Chances with Chronic illness

[loyalhero90]

Hello,
I'm trying to figure out my chances now. I'm a junior who is about a 3 day drive from my home. I'm a Neuroscience major and the plan is that I'm going to graduate take a year and half off to do research and make up any bad science courses and then apply to med school.
The problem is that my science and overall gpa look like crap. I have a 2.86 gpa with a 2.76 science gpa. They were mostly due to having to juggle my asthma (labeled as severe due to late diagnosis) with something called vocal chord dysfunction and also with something called TMJ. This is also juggled with dealing with a mom with kidney failure so I had to help pay the bills which means I have to work. The grades that are most hit are of course my science grades since they require the most dedication.
I still work hard and go to office hours but my exams always end horribly. One professor even told me " You come to office hours, do well in homework and in lab, I never sense any confusion when we go over the material but I don't really know what to say as to why you get the grades on the test".
I guess my question is does medical school factor in things like chronic illness or surprises in family life that factor into how well a student does in classes. I'm nervous because the main idea of a gpa is that it is supposed to show dedication and hard-work but what if the student did do their best and have professors to vouch that they did do their best but in the end the grade does not show? What happens then?
Hopeful plan: I will be taking classes abroad which I believe might bring up my gpa to at least a B- or maybe a B and then maybe the other courses can increase it to a 3.2 or 3.3 but my transcript still looks like crap.
Any suggestions as to my chances or what I should do because I honestly don't know and it does get discouraging at times with all that I have to deal with. I'm not saying that no one else has to deal with this. I'm not trying to make a sob story and I didn't mean to tell you my whole life story but this is what is happening and I'm just want some advice as to what to do.
Also I guess I am worried about showing how I learned from my experiences like now I want to become a pediatric pulmonologist due to my asthma. But that's kind of as far as I've gotten because I don't know if that fact that I'm still in college and trying to make my dreams come true is enough to show perseverance. And I'm not totally sure what to learn from all that is happening or what to gain unless showing how it improved my determination etc.

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[FrkyBgStok]

Ok. Going to sound like a big douche, but asthma, talking problems, and not being able to open your mouth (my wife has TMJ/TMD) isn't going to make you do that poorly in school. Sorry about your mom too. You need to spend a good amount of time doing GPA repair. You need a 4.0 from this point on, retake a bunch and hopefully apply DO. What is your timeline and what is your plan for success?

 

[TriagePreMed]

Ok. Going to sound like a big douche, but asthma, talking problems, and not being able to open your mouth (my wife has TMJ/TMD) isn't going to make you do that poorly in school. Sorry about your mom too. You need to spend a good amount of time doing GPA repair. You need a 4.0 from this point on, retake a bunch and hopefully apply DO. What is your timeline and what is your plan for success?

As usual, I will be agreeing with FBS' assessment. I don't see how asthma and talking problems can affect someone to the point of getting that kind of low GPA, unless the asthma is some kind of thing where you get the attacks all time and don't allow you to study, but I doubt that. I doubt it because your professors say you work hard and you understand things but do lousy on tests. You wouldn't be able to attend classes, go to office hours, "work hard," if it's true that you had these attacks all the time.

Honestly, I would suggest you start looking for another career. Sure, you could do grade replacement and all that, but if you have been working at your max (like you have said) and this is your best performance with an illness that will never go away, you won't be able to handle medical school, residency, or fellowship (which you need for pulmonology).

 

[loyalhero90]

Thanks for your reply. I have a hard time explaining illness because people have such different experiences with illnesses. Many people share your opinion about asthma, TMJ and vocal chord dysfunction and I also have a hard time explaining how they do effect my grades. For example, in the spring I might be hospitalized about 3 times throughout the whole semester and I usually have to take my nebulizer every other day. My oxygen levels teeter around 80-90. I don't know any other way to explain that it's simply hard to focus when I have trouble breathing. Vocal chord dysfunction as you might know does effect my asthma, usually they go hand in hand, so if one starts the other is bound to follow. Wheezing for hours because of vocal chord dysfunction does not help during an exam. I generally can talk really well unless the symptoms flare. I guess you can understand that TMJ is more than not being able to open your mouth since in severe cases it can cause a lot of physical pain and other symptoms.
Many people say asthma, VCD and TMJ are no big deal but well they are if you have all of them. I guess that is what I worry about med school. They will all think none of the diseases are a big deal or just simply not care; they'll just see it like you see it FryBgStok- excuses.
I just hope that I can get a good MCAT and redo some science classes to show that I can do the work. I also have some good research experience that might help too.
I'll be studying abroad in the Fall and also be able to take thesis during my senior year. I had to take a semester off due to medical reasons. I did plan to retake some of my science courses especially depending on how orgo goes this semester. Then time off for research and then med school.

