Depressed and Need Help!

[Desperate]

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Hey all, (this is long so I apologize in advance)

As some of y'all know I have posted my abysmal scores a few times on here to gauge my chances at medical school. I'm currently at this major fork in the road in my life. I graduated back in December with my BA. Since then I have had no had in luck in finding employment so I've been living at home

. I've determined that an MA is history will not help me with what I want to achieve in life. I've been discussing with my parents about going back to Tech and getting a second bachelor's degree. Right now I've been discussing Engineering with them because I love science and it's kind of applied science. It's a good practical degree with many job opportunities, however I cannot get excited about it... and I suck at calculus lol. My dilemma is that I frequently visit this site and read all of these forums and I get sad. I miss my premed days! I cannot hear the words "medical student," or "physician," or even "anatomical terminology" without getting depressed. I don't know what to do, and I definitely know that my parents are getting sick of me always going back to "I want to be a doctor." I'm really depressed tonight, like borderline tearing up because I feel like the dream of becoming a doctor is pretty much dead or at least on life support. I know people say if you want it bad enough you'll find a way to make it happen, but I just don't think that will happen. My AMCAS gpa is a 2.7 and my sci gpa is a 2.5, AACOMAS gpa is a 2.85 and my sci gpa is a 3.05, no MCAT yet, not to mention the 12 w's. I also have not finished the pre reqs. Oh and before anyone suggests retakes, there are only two that I am retaking (a F and D). How the heck am I supposed to persuade an adcom to take a chance on me when there are so many qualified applicants? I've thought about finishing my pre reqs this year and taking my MCAT next summer, but I don't even know if it's worth the money if I going to be in the exact same position that I'm in now. I've also considered doing an SMP after the MCAT, but I do not have that kind of money to spend... I feel like the dream is dead and it is tearing me up on this inside. Screwing around in undergrad is the worst decision that I've ever made in my life

. Has anyone suffered through this type of torment? Sorry for the lengthy rant, but I have no one left to turn to other than the good folks on Studentdoctor. I want to be a doctor so freaking bad! I'm the son of an RN and the grandson of a physician, medicine is all that I'm interested in, literally there are no other fields out there that peak my interest like medicine... I don't what to do... I need a time machine... I feel so insignificant and inferior when I read of all these posts with people who have outstanding academic records, not that I condemn them or anything, I just wish that I would have worked so much harder in school. I know I've asked for a lot of help on this forum, but I feel lost right now. And I cannot talk to my real friends because they just tell me what I want to hear... I have to make a choice to either to go back to school or abandon medicine forever.

 

[99redballoons]

Either way, it is pretty clear that your going to need some time in order to bring up your grades and ready your application. I have a suggestion. I may get chewed up for it, maybe not. It worked for me and it works for a lot of others. I went to nursing school before i started my bachelors. I always new I wanted to be a DO. I just wanted to get good clinical experience and make serious cash in the mean time. So if I was you I would consider going to nursing school. RN is two years and your out, LPN is 10 months and your out. You can do some of your retakes during the process. Get sweet grades and the nursing classes will help bring up your GPA. Most importantly, get a sweet job and work for a year so you have clinical experience to brag about. This strategy would put you at three years maximum before you can reapply. Better outlook then second bachelors, and in the year where your working for experience you will be able to save a ton of cash for when med school starts.
I am an LPN and the interviews that I went on were really into it. You just gotta make sure they know that you planned on med school the whole time. You can say you wanted some real experience in the field of medicine, and you wanted to experience what it feels like to be bossed around by your future self. Get after it.

 

[sylvanthus]

You can still get in, but it is going to take a lot of work. I was in a similiar position. I had a 2.6 after 3 years of community college coursework. I was just taking classes I thought looked interesting and essentially tanking. I also had a good 14 withdrawals on my record. I felt like I had little chance, but just kept plugging away.

I got an EMT license, worked in an ER for a few years while finishing up and raising my gpa. I managed to get a 36 on the MCAT and had multiple acceptances for both PA and DO school. Granted, this took me an additional 6+ years.... I don't write this to brag or anything, but to give you some hope. Others have been there, so you are not alone.

So, my advice to you is to get some solid clinical experience to help offset that low gpa and work on boosting that GPA up. Study hard for the MCAT and nail it and your chances will dramatically increase. I do not know if getting an RN would be the best way to go. But, you do need some serious clinical experience, so either RN, EMT, ED tech or something along those lines would be wise.

