Did Poorly AGAIN switching to another career. Advice?

[chemdoctor]

Hello everyone. Some of you know me on here but I’m in my Junior year (first semester) and did terribly this semester. Was kind of already on a path to “reinvention” but alas it didn’t work out. Needed an upwards trend but it’s crushed now.

Biochem I: didn’t do well on the final. Likely getting a D.
Neuro course: A-
Three credit bio lab: A
Animal phys course: A

I know it’s just one class but I’m highly considering other careers at this point. I feel like I’m not cut out for this. Not sure how my cumulative gpa is going to respond after this but I’m highly considering looking into PA school. I’m also very stress prone so...

I struggled a lot in Orgo but... anyway...
I’d like to thank @Goro and @21Rush12 for all their advice! @HomeSkool and @jm192 and @gonnif were awesome too! I feel like I learned a lot from these posters.

What other alternatives are there to medicine? I’m leaning highly towards the PA Route.

Weird note: I can still take Biochem II at my undergrad. Weird, right?


Anyway, so PA school seems like a good option. What else is there?

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[Goro]

Hello everyone. Some of you know me on here but I’m in my Junior year (first semester) and did terribly this semester. Was kind of already on a path to “reinvention” but alas it didn’t work out. Needed an upwards trend but it’s crushed now.

Biochem I: didn’t do well on the final. Likely getting a D.
Neuro course: A-
Three credit bio lab: A
Animal phys course: A

I know it’s just one class but I’m highly considering other careers at this point. I feel like I’m not cut out for this. Not sure how my cumulative gpa is going to respond after this but I’m highly considering looking into PA school. I’m also very stress prone so...

I struggled a lot in Orgo but... anyway...
I’d like to thank @Goro and @21Rush12 for all their advice! @HomeSkool and @jm192 and @gonnif were awesome too! I feel like I learned a lot from these posters.

What other alternatives are there to medicine? I’m leaning highly towards the PA Route.

Weird note: I can still take Biochem II at my undergrad. Weird, right?


Anyway, so PA school seems like a good option. What else is there?

Research tech
Lab mgr
Clinical lab tech
Nursing
PA
optometry
teaching
scientific writing
allied health fields (PT/RT/AT etc)

 

[chemdoctor]

Research tech
Lab mgr
Clinical lab tech
Nursing
PA
optometry
teaching
scientific writing
allied health fields (PT/RT/AT etc)

May be stupid to ask, but is med school even a possibility?

 

[LukaDoncicLuk]

I got a D in Biochem and a D in Calc. Ended up crushing the MCAT and have had a couple of interviews this cycle. It's not necessarily over. Where is your cGPA at? Have you taken the MCAT?

 

[chemdoctor]

I got a D in Biochem and a D in Calc. Ended up crushing the MCAT and have had a couple of interviews this cycle. It's not necessarily over. Where is your cGPA at? Have you taken the MCAT?

Yeah but were those your ONLY bad grades? I’ve had bad grades sprinkled throuhhout

 

[LukaDoncicLuk]

Yeah but were those your ONLY bad grades? I’ve had bad grades sprinkled throuhhout

No I have something like 5-6 Cs more than a couple of Ws etc.. cGPA ~3.3

Strong upward trend though.

 

[ChiDr]

Can you Drop biochem? Take a W and do it again, scoring better.

 

[chemdoctor]

Can you Drop biochem? Take a W and do it again, scoring better.

Can’t. It’s done already. Outside the professors office as we speak to ask for a curve

 

[puahate]

Bro dont quit yet

 

[ChiDr]

Also, you need to look at why you are not scoring well. Why do you not do well on the material? What do you not understand?

Use new resources, tools, etc. use your tutoring center. Use anything you can. Right now, your D shows me you may not survive a week in medical school.

Biochem is usually one of first courses.

Medical school is not out but it may take you longer to get there. If you fix your missteps, you have a chance.

Remember, it’s more than just grades and you need other boxes checked. However, grades are a big part of it.

 

[chemdoctor]

Bro dont quit yet

Highly considering it

 

[ChiDr]

Well, then another thing I would say is, you have to ask these questions earlier. Analyze earlier and plan earlier. If you were close to C/D, ask the questions then. Good luck.

 

[chemdoctor]

Also, you need to look at why you are not scoring well. Why do you not do well on the material? What do you not understand?

Use new resources, tools, etc. use your tutoring center. Use anything you can. Right now, your D shows me you may not survive a week in medical school.