 

[loyalhero90]

To TriagePreMed: The professors know about my problems and I believe he said that because I still go to office hours to receive help even with the problems in comparison to a healthy student who does not go to office hours and equally struggles. As to changing the career dropping everything that I have been working on and allowing my diseases to dictate my life would only make me a cripple. What else could I do since everyone has to work?
I guess I just have hope that my asthma will get under control someday, which will probably help my vocal chord dysfunction and that someone will find a treatment for TMJ.
In the meantime, I can work on getting a good MCAT which might help...
Not trying to be argumentative just trying to show that they are not plain old excuses that are trying to hide laziness just if they actually get factored into medical school admissions stuff.
And I guess "working hard" with an illness could mean that you still study, go to office hours when you can and not give up. You can work hard when you have an illness it's just harder to do the very best you could if your illnesses could be treated. And from the answers that I've gotten so far this might not mean a lot but I have never failed a course nor gotten close to failing.

Thank you for your response.

 

[TriagePreMed]

To TriagePreMed: The professors know about my problems and I believe he said that because I still go to office hours to receive help even with the problems in comparison to a healthy student who does not go to office hours and equally struggles. As to changing the career dropping everything that I have been working on and allowing my diseases to dictate my life would only make me a cripple. What else could I do since everyone has to work?
I guess I just have hope that my asthma will get under control someday, which will probably help my vocal chord dysfunction and that someone will find a treatment for TMJ.
In the meantime, I can work on getting a good MCAT which might help...
Not trying to be argumentative just trying to show that they are not plain old excuses that are trying to hide laziness just if they actually get factored into medical school admissions stuff.
And I guess "working hard" with an illness could mean that you still study, go to office hours when you can and not give up. You can work hard when you have an illness it's just harder to do the very best you could if your illnesses could be treated. And from the answers that I've gotten so far this might not mean a lot but I have never failed a course nor gotten close to failing.

Thank you for your response.

I wasn't thinking that you were lazy. Some people have a natural ability for some things and not for others. If my life depending on dribbling a basketball, I'd surely be toast.

Although now that you explained it better I can see how difficult it must be, I would still recommend finding another career because your illness is not going away. You can't depend on the "I hope some day it gets better," and I don't think medical schools will want to deal with it either if they can find 100 people that can take your spot in a heartbeat.

Have you considered a career in Respiratory Therapy? You can become an RT in just 2 years. Perhaps you can also go the MPH route and work for some health group related to lung health. There's many viable career options for you.

Be honest with yourself. Don't set yourself up for disappointment. If you think this is still your route and your asthma will disappear (or get substantially better), go for it! Whatever you choose, best of luck.

 

[loyalhero90]

To TriagePreMed: Thank you for your support and providing other career choices. I didn't really know about respiratory therapy or public health so I can start thinking about those. But do you think postbac could be an option?
Sorry I was looking at the low gpa success stories for some other options that could still help and maybe postbac could be an option... I know hope might not get me far but it seems that pharmaceuticals come out with new asthma medications everyday and maybe someone can one day fix TMJ so that it just won't be so painful.
It's just hard to change my dream of being a pulmonologist since I have had it since middle school lol.
But thank you very much for your advice and support.

 

[TriagePreMed]

To TriagePreMed: Thank you for your support and providing other career choices. I didn't really know about respiratory therapy or public health so I can start thinking about those. But do you think postbac could be an option?
Sorry I was looking at the low gpa success stories for some other options that could still help and maybe postbac could be an option... I know hope might not get me far but it seems that pharmaceuticals come out with new asthma medications everyday and maybe someone can one day fix TMJ so that it just won't be so painful.
It's just hard to change my dream of being a pulmonologist since I have had it since middle school lol.
But thank you very much for your advice and support.

For MD, you would need at least 2 years of post-bacc work with nearly a 4.0 GPA to attain the 3.0 needed to be accepted at most reputable SMPs. Your GPA in an SMP should be nearly a 4.0 as well. Under a 3.5 would be the kiss of death. Depending where you go and living expenses, this can cost you anywhere from 60k to 120k. Your alternative is to do an informal program, which could off-set some of the costs. For DO, you need to retake your low scores and get around a 3.3 cGPA/3.2 sGPA before applying.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Ok, seriously. I am trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. Really. But every post is laid out like a sob story. Asthma is bad, I get that, and wheezing for hours. I don't know about those, and I can't speak for any because I don't have any, but I see the TMJ. Have you seen a dentist? If so, does he suck? My wife's gave her this huge list of exercises and supplements to help and she tells me everyday how much they work. She also used google for even more. I know that each person is different, so let's say yours is crazy bad. The dentist said it is caused by stress. It is going to get worse in med school.

Moreover, if you miss too many classes in med school you may have to remediate or fail. 3 hospitalizations in one semester is setting yourself up for failure. Most importantly though, this process is brutal and unforgiving. In addition to the inevitable bad diet, lack of sleep, and constant exaustion which will exacerbate your problems, the people training you aren't really going to care, nor are they going to cut you any slack. If you aren't cutting it, they will likely fire you, not work with you.

