Bleak First Year and a Half

[davev]

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So I'm in my sophomore year and I kind of slacked off my first year and slacked off in certain classes this first semester too. It's safe to say that my GPA is not so high. It's on the lower end of 3.0. To be very honest, my biggest problem is actually getting myself motivated to study, and wasting time doing other things. I just normally find things I'd much rather do than study. Last year I didn't value time whatsoever -- the whole when it's gone, it's gone principle. I just had fun doing what I was doing and ignored everything else. It sort of happened this first semester too.

Would this really hurt when applying? I'll be trying to replace a few horrible grades with grade replacement just to bring my GPA up. I know the application makes you list all grades, but retaking them (over the summer most likely) counts for something right? Doesn't it suggest that you're trying to rectify your mistakes? And I'm definitely prepared to put in the work I need from this point and going forward. I want to get into medical school; it's the most important goal for me. Do adcoms understand this bleak year and a half? Would they overlook it as long as you have an increasing trend in your grades? Is another year and a half (maybe with an extra summer to one or two more classes) of really good grades enough to raise my GPA significantly. My goal is a 3.5 or above.

Does anyone else have a similar story and a happy ending to follow? I'll take all the advice I can get, because I don't want to let go of my dream. All replies are appreciated!

 

[VictorAlpha]

I say if you really want it; keep after it. Improve your grades, re-take a few courses if you need to. Do post-bacc work or a master's or even a PhD if you need to.

I re-took some classes and got a master's; I had a GPA around yours when I finished undergraduate. I mean it was like, "this is what I'm doing; so whatever needs to happen that is what i'm going to make happen. I'm not looking for something else."

TBH, I read some of these stressed out undergrad questions and I think they have no idea what it feels like to come close to missing out on their dream. So take it from me, if you really want this you'll be fine if you keep at it. Take whatever anxious energy you have and re-direct all that into performing in your classes, find serious volunteering commitments now and continue them. If you do this you will come out a lot better than I did. I know it was hard for me to struggle, while I was almost tripping over people getting acceptances.

Everyone has their own journey (medical school or not). Make up your mind about what you want and go after it. You'll be fine.

 

[once]

I say if you really want it; keep after it. Improve your grades, re-take a few courses if you need to. Do post-bacc work or a master's or even a PhD if you need to.

Lol, don't get a PhD to improve your chances at med school...you'll be miserable

 

[MilMD01]

My freshman year I had a 3.2 GPA (got basically all B's and 1 or 2 A-/A).
By the end, I raised it to a 3.65 cGPA & was accepted to 2 MD schools.
I had the same reasoning as you.. freshman year I was distracted/lazy and wanted to have fun haha. You'll do better as time goes on!

 

[Nobodyspecial11]

study hard and you'll be fine.

 

[VictorAlpha]

Lol, don't get a PhD to improve your chances at med school...you'll be miserable

...maybe...

Some people might see that as an opportunity. I definitely would have been miserable....and I still would have done it.

 

[MilMD01]

...maybe...

Some people might see that as an opportunity. I definitely would have been miserable....and I still would have done it.

Me too. That was basically my backup plan haha.

 

[ToldYouSo]

No, you never have to nor should you do a PhD to increase your chances of going to med school. It's a horrible waste of time and energy and if you're not interested in it you won't be able to get through anyway.

 

[VictorAlpha]

No, you never have to nor should you do a PhD to increase your chances of going to med school. It's a horrible waste of time and energy and if you're not interested in it you won't be able to get through anyway.

^^ too absolute of a statement

 

[image187]

a PhD is way different from med school and takes a lotta time... definitely don't make a choice like that unless it's what you ACTUALLY want to do because you'll probably regret it if the only reason is to get into med school. study hard and you'll probably be fine

 

[goodkarma]

So I'm in my sophomore year and I kind of slacked off my first year and slacked off in certain classes this first semester too. It's safe to say that my GPA is not so high. It's on the lower end of 3.0. To be very honest, my biggest problem is actually getting myself motivated to study, and wasting time doing other things. I just normally find things I'd much rather do than study. Last year I didn't value time whatsoever -- the whole when it's gone, it's gone principle. I just had fun doing what I was doing and ignored everything else. It sort of happened this first semester too.

