Concerned about failing out of medical school? My concern valid?

[YankeesfanZF5]

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Hello SDN,

I was accepted into my state M.D. right after I was interviewed and reviewed. So, I am excited and ready to start school! Yet, I have this daunting feeling that I don't have the intelligence for medical school. I have dreamed and worked so hard to be the physician I want to be. I realize that dropping out/dismissal/withdrawal from medical school is highly unlikely if you put all your effort into it and don't have outside circumstances negatively affecting you. (Honestly I feel like I have imposter syndrome) My background: Small state school, Biology major, 507 MCAT (126, 126, 127, 128) 3.9 GPA, 3.87 science GPA, graduated from school's honors college, worked as a tutor, TA, and tech person throughout college, did 3 research projects, volunteered with multiple organizations that helped others and shadowed multiple doctors. My concern is that I worked REALLY HARD IN UNDERGRAD! I am not an intelligent person, I just would study longer and harder than anyone else in the class to be at or near the top in the class. Like way more time than others. I always made time to exercise but I preferred my alone time to study or just relax. I don't drink or party at all. My undergrad was to get me ready for medical school, so I can be a great doctor. I ALSO STUDIED FULL TIME (40+) FOR MY LOW MCAT SCORE. ONE MONTH OF READING KAPLAN books AND WATCHING VIDEOS AND TWO MONTHS OF PRACTICE TESTS AND PROBLEMS! Granted I was 2 to 3 years away from most of the classes the MCAT tests but I feel this is just an excuse to justify my lack of intelligence. The highest I scored on any of my AAMC tests was a 510...is my concern valid? Am I borderline to fail out of an M.D. program? I am gathering information to do the best I can in school. Thanks and sorry for the long post. I appreciate all of you and your time.

 

[wanderingorion]

It's easy to reduce yourself to a single number, but there is a whole person behind that. You have worked hard to get to this point, and will continue to do so. You were accepted because they believe in you. You should believe in yourself too.

 

[fantasticman221]

You'll be fine. If you had a 3.2 gpa and <500 MCAT, then i would worry

 

[Goro]

Hello SDN,

I was accepted into my state M.D. right after I was interviewed and reviewed. So, I am excited and ready to start school! Yet, I have this daunting feeling that I don't have the intelligence for medical school. I have dreamed and worked so hard to be the physician I want to be. I realize that dropping out/dismissal/withdrawal from medical school is highly unlikely if you put all your effort into it and don't have outside circumstances negatively affecting you. (Honestly I feel like I have imposter syndrome) My background: Small state school, Biology major, 507 MCAT (126, 126, 127, 128) 3.9 GPA, 3.87 science GPA, graduated from school's honors college, worked as a tutor, TA, and tech person throughout college, did 3 research projects, volunteered with multiple organizations that helped others and shadowed multiple doctors. My concern is that I worked REALLY HARD IN UNDERGRAD! I am not an intelligent person, I just would study longer and harder than anyone else in the class to be at or near the top in the class. Like way more time than others. I always made time to exercise but I preferred my alone time to study or just relax. I don't drink or party at all. My undergrad was to get me ready for medical school, so I can be a great doctor. I ALSO STUDIED FULL TIME (40+) FOR MY LOW MCAT SCORE. ONE MONTH OF READING KAPLAN books AND WATCHING VIDEOS AND TWO MONTHS OF PRACTICE TESTS AND PROBLEMS! Granted I was 2 to 3 years away from most of the classes the MCAT tests but I feel this is just an excuse to justify my lack of intelligence. The highest I scored on any of my AAMC tests was a 510...is my concern valid? Am I borderline to fail out of an M.D. program? I am gathering information to do the best I can in school. Thanks and sorry for the long post. I appreciate all of you and your time.

Your stats indicate that you can handle med school.

All new endeavors are fraught with anxiety, so chill.

 

[hannahrenee]

Your MCAT score is the average at my school. Start getting used to thinking of average as a positive. The only people I know who failed, left, or retook first year were having mental health issues or realized they didn't want to be there.

There are a lot of us that feel like you. I had great stats when I was accepted and I still felt the same fear. If you have a problem with imposter syndrome once you're in school take advantage of the free counselling, I wish I had gone to them sooner.

Med school has been an amazing experience, don't focus too much on how much we all complain about it (I say this as someone studying for step 1). Congrats on making it in!

 

[RNthenDoc]

I had lower MCAT and GPA and I’m succeeding in Med school.