If you want to do it, it is still possible. It is going to take a lot of work. A lot. But it will also take an attitude. You say you don't want your diseases to cripple but then you blame about your diseases crippling you. I am really not trying to tell you can't or just trying to be a dick. It would just suck bad to get there and fail with a healthy debt. I would recommend another career until you can get everything under control enough to not have to worry about it. Otherwise, it may bite you.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Exactly as it has been said. Unless everything is under control, it's useless to even go into post-bacc. It'll just be a waste of money because grades won't be there. Find another career until the miracle drug comes because you won't be successful at post-bacc. You will only get more debt. really look into respiratory therapy. I know it's not your dream, but you have to accept your limitations. Either way RT is a good compromise. You are still making a difference in peoples lives and are in a clinical setting. The big difference is you don't have a prescription pad.

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[ranvier25]

Granted I just started looking at this website not too long ago but I'm going to put in my two cents...
Are you an URM? And if so do you come from a economically disadvantaged background? You said you have to work to help your family does that play into you ability to find a good insurance provider? Also you said you live with like a 3 day drive away from home...so I guess you live really out of state...was your asthma worse at school than it was at home?
Not to get in all of your business but just trying to further understand the situation...
Since you are a junior you might be able to increase your gpa to a 3.0 by the time you graduate if you basically get all As. If you did do a postbac and did well that could also increase your gpa to maybe a 3.3 (?). In terms of medical school, you might still be able to go just take another path to get there. You might try PhD first...sometimes the gpa is less than med school gpa. A lot of research (publish a couple of papers) along with a high MCAT could increase your chances. But then again this is all in theory.
In terms of the asthma I can relate, there were certain semesters like in the spring that my asthma really flared and the medication was expensive even with insurance so sometimes I had to rely on less than efficient asthma medication. It did sometimes effect how well I did on an exam. Once I was at home my asthma rarely flared even in the spring. Do you think your asthma is flaring because of the location? As for the TMJ I don't many insurances that cover the treatment cost that could be afforded by a college student so you might want to try google with that one. Talk to someone at your school (like finaid) to see if there is a possibility to help with medical cost.
So... this is all in theory but...
if you were able to get a great MCAT score, increase GPA, get some really extensive research with some publishes then I believe you could then explain how your asthma pushed you to become a pulmonologist on your essay. If you were able to get an interview then you could explain how coming from a disadvantaged background, being an URM, economically disadvantaged could then lead to your asthma worsening etc, etc. You wouldn't want to dwell on it too much still have the air of "all these things helped me". You could also argue against the ideas that a disease does not affect your studies...people are sometimes a little more...understanding... face to face than what they see in writing.
Whew! Well hope that helps! Your story is really similar to mine and once I went out of state my asthma went crazy and since I did not really have family financial support it was hard getting the medication that could help so it did sometimes effect my grades. At least you have not graduated with a 2.5 so just get some more As, maybe do postbac in a location where your asthma is less rowdy...if you are close to home then it would be easier to get help financially to pay for the expensive medication.
In terms of stress you can't escape that but in your situation I guess you are always under stress lol. I can understand that too. Actually since my asthma was good at home I applied to my state school and was accepted. Once at home I did not have to worry about financial stuff so much and my asthma was better.
It is doable just a little harder due to a harsh beginning. Keep your head up and lungs clear lol!

 

[TriagePreMed]

You might try PhD first...sometimes the gpa is less than med school gpa. A lot of research (publish a couple of papers) along with a high MCAT could increase your chances. But then again this is all in theory.

Horrible advice if the goal is medicine.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Try DO. MD is impossible as of now.

 

[ranvier25]

Horrible advice if the goal is medicine.

While I appreciate your response was that really necessary. I didn't think the whole "try being a respiratory therapist" was too good either but I was going to keep that to myself instead of intentionally trying to insult someone. I repeatedly stated that this "could" happen and I said that my info was just a theory. With a phd you can't write prescriptions either but you still have the chance to help someone. Another avenue could be in basic science instead of clinical especially if the person has a good research background and can increase the gpa.
I'm simply saying that there are other options such as going into research as a phd than going into medicine. And honestly it seems like this person is having trouble controlling their asthma and this person is a junior. It took me a while to control mine too. Again I haven't been on this site for long but I have ran into some threads where people have graduated with a low gpa, gone to postbac and made it into med school...it just took a while and a lot of hard work. You can maybe also try a Masters program.
I don't believe all is lost loyalhero90. Just try to get that asthma under control and that will probably help a lot in terms of grades.

Also here is a thread about people who were able to get into med school with low gpas. Again it was a LOT of hard work but it you can still do it.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=855968

 

[loyalhero90]

Hello,
To ranvier25: I am an URM (I'm an african american woman) and I do come from a economically disadvantaged background etc, etc. I have been reading the minority forum and I am curious as to see how much minority status plays a role in admissions. You are right in that insurance does not cover anything for TMJ so I haven't really been able to get dentistry help but I can start with google; the disorder just surfaced last semester and it took college doctors forever to figure out what was wrong so I'm still getting used to it. My asthma has gotten worse since I am out of state ( I am from Texas and I go to Amherst College in MA) and even with college insurance paying for asthma meds is a pita. The area that I live in does have some pretty bad allergies and pollution problems. I will look for better options.
I have actually thought about PhD instead of MD. Many of my professors and research mentors have a PhD and they are still helping people but instead through a research lab; maybe I could go into pharmaceuticals. I could do MCAT after phd I guess if I still had the desire to become a physician though I suppose. So now I need to focus on the GRE I suppose. I have some more time since I'm not graduating until next year and I have about 4 semesters total to see how everything goes.
I do have my name on a paper just not in the first position but at least it's still there so that gives me hope. I think you are right about the asthma though I need to figure out a way to get better medication to help control it better and then I would not have to worry so.
Thank you for helping me see new avenues.