Hang in there.

 

[nooneLT]

There's nothing wrong with retakes. When I graduated with my BS, my GPA was a 2.8. I did better with a 3.4 graduate GPA, but my undergrad GPA was still low. After 2 years of retakes, I've only improved my core GPA to a 3.0. But what my transcripts show is that I've gotten a 4.0 ever since I decided to go back and retake courses. It speaks volumes to an adcom about your desire and work ethic now. Do well on the MCAT and get clinical experience while retaking classes.

 

[Druggernaut]

I think you have to go one of two routes. You can either pursue a degree in a field that you'd be interested in working in, and if you keep your grades up and it bumps up your GPA fairly significantly, you could go ahead and apply to medical school. If you don't get in, at least you've got a job you can see yourself doing.

Alternatively, you can go back and just retake anything you earned less than a B or B- in and make sure you do well. It probably wouldn't take too long to raise your AACOMAS GPA above a 3.0, which might be enough to earn a few acceptances if you do well on the MCAT (30+) and apply broadly. I retook a handful of classes, had about a 3.3 cGPA and likely not even a 3.05 sGPA, 30S MCAT, and of the 12 DO secondaries I decided to fill out, I received five interview offers, went to three, was accepted at two, and waitlisted at one. This option is probably your best chance of becoming a doctor, but it only leaves you with more debt and nothing to show for it if you don't get in.

It's not out of your reach, but you've dug yourself a hole. Be realistic that it's going to be tough, but it's not an impossibility.

 

[dexs]

This is not actually that abysmal at all. If you want to do med school and you're interested in DO you can really use the AACOMAS grade replacement to your advantage.

A sample 2 year plan would be....Apply IMMEDIATELY to start a post-bac this fall (or simply create your own post-bac at a nearby community college or university). Retake any pre-med class you got a bad grade in. Take any required classes you don't already have. Then take a couple upper level, new classes to show you handle difficult material that you haven't seen before (not just acing retakes). Study hard and get As!!

If you take a full load and take winter and summer semesters you can do this in a year, most people do it in 2. You must get good grades so don't take on more than you can handle. 2 years with 4.0 is better than 1 year 3.0...

Wait till you've taken a lot of classes and really mastered the pre-med material before you take the MCAT. Then, obviously, study hard and ace the MCAT.

You won't end up applying to med school with a 4.0, but depending on what classes you take you can easily get your AACOMAS gpa up to approx 3.3-3.4 (maybe higher) which (with an average MCAT) will get you a secondary at all DO schools at which point you can win them over with your story of dedication, perseverance and all the great time you spent volunteering and shadowing a DO during your post bac.

Not easy, but not abysmal. PM me if you have more questions. Good luck and hang in there!!

 

[Cerena]

I'm in a similar boat, in terms of having to take more classes. I have a GPA of 3.5 (Canada is a bit trickier than the US, in terms of GPA I think) and I'll be starting a second bachelors degree. Whatever you do, make sure that the classes you'll be doing in the future are enjoyable to you. You need to do well, that's your primary focus. Keep your head up. Sometimes it just takes a bit longer for us to get to where we want to go in life. Please don't give up. Not yet, not when other posters have sacrificed years and years to get in. You can do it. If I can get a 3.7 and a 3.8 in my last two years, anyone can. Trust me 😛

Please PM me if you need someone to talk to. Applying to med school is so draining, and I know that you can easily trap yourself in a black hole if you're not careful.

-C

 

[ManBroDude]

Do you know how much nurses make? Do you know all the cool stuff they do? There's a nursing fast-track program for people with degrees that only takes a year and a half to earn a Bachelor's in Nursing (RN), which is better than just an associates nowadays. $62K a year, best benefits in town, work 3 days a week, and get valuable experience. The ER nurses I work with are mostly guys, and they're all badass. You can go Nurse Practitioner from there if you don't want to go to DO school at that point, it's only a 2 year program. My buddy's mom is an NP, and works 8 days on and 12 days off by flying to California and back and she makes a couple hundred thousand a year because there's such a shortage.

Personally, nobody ever said it was easy. 9 months ago I had a 2.66 sciGPA. In 9 more months it will be at 3.42 after a lot of sacrificing (school on weeknights and weekends on top of full time work, time with friends, time with family, doing fun things, job pay cuts, and more). Seriously, nobody ever said it was easy. Go shadow and see if it's really what you want to do. Shadow DOs, MDs, nurses, PAs, and see what feels best.

