC03]

It’s definitely not too late! I decided to go to medical school at the age of 35, with a significantly worse freshman year GPA from 13 years before (it was a 2.2). My GPA was just over a 3.4 at application time (I somehow brought my <3.0 sGPA up to the same number through my post-bac classes), but I had a strong upward trend. I had a fairly successful cycle, and it sounds like you are in a better position already. A lot will depend on your extracurricular activities and your MCAT. FWIW, I had Cs and at least one D my freshman year. It’s best to have those bad grades then as many people struggle with the transition from high school to college. Good luck!


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[DSM_302.0]

Yep you're fine. Just do well in all your pre-reqs. Better to go slowly and surely and get great grades than to rush and finish.

 

[ats6422]

I am a current sophomore in college. Throughout my first two years of college I was very confused about my goals and plans for the future. During my freshman year I considered the medical school route, but did not have much exposure to medicine until I was chosen to be on our university's student-run EMS program at the end of my second semester. After riding throughout my sophomore fall with my university/with the city's EMS and shadowing, I recently decided that I would like to attend medical school. I naturally have a few fears that make me doubt whether it is feasible or not. During these first two years I was very lost in regards to what I wanted to major in and do in life, so I took many different classes (including some pre-req classes due to coinciding majors) and didn't work that hard due to my lack of motivation and a path.

1st Semester: 15 credits (3.091) - Calculus (C-)
2nd Semester: 15 Credits (3.668) - Cell Bio (B) / Ecological Bio with lab (A) and (A-)
Summer: 3 credit Stats (C)
3rd semester: 12 credits (3.668)
4th semester: 12 credits (N/A) I also did not start off well in a class so I will be taking one of these pass/fail.
So I am worried that my sophomore year will look very terrible and lazy, but I was very confused about my future and had no real goals for the future. I am also worried because i was in 12 credits then basically 9 credits the next semester and still only had like 3.6+ instead of a 4.0 in such little hours. I was lost. I most likely will have 2 A's and a B for the remaining 9 credits for this semester. My current GPA is a 3.457 and I predict it will be about a 3.5 at the end of this school year.

For student activities I am an EMT on our school EMS, a Senator for our Undergraduate Student Government, a tour guide, and I shadow.

So my plan the rest of undergrad would be

5th Semester: Gen Chem I & Genetics
6th Semester: Gen Chem II
Summer: Orgo 1&2
7th Semester: BioChem & Physics I
8th Semester: Physics II

So my question basically is basically is being pre-med a possibility for me at this point considering my very lack luster first two years, especially my sophomore year and my bad math grades, or will I be able to come back from this if I do very well in my future classes. This is something I am very passionate about and I could really use the guidance. Thank you.

.

I was in a very similar position to you, not deciding that I wanted to pursue medicine until I was entering my junior year. While I have not applied yet, my advice and what I have learned through this process, do not try to rush it to graduate on time. I had a terrible advisor that suggested I just take full 18 hour course loads through fall, spring and summer for the last two years so I could graduate on time. It was a living hell and ended up lowering my gpa because it was simply too much all at once. If you really want to do this, taking an extra semester or two if you need is not the end of the world. Better to pace yourself and do what you can handle.
Good luck!

 

[TulaneCarpeDiem]

.

I was in a very similar position to you, not deciding that I wanted to pursue medicine until I was entering my junior year. While I have not applied yet, my advice and what I have learned through this process, do not try to rush it to graduate on time. I had a terrible advisor that suggested I just take full 18 hour course loads through fall, spring and summer for the last two years so I could graduate on time. It was a living hell and ended up lowering my gpa because it was simply too much all at once. If you really want to do this, taking an extra semester or two if you need is not the end of the world. Better to pace yourself and do what you can handle.
Good luck!

.

I was in a very similar position to you, not deciding that I wanted to pursue medicine until I was entering my junior year. While I have not applied yet, my advice and what I have learned through this process, do not try to rush it to graduate on time. I had a terrible advisor that suggested I just take full 18 hour course loads through fall, spring and summer for the last two years so I could graduate on time. It was a living hell and ended up lowering my gpa because it was simply too much all at once. If you really want to do this, taking an extra semester or two if you need is not the end of the world. Better to pace yourself and do what you can handle.
Good luck!

Thank you so much for the advice! I’m curious as to how you think your grades from Junior and Senior year where you strted the pre-reqs will affect your application? We’re all of your science pre-reqs taken then or were some done before? My advisor told me today that I’ll need to do well in the classes I listed above to make up for my bad science gpa from my two maths. Are you going to get a masters to make your app more competitive? I’m interested in hearing more about your path if possible.

 

[premedphilosopher]

I initially dropped out of college, and have 2 F's and 3 W's on my transcript. I took two years off before I finally decided to go back and try out the premed thing. Now I am about to finish prereq's and have a solid sGPA, and my cumulative isn't bad either. Bad grades can be overcome! You just have to crush the rest of the classes you have left. Google a gpa calculator and crunch the numbers. You can also take a few random/easy bio/math/chem classes to boost your gpa!