 

[JustMeditate]

I'm simply saying that there are other options such as going into research as a phd than going into medicine.

That is a horrible idea. Do you even know what a PhD is? How much effort it takes to get one? The discrepancies between a PhD and an MD? How medical school admissions work?

I don't mean to be a douche (actually, I do), but you're tone is very aggressive and clearly, you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[ranvier25]

I did not mean for my tone to sound aggressive. I do understand the amount of work for a PhD and that it is granted not given. Let me revise since two people have said this one idea is horrible: I am suggesting to loyalhero90 that maybe he/she should try graduate school. Better? It is just another option and maybe he/she should go for a Master's and see how things go. If the Master's went well then maybe try for PhD. If she still wants to do med then the master program in a science could help with gpa increase; same as with a post-bac. Sorry for the confusion maybe I should have said graduate program instead of PhD. Since I am a medical student I do know of some who have actually done PhD first and then wanted their MD second. That is the reason for my response sorry I did not flesh it out. I was just trying to figure out different routes for her to take to explain that all is not lost. Is that better?
To JustMeditate: please take a minute to meditate and stop being a douche as you put it. Maybe you should try giving the kid some advice. And my main purpose is to try to help loyalhero90 not try to start an argument.

 

[TriagePreMed]

While I appreciate your response was that really necessary. I didn't think the whole "try being a respiratory therapist" was too good either but I was going to keep that to myself instead of intentionally trying to insult someone. I repeatedly stated that this "could" happen and I said that my info was just a theory. With a phd you can't write prescriptions either but you still have the chance to help someone. Another avenue could be in basic science instead of clinical especially if the person has a good research background and can increase the gpa.
I'm simply saying that there are other options such as going into research as a phd than going into medicine. And honestly it seems like this person is having trouble controlling their asthma and this person is a junior. It took me a while to control mine too. Again I haven't been on this site for long but I have ran into some threads where people have graduated with a low gpa, gone to postbac and made it into med school...it just took a while and a lot of hard work. You can maybe also try a Masters program.
I don't believe all is lost loyalhero90. Just try to get that asthma under control and that will probably help a lot in terms of grades.

Also here is a thread about people who were able to get into med school with low gpas. Again it was a LOT of hard work but it you can still do it.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=855968

Sorry, it wasn't my intention to seem harsh. I see your point.

 

[loyalhero90]

To everyone who has given me some advice:
please stop arguing and telling people there ideas are horrible there just different. My own mentors encourage me to do PhD instead of MD sometimes even though they know about my illness. I believe they see my illness as an obstacle but nothing that can keep me from my goals ( they are very supportive; I wonder if they are being realistic sometimes though lol).
To JustMeditate: I don't know what to say really other than I have thought about phd as an option and I know that means grad school and I know that it means no med school but I also know people who have gotten there PhD but then returned for an MD. This was an option for them since they did not want to try for MD/PhD.
(Sigh) Everyone has their own opinion but it doesn't mean that they are horrible but just different. Also have none of you had a chronic illness or maybe dealt with someone who have a chronic illness(excluding ranvier)...maybe I'm on the wrong forum maybe I should try the URM forum or the forum that's suppose to help with illnesses and personal statements...Am I on the wrong forum? Sorry it's just when people actually want to start insulting other people I get kind of worried...But you guys have definitely made me think of other avenues that could help so thanks for that.
Ranvier25:thanks for your support and for what its worth I understood what you meant about the phd thing and your words were nice and supportive.
Not to ignore everyone's comments; thank you all, for your advice.

 

[TriagePreMed]

To everyone who has given me some advice:
please stop arguing and telling people there ideas are horrible there just different. My own mentors encourage me to do PhD instead of MD sometimes even though they know about my illness. I believe they see my illness as an obstacle but nothing that can keep me from my goals ( they are very supportive; I wonder if they are being realistic sometimes though lol).
To JustMeditate: I don't know what to say really other than I have thought about phd as an option and I know that means grad school and I know that it means no med school but I also know people who have gotten there PhD but then returned for an MD. This was an option for them since they did not want to try for MD/PhD.
(Sigh) Everyone has their own opinion but it doesn't mean that they are horrible but just different. Also have none of you had a chronic illness or maybe dealt with someone who have a chronic illness(excluding ranvier)...maybe I'm on the wrong forum maybe I should try the URM forum or the forum that's suppose to help with illnesses and personal statements...Am I on the wrong forum? Sorry it's just when people actually want to start insulting other people I get kind of worried...But you guys have definitely made me think of other avenues that could help so thanks for that.
Ranvier25:thanks for your support and for what its worth I understood what you meant about the phd thing and your words were nice and supportive.
Not to ignore everyone's comments; thank you all, for your advice.

