depressed

[chasingmytail]

OK so I'm gonna post this here too...moderators don't yell at me
Disclaimer: I'm sorry I'm gonna vent a lil now so you can go away if you don't like these kinds of posts, but if you're bored read on:

I just don't know if this is feasible....I took half my pre-reqs in college and recently started the postbacc in the Fall to complete them, but withdrew from Physics, Orgo I, and Stats mid semester because I was working full-time, had no time to study, didn't wanna screw my GPA over, and was sick of listening to pre-med committee advisors tell me "you need a 3.8 or you won't get in to med school." My GPA is already about 3.2.

So that was a mistake, I realize that now. I am persistent though and am taking these classes again this Spring with less work hours. After working in clinical settings I realized, I REALLY do want this. I can't picture doing anything else.

However, I am in debt already from college, and definitely not making enough to make ends meet and live on my own with these classes now. I have some family support (parents) but I'm 22 and feel like a total moocher. I drive 40 minutes to get to work and school and 40 minutes back every day (w/o traffic). I'm a female so I worry about having kids and a family on time, yadda yadda yadda. It's totally difficult maintaining a relationship when you're so busy all the time and I feel I can't balance a realtionship with trying to get to med school and a pretty much full-time job and commuting to work/school/bf's place. But at the same time I don't want to be one of those lonely cat women! By the time I'm in med school, at 24 or 25 I feel like everyone will be married or something.

I'm so confused. I don't mind the debt, but I do mind not having people around me....this post-bacc thing is such a lonely existence when everyone else goes out and you're always busy.... I don't know, I'm just depressed. Sorry, just wondering if anyone else shares these feelings....DOes it take time to get used to the lifestyle? I applaud the mothers, fathers, spouses, and full-timers - you guys are superhuman or something....no, actually I guess you're just amazing, future doctors!

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[Sundarban1]

OK so I'm gonna post this here too...moderators don't yell at me
Disclaimer: I'm sorry I'm gonna vent a lil now so you can go away if you don't like these kinds of posts, but if you're bored read on:

I just don't know if this is feasible....I took half my pre-reqs in college and recently started the postbacc in the Fall to complete them, but withdrew from Physics, Orgo I, and Stats mid semester because I was working full-time, had no time to study, didn't wanna screw my GPA over, and was sick of listening to pre-med committee advisors tell me "you need a 3.8 or you won't get in to med school." My GPA is already about 3.2.

So that was a mistake, I realize that now. I am persistent though and am taking these classes again this Spring with less work hours. After working in clinical settings I realized, I REALLY do want this. I can't picture doing anything else.

However, I am in debt already from college, and definitely not making enough to make ends meet and live on my own with these classes now. I have some family support (parents) but I'm 22 and feel like a total moocher. I drive 40 minutes to get to work and school and 40 minutes back every day (w/o traffic). I'm a female so I worry about having kids and a family on time, yadda yadda yadda. It's totally difficult maintaining a relationship when you're so busy all the time and I feel I can't balance a realtionship with trying to get to med school and a pretty much full-time job and commuting to work/school/bf's place. But at the same time I don't want to be one of those lonely cat women! By the time I'm in med school, at 24 or 25 I feel like everyone will be married or something.

I'm so confused. I don't mind the debt, but I do mind not having people around me....this post-bacc thing is such a lonely existence when everyone else goes out and you're always busy.... I don't know, I'm just depressed. Sorry, just wondering if anyone else shares these feelings....DOes it take time to get used to the lifestyle? I applaud the mothers, fathers, spouses, and full-timers - you guys are superhuman or something....no, actually I guess you're just amazing, future doctors!

#1: Nobody said this was easy.
#2: Unless you have dreams of Harvard, you do not need a 3.8 to get into medical school.
#3: You need to reach out to your fellow classmates for support. I work full time, take classes at night and basically have no life outside of school and work. I accept that.
#4: This is not easy. Accept that.
#5: If hopes of allopathic schools are not looking good, look into other options (osteopathy, off shore schools).
#6: This is NOT easy
#7: You will make it, once you accept that this process is not easy, but a second in time if you really want to become a physician.

