Discouraged

[SM1218]

So, as indicated by the title, I'm feeling extremely discouraged. I started college off pre-med and made okay grades ( B+ in Chem I, B in Chem II), but the following semester my GPA tanked. I took Organic I, and Bio I. At my school, Bio I is one of the biggest weed out classes (6%< make A's). I got a C+ in Bio, and then a D in Organic. After that, I took Bio II, and was doing okay in it, but mid semester, got extremely discouraged, dropped the class, and dropped being pre med entirely. My GPA right now is about a 3.54, with my science GPA being around a 3.2...

Its five months later, and I've regretted my decision at least once a week since I dropped. I'm seriously thinking about going back and trying everything one more time. In the past few months I've tried to think of other careers that would make me happy, but nothing compares to how much I want to become a doctor. I guess I'm just wanting advice or motivation on if its pointless/a stupid idea to go back and try again, or if I should give it another shot.

Also not sure if I'm posting in the right area, I've never posted on here before

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[JustAPhD]

The good news is that you're still young and your GPA is still very "moldable," and by that I mean you still have many credits during undergrad to fix it. You're cGPA isn't the best, but it's not bad either so I'll focus on the sGPA. This seems to be giving you the most trouble. I suspect your study skills are not up to par with what is needed to excel in the sciences. Have you attempted to self-evaluate what you are doing wrong? Have you sought tutoring/ office hours/ learning services on campus?

If medicine is what you want to do in life then giving it a second shot is certainly not pointless nor stupid, and you're still young enough that if it doesn't work out again you're still not very far behind the 8-ball. Your story is not unique; many premeds struggle with the early sciences and many go on to be successful applicants and future doctors.

 

[Doctor-S]

So, as indicated by the title, I'm feeling extremely discouraged. I started college off pre-med and made okay grades ( B+ in Chem I, B in Chem II), but the following semester my GPA tanked. I took Organic I, and Bio I. At my school, Bio I is one of the biggest weed out classes (6%< make A's). I got a C+ in Bio, and then a D in Organic. After that, I took Bio II, and was doing okay in it, but mid semester, got extremely discouraged, dropped the class, and dropped being pre med entirely. My GPA right now is about a 3.54, with my science GPA being around a 3.2...

Its five months later, and I've regretted my decision at least once a week since I dropped. I'm seriously thinking about going back and trying everything one more time. In the past few months I've tried to think of other careers that would make me happy, but nothing compares to how much I want to become a doctor. I guess I'm just wanting advice or motivation on if its pointless/a stupid idea to go back and try again, or if I should give it another shot.

Also not sure if I'm posting in the right area, I've never posted on here before

It is common for a lot of students to experience academic shell shock when they take pre-reqs in college because the work load can be challenging and the pace of the pre-req classes can be fast. So, feeling "discouraged" is not uncommon among many college students, of any major, including pre-med students. You're not alone.

Hmmm ... without additional information, and despite your early science grades, I'm wondering if you have ever spoken with a counselor about your classes and personal motivation to become a doctor (and not simply "wanting" to be a doctor).

Reason: you mentioned that you were doing okay in Bio II, but mid semester, you "got extremely discouraged," and dropped the class, and dropped being pre-med entirely. This describes something that might benefit from further exploration and soul-searching before you choose to" go back and try again" or "give it another shot." It's worth figuring out at this stage in your life. Is this an academic issue, or a motivation issue, or something else?

For instance ... if it's solely an academic issue, you can find academic solutions (e.g., tutoring and office hours, etc.). If it's a motivation issue, you can take the time to discuss and explore the issue, one way or the other. If it's something else altogether, you can identify the cause, and try to resolve the issue.

Plus, I don't know if you've participated in any ECs related to a professional career in medicine (e.g., shadowing, volunteering in a hospital). In other words, have you made appreciable efforts to discover (and begin to understand) *what* types of things/responsibilities will be expected of you as an aspiring physician or do you "want" to be a physician, without fully beginning to appreciate the challenges, time, and responsibilities associated with medicine?

Medical school is challenging and demanding. It is also intense, time-consuming and very expensive. It isn't going to get any less challenging, time-consuming, or labor-intensive. Just saying.

Thank you.

 

[md-2020]

It is common for a lot of students to experience academic shell shock when they take pre-reqs in college because the work load can be challenging and the pace of the pre-req classes can be fast. So, feeling "discouraged" is not uncommon among many college students, of any major, including pre-med students. You're not alone.