Nobody is insulting anyone. Saying something is a horrible idea is not an insult. It's a comment, albeit it can be construed as being tactless. Go to the URM forum if you want. I'm URM myself and will tell you the exact same thing I did here. Sorry, but it's sort of crossing the line into racism to somehow suggest URM forum cares more or something to that extent.

 

[loyalhero90]

(Sigh) So many things can be misconstrued in emails. I wasn't talking about your response in saying something was a horrible idea I was referring to JustMeditate's reply of saying " I don't mean to be a douche (actually I do), you have no idea what your talking about" statement; it just struck me as an odd thing to say to another person. I wasn't talking about your comment if that is what you are referring too. I was also referring to even though some of the comments lacked tact they were still perceived as insulting due to lack of understanding of what the other was trying to express. Like how you apologized after you understood what was being said since Ranvier took it as an insult. I was still typing my response when you gave your apology so I didn't see that.
"Sorry, but it's sort of crossing the line into racism to somehow suggest URM forum cares more or something to that extent."
Sorry I didn't know that I was being racist. What do you mean by "cares more"? I'm not sure how my comments came across but I didn't mean another forum would care more or less. I didn't think I was suggesting anything; I was in that moment put off by some of the comments. I didn't know there was a forum for URMs when I first started and Ranvier was talking about it so I thought that maybe I was supposed to be there and while you and FrykBgStok advice were very helpful it was nice to hear about other options and opinions instead of "give up, your screwed, you can do nothing with your illnesses". Since you are an URM you must know how hard it is to hear someone say "give up". So I was hoping that maybe other URMs could provide more opinions on the subject not necessarily provide more care on the subject but since you are an URM who gave a totally different opinion from another URM then maybe it's not worth it. I believe that I've gotten a lot of info from here already though. I might just see how to fit such a statement into my personal statement.
"Go to the URM forum if you want. I'm URM myself and will tell you the exact same thing I did here."
While you stated some options for me to take Ranvier gave me a whole different set of options so maybe someone else will give me some more feedback; that is what I was suggesting. I would not expect you to tell me anything different because you switched forums ( didn't totally get the last part of the sentence).
As you know many things in an email can be taken to be completely different from what the person meant.

 

[JustMeditate]

I did not mean for my tone to sound aggressive. I do understand the amount of work for a PhD and that it is granted not given. Let me revise since two people have said this one idea is horrible: I am suggesting to loyalhero90 that maybe he/she should try graduate school. Better? It is just another option and maybe he/she should go for a Master's and see how things go. If the Master's went well then maybe try for PhD. If she still wants to do med then the master program in a science could help with gpa increase; same as with a post-bac.

If you want to get a PhD, then going to graduate school is a great idea. If you want to go to medical school, it's a bad idea. No one is saying that someone with a PhD can't decide, later in life, to get an MD. But if an MD is your ultimate goal, I can't think of a more difficult, more circuitous route, than 3-7 years (depending on whether or not you get a master's first) of graduate level classes, dissertation defense, and hard core research. Then, after getting your PhD, you have to prove to medical schools that medicine is your passion, even though you decided to spend the last decade on research.

And no, a master's program will not increase your GPA, "same as with post-bacc." Given graduate level grade inflation, most medical schools could care less what your graduate GPA is. They only care about your undergrad GPA, and the only way to increase that is with undergrad and post-bacc classes. A masters for the sake on increasing your GPA is wasted money and wasted effort.

I'll admit I was harsh in my last post, but you are giving some pretty misleading advice.

OP, it isn't over by a long shot, but you can't use your illnesses as an excuse forever. A few weeks ago, a member of a local school's admissions committee visited our pre-med club. He told us that they'd had to reject a person with schizophrenia, twice, because even though he had the intellect to be a doctor, his disability was so debilitating, that he'd be a horrible doctor, and a danger to his patients. You need to prove to medical schools that, in spite of these life long illnesses, you can still push through, study, and understand enough course material to save lives. If you can't, no one will let you be a doctor. So it is that simple. Start some hard core GPA repair, no more excuses, or accept that your illnesses are just too painful to handle, and that with them holding you back, you won't be able to learn the medical school material necessary to save lives.

 

[loyalhero90]

I'm getting how to work with my illnesses for med school. Basically I need an upward trend in my upper level science courses since most of my bad grades occurred during the introductory science courses since I actually did fairly well in my upper level bio courses. I need show an increase in my gpa instead of a decrease.
Ranvier25 made a light bulb go off in that my asthma is not under control right now and it is partly because due to my family circumstances I'm not able to get the right medication. So my economic background plays a role.
If I can show an upward trend in gpa then I can show that while my illnesses did affect my earlier courses it was not due to the illnesses themselves but other socioeconomic factors that prevented proper treatment and control of the illnesses. Such a background might reinforce my decision to go into pediatric pulmonology. But of course that is contingent upon me succeeding in doing an upward trend in gpa with a post-bac program along with more research and shadowing.
The thing to do right now is to see what my options are for getting better asthma medication which would control the VCD and then create a less stressful environment for my TMJ to not be as prevalent.
At the end in my personal response I will have to use my illnesses and socioeconomic factors as an excuse to explain my rough start with my classes but then explain how I was able to obtain better medication which helped to control my illnesses and allow my grades to flourish.
With this statement do my illnesses still sound like an excuse? I don't really know how to not make it sound like an excuse because it is a reason as to why my semesters have been a little harsh but by showing an upward trend in gpa with the controlling of my asthma and with post-bac success then the excuse might be seen more positive, yes?