Like you, I have to grind to do well, and that is daunting. Don’t compare yourself to others, though.

Ask yourself right now if you’re willing to put in long study days to pass your didactics. If the answer is yes, I bet you’ll be just fine. Just don’t get discouraged when you see the brainiacs pass everything with minimal effort... just focus on you.

 

[operaman]

Yeah the pre Med numbers are only a suggestion, not a sentence. You’ll find your way by hard work just like you did in undergrad. Just stay caught up, work 2-3x as hard as you could ever imagine working at the beginning and then slowly dial back as you find exactly what it takes to make the grades you want. I call it titrating for sanity.

You’ll be fine.

 

[700825]

As a fellow state school grad and someone is prolly on the dumber side for a med student (1st MCAT practice test was a 496, studied my way to acceptable range), you can survive the course load of med school. Not saying it's fun or easy (it kinda sucks), but it can be done.

However, I would caution against going to med school thinking you would only be happy with a highly competitive field. Intelligence does matter, especially when it comes to being at the top of a class of 'star' students.

 

[YankeesfanZF5]

As a fellow state school grad and someone is prolly on the dumber side for a med student (1st MCAT practice test was a 496, studied my way to acceptable range), you can survive the course load of med school. Not saying it's fun or easy (it kinda sucks), but it can be done.

However, I would caution against going to med school thinking you would only be happy with a highly competitive field. Intelligence does matter, especially when it comes to being at the top of a class of 'star' students.

My plan was just to work as hard as I can. See how Steps, school, and various activities go. Then, find a medical interest and hopefully match!

 

[carrots28]

The more you doubt the more you hinder yourself. Don’t overthink just do what you got to do.

 

[afib123]

You should be fine. Study hard. The hardest thing in medical school is probably gross anatomy if you didn't have it before. Everything else is pretty easy to pass. Doing the best in your class might be challenging but that's OK. You will be a doctor.

 

[MerYangBey]

There are people that I knew as premeds that I thought would never make it into med school. They are now my classmates and doing just fine lol. I know this sounds kinda judgmental on my part but the reason I’m sharing it with you is mostly to say that a good work ethic is probably the one thing you need to get through med school. Don’t let your doubts get in the way of your success. And it’s common to feel inadequate at times. Don’t let your grades define you. You got this
Best of luck!!

 

[ortnakas]

You got accepted, which means a group of people whose job (part of it, at least) it is is to decide who can handle medical school decided you can handle it.

This anxiety is normal.

 

[MSTP18]

Medical school is frankly not that intellectually challenging. The ratio of amount of knowledge you have to learn/time you have to learn it is certainly high and it can be challenging but with a 507 MCAT you clearly have the brain power to get through medical school. It will be more about your work ethic/time management.

To put it another way, I remember there were exams in my undergrad science classes where it felt like you could give me unlimited time and unlimited access to textbooks and I still wouldn't know how to answer the question. In med school, unlimited time and unlimited resources = 100% (or close to it) on every exam.

 

[afib123]

Medical school is frankly not that intellectually challenging. The ratio of amount of knowledge you have to learn/time you have to learn it is certainly high and it can be challenging but with a 507 MCAT you clearly have the brain power to get through medical school. It will be more about your work ethic/time management.

To put it another way, I remember there were exams in my undergrad science classes where it felt like you could give me unlimited time and unlimited access to textbooks and I still wouldn't know how to answer the question. In med school, unlimited time and unlimited resources = 100% (or close to it) on every exam.

Nicely summed up. There are certain classes such as physics etc in undergrad and for that matter in high school that intelligence and a knack for that subject determines your grade. For example, I never did but hypothetically no matter how hard I try, I will likely always be average in an art or writing if I took it in undergrad.

Same is certainly true in medical school. Some people will just have a better understanding of diseases processes but for the most part people can study and be good.

 

[skypilot]

Medical school is frankly not that intellectually challenging. The ratio of amount of knowledge you have to learn/time you have to learn it is certainly high and it can be challenging but with a 507 MCAT you clearly have the brain power to get through medical school. It will be more about your work ethic/time management.

To put it another way, I remember there were exams in my undergrad science classes where it felt like you could give me unlimited time and unlimited access to textbooks and I still wouldn't know how to answer the question. In med school, unlimited time and unlimited resources = 100% (or close to it) on every exam.

Med school is like trying to memorize the dictionary. It is hard, but not because it is intellectually challenging. Spend all day and night studying and you will be fine.