Hmmm ... without additional information, I'm wondering if you have ever spoken with a counselor about your classes and personal motivation to become a doctor (and not simply "wanting" to be a doctor).

Reason: you mentioned that you were doing okay in Bio II, but mid semester, you "got extremely discouraged," and dropped the class, and dropped being pre-med entirely. This describes something that might benefit from further exploration and soul-searching before you choose to" go back and try again" or "give it another shot." It's worth figuring out at this stage in your life. Is this an academic issue, or a motivation issue, or something else?

For instance ... if it's solely an academic issue, you can find academic solutions (e.g., tutoring and office hours, etc.). If it's a motivation issue, you can take the time to discuss and explore the issue, one way or the other. If it's something else altogether, you can identify the cause, and try to resolve the issue.

Plus, I don't know if you've participated in any ECs related to a professional career in medicine (e.g., shadowing, volunteering in a hospital). In other words, have you made appreciable efforts to discover (and begin to understand) *what* types of things/responsibilities will be expected of you as an aspiring physician or do you "want" to be a physician, without fully beginning to appreciate the challenges, time, and responsibilities associated with medicine?

Medical school is challenging and demanding. It is also intense, time-consuming and very expensive. It isn't going to get any less challenging, time-consuming, or labor-intensive. Just saying.

Thank you.

Whoa so many font and formatting options

 

[Sardinia]

@sm1297 Focus less on the score you received from failing and thinking about why you failed.

• Did you exhaust all the resources you had available when studying for Organic Chemistry e.g. buying supplemental material: Klein's Organic Chemistry as a second language?
  
• Did you have problem with scheduling and was always facing another test deadline e.g. test crashing, multiple examinations on the same day, or burn out?
• Did you also try to balance extracurricular activities on top of your academic ones that skimped in on your time?

Come up with a strategy that you will start implementing today in order to address those issues.

Then I'd suggest you go over these pointers as well:

• What are the background motivations to becoming a physician?
  • Do you have an understanding of what it means to be a physician?
• Are these reasons compelling enough to make sacrifices and also list what you are not willing to sacrifice?
  • Sleep, friends, free-time, family time, winter time, or summer time.
• Name all the obstacles or potential distractions in your life.
• Name all the obstacles or potential distractions to becoming a medical student?
  
• Do you have a support network that will help you accomplish your goals?
• What are some objective criteria you can put in place to prevent yourself falling back into despair?

 

[SM1218]

@Doctor-S I think its a bit of both. When I took Bio II, I was still harping over my terrible grades from the previous semester, and when I wasn't doing as well as I hoped in Bio II, I started feeling bad about myself/my chances of getting into med school. I had the hardest time coming to terms with not being pre med any more, and I honestly think that I let others around me convince me that I wasn't meant for becoming a doctor/ I should go into another field. If/ when I go back, I definitely do need to have better study habits and do everything in my power to get a better grade (tutoring, office hours, etc). I plan on taking a semester of basic classes while I decide. Ill probably be extremely behind with all of my pre-reqs, but i figure its a better idea than rushing the decision.

I also have done ECs, I've volunteered at a hospital and the HSC that are both near my school. I definitely understand that challenges that it brings, and the time that it takes.

 

[SM1218]

@Sardinia

Looking back, I definitely should have exhausted more of my resources when I was taking the class. I did have exams that were on the same day/ close together, but honestly thats no excuse, many other people do it, and you're right, I need to figure out a way to study better so this doesn't happen again. Burnout could have been part of it? When my GPA dropped, it was only my second semester of college, so maybe that was part of it/ I wasn't prepared for how much more intense it would be. I also was volunteering at that time, on top of working about 20-30 hours a week, so I didn't have as much time to devote to studying as I should have.

 

[Sardinia]

@sm1297 A lot of people take pre-med courses, do pre-med activities, but ultimately self-select out when it comes to applying out to medical school. It's a marathon and not a race. When you're balancing out: working + volunteering + studying it's important to be a good communicator and verbalize that when you have a big exam you need to make time. If you know in advance they likely won't give you time just to study for a big Orgo exam, then you need to use whatever good reputation you have in order to make them give you time: call out sick or some other emergency situation within reason.

Being a model student in all 3 categories is a recipe for burn out which is likely why you started getting sub-par scores. Understanding how much flexibility you have and your boundaries for pushing something to give yourself some room are a crucial skill in undergrad. If you had multiple exams, understanding if you have the ability to displace one or two exams on adjacent days via negotiation is as equally important a skill as having the ability to take multiple exams on the same day.