Good luck.

 

[relentless11]

I would also like to add to Sundarban1's list.

#8: It only gets more challenging. The sooner you come to terms with this, the easier it will be to deal with it.

Remember to be a competative applicant, GPA isn't everything, because schools will look at the whole application which is not limited to just GPA/MCAT scores. This includes...the subjects you've taken, how many classes you've taken per quarter/semester, not to mention personal statement, EC's, letters of rec, and hopefully interview.

The 3.8 is not neccessary, but certainly helps. A 3.2 is on the lower end, but definately not impossible to get in with that. But like I said, the GPA is only one aspect, and I take it you haven't taken the MCAT yet. It would probably be helpful to take upper division science courses in addition to your pre-reqs as they can help with the MCAT, show your perfomance ability in harder science classes, prepare you for med school courses (e.g.: biochemistry). It may seem that this is so hard right now, but like I said, it only gets more challenging...even without other things like family and money.

In my opinion, it is far better to sit down, reflect and solve your problems. If money is an issue than find a job that works well with your class schedule. As an undergrad I worked 2 jobs, and commuted 1.5hrs every other day to support my family. After 4-years of that, my family is on the right track, but alas my undergrad GPA suffered. Did 1.5 years of post bacc, and now doing a PhD program, and hopefully getting into our MD/PhD program here to continue on. As a PhD or MD/PhD, tuition is paid for and I get a monthly stipend for living or whatever else I use it for. Despite all the academic, research related things I do, I still have plenty of time to hang out with my friends (including classmates), have relationships, and what not.

The moral of the story is, learn how to manage time, and be proactive in finding programs to suit your situation, rather than giving yourself a stress ulcer. Know your weaknesses and know your strengths...maximize situations where you can exploit your strengths. Simple to say, hard to do, as a lot of people out there barely know themselves let alone Organic Chemistry

 

[Law2Doc]

OK so I'm gonna post this here too...moderators don't yell at me
Disclaimer: I'm sorry I'm gonna vent a lil now so you can go away if you don't like these kinds of posts, but if you're bored read on:

I just don't know if this is feasible....I took half my pre-reqs in college and recently started the postbacc in the Fall to complete them, but withdrew from Physics, Orgo I, and Stats mid semester because I was working full-time, had no time to study, didn't wanna screw my GPA over, and was sick of listening to pre-med committee advisors tell me "you need a 3.8 or you won't get in to med school." My GPA is already about 3.2.

So that was a mistake, I realize that now. I am persistent though and am taking these classes again this Spring with less work hours. After working in clinical settings I realized, I REALLY do want this. I can't picture doing anything else.

However, I am in debt already from college, and definitely not making enough to make ends meet and live on my own with these classes now. I have some family support (parents) but I'm 22 and feel like a total moocher. I drive 40 minutes to get to work and school and 40 minutes back every day (w/o traffic). I'm a female so I worry about having kids and a family on time, yadda yadda yadda. It's totally difficult maintaining a relationship when you're so busy all the time and I feel I can't balance a realtionship with trying to get to med school and a pretty much full-time job and commuting to work/school/bf's place. But at the same time I don't want to be one of those lonely cat women! By the time I'm in med school, at 24 or 25 I feel like everyone will be married or something.

I'm so confused. I don't mind the debt, but I do mind not having people around me....this post-bacc thing is such a lonely existence when everyone else goes out and you're always busy.... I don't know, I'm just depressed. Sorry, just wondering if anyone else shares these feelings....DOes it take time to get used to the lifestyle? I applaud the mothers, fathers, spouses, and full-timers - you guys are superhuman or something....no, actually I guess you're just amazing, future doctors!