They're all part of a big team -- figure out what part you want to play.

 

[Cerena]

do you know how much nurses make? Do you know all the cool stuff they do? There's a nursing fast-track program for people with degrees that only takes a year and a half to earn a bachelor's in nursing (rn), which is better than just an associates nowadays. $62k a year, best benefits in town, work 3 days a week, and get valuable experience. The er nurses i work with are mostly guys, and they're all badass. You can go nurse practitioner from there if you don't want to go to do school at that point, it's only a 2 year program. My buddy's mom is an np, and works 8 days on and 12 days off by flying to california and back and she makes a couple hundred thousand a year because there's such a shortage.

Personally, nobody ever said it was easy. 9 months ago i had a 2.66 scigpa. In 9 more months it will be at 3.42 after a lot of sacrificing (school on weeknights and weekends on top of full time work, time with friends, time with family, doing fun things, job pay cuts, and more). Seriously, nobody ever said it was easy. go shadow and see if it's really what you want to do. Shadow dos, mds, nurses, pas, and see what feels best.

they're all part of a big team -- figure out what part you want to play.

+1

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Do you know how much nurses make? Do you know all the cool stuff they do? There's a nursing fast-track program for people with degrees that only takes a year and a half to earn a Bachelor's in Nursing (RN), which is better than just an associates nowadays. $62K a year, best benefits in town, work 3 days a week, and get valuable experience. The ER nurses I work with are mostly guys, and they're all badass. You can go Nurse Practitioner from there if you don't want to go to DO school at that point, it's only a 2 year program. My buddy's mom is an NP, and works 8 days on and 12 days off by flying to California and back and she makes a couple hundred thousand a year because there's such a shortage.

Personally, nobody ever said it was easy. 9 months ago I had a 2.66 sciGPA. In 9 more months it will be at 3.42 after a lot of sacrificing (school on weeknights and weekends on top of full time work, time with friends, time with family, doing fun things, job pay cuts, and more). Seriously, nobody ever said it was easy. Go shadow and see if it's really what you want to do. Shadow DOs, MDs, nurses, PAs, and see what feels best.

They're all part of a big team -- figure out what part you want to play.

Those nursing programs are at least as hard to get into as med school would be at this point. They almost always are 'accelerated' and therefore require a higher GPA. In addition, they are VERY competitive, so having a GPA that barely meets the cutoff (if the OP's GPA does) isn't going to get you in. There is no personal statement, no interview, nothing. You are basically your transcripts, and that's it. I looked into several and I actually found I had better chances at med school than one of those... At least here my whole life is looked at, not just my GPA...

OP, I've been working my butt off trying to bring my GPA up to a non-laughable level... I have SOOO many credits it seems like it has taken forever. Well, I'm applying June 1st, taking the MCAT May 21st, and I'm going to roll the dice. I have a dismal 3.0-3.1 overall but my last 80 credits are ~3.85, sooooo here's to hoping I get in.... You have to be committed to doing this, you HAVE to CHANGE the pattern of behavior... these dismal grades and withdrawals have to go, as in A's all the way, no excuses, no "I missed class cause I didn't feel good" or whatever, it means suck it up, tough it out and get the As... if you don't, the second bachelors is worth only the job it gets you... I wish you the best... the only way you'll get there is by taking classes and retaking classes... and primarily upper level science classes...

 

[waterbottle10]

You can always consider international medical schools (PR, Caribbeans, Australia, etc)

 

[rottenapple]

OP-
If engineering is not what you want to do, and it's not something that you could potentially do for the rest of your life, then don't go back. Unless you plan to make a career out of it, getting a second bachelor is not financially sound. Find a job in the healthcare fields since that would give you some income and clinical exposure. A few possibility: pharmacy technician, medical office secretary/receptionist, transporter, ect...Things that do not require specific skills but are still in the clinical, patient exposure environment. Work part-time and save up if you can but even if you work full time, the job would still help build your application. Also, great source for LORs

I would suggest you study for the MCAT this summer and take it in August. Aim for 35+ but even if you get a lower score, you'll know where to stand and what you need work on.