 

[Goro]

Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out to be a doctor.

 

[ranvier25]

I'm getting how to work with my illnesses for med school. Basically I need an upward trend in my upper level science courses since most of my bad grades occurred during the introductory science courses since I actually did fairly well in my upper level bio courses. I need show an increase in my gpa instead of a decrease.
Ranvier25 made a light bulb go off in that my asthma is not under control right now and it is partly because due to my family circumstances I'm not able to get the right medication. So my economic background plays a role.
If I can show an upward trend in gpa then I can show that while my illnesses did affect my earlier courses it was not due to the illnesses themselves but other socioeconomic factors that prevented proper treatment and control of the illnesses. Such a background might reinforce my decision to go into pediatric pulmonology. But of course that is contingent upon me succeeding in doing an upward trend in gpa with a post-bac program along with more research and shadowing.
The thing to do right now is to see what my options are for getting better asthma medication which would control the VCD and then create a less stressful environment for my TMJ to not be as prevalent.
At the end in my personal response I will have to use my illnesses and socioeconomic factors as an excuse to explain my rough start with my classes but then explain how I was able to obtain better medication which helped to control my illnesses and allow my grades to flourish.
With this statement do my illnesses still sound like an excuse? I don't really know how to not make it sound like an excuse because it is a reason as to why my semesters have been a little harsh but by showing an upward trend in gpa with the controlling of my asthma and with post-bac success then the excuse might be seen more positive, yes?

Okay at least you have a plan going. You might want to try looking through the forum that deals with admissions with special circumstances. They could help you flesh out what to do in these types of situations. You have a special circumstance which if you do overcome by inc gpa, doing post-bac and getting your asthma under-control then you can show you overcame adversity especially since your illnesses were added on by circumstances that were out of your control. Granted many admission committees hear things like this but what gets you out of the "woe is me" hole is showing that the diversity only made you stronger and pushed you more towards your goal.
In my med classes I see many people who were admitted with awesome gpa's and awesome MCATs but one day realize they don't want to be a doctor. Scores don't tell the whole story so fill in the rest with how you overcame an adversity to prove you can do the work and be a great doctor. Even through all of your adversities if you can prove that you can succeed and that your past was just a springboard to further push to become a doctor instead of an excuse that weighed you down then I think you have a chance.

 

[JustMeditate]

I don't really know how to not make it sound like an excuse because it is a reason as to why my semesters have been a little harsh but by showing an upward trend in gpa with the controlling of my asthma and with post-bac success then the excuse might be seen more positive, yes?

If you can establish an upward grade trend, add some intense and interesting EC's to your resume, and do well on the MCAT, you'll be showing adcoms that while your illnesses held you back in the past, you've learned to manage them, and they will not result in a poor performance during medical schools. Right now, that is your goal. No one will admit you to medical school if they think your illnesses will have a large negative impact on your ability to learn, because a medical student who cannot learn basic science will, best case scenario, fail Step I and, worst case scenario, will be a danger to his/her patients. Prove to medical schools that the illnesses have become a non-issue, and you can succeed.

if you can prove that you can succeed and that your past was just a springboard to further push to become a doctor instead of an excuse that weighed you down then I think you have a chance.

Bingo. The attitude you choose to have towards your illnesses is very important. You will be asked, in interviews, why you did so poorly at the start of your academic career. If you make you illnesses sound like an insurmountable problem, and turn your first few semesters into a sob story, you won't come off very favorably. Trust me when I say there are doctors with a much more disadvantaged background than your's, but you don't see them whining about it. They identified the problem, came up with a plan to overcome the odds, and did what needed to be done. Think of it this way: Very few pre-meds on SDN felt sympathy for you when you started your sob story. None of your interviewers will either. So treat your illnesses as an obstacle that can be overcome with a little effort. Not a disorder that tried to kick your *ss and won.

2.86 gpa with a 2.76

All medical schools have a cut-off of a 3.0. You need a 3.0 in order for your app. to even reach human eyes. If your GPA stays below that cut-off, a computer will throw it in the trash before anyone else even looks. Also, allopathic schools do not have a grade replacement policy, only DO schools do, so the grade repair for a DO degree will be easier and less expensive. Just a thought.