I agree with the prior posters. If it's something you really want, you can get there, but sacrifices always must be made. Also bear in mind that while postbac seems hard, you will likely find med school to be even harder (or at least more time consuming). Take solace in the fact that at most med schools, the average age is substantially older than 21, so even at 24, you will not be close to one of the old timers. And med school breaks up a lot of the long distance relationships, so if you time it well, not everybody will be taken.

 

[red dot]

OK so I'm gonna post this here too...moderators don't yell at me
Disclaimer: I'm sorry I'm gonna vent a lil now so you can go away if you don't like these kinds of posts, but if you're bored read on:

I just don't know if this is feasible....I took half my pre-reqs in college and recently started the postbacc in the Fall to complete them, but withdrew from Physics, Orgo I, and Stats mid semester because I was working full-time, had no time to study, didn't wanna screw my GPA over, and was sick of listening to pre-med committee advisors tell me "you need a 3.8 or you won't get in to med school." My GPA is already about 3.2.

So that was a mistake, I realize that now. I am persistent though and am taking these classes again this Spring with less work hours. After working in clinical settings I realized, I REALLY do want this. I can't picture doing anything else.

However, I am in debt already from college, and definitely not making enough to make ends meet and live on my own with these classes now. I have some family support (parents) but I'm 22 and feel like a total moocher. I drive 40 minutes to get to work and school and 40 minutes back every day (w/o traffic). I'm a female so I worry about having kids and a family on time, yadda yadda yadda. It's totally difficult maintaining a relationship when you're so busy all the time and I feel I can't balance a realtionship with trying to get to med school and a pretty much full-time job and commuting to work/school/bf's place. But at the same time I don't want to be one of those lonely cat women! By the time I'm in med school, at 24 or 25 I feel like everyone will be married or something.

I'm so confused. I don't mind the debt, but I do mind not having people around me....this post-bacc thing is such a lonely existence when everyone else goes out and you're always busy.... I don't know, I'm just depressed. Sorry, just wondering if anyone else shares these feelings....DOes it take time to get used to the lifestyle? I applaud the mothers, fathers, spouses, and full-timers - you guys are superhuman or something....no, actually I guess you're just amazing, future doctors!

hey, i've wanted to start a thread like this before but wasn't sure if it'd be banned either. but i saw this thread and jumped right in on it. know you're not alone... (i'm a 23 y.o. female moocher as well, and with similar stats). you won't be a lonely cat woman!! you'd be too busy with med school to be that way. right now this is a lonely uphill battle, and it's also where you're stuck in between being a kid and an adult when it SEEMS as though your friends' lives are progressing into real adulthood and yours is just stagnant. know that this is your path/sacrifice for medicine -- it's all part of the package. focus on the here and now and make sure that you are handling/juggling well what you're doing; don't worry about the future because it does not matter until later.

what will help is if you pick one thing/hobby/sport/etc that is in a group setting. and make time to go at least once a week for an hour or two (you can definitely spare that much). and make sure it's something non-med-related and won't help boost your gpa/resume/etc.it'd be that much better (seriously).

 

[chasingmytail]

Thanks to all who replied. I appreciate the support!
My problem definitely has to do with time management and looking way into the future or back into the past. I know it's not gonna get easier and I know I have to learn to prioritize. Sure, I could've done it all earlier in undergrad the right way, but I didn't and I gotta look at the present situation. Why is it so hard to learn from mistakes? Maybe this is why history repeats itself....

hey, i've wanted to start a thread like this before but wasn't sure if it'd be banned either. but i saw this thread and jumped right in on it. know you're not alone... (i'm a 23 y.o. female moocher as well, and with similar stats). you won't be a lonely cat woman!! you'd be too busy with med school to be that way. right now this is a lonely uphill battle, and it's also where you're stuck in between being a kid and an adult when it SEEMS as though your friends' lives are progressing into real adulthood and yours is just stagnant.