Biochem is usually one of first courses.

Medical school is not out but it may take you longer to get there. If you fix your missteps, you have a chance.

Remember, it’s more than just grades and you need other boxes checked. However, grades are a big part of it.

I studied, did the practice exams etc. felt a thorough grasp on the material. Still did poorly. You’re right. Forget surviving med school, this D means I can’t even get INTO med school...

Then again, this professor is terrible and everyone I asked that aced all the exams, told me they cheated -_-

I know a med student that was in it, and she took it twice. She said she did nothing differently. One time she failed and the next time she didn’t.

I just don’t know what to think, Bc I still took other upper division “hard sciences” this semester and aced them. Well it was really two upper division sciences and one was a three credit lab but... still...

You’re absolutey right

 

[Skeletorr]

Podiatry is also a viable option.

 

[puahate]

Highly considering it

BRO you got an A in everything else

 

[chemdoctor]

Podiatry is also a viable option.

Meh. Not too big on feet. I think PA is better

 

[chemdoctor]

BRO you got an A in everything else

Doesn’t mean anything. The class was easy

 

[puahate]

Doesn’t mean anything. The class was easy

Why not retake the course?

 

[chemdoctor]

Why not retake the course?

I can. But I just don’t know man. Leaning towards PA now

 

[puahate]

I can. But I just don’t know man. Leaning towards PA now

Chemdoc. I seen you here for a while. I know you have what it takes. Take biochem over the summer and just focus on that one class.

 

[Skeletorr]

I can. But I just don’t know man. Leaning towards PA now

Be aware that PA programs tend to require tons of hours of direct patient care experience.

 

[chemdoctor]

Be aware that PA programs tend to require tons of hours of direct patient care experience.

Yeah but I have a low tier one that isn’t far from me. Very very low tier. Doesn’t even require Orgo. Still accredited btw ;P

 

[MyOdyssey]

Hello everyone. Some of you know me on here but I’m in my Junior year (first semester) and did terribly this semester. Was kind of already on a path to “reinvention” but alas it didn’t work out. Needed an upwards trend but it’s crushed now.

Biochem I: didn’t do well on the final. Likely getting a D.
Neuro course: A-
Three credit bio lab: A
Animal phys course: A

I know it’s just one class but I’m highly considering other careers at this point. I feel like I’m not cut out for this. Not sure how my cumulative gpa is going to respond after this but I’m highly considering looking into PA school. I’m also very stress prone so...

I struggled a lot in Orgo but... anyway...
I’d like to thank @Goro and @21Rush12 for all their advice! @HomeSkool and @jm192 and @gonnif were awesome too! I feel like I learned a lot from these posters.

What other alternatives are there to medicine? I’m leaning highly towards the PA Route.

Weird note: I can still take Biochem II at my undergrad. Weird, right?


Anyway, so PA school seems like a good option. What else is there?

Consider going DO or podiatry.

 

[Goro]

May be stupid to ask, but is med school even a possibility?

You're supposed to be aceing everything now. You've been in the position of trying to juggle several bowling balls, and one just landed on your foot.

 

[Kpw101]

This isn't something you can half-do. Getting into medical school is possible for you but you have to work for it. If you have one foot out the door claiming you'll be fine because there's a low tier PA school near you then you it'll be extremely unlikely for you to get in. If you can muster up the diligence to ace all your classes from now on, kill your MCAT, and build a great CV your dream is still alive.

Either way, there are numerous avenues to get involved in health care. Pick one and go all out.

 

[MyOdyssey]

You're supposed to be aceing everything now. You've been in the position of trying to juggle several bowling balls, and one just landed on your foot.

I did suggest podiatry as a possible alternative career...

 

[chemdoctor]

You're supposed to be aceing everything now. You've been in the position of trying to juggle several bowling balls, and one just landed on your foot.

And it landed bad too.

 

[chemdoctor]

This isn't something you can half-do. Getting into medical school is possible for you but you have to work for it. If you have one foot out the door claiming you'll be fine because there's a low tier PA school near you then you it'll be extremely unlikely for you to get in. If you can muster up the diligence to ace all your classes from now on, kill your MCAT, and build a great CV your dream is still alive.

Either way, there are numerous avenues to get involved in health care. Pick one and go all out.

I agree with everything you said. I’m just feeling really discouraged. But that’s life tho I guess. J

 

[puahate]

CHEMDOC this isnt the END

 

[nobaddays]

Don’t quit because of a D in one class. Quit only if you really don’t want to do this. If it’s something you truly want, you’ll be able to get past one bad grade, and even a subpar GPA. With enough volunteering, shadowing, and a postbac or SMP, there will be a way.