Would this really hurt when applying? I'll be trying to replace a few horrible grades with grade replacement just to bring my GPA up. I know the application makes you list all grades, but retaking them (over the summer most likely) counts for something right? Doesn't it suggest that you're trying to rectify your mistakes? And I'm definitely prepared to put in the work I need from this point and going forward. I want to get into medical school; it's the most important goal for me. Do adcoms understand this bleak year and a half? Would they overlook it as long as you have an increasing trend in your grades? Is another year and a half (maybe with an extra summer to one or two more classes) of really good grades enough to raise my GPA significantly. My goal is a 3.5 or above.

Does anyone else have a similar story and a happy ending to follow? I'll take all the advice I can get, because I don't want to let go of my dream. All replies are appreciated!

I have a similar story in undergraduate. 3.1 my first semester due to adjustment issues and a tough climb upward due to unexpected family illnesses at home. I had the same 3.5 goal and made it at my institution. Although, AMCAS calculated GPA differently than my school so my application was a 3.4. I was just accepted to an MD/PhD program.

My advice is stick to your goal, retake any pre-reqs that you scored lower than a C. Have some great extracurricular activities and experiences. Consider a gap year doing something medically relevant. Watch out for X- grades if your institution calculates GPA differently than AMCAS (i.e. if your institution is +/- 0.2 or 0.25 instead of AMCAS' 0.3).

Good luck!

 

[45408]

No, you never have to nor should you do a PhD to increase your chances of going to med school. It's a horrible waste of time and energy and if you're not interested in it you won't be able to get through anyway.

^^ too absolute of a statement

I'd say it's pretty much true.

 

[RegisBioMedMS]

This happens a lot to students. Just be aware that you have some ground to make up and go on with renewed focus. If you graduate at a 3.5 or above, apply right out of school. If you graduate with a little less, then you might need a "gap year" of post-bacc classes to get you there. Meet with your pre-med advisor at least once a year to be sure you are on track.

Schools are generally pretty forgiving of a bad semester or two... mend your ways and get As in your upper division classes and you'll be fine. Some schools actually see this as somewhat positive. It means you know how to recognize your shortcomings, fix the problem and come back strong. Not that I'm recommend slacking. 😉

 

[wind0angel]

So I'm in my sophomore year and I kind of slacked off my first year and slacked off in certain classes this first semester too. It's safe to say that my GPA is not so high. It's on the lower end of 3.0. To be very honest, my biggest problem is actually getting myself motivated to study, and wasting time doing other things. I just normally find things I'd much rather do than study. Last year I didn't value time whatsoever -- the whole when it's gone, it's gone principle. I just had fun doing what I was doing and ignored everything else. It sort of happened this first semester too.

Would this really hurt when applying? I'll be trying to replace a few horrible grades with grade replacement just to bring my GPA up. I know the application makes you list all grades, but retaking them (over the summer most likely) counts for something right? Doesn't it suggest that you're trying to rectify your mistakes? And I'm definitely prepared to put in the work I need from this point and going forward. I want to get into medical school; it's the most important goal for me. Do adcoms understand this bleak year and a half? Would they overlook it as long as you have an increasing trend in your grades? Is another year and a half (maybe with an extra summer to one or two more classes) of really good grades enough to raise my GPA significantly. My goal is a 3.5 or above.

Does anyone else have a similar story and a happy ending to follow? I'll take all the advice I can get, because I don't want to let go of my dream. All replies are appreciated!

i had 3.01 GPA first year (rofl, i was pledging with a friend to a soroity... super awesome time freshman year! lots and lots of stories to share)

sophmore year i actually paid attention, got 3.7 then 3.8 then 3.9 last year. cGPA 3.7ish which is perfectly fine for med school It's doable!