As far as GPA is concerned, if you want ultimately want to go to DO school then the retake policy is your friend. Which pre-regs have you not taken? I suggest you sit down with your transcript and review the classes that you have taken and the grades earned. Break them down into semester. Then look at the ones that you can/want to retake (yes, the F and D and I suggest any previous sciences less than a B). Then factor in the pre-regs that you have not taken and see how many more credit hours you can use to boost your GPA. Create a spreadsheet and see how your GPA can improve with each classes. Then make a plan of when you are/can retake/take them. Don't overload yourself. Keep a record of your projected GPA and schedule and keep monitoring this. Get a solid, detailed (or semi-detailed plan). This will give you some direction and help alleviate the anxiety. Know that you are in this for the long haul and for next one or two years, you'll really have to be committed to these science classes.

If you do well on your MCAT 35+ and can find a part-time job in the medical field, all within this summer then apply 2011-2012 cycle and update your grades as it come. If your MCAT is lower, keep working your job and keep working on your grade. The science courses should also help you study for the MCAT but retake it early next (Jan 2012 if you're ready but def before the app cycle start)

Sorry again for the long post...Those are only my suggestions but all in all, you have LOTS of options and possibilities. You just need to sit down, take a deep breath, make a plan and solidify it on paper. You can monitor and change it as you go along but having a plan and knowing where you're heading and what you're doing next will help. If medicine is what you ultimately want, you WILL get it. It's hard but it's possible.

BTW...tomorrow is Baskin Robbins 31cent scoop night 😀

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

You can always consider international medical schools (PR, Caribbeans, Australia, etc)

Puerto Rico ISN'T an international school (PR is a US territory and the schools are FULLY accredited), and you need to speak fluent Spanish to get in.

Go look at this thread about Caribbean schools: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=813819

Australia, not sure how that would pan out...

Either way, you still need decent stats to be able to pull off getting a residency...

 

[Desperate]

Thank you so much everyone!! I definitely appreciate all of the advice! You all have been a major source of inspiration and hope for me. Sorry again for the premed drama lol. It's going to be a long and difficult road but it'll pay off for sure. I just dropped my engineering classes and switched them to premed. With some hard work and little bit of luck I should see some of yall in medical school in a couple of years!

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Thank you so much everyone!! I definitely appreciate all of the advice! You all have been a major source of inspiration and hope for me. Sorry again for the premed drama lol. It's going to be a long and difficult road but it'll pay off for sure. I just dropped my engineering classes and switched them to premed. With some hard work and little bit of luck I should see some of yall in medical school in a couple of years!

Best of luck to you....

 

[kcin]

Thank you so much everyone!! I definitely appreciate all of the advice! You all have been a major source of inspiration and hope for me. Sorry again for the premed drama lol. It's going to be a long and difficult road but it'll pay off for sure. I just dropped my engineering classes and switched them to premed. With some hard work and little bit of luck I should see some of yall in medical school in a couple of years!

If you ever think about switching to an engineering degree again... DON'T. The job market isn't super awesome and the degree is more likely to further crash your GPA than not. Just finish your pre-reqs and get your GPAs to a level acceptable to DO schools.

 

[Desperate]

Quick question. Do any of yall use ValueMD.com? They're the forums for the Caribbean medical schools, and the people on there are saying US DO is most likely impossible for someone such as myself. I'm just wondering how knowledgeable/credible some of these Caribbean students and applicants are? No offense intended to any IMG.

 

[HH Holmes]

Before I even read the whole paragraph (which I eventually did), you said you were living at home and not working. First, before you do anything, use your connections in the family to either a) shadow a doctor/PA/RN b) volunteer at a hospital/clinic c) (if your grades allow) do research d) ALL OF THE ABOVE! I'm sure you know it, and I know I have seen it from my 2+ years of lurking here on SDN, experience and extra curriculars (AKA showing that you are seriously interested in medicine) will get you far.

You should enroll in a post bacc program, possibly one with a guaranteed spot in medical school that also allows you to apply out (I know SIU Carbondale has a 2 year program with a relatively low MCAT requirement). I have to disagree for the person who said community college, just because you already have a degree and doing science classes at a CC can look like a cop out... You've already worked so hard and put emotion into this, I wouldn't take such a risk.

http://www.siumed.edu/medprep/

Check out SIU Carbondale's post bacc (I am sure there are plenty of others as well, I just know this one via an acquaintance). it isn't an osteopathic school, but it's still medical school.