 

[loyalhero90]

If you can establish an upward grade trend, add some intense and interesting EC's to your resume, and do well on the MCAT, you'll be showing adcoms that while your illnesses held you back in the past, you've learned to manage them, and they will not result in a poor performance during medical schools. Right now, that is your goal. No one will admit you to medical school if they think your illnesses will have a large negative impact on your ability to learn, because a medical student who cannot learn basic science will, best case scenario, fail Step I and, worst case scenario, will be a danger to his/her patients. Prove to medical schools that the illnesses have become a non-issue, and you can succeed.
The attitude you choose to have towards your illnesses is very important. You will be asked, in interviews, why you did so poorly at the start of your academic career. If you make you illnesses sound like an insurmountable problem, and turn your first few semesters into a sob story, you won't come off very favorably. Trust me when I say there are doctors with a much more disadvantaged background than your's, but you don't see them whining about it. They identified the problem, came up with a plan to overcome the odds, and did what needed to be done. Think of it this way: Very few pre-meds on SDN felt sympathy for you when you started your sob story. None of your interviewers will either. So treat your illnesses as an obstacle that can be overcome with a little effort. Not a disorder that tried to kick your *ss and won.
All medical schools have a cut-off of a 3.0. You need a 3.0 in order for your app. to even reach human eyes. If your GPA stays below that cut-off, a computer will throw it in the trash before anyone else even looks. Also, allopathic schools do not have a grade replacement policy, only DO schools do, so the grade repair for a DO degree will be easier and less expensive. Just a thought.

Okay so:
1: Find some way to get more suitable asthma meds that will control asthma
2: Establish upward trend and do post-bac
3: I am in ECs: Symphony Orchestra, Equestian (mostly in the fall when my asthma is not as bad but I sometimes have good springs), leader in Taking Action Against Domestic Abuse, Member of Not for Sale and the Student Abolitionist ( anti-human trafficking organization). I don't know where this fits in but I am also a Marine Reefer (maybe more of a hobby but I do participate in Save the Reef opportunities). I also have study abroad but I don't know if that is important.Should I do more?
4: I have more research than volunteer experience but I do volunteer at the American Heart and Lung Association. I also participate in a home health care system where I take care of the elderly (drive them around etc) but I get paid to do that so I don't know if that is good to put down... maybe increase more volunteer work and shadowing.

Miscellaneous:
When I first started very few Pre-med felt sympathy which I figured since most of you guys said to give up. The problem that I have is that I did not want your sympathy. I was not aiming for a pity party but basically explaining my circumstances and I didn't want to sound like I was whining actually I wanted to sound frustrated and in need of some advice. Even the doctors who have worse circumstance than I have had probably have also been frustrated and needed some advice at some points too. Usually everyone does and they get support from somewhere. I just thought it was funny how the one med student said don't give up in the beginning opposite the pre-meds. Again I'm not trying to drive sympathy just feeling the need to explain my posts and just curious to the trend of commentators.
I guess I have figured now that though times are frustrating I really need to focus on the positive and my goal to getting better grades for med school. And I need to really work on how to change my illnesses from sob stories to overcoming adversity stories.

 

[TriagePreMed]

3: I am in ECs: Symphony Orchestra, Equestian (mostly in the fall when my asthma is not as bad but I sometimes have good springs), leader in Taking Action Against Domestic Abuse, Member of Not for Sale and the Student Abolitionist ( anti-human trafficking organization). I don't know where this fits in but I am also a Marine Reefer (maybe more of a hobby but I do participate in Save the Reef opportunities). I also have study abroad but I don't know if that is important.Should I do more?
4: I have more research than volunteer experience but I do volunteer at the American Heart and Lung Association. I also participate in a home health care system where I take care of the elderly (drive them around etc) but I get paid to do that so I don't know if that is good to put down... maybe increase more volunteer work and shadowing.

Okay, I'm going to be the mean guy at this point, but if you're participating in all this stuff AND it includes equestrian training, I don't buy your story that asthma and TMJ are seriously taking your life to the point where your grades are suffering. You have time to ride horses, drive around old people, have international trips, and your grades are this bad? Come on. Do your grades get better in the fall since apparently the spring is bad? I doubt it. You sound like this girl in my school that went to disability office and said she gets "test anxiety" and they are giving her extra 30 minutes on tests when she doesn't deserve it.

Have you considered the more likely possibility that maybe you're not cut for medicine? Because that's really what it sounds like. I'm thinking blaming your grades on your asthma is an excuse, and since you'll be applying to medical school, remember that doctors will be able to see through the facade in a heart beat, so unless a doctor can believe your asthma can be that severe to hinder your grades, they won't let you in, and if they believe your illness is that bad, they will know you can't cut it in med school.

 

[Pattycake25]

Okay so:
1: Find some way to get more suitable asthma meds that will control asthma
2: Establish upward trend and do post-bac
3: I am in ECs: Symphony Orchestra, Equestian (mostly in the fall when my asthma is not as bad but I sometimes have good springs), leader in Taking Action Against Domestic Abuse, Member of Not for Sale and the Student Abolitionist ( anti-human trafficking organization). I don't know where this fits in but I am also a Marine Reefer (maybe more of a hobby but I do participate in Save the Reef opportunities). I also have study abroad but I don't know if that is important.Should I do more?
4: I have more research than volunteer experience but I do volunteer at the American Heart and Lung Association. I also participate in a home health care system where I take care of the elderly (drive them around etc) but I get paid to do that so I don't know if that is good to put down... maybe increase more volunteer work and shadowing.