That said, if you don’t want it that bad, definitely go do something else. As premeds it’s up to us to decide if we want to spend the next 7-10 years of our lives getting our first job as a doctor. That’s too much for some people, and that’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s a big decision so think hard before you do anything rash.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Podiatry is a good choice if you are surgically inclined

 

[lightblueelephant]

Hello everyone. Some of you know me on here but I’m in my Junior year (first semester) and did terribly this semester. Was kind of already on a path to “reinvention” but alas it didn’t work out. Needed an upwards trend but it’s crushed now.


Biochem I: didn’t do well on the final. Likely getting a D.
Neuro course: A-
Three credit bio lab: A
Animal phys course: A

I know it’s just one class but I’m highly considering other careers at this point. I feel like I’m not cut out for this. Not sure how my cumulative gpa is going to respond after this but I’m highly considering looking into PA school. I’m also very stress prone so...

I struggled a lot in Orgo but... anyway...
I’d like to thank @Goro and @21Rush12 for all their advice! @HomeSkool and @jm192 and @gonnif were awesome too! I feel like I learned a lot from these posters.

What other alternatives are there to medicine? I’m leaning highly towards the PA Route.

Weird note: I can still take Biochem II at my undergrad. Weird, right?


Anyway, so PA school seems like a good option. What else is there?

The first semester of my re-invention I got a C and a 2.8 gpa. I just got accepted 4 years later

 

[HarmonicConvergence]

Meh. Not too big on feet. I think PA is better

Just saying literally every part of medicine is kinda gross. If your dream is to be a doctor I'd suggest shadowing a pod. Who knows you might just like it. If you don't like surgery plenty of options to practice without the knife. Just gotta survive the residency.

 

[Goro]

Don’t quit because of a D in one class. Quit only if you really don’t want to do this. If it’s something you truly want, you’ll be able to get past one bad grade, and even a subpar GPA. With enough volunteering, shadowing, and a postbac or SMP, there will be a way.

That said, if you don’t want it that bad, definitely go do something else. As premeds it’s up to us to decide if we want to spend the next 7-10 years of our lives getting our first job as a doctor. That’s too much for some people, and that’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s a big decision so think hard before you do anything rash.

This is very bad advice. As a Faculty member, I'm the one who has to see people who live with the consequences of what you were trying to recommend; meaning people who cannot handle the rigors of medical school because they cannot handle rigorous coursework.

Medical school is not like undergraduate. The inability of the OP to handle one course out of four is a sign that he or she will do badly in medical school. I have seen this in action, and this is why we have a GPA cutoff for our special master's program students when they apply to our medical school

Indeed, we apply the same rigor to all post bacc or special Master students who apply to us.

You have to be able to get all of those balls into the air and not have them land on your feet.

Medical school is going to be four to five times harder than any thing you encounter in a post bacc or special master's program.

And frankly, the "rah rah you can do it!" mentality of the pollyanna's of this world do not do any favors for SDNers.

 

[MyOdyssey]

This is very bad advice. As a Faculty member, I'm the one who has to see people who live with the consequences of what you were trying to recommend; meaning people who cannot handle the rigors of medical school because they cannot handle rigorous coursework.

Medical school is not like undergraduate. The inability of the OP to handle one course out of four is a sign that he or she will do badly in medical school. I have seen this in action, and this is why we have a GPA cutoff for our special master's program students when they apply to our medical school

Indeed, we apply the same rigor to all post bacc or special Master students who apply to us.

You have to be able to get all of those balls into the air and not have them land on your feet.

Medical school is going to be four to five times harder than any thing you encounter in a post bacc or special master's program.

And frankly, the "rah rah you can do it!" mentality of the pollyanna's of this world do not do any favors for SDNers.

If OP had just the one admittedly very bad grade in Biochem, does that by itself suggest what you've concluded? Suppose despite the D in biochem, OP still had a 3.4 - 3.5 sGPA. In that case, would there still be red flags in your view?

 

[Goro]

If OP had just the one admittedly very bad grade in Biochem, does that by itself suggest what you've concluded? Suppose despite the D in biochem, OP still had a 3.4 - 3.5 sGPA. In that case, would there still be red flags in your view?

My program has rejected people who got a single C in their special master's program or post bacc.

