Anybody feel like I'm not meant to be a doctor?

[deleted714452]

Hi guys, I guess I'm just in one of those down moods but recently it's been like all the signs have been telling me that I'm not fit to be a physician. I've applied to 20 MD schools and 28 DO schools and have been getting pre-interview holds, rejections or just silence. My cGPA is 3.25 and sGPA is 2.9 with a 30 MCAT. Not good stats I know but it was much worse originally with 2.0 bad and 18 MCAT.

My pre-med advisor, my family and my friends all tell me that I'm too stupid to be a doctor and should just give up. I've always wanted to be a doctor but it lately seems like I'm just not smart enough and the dream will remain a dream.

Anybody feel the same?

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[bigoliver101]

Get your sGPA above a 3.2 and more schools will show you love

 

[IDK22]

I was feeling this yesterday. Recovered from a 3.0 cum sub 3.0 science gpa along with a 20 mcat to more average stats. It's normal to feel down about your abilities, but you shouldn't listen to what other people think about you. If you believe it is your dream to become a doctor the only person stopping you is yourself. Do some grade replacement and get that GPA up, it will boost your confidence and your application.

 

[arc5005]

You should probably replace those friends and advisors who are saying you can't make it in med school. Not good to surround yourself with non-supportive people.

 

[Torilynn92]

It does sound like you need new friends. If it's your dream, you'll make it happen. You may end up taking a route you didn't expect to get there, but you can absolutely do it.

 

[GreenScrubss]

If you listen to the negative things people say you wont go anywhere in life. History is filled with people who decided to succeed regardless of what others thought. Also discover what an awesome feeling it is to prove other people wrong.

 

[costales]

Can your premed advisor, family and friends get a 30 MCAT? Tell them to shut up.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Everyone here is right, man. I am not here to try and steal the show, but I have endured through poverty and homelessness while maintaining a full-time job and managing to keep a full-time college schedule. Believe me, I feel your pain when it comes to feeling "down." But, sooner or later if this is something YOU want..YOU will realize that no one else can grant you the ability or deny you the opportunity except YOURSELF. The limiting factor is YOU. I have been in college 6 years now and I am willing to go 2 more years if I don't get accepted this cycle. I have a backup plan, but the end result will still end with me trying my best to get into medical school. You may have to do a post-bacc, SMP, Masters , or PhD...but it can happen for you if you try.

 

[mathnerd88]

I'm going to be brutally honest. You're most likely not going to go to medical school with the stats you currently have. Your sGPA is too low. If you have really good EC's or URM, you may have a better shot.

However, you have the potential to get into top tier DO schools if you do grade replacement and get that sGPA up to a 3.5 or so. I know you're stuck in a bad position, and you may have to retake that MCAT when you do apply again, but you are definitely smart enough to become a physician with that MCAT score.

 

[Kanna15]

I'm going to be brutally honest. You're most likely not going to go to medical school with the stats you currently have. Your sGPA is too low. If you have really good EC's or URM, you may have a better shot.

However, you have the potential to get into top tier DO schools if you do grade replacement and get that sGPA up to a 3.5 or so. I know you're stuck in a bad position, and you may have to retake that MCAT when you do apply again, but you are definitely smart enough to become a physician with that MCAT score.

Don't listen to all the negative comments. They are right about having to bring up your sGPA, that is a fact and its not against your personally. But you bring that up, 100% you'll get either MD or DO interviews, which is all you want at the end

 

[deleted714452]

Thanks guys, you've fired me up again!

I suffered from massive depression when I first started college, resulting in the first couple years of bad grades but woke up and have been trying my best since. I'm quite the pessimist so I already have multiple back up plans. I'm in it for the long haul no matter how long it takes.

Anybody have any inspirational stories to share with us?

 

[igor_raptor]

Not really inspirational, but maybe this might help.

I was enlisted in the US Army, and I got diagnosed with COPD during OSUT (by a civilian NP no less, don't even get me started on this), spent almost two months in this weird type of holding company until I could go home that was just like prison, discharged, and sent back home with barely any money and no job. Found out that I just had a couple bouts of bronchitis, and I lost my (realistically short term) career. Hell, I even had a slot to the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, and that got thrown away because of some NP. This motivated me to go back to school (my GPA and sGPA were something around 2.7 and 3.1 respectively or something) and kick some serious *** and maybe along the line make sure some other soldier's life isn't ruined again by either going into military medicine or working with veterans or something. I've been making 3.7+ for the past 6 semesters, got a 31 balanced MCAT, and research grants. Having a good cycle with a few interviews scheduled. Not bad for some dumb grunt if I may say so myself.