I loved first year and wouldn't trade it for anything!

 

[Benedictus123]

Where did this attitude come from that casts PhDs as some sort of easy backup plan for medical school? PhD programs worth getting into have low acceptance rates, and quite a few people wash out well before earning the degree. It's not like it's some hurff durff lawdy dah circling pattern you do while you wait to get into med school. Granted getting into medical school is harder, but unless you plan to get your PhD at Noonecares University, it's not a cakewalk either.

PhD programs are totally a separate thing from medical school. You'd make just as much sense saying, "Yeah, my back up plan is to go into carpentry in case I don't get into med school the first time!' And at least there you'd probably have a better chance of finding a job in case you still can't get in (hardy har har). Spare me how much your research or grad classes 'better prepare' you for med classes - in the end, adcoms will look at your PhD as just another box checked off on the EC list.

I say all this as someone who's about to finish up their PhD. Trust me, unless you're committed to it, you won't make it through.

 

[davev]

Thanks for all the advice and stories guys. Sorry for such a late response, but I've been studying for my last finals this week.

I still haven't touched most of the Gen Eds I need to take, so I think I can get a good boost if I put in the effort.

 

[911 Turbo]

Lol, don't get a PhD to improve your chances at med school...you'll be miserable

LOL its once!!! man... is it a coincidence that once and verum came back to SDN around the same time?

 

[davev]

One other question: Do medical schools look more closely at the GPA in the AMCAS or your school's transcript? Mine will be somewhat different, because I took my foreign language class at a community college last summer. So my cumulative GPA is higher than my GPA for my university-specific classes. I would think that the AMCAS would reflect what my cumulative GPA was if I were submitting it right now.

 

[BABSstudent]

Schools only receive the AMCAS. So they will only see that one.

Also, nobody has addresses this, but since you are posting in pre-allopathic I will say something. MD schools don't have a grade replacement policy. They average your grades. So if you get an F and then an A in that same class, you essentially get a C to them.

But raising your GPA can happen but it is tough to do. You should go to this website and see what you need to get for the rest of college to make yourself competitive for medical school.

http://www.back2college.com/raisegpa.htm

Good luck.

 

[davev]

Schools only receive the AMCAS. So they will only see that one.

Also, nobody has addresses this, but since you are posting in pre-allopathic I will say something. MD schools don't have a grade replacement policy. They average your grades. So if you get an F and then an A in that same class, you essentially get a C to them.

But raising your GPA can happen but it is tough to do. You should go to this website and see what you need to get for the rest of college to make yourself competitive for medical school.

http://www.back2college.com/raisegpa.htm

Good luck.

Yeah I just think it's in my best interest to re-take three of my classes.

Would a 3.5 be considered a good cumulative GPA that would be competitive at the majority of medical schools?

 

[squat]

Your undergraduate GPA is what matters most. If you want to take extra courses to boost your GPA, then take an extra year and double major...don't go to grad school counting on that. I got a 4.0 in my master's program. Personally, I don't think it impressed anyone.

 

[Ansar]

Just keep your spirits up and study harder!
You still haven't really wrecked yourself man, seriously, but you gotta pull yourself up!
I'm in a similar scenario (just finished fall of junior year, with a 3.4/3.2)
Just study hard hard hard and do all that you can to get that GPA up
You don't have to apply at end of Junior year. You can certainly apply at end of Senior year, and it's no biggie.

Don't do a PhD program. As other said, it is undergrad GPA that matters most...

 

[coyotelime]

My freshman year I had a 3.2 GPA (got basically all B's and 1 or 2 A-/A).
By the end, I raised it to a 3.65 cGPA & was accepted to 2 MD schools.
I had the same reasoning as you.. freshman year I was distracted/lazy and wanted to have fun haha. You'll do better as time goes on!

Identical story (minus the 2 MD acceptances haha). 3.2 fresh year and just started working more efficiently (not necessarily more, smarter studying I guess). Good luck!