The whole point of reinvention is to show the you of now is not the you of then.

Imperfection now implies that the you of now is still the same as you of then.

Again I need to remind you that the stakes are different when one is a reinventor, and reinventors are not in undergraduate anymore.

They are held to a higher standard, and while it may seem unfair, it is to their own benefit that we do so.

We do not want to see them struggle through medical school and then failed boards and then get dismissed.

 

[MyOdyssey]

My program has rejected people who got a single C in their special master's program or post bacc.

The whole point of reinvention is to show the you of now is not the you of then.

Imperfection now implies that the you of now is still the same as you of then.

Again I need to remind you that the stakes are different when one is a reinventor, and reinventors are not in undergraduate anymore.

They are held to a higher standard, and while it may seem unfair, it is to their own benefit that we do so.

We do not want to see them struggle through medical school and then failed boards and then get dismissed.

The OP is a first semester junior in college.

 

[Goro]

The OP is a first semester junior in college.

Well. That changes everything. I thought he was out of college and was now in post bac.

It's going to hurt but I think if the OP Aces the next three semesters then there should be some hope.

 

[Carbon_Martian]

Let's do a bit of basic math. Suppose you'll be completing undergrad with a total of 120 credits (which as far as I know is the norm). Let's assume you've completed 75 credits (which is reasonable in first semester of junior year) with a 3.2 GPA (I highly doubt that you'll fall below this even with a D), where does getting a 4.0 for the remaining 45 credits put you? At a solid 3.5. Supposing you squeeze a few more courses in there to graduate with 140 credits, you're looking at a solid 3.57 which puts you on the cusp of being competitive for M.D. schools. Unless your interest in the profession has faded there's no reason to quit yet. If you're really so concerned with your GPA simply take coursework in the social sciences related to medicine to "fluff" your application. There's no harm in it and the courses are actually enjoyable.

 

[chemdoctor]

Professors letting me

Well. That changes everything. I thought he was out of college and was now in post bac.

It's going to hurt but I think if the OP Aces the next three semesters then there should be some hope.

I’m a first semester junior. On my path to “reinvention” after my “bad semester” last year. Remember???

 

[chemdoctor]

The first semester of my re-invention I got a C and a 2.8 gpa. I just got accepted 4 years later

Really? Damn! Impressive.

 

[chemdoctor]

Not being rude but it’s times like this, that I feel like SDN advice should be taken with a grain of salt.

I’ve had friends thatve been told “no way MD!” On here and have gotten accepted... and other way around too

 

[Carbon_Martian]

Medical school is not like undergraduate. The inability of the OP to handle one course out of four is a sign that he or she will do badly in medical school. I have seen this in action, and this is why we have a GPA cutoff for our special master's program students when they apply to our medical school.

Respectfully, I disagree with this sentiment. Assuming you're referring to the academic years, the reality of it is that in medical school you've got one job and it's simply to study and pass step 1. As a biology and chemistry double major I'm currently 22 credits in upper division coursework and I have zero issue keeping up with the workload. Why? Because I recently took my MCAT and have all the volunteering I need to apply. The only things on my plate are coursework and research. Last semester when I was preparing for the MCAT, volunteering at both a hospital and in a hospice care center, and doing research I had trouble keeping up with 12 credits - and they were easy courses compared to the ones I'm taking now. In short, I don't think one semester of coursework is a good reflection of a students academic capacity.

 

[chemdoctor]

Respectfully, I disagree with this sentiment. Assuming you're referring to the academic years, the reality of it is that in medical school you've got one job and it's simply to study and pass step 1. As a biology and chemistry double major I'm currently 22 credits in upper division coursework and I have zero issue keeping up with the workload. Why? Because I recently took my MCAT and have all the volunteering I need to apply. The only things on my plate are coursework and research. Last semester when I was preparing for the MCAT, volunteering at both a hospital and in a hospice care center, and doing research I had trouble keeping up with 12 credits - and they were easy courses compared to the ones I'm taking now. In short, I don't think one semester of coursework is a good reflection of a students academic capacity.

Yeah but I have two bad semesters counting against me now -_-

I messed up. No excuses. I own it. My fault. I did try my best tho. Lol.

 

[MyOdyssey]

Yeah but I have two bad semesters counting against me now -_-

I messed up. No excuses. I own it. My fault. I did try my best tho. Lol.

The hardest professors are the terrible teachers who are very random in how they write exams. I much prefer professors who are great teachers who also teach to a high level and have demanding exams that test rigorously but rationally.