Anyways, I decided to apply solely to DO schools after shadowing one who also was a preceptor for schools in the area, and after talking to students at various schools decided I would be very happy at a DO school. I just seemed to click better with them than the students from the MD schools. Read up on the philosophy, read the Gevitz book, talked to a few other DO's, and decided this is what I wanted to do.

 

[Azete]

I don't need to fluff your ass, the numbers speak for themselves. Are the odds in your favor? No. But there are hundreds of medical students admitted every year with your stats as is.

 

[Goro]

Dump the pre-med advisor and listen to us. We'll get you to med school, if you can mind the angst here.

Hi guys, I guess I'm just in one of those down moods but recently it's been like all the signs have been telling me that I'm not fit to be a physician. I've applied to 20 MD schools and 28 DO schools and have been getting pre-interview holds, rejections or just silence. My cGPA is 3.25 and sGPA is 2.9 with a 30 MCAT. Not good stats I know but it was much worse originally with 2.0 bad and 18 MCAT.

My pre-med advisor, my family and my friends all tell me that I'm too stupid to be a doctor and should just give up. I've always wanted to be a doctor but it lately seems like I'm just not smart enough and the dream will remain a dream.

Anybody feel the same?

 

[Azete]

Dump the pre-med advisor and listen to us. We'll get you to med school, if you can mind the angst here.

I mean this genuinely, in your experience what percent of pre-med advisors are actually worth the money they make? Meeting with my school's advisor always felt like a massive waste of time.

 

[igor_raptor]

I mean this genuinely, in your experience what percent of pre-med advisors are actually worth the money they make? Meeting with my school's advisor always felt like a massive waste of time.

Mine is actually pretty good. Every year he has over 95%+ acceptance to students he committee interviews. He's hailed as a bit of a god here. I don't worship him, but I know that he cares about us.

SDN has actually been really helpful for when he isn't available, however, especially the pre-DO forum. People like Goro and gyngyn are great resources too.

 

[DreamingDoc]

You need to believe in yourself even if it seems like no one else does. Don't listen to any negativity, and keep pushing! My stats were way lower than yours and now I'm a 2nd year medical student. Where there's a will, there's a way, and even though the journey can feel lonely at times, what matters most is that you're working towards accomplishing YOUR dreams and no one else's. ***steps off soapbox***

Side note: Never let a pre-med tell you what minimum gpa you need to get into medical school. Oh, and I'm still convinced that the sole purpose of pre-med advisors is to try and crush your dreams, so don't listen to them either, lol.

 

[costales]

I think many premed advisors can be safely replaced by a computer terminal.

 

[deleted714452]

Honestly, it seems like SDN has helped me much more than any pre-med advisor.

Especially as my school has started restricting any pre-med help to only students they feel reach their standards and can get into med school, like 3.6 GPA and 32 MCAT. So pretty soon, my advisor is going to drop me anyway.

 

[KP2AZ]

Grade replace at your local state school/small private school for your science classes. Get it up around a 3.1 (which is much easier than it seems, try a few grade replacement calculations). Retake any science class you got a C or D in. I don't remember the exact statistics of the exam, but I think you are in the mid 80th percentile for the MCAT. Also, I think most people come upon a life struggle that makes them question what they want to do with their life. You are not alone, and WHEN you do come out of this and medical school is about to start, the entire process will be that much more worth it. You can do it! Now get to work.

 

[ortnakas]

Dump the pre-med advisor and listen to us. We'll get you to med school, if you can mind the angst here.

Trust Goro.

You may need to do a bit more grade replacement, but all is not lost.

 

[Mad Jack]

Hi guys, I guess I'm just in one of those down moods but recently it's been like all the signs have been telling me that I'm not fit to be a physician. I've applied to 20 MD schools and 28 DO schools and have been getting pre-interview holds, rejections or just silence. My cGPA is 3.25 and sGPA is 2.9 with a 30 MCAT. Not good stats I know but it was much worse originally with 2.0 bad and 18 MCAT.

My pre-med advisor, my family and my friends all tell me that I'm too stupid to be a doctor and should just give up. I've always wanted to be a doctor but it lately seems like I'm just not smart enough and the dream will remain a dream.