EXACTLY, Joonie!! I feel like everyone around me is paying off loans, getting cars with their new straight out of undergrad jobs, living in the "real world" (even if they are making under 30k); a couple have recently been engaged. And I am still taking undergrad classes, and having to answer "why exactly are you still taking college classes if you graduated" questions from family members at gatherings, and living at home. That's what's really driving me nuts.

Darn it, I WILL get there someday. I know with no doubt in my mind it is what I want. It's not that I find the idea of residency or the med school work load scary because I know it will be tougher than pre-med. The thing is I'm still kinda impressionable I guess, and care about what people (fam and friends) think. I get discouraged when I am questioned repeatedly, "Wait, I thought premed took four years of college, you're doing it NOW?" or "why do you wanna be in school for so long, you're gonna be in debt for how long?" or "So, anyone special in your life?( = marriage)" I can't help it though, esp. when I feel people judge me for deciding too late about what to do with my life. This is MY life and I shouldn't let that affect me, I know.

I think one of the things this process is gonna teach me and us in this situation is that if we ever get through it, we will learn to rely on our own determination and opinion of what is best for us without letting the voices of society interfere.

 

[hokiemon]

3.8's to get in to medical school, 25 years old and everyone's married?

I think the problem is you're under the wrong assumption on a couple of things which is causing you unneccesary anxiety.

Spend some time on this board and you'll find out how old some other people are. Spend some time at a bookstore and flip through "US NEWS: Ultimate Guide to Medical Schools" and you'll see what the average incoming gpa is for schools.

Then you'll see both of your assumptions are way off, 2 less things to worry about, more time to focus.

 

[CaveatLector]

3.8's to get in to medical school, 25 years old and everyone's married?

I think the problem is you're under the wrong assumption on a couple of things which is causing you unneccesary anxiety.

.

Yeah I agree with hokiemon. Raise your hand if you are/were married at 25 in this day and age. People didn't get married (on average) at 25 even when I was 25---10 years ago. And it's even less-so now.

The OP needs to calm down and take a deep breath. Going to med school is absolutely NOT living for the moment. If your friends are all getting new cars and have those cushy <$30k jobs ( ) that is NOT something to be envious of. Think of where you will be in 10 years as compared to them...

 

[PurpleHaze]

OP, I understand your pain. I'm coming from a lower GPA than yours, with all premed requirements finished. I took the year following graduation to do post-bac and get my grades up, while most of my friends are either in professional school, working, and doing all those seemingly adult type things (paying back loans, etc). But ya know what? I'm not them. I'm doing what works for me, to get me to where I need to be in life. My friends who have jobs were really excited about them and making money and all that jazz at first, but now that excitement has waned and they're constantly complaining about work, their coworkers, how much things suck. While going to post-bac was definitely NOT in the master plan when I started undergrad, it has definitely made me a better student and a better studier (trust.. I had ZERO study skills before I got here).

Don't get discouraged and don't focus on what other people think because in the end you're the only one you have to answer to. So this is what you need to do:

1. ACE the classes you are taking now. Not only will it help raise your GPA but you will learn the material better and THAT will help you on the monstrosity that is the MCAT.
2. Study hard for the MCAT. Don't underestimate that thing... I'm telling you, it's a beast. The better prepared you are, the more likely you are to slay it.
3. DO NOT compare yourself to other people. ESPECIALLY people on SDN. While SDNer's give great advice, many of them have stellar stats, and did all these amazing things... THEY ARE NOT THE AVERAGE APPLICANT. I think we get a skewed view of the applicant pool when we just compare ourselves to those on SDN. It's an ok place to get an idea of what you need to do to be competitive... but there are a lot of other variables to getting into med school. Numbers are not the only thing.
4. Make peace with your life right now. You seem frustrated with it... which isn't going to help you make it through the semester, nor the MCAT. Just look at it as one more thing you need to do to get to where you need to be.

Good luck!!