Was the biochem prof a terrible, random teacher or a rigorous but very capable teacher?

 

[chemdoctor]

The hardest professors are the terrible teachers who are very random in how they write exams. I much prefer professors who are great teachers who also teach to a high level and have demanding exams that test rigorously but rationally.

Was the biochem prof a terrible, random teacher or a rigorous but very capable teacher?

Terrible teacher. Gives less than 10 A’s in a semester, anyone I know that did well cheated admittedly. I’d never, have never and will never do that.

He’s just pure horrible. He’s even disliked by faculty but he’s the only dude that teaches. Kinda unfair but people DO get A’s...

 

[MyOdyssey]

Terrible teacher. Gives less than 10 A’s in a semester, anyone I know that did well cheated admittedly. I’d never, have never and will never do that.

He’s just pure horrible. He’s even disliked by faculty but he’s the only dude that teaches. Kinda unfair but people DO get A’s...

How do people cheat on a proctored exam?

 

[chemdoctor]

How do people cheat on a proctored exam?

How do people cheat on a proctored exam?

No clue. I didn’t ask. They have his test banks, etc. I didn’t wanna know but I know people that have cheated on proctored exams and haven’t been caught. It’s unfair

I’m not making excuses btw. Thank you for taking the time for your response. I didn’t do well. I accept that. I messed up. A year ago I didn’t do well Bc of a grandparents passing, but this time? My fault.

 

[Carbon_Martian]

Yeah but I have two bad semesters counting against me now -_-

I messed up. No excuses. I own it. My fault. I did try my best tho. Lol.

My advice to you is the following - do a bit of math and thinking. You know your academic standing and interests better then others. I'd say that the "practical" point to call it quits is anything over 100 credits with <3.3. Anything below that is salvageable in a reasonable timeline (e.g. tacking on an extra academic year to fluff your GPA). Be realistic too with what GPA you'll likely maintain for the remainder of your coursework - I know I'm not a straight A student. I average somewhere a B+ ---> A- in technical courses but I close to straight A's in social science courses. I always take this into consideration when choosing my workload for the semester. In my EC heavy semesters I took a maximum of 2 technical courses at a time so that I would never fall below a 3.7. In short, choose your course load wisely.

As for the thinking side of things - maybe you really don't want to do medicine. I'd hate to say it but essentially what you're doing right now is jumping through a bunch of hoops - maybe the whole pre-med thing of obsessing over your GPA isn't for you and you'd like to actually get something out of your undergrad degree. Personally, I've found a happy medium between the two - I have some semesters where I go in with the mindset of "okay, all I care about is getting an A" and others where I go in with the mindset "It's okay if I don't get straight A's as long as I feel like I've actually learned the material instead of studying to take an exam". Are you finding that you're liking hard sciences courses more than bio? Maybe consider grad school or engineering. I'll also say this - if you didn't like your bio courses then med school is without a doubt not for you, take this into consideration as well.

I'm also going to get on my soapbox here and say that the current med school admission standards are absolutely contrary to what they supposedly look for in students. I'm sorry to say it, but after a certain point a GPA is not a good indicator of intelligence nor understanding - it's an indication of how good one is at test-taking. It deters pre-med students from engaging in challenging coursework and trades development of critical thinking in for a number. No wonder med schools nowadays have so many disillusioned students, they do nothing to promote the mentality required to succeed in medical school in undergrad students. In fact, I attribute my comparatively high MCAT score (to other pre-med students at my school) to the fact that I refused to give into this system completely. Yes, I cared about my GPA but it didn't dominate my intentions completely like it did others. Had I cared solely about having a high GPA I wouldn't have taken calculus-based physics, pchem, advanced orgo, etc... (in fact I don't think I'd have even done the chem major if that was my intent!) which is what I attribute my success on the MCAT to. Not the material per-se (although I had little content review compared to others) but the critical thinking skills I'd developed in those courses and the stamina required to sit there and study for hours on end. That's something you only develop when you continually challenge yourself - not when you try to make things easy on yourself to boost your GPA. Anyway, end of rant.

 

[chemdoctor]

@Carbon_Martian

Yeah. I mean I’m st 92 but I haven’t had a lot of terrible grades just some B’s here and there. But... regardless I tried my best. Idk if I’d ever really give up on this but... I may not clear 92 so I’m just under 90 odd credits. Furthermore, I’m gonna graduate with more than 120 credits and just keep going but we’ll see haha