Advice (low GPA, etc..)? Please!!

[deleted238468]

Undergraduate : UCLA (California Resident)
Ethnicity (though I don't think it matters?) : Vietnamese
First Generation, First to Graduate High School, First to go to College

So I want to go to an MD school (I know the advice is to not rule DO out, but for now let's just say MD)

BUT pretty much I need to get my head on straight... I've always tested well, but for some reason (mostly just Chem) I haven't been doing well, though I know I know the material. But that's immaterial because I know that Grades are what matters.

So here's the black and white of it...

Academics :
Fall 2008
Gen Chem I : B+
(Honors) : B
Calc I : C+
Russian I : A-
Winter 2009
Gen Chem II : C+
Russian II: A-
Life Science I : B
Stem Cells (Biology, Policy, Ethics) : B+
Spring 2009
O-Chem I : B
Calc II : A
Russian III : B+
Summer 2009
Gen Chem Lab : B
Math III - Probability : B
Life Science II : A-
Fall 2009
O-Chem II : C+
Physics I : ?
Physiology 5 : ?

This puts my Science GPA around : 3.007 without Physics or Phy 5, which I'm estimating an B or A in both. So it should go up slightly.

My overall GPA is just under 3.3

ExtraCirriculars

Research (approx 4 months 12-15 hr/week)
Student Leader (in progress - 1 year [the position is held for a year])
AMSA (in progress - 1 year)

I know that all this is not good enough for med school. I was wondering if anyone was willing to tell me what Exactly I Need To Do from now until I graduate. I excelled in high school, but seem to be having a rut and slacking now. And I know that this is what is important Now for the future. I'm afraid my 3 C+ (2 in Chem, 1 in Math) will be forever marring my record. I'm at a loss to do and any advice will help! PLEASE HELP! (even if it's to tell me to change profession, though I'm going to keep trying till I graduate - knowing when to call it quits is good too.)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!

Thanks so much!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[J ROD]

Take more classes and get all A's!!!

And do well on the MCAT.

Get in plenty of clinical experience, volunteering, and shadowing.

Dont rule out DO if you really want to be a physician and not a MD just for the initials....

 

[Catalystik]

You're only a sophomore, so if you could get your priorities straight and produce straight As from now on, you still have time to get your GPAs into a reasonably competitive range. Alas, that doesn't seem likely if you don't get more determined and single-minded. You may have to let the ECs go for awhile and plan to resume them after you figure out how to get straight As. But there's no downside to applying when you're older, after the traditional time, so I urge you to consider this. A strong upward grade trend will also convince adcomms that you're not a slacker, but it must stay consistently high from now on.

If you look at yourself and realistically decide that the above approach will never work, then DO is a great way to become a physician, as their median GPA for those accepted is 3.45 and you're not far off from there. Their adcomms will still want to see more consistency in producing better science grades than you have so far. So you still need to change your work ethic, but not as drastically.

I see from your back posts that you've repeatedly gotten the same advice before, yet nothing has changed. Your opportunity for remediation is getting smaller as you gain more college credits. Ask yourself why nothing has changed since a year ago. What is standing in your way?

 

[deleted238468]

You're only a sophomore, so if you could get your priorities straight and produce straight As from now on, you still have time to get your GPAs into a reasonably competitive range. Alas, that doesn't seem likely if you don't get more determined and single-minded. You may have to let the ECs go for awhile and plan to resume them after you figure out how to get straight As. But there's no downside to applying when you're older, after the traditional time, so I urge you to consider this. A strong upward grade trend will also convince adcomms that you're not a slacker, but it must stay consistently high from now on.

If you look at yourself and realistically decide that the above approach will never work, then DO is a great way to become a physician, as their median GPA for those accepted is 3.45 and you're not far off from there. Their adcomms will still want to see more consistency in producing better science grades than you have so far. So you still need to change your work ethic, but not as drastically.

I see from your back posts that you've repeatedly gotten the same advice before, yet nothing has changed. Your opportunity for remediation is getting smaller as you gain more college credits. Ask yourself why nothing has changed since a year ago. What is standing in your way?

Thanks Catalystik. You're right. I keep telling myself "upward trend" I need to do better, but for some reason I just keep falling back into old patterns.

If I attempt to gain as high of a gpa as I can with some EC's, is an MD still available for me? Or should I look elsewhere?


Thanks for all the advice!! (and you too J Dub!)

 

[Catalystik]

If I attempt to gain as high of a gpa as I can with some EC's, is an MD still available for me?

Yes, MD is still possible.

 

[J ROD]

Yes, MD is still possible.

it is possible but you are gonna have to get serious or go home!!

this your future....make it happen!