If it makes you feel any better, I believe the median age cohort for USMD schools is now 23. It is within good reason considering how much is required from students straight from the get-go who don't have the fundamentals in place in order to understand how they need to approach topics they have difficulty with and don't understand. And even though I think it's great that you're realizing that medicine is the best remaining option for you, it's also the starting point. When people mention that you're young, don't take it with a grain of salt. There are people who have tried careers in all other areas and walks of life before turning to medicine in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. You've only reached a point of speculation, however the further you go you will meet more and more people who have actually traded careers which paid off their house, their car, and really their life for the chance to become a physician.

 

[Doctor-S]

@Doctor-S I think its a bit of both. When I took Bio II, I was still harping over my terrible grades from the previous semester, and when I wasn't doing as well as I hoped in Bio II, I started feeling bad about myself/my chances of getting into med school. I had the hardest time coming to terms with not being pre med any more, and I honestly think that I let others around me convince me that I wasn't meant for becoming a doctor/ I should go into another field. If/ when I go back, I definitely do need to have better study habits and do everything in my power to get a better grade (tutoring, office hours, etc). I plan on taking a semester of basic classes while I decide. Ill probably be extremely behind with all of my pre-reqs, but i figure its a better idea than rushing the decision.

I also have done ECs, I've volunteered at a hospital and the HSC that are both near my school. I definitely understand that challenges that it brings, and the time that it takes.

Good work @sm1297 ... glad to hear about your ECs thus far and your plan to take a semester of basic classes. It will give you time to consider your different choices/options.

It also sounded as if you're taking time to process things and create a manageable game plan for yourself (e.g., different study approaches/better time management/and prioritizing). This approach sounds do-able and applies to all of your classes, BCMP and AO alike. Agreed ... you don't need to rush everything by juggling multiple things simultaneously (in your case, UG science courses, ECs and having 20-30 hour/week job). That's a lot of stuff. I also like the comments by @Sardinia about *not* turning your UG years into an academic marathon.

Thank you.

 

[SM1218]

@Doctor-S

I'm definitely not taking this decision lightly, which is why I'm trying to create a game-plan to set myself up for success. Obviously it would be nice if I could graduate on time, and end up in the same med school class as all of my peers/friends, but I do think that taking it slower (academic marathon as @Sardinia said) is a better option. The last thing I want is to rush myself, and end up in the exact same position as I was before. If I decide to go back though, Im just hoping that I can actually get the support of friends/family without them doubting my capabilities.

 

[Sardinia]

@sm1297 I would orient your application towards DO schools as they take grade replacement into consideration and your sGPA/cGPA could be raised to the range of matriculating students compared to the MSAR MD listings being around 3.7/3.8 for matriculating students. One of the requirements for many osteopathic schools is receiving a recommendation from a practicing osteopathic physician. In addition, being able to define osteopathic medicine and having a personal reason as to why you're leaning towards their schools is an important aspect to their admissions process. I heavily advise you explore that opportunity. However, if you're dead set on MD then several schools offer a type of post-bac SMP program where they test your mettle and give you something analogous to a first year medical program and see how you do before allowing you transition further into their program.

I personally found volunteering in the hospital to be boring and existentially painful compared to actually working in a hospital. If you're going to be taking a gap year or you want healthcare related work experience, see if you can transition your volunteering into a technician/scribe role. Or possibly start EMT-B training. Increasing your hands on experience with patients and different fields of healthcare will allow you to develop a DOs and DON'Ts checklist of how you operate within the healthcare space in the future. Volunteers are not allowed to even enter this space because they are a non-insured liability hence you are missing the meat of medicine by taking Super Sani-wipes and cleaning off EKG monitors or surface tables for the third time within the same hour. Or wheel chairing out patient Z this time, after you just transported patient A, B, and C within the ER. To each their own.

Also as a disclaimer, I am not an adcom so you should take my advice in lieu with other "pre-meds" who are offering you friendly advice. You should give precedence to any admission counselor or any staff admission advisor you get into contact with in real life as they are people who are more in tune with the actual metric of evaluating students. As with all things, take everything with a grain of salt and make your own decisions. People are quick to offer advice, but could care less if it ends up with you in a body bag.

 

[Ismet]

Closing cross-posted thread. Discussion can be continued over in pre-osteo: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/feeling-discouraged.1212316/