Am I cut out for med school?

[similarswordfish]

I’m in my second year of pre med and really struggling in organic chemistry. I don’t know how or if I can handle the rigors of med school if I’m already struggling so much in this one subject. Not expecting for sdn to give me all the answers to life, but does anyone have advice? Med students or doctors who were bad at orgo and have succeeded in med school? Or is this a sign that I should look into doing something else?

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[inwantstobeadoctor]

Failed Orgo I once and retook and took Orgo II and got C's in both. In my first year of medical school haha. Orgo is a difficult class that many people struggle with, so don't be so hard on yourself! Try finding YouTube videos or use Khan Academy to explain concepts.

 

[deleted1136042]

I'm taking orgo I next semester, so I can't give you a direct answer/ coping mechanism. However, as a student I can sympathize with your feelings of defeat and dissatisfaction with your current academic trajectory. I feel like the most important thing for individuals who are interested in professional degrees that require a lot of time, schooling, and money is that your path is not always linear. Organic chemistry may be the first "big" issue you face in this path, but there definitely will be more hardship down the line. The best remedy would be to seek a consistent support system, whether that be joining a study group with other classmates, going to office hours, or talking about your frustration with someone you trust (family or close friends). That way, if you were to face more difficulties, there will always be someone there for you to diminish or even help resolve the issue with you. I wish you the best of luck, you are good enough!

 

[LunaOri]

I got a D in orgo and graduated at the top of my med school class.

 

[EthylMethylMan]

Orgo is very dissimilar to basically every class in med school. It's all 3D spatial reasoning and high-level chemistry, neither of which are really part of your medical education. As long as you're doing well in classes like bio chem and A&P, you're probably in good shape. Obviously from an admissions perspective, you wanna do well in every class, so try to get some tutoring and put some extra hours into orgo. But don't be discouraged, lots of med students struggled with orgo.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

You just do what you can and move on. Orgo is almost totally irrelevant in practice of medicine.

 

[PeteytheFish]

Orgo itself isn't very helpful in medical school, as many have said. You really won't need the material again (especially Orgo II). If you take one lesson from Orgo, it should be this: Orgo is a course that forces many people to adopt a whole new way of studying. This will happen to you in medical school as well (especially during clerkships when you will have to learn how to prepare for exams using your clinical experiences). Obviously you need to figure out how to do OK in Orgo, but take the time to try out some new study strategies and learn how to adapt when one strategy isn't working. That's the one skill from Orgo that you'll really carry into med school.

 

[similarswordfish]

Failed Orgo I once and retook and took Orgo II and got C's in both. In my first year of medical school haha. Orgo is a difficult class that many people struggle with, so don't be so hard on yourself! Try finding YouTube videos or use Khan Academy to explain concepts.

That’s awesome. Congrats! If you don’t mind me asking, how is your first year going?

 

[similarswordfish]

Thank you guys!! This is all super helpful advice <3

 

[inwantstobeadoctor]

That’s awesome. Congrats! If you don’t mind me asking, how is your first year going?

Thank you friend! I can't complain haha. Not really sure what I expected with medical school but it wasn't this haha. It's definitely been challenging and a huge adjustment, but I'm definitely where I need to be. Good luck with everything else! You got this!!

 

[currentsurferfuturemd]

I’m in my second year of pre med and really struggling in organic chemistry. I don’t know how or if I can handle the rigors of med school if I’m already struggling so much in this one subject. Not expecting for sdn to give me all the answers to life, but does anyone have advice? Med students or doctors who were bad at orgo and have succeeded in med school? Or is this a sign that I should look into doing something else?

I just want to say, there are plenty of fulfilling careers outside of medicine. We premeds get blinders on and think we have to become physicians or we won't be happy. There are plenty of other great careers out there. Don't be discouraged if you find out this isn't for you, but also, don't give up easy! If you really want it, youve gotta work for it! Ask anyone that's made it, they will say its hard work!

 

[bodybuilder2020]

Sometimes you're just not ready for a tough course even though the capabilities are there. When I was a freshmen, I was in the business school cause I didn't want to study hard. Took chemistry only because a science was required and did badly. 5 years later when I decided to change career and do premed, I was more ready. More mature. More dedicated. Got A/A- on all my premed courses.

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

Orgo sucked and it is hard to learn about things you don't care about.

I struggled with gen bio 1 my freshman year and got a C+, got a B- in gen chem 2 my soph year. Retook both my senior year for A's with a multiple magnitude busier schedule.

You just have to get your barrings straight and figure out what works best for you and then you'll kill it!