Miscellaneous:
When I first started very few Pre-med felt sympathy which I figured since most of you guys said to give up. The problem that I have is that I did not want your sympathy. I was not aiming for a pity party but basically explaining my circumstances and I didn't want to sound like I was whining actually I wanted to sound frustrated and in need of some advice. Even the doctors who have worse circumstance than I have had probably have also been frustrated and needed some advice at some points too. Usually everyone does and they get support from somewhere. I just thought it was funny how the one med student said don't give up in the beginning opposite the pre-meds. Again I'm not trying to drive sympathy just feeling the need to explain my posts and just curious to the trend of commentators.
I guess I have figured now that though times are frustrating I really need to focus on the positive and my goal to getting better grades for med school. And I need to really work on how to change my illnesses from sob stories to overcoming adversity stories.

The bolded portions are your priorities, with the "controlling your condition" advice #1. You need to become your own harshest critic, and then PROVE to yourself that you can handle medical school in your current state. You can't count on improvement to come at some vague point in the future - you need to have it in hand before you can project a path into medical school, because frankly, you've proven that without such improvement, you cannot succeed in an M.D. program, and probably not a D.O one either. I am sorry - that must be incredibly difficult to hear, but it is the truth borne out by your past grades.

Keep in mind a critical guiding principle that I needed to really understand and accept before I finally turned myself around a few years ago. Everything up to and including college is "general education", and we on a society recognize and succeed on the realization that EVERYone deserves a shot to thrive in such. Even if someone decides college is not the right place for them, it was THEIR decision. Medical school could not be more different - not everyone should be accommodated in their efforts to become a doctor, because we just don't need everyone to be a doctor, and the career path is simply too difficult to be that universally accessible regardless. This makes a GIANT difference in how your condition will be viewed - while college counselors and professors will see it as an unfortunate difficulty that they should help you triumph over, medical adcom members will see it as little more than a liability that makes you a risky investment, recognition of your intelligence and their deep and sincere sympathy for your plight nonwithstanding.

This leaves you with two options: either present evidence, in the form of several years of results, that the problem is resolved and you are now an strong and safe candidate, or demonstrate that you are otherwise so incredibly exceptional that they should look past this serious handicap. Sympathy is simply not enough to get into medical school - it's not even the beginning of what is needed. You need evidence that you are a better choice than the majority of other applicants. Without this, you are wasting your time and money trying.

A few other things:

1. You should not be thinking about your ECs right now. Focus on recovery and mastery of your condition. It sounds as though you have done enough to succeed in other avenues, and you have much more challenging problems regarding a medical career, so it just does not make sense to focus more effort there. In fact, you should probably dial back your ECs, in order to give you more time and energy to work on the central problem.

2. The MCAT is certainly important, and you will need to worry about it - later. But even a 45T is not going to make up for everything else (this is important, please don't think an amazing MCAT can compensate for your academic record), and the MCAT won't help you in any other pursuits, so this too needs to be put off. At the very least, you ought to retake (and do well in) bio, chem, and physics before you look at the test. I would also add o. chem, but you won't get into medical school for at least 3-4 years I'd say, and by that point I believe the MCAT will have phased out OC.

3. If you have not done so already, establish a relationship with a premed adviser at your school. Unlike forum posters, they get PAID to know this process inside and out, and have years of experience with widely different student backgrounds. Be ready, however - I suspect any premed adviser is going to start by arguing for different career paths in your case. It is fair to stand your ground, but not to ignore what they have to say. Eventually, I imagine they'll get around to giving you concrete guidance on your strategy.

 

[JustMeditate]

Okay, I'm going to be the mean guy at this point, but if you're participating in all this stuff AND it includes equestrian training, I don't buy your story that asthma and TMJ are seriously taking your life to the point where your grades are suffering. You have time to ride horses, drive around old people, have international trips, and your grades are this bad? Come on.

I think TriagePreMed has a point here, loyalhero90. If you want to get into medical school, you have to honestly evaluate what your problem is and why you have been getting poor grades. If you find a solution to the wrong problem, or to only part of the problem, it won't be resolved, and your grades will continue to be way below sub par. Sure, your illnesses may have had something to do with your poor grades, but seriously ask yourself, "Was that the only reason I did poorly? If magically, today, my illnesses went away, would I be getting straight A's?" If not, consider changing your study habits and learning strategy, in addition to seeking better medical treatment. You have an uphill battle ahead of you, and pretty much need solid straight A's for the rest of your academic career if you want an MD. It's a daunting situation.

Medical school could not be more different - not everyone should be accommodated in their efforts to become a doctor, because we just don't need everyone to be a doctor, and the career path is simply too difficult to be that universally accessible regardless. This makes a GIANT difference in how your condition will be viewed - while college counselors and professors will see it as an unfortunate difficulty that they should help you triumph over, medical adcom members will see it as little more than a liability that makes you a risky investment, recognition of your intelligence and their deep and sincere sympathy for your plight nonwithstanding.

Listen to this. It's 100% true.