Anybody feel the same?

If you could get that sGPA over a 3.2 you'd definitely get in somewhere.

It does sound like you need new friends. If it's your dream, you'll make it happen. You may end up taking a route you didn't expect to get there, but you can absolutely do it.

Most people's dreams don't come true. Only those willing to work hard can both dream something and make it happen.

 

[deleted407021]

My pre med committee director encouraged us to "just take the MCAT without any prep", just to "see how we'd do", so no, I don't have a lot of confidence in a bunch of people with B.S. Education Admin. degrees, who never took the MCAT or applied or shadowed telling me how to take the MCAT and apply and shadow. SDN has been orders of magnitude more helpful and accurate to the real world than anything my "pre med committee" has thrown together.

 

[Torilynn92]

Most people's dreams don't come true. Only those willing to work hard can both dream something and make it happen.

I'm not saying that dreams magically come true. I'm saying he'll make it happen if it's truly what he wants out of life. ?

 

[Seth Joo]

Hi guys, I guess I'm just in one of those down moods but recently it's been like all the signs have been telling me that I'm not fit to be a physician. I've applied to 20 MD schools and 28 DO schools and have been getting pre-interview holds, rejections or just silence. My cGPA is 3.25 and sGPA is 2.9 with a 30 MCAT. Not good stats I know but it was much worse originally with 2.0 bad and 18 MCAT.

My pre-med advisor, my family and my friends all tell me that I'm too stupid to be a doctor and should just give up. I've always wanted to be a doctor but it lately seems like I'm just not smart enough and the dream will remain a dream.

Anybody feel the same?

Try to get your science GPA above a 3.0 and I would be in good shape at a lot of DO schools.

If your friends are saying that to you, they are not your friends. You can choose your friends not your parents, it seems the friends you have not are not the kind of people you want as friends.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Agree with everything said here OP! Dump your "friends" and that pre-med advisor. Do some grade repair in those science classes and get your sGPA to around 3.25. You might have to retake the MCAT if it expires but you are smart enough to do it. You'll get in OP. Stay the course!

 

[Seth Joo]

I think the OP will be fine he just needs to raise the Science GPA.

 

[DocWinter]

Yeah you're not far off. Enrolling in a couple science courses to replace low grades can do magic for your sGPA.

 

[deleted714452]

Hi guys, I guess I got some good news. I finally got AACOMAS to reclassify some of my classes as science after my school talked to them directly and my sGPA is now up to around 3.02. I'm also waiting for AACOMAS to verify my summer grades but hopefully it'll raise my cGPA to around a 3.3.

I was wondering how would I inform the schools about my new grades and I know that I pretty much have no hope for MD schools but since AMCAS doesn't allow academic updates, how would I tell the MD schools?

 

[arc5005]

Hi guys, I guess I got some good news. I finally got AACOMAS to reclassify some of my classes as science after my school talked to them directly and my sGPA is now up to around 3.02. I'm also waiting for AACOMAS to verify my summer grades but hopefully it'll raise my cGPA to around a 3.3.

I was wondering how would I inform the schools about my new grades and I know that I pretty much have no hope for MD schools but since AMCAS doesn't allow academic updates, how would I tell the MD schools?

I'm curious as to which science classes was AACOMAS not classifying as science credits originally?

 

[deleted714452]

I'm curious as to which science classes was AACOMAS not classifying as science credits originally?

Research courses, I'm in a neurophysiology lab but the courses are just called general research so AACOMAS originally told me that they would only look at the course name and nothing else. So I had to call up a lot of school admin to persuade them to talk to AACOMAS and I sent them my samples of my research. I've been hounding them for quite a while so I guess they gave in.

AMCAS didn't give me trouble with my classifications.

 

[Seth Joo]

Hi guys, I guess I got some good news. I finally got AACOMAS to reclassify some of my classes as science after my school talked to them directly and my sGPA is now up to around 3.02. I'm also waiting for AACOMAS to verify my summer grades but hopefully it'll raise my cGPA to around a 3.3.

I was wondering how would I inform the schools about my new grades and I know that I pretty much have no hope for MD schools but since AMCAS doesn't allow academic updates, how would I tell the MD schools?

With those kinds of grades and your MCAT score you should be competitive at a lot of DO schools. The best advice is to apply to a lot of schools and stay optimistic.