Do I have a Chance?

[full of hope]

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Hello Everyone,
I am new to the Student Doctor Network, and I was reading what a lot of you have to say, and I find it rather helpful. I am writing because I have a problem. I am a Junior in undergrad, and I have always wanted to be a doctor. I hope to go to Med School after I graduate. When I got to college, I thought that maybe Pre-Med would be too hard, and so I did something else. However, I did not enjoy it and did poorly. I decided after my sophomore year that I wanted to be a doctor for sure, so I started taking classes in that direction. However, my cumulative GPA after two years in college is a 2.0 ~ what do I do? Do you think there is a chance at all? I know I will have to do extremely well on the MCAT, and pick up my GPA, but do you think I should find something else to do or should I continue trying to be a doctor? I feel that my low GPA was caused by lack of focus, but now that I know what I want to do, I fear I will not be able to lift up my GPA enough to get accepted anywhere. I guess I am just really scared now, because I am not sure what to do. Some people think I should transfer to a different university and start over, but I do not think that is a solution. Any suggestions would really be helpful, and I would appreciate it. Thanks a lot,

Full of Hope 😕

 

[mpp]

If you give up now then there is no possibility of ever becoming a doctor. If you keep on trying, the possibility exists.

 

[lola]

I think you definitely have a chance if you work really hard in your pre-med classes and get good grades! Admissions committees like to see improvement (although generally more like 3.0 fr, and 3.8 sr). If you really want to become a doctor, don't give up. If you show significant improvement and explain your early weak grades in your personal statement, you will have a shot. Make sure you get to know a couple of science professors so that you can have strong letters of recommendation. You might as well try if it's something you truly want to do.

 

[Toejam]

There's always a chance.

You definitely need to pick up your grades, though. You need to figure out exactly what is preventing you from getting A's and B's and correct it. It doesn't matter what you major in so I would suggest picking something that you have the opportunity to get a lot of A's in! If your GPA is still sub-standard (less than, say, a 3.1 or 3.2) then you need to entertain the idea of going further to get an advanced degree. It isn't reasonable to think that you'll do incredibly well on the MCAT if you have mediocre science grades. They usually go hand in hand. Medical schools are always interested to see a positive trend in grades. If you can get your GPA up to a 3.3 or so, you would probably have a good chance. You also need to do some extra-curricular stuff like volunteer in a hospital, work in a research lab, etc. It helps. It also depends greatly on where you're planning to apply. If you're from Kentucky (for example) or another area where the admissions standards are not ridiculously high, you'll have a better chance.

Just buckle down and start improving your grades. Think about the courses you're signing up for and consider whether or not you can get at least a B in them. Start volunteering now.

 

[lola]

looking back... i sounded a little too overly optimistic, but i didn't want to discourage you in any way. it will be tough to get into med school, but if you do very well it's not impossible. there is really no need to transfer schools i don't think. if your school grades particularly hard, med schools will probably know this.

 

[efex101]

Do not be discouraged and keep trying to improve your grades. You do have a serious GPA problem *but* with a lot of hard work and perseverance you can get straight A's from now on and prove to the adcom's that you are medical school material. My advice to you is to set an appointment with an advisor (or someone that you trust and can give you some sound advice) and determine what you need to do from now on to ace all your classes. It will be a challenge but it seems that you are up for it good luck!

 

[moo]

Work hard but be open to other options as well (caribs, DO schools). I don't want to discourage you but even if you get a 4.0 the last two years, your GPA will be a 3.0 maximum. Granted that is a great improvement and if you can pull it off, all the more power to you. And if you don't get your GPA above a 2.5, I hate to say it, but don't bother applying because most schools require you to have a minimum gpa of 2.5 just to even apply. Again, I hope I'm not being too harsh, but this is the reality. Get involved in EC's and be open to DO schools, which seem to be a lot more forgiving than MD schools (but you probably still need a 2.5 to apply to those schools).

 

[relatively prime]

Of course there's ~a~ chance, but if you want any kind of decent chance, you'll have to raise your GPA to at least a 3.0, which means you're probably going to have to wait a year to apply. Just take five years to graduate... and apply the summer before your last year.

Honestly, it's just a waste of money to apply with anything less than a 3.0 gpa.

And do well on the MCAT!!

Good Luck!!

 

[brickmanli]

I have heard someone from my school getting his freshmen grades disregarded, don't know if it's available at your school. At my school, students also have the option to retake their classes for better grades (the new grades supercede the old). Again, talk to your advisors and see if these options are available to you.

Good luck! If you really want to become a doctor, you WILL become a doctor. Sometimes the zigzagging path will help you later on.

 

[full of hope]

Thanks for the advice. I am just so worried. I got a job at a lab doing research, and I think I have all my bases covered. Now, it is just the grades. I have absolutely no problem taking an extra year to graduate if it means I will have a better chance at getting in Med School. A huge problem though is my parents. They do not think this is the path for me to follow (due to grades), and thus don't want to subsidize it. So, I guess this whole thing is just frustrating. I am working on it though. If I can find some money, I plan on taking 3 classes this summer (yikes), and getting 3 A's in them, and also working. Maybe I can pull it off. It will be hard, but nothing comes easy. Just keep your fingers crossed for me, and we'll see what happens! Thanks a lot!

 

[oldman]

i think your best bet would be to go for a grad school program. Do well then and take your MCATs. Go for a public health degree or an advanced degree in another medically related field. If you get good grades here, it can erase the bad gpa taste outta your mouth.

 

[vyc]

i agree that a grad program would be ideal for you so you can bring your GPA up.

 

[imtiaz]

hi,

i was sort of in your situation a year ago. i had a sub-3 gpa, and i was forced (the hard way) to choose what i wanted to do with myself for a year. i went to grad school. this is not for everyone, cause usually going to grad school means research/teaching/etc. your other option is pursuing post-bac classes. there's several threads about grad vs. post-bac but since the search option isn't enabled i'll just very breifly lay out some stuff for you. there's distinct advantages to going either route. going post-bac allows you to alter your undergraduate GPA, whereas in graduate school your ugrad gpa stays the same. grad school will result in publications, posters, conference talks, etc. whereas in a post-bac program all you'll have is grades (unless you independently pursue research, it will be difficult and time consuming but it's doable). you just have to decide what's best for you and go with it. last year i got no interviews, and this year i got a few, as well as an md/phd interview. so it HAS helped me tremendously. i'm not in anywhere yet, but at least i've come alot further than last year. anyways, good luck to you! and feel free to PM/email me with any more questions.

 

[ramkijai]

full of hope,
first, yes you DO have a chance. i was in the same situation as you. you need to be very careful by not trying to climb out of the ditch you have dug over two years in a day. DO NOT take three summer classes while trying to do research. GO SLOW. there is plenty of time though you may think otherwise. Adjust your time scale. a high mcat will not bail you out because med schools know that medicine is a marathon not a sprint (if you have any doubt there are people on this board with 30+ MCATs but low UG gpas who did not get in...simply ask). if you get one or two years of decent grades your overall numbers will still be low and remember that the people with whom you are competing for spots have had consistently great grades. my advice is that you should take it literally one day at a time. forget for right now about med school. set a series of short run goals (A on the next exam, 3.7+ for the next semester, etc.). one mistake that i made initially was trying to show schools what i was capable of by doing well and taking a huge load. it did not work well. finally don't worry what your parents or anyone else says only you really know what is in your heart and what you are capable of. good luck!

 

[racergirl]

Full of hope, You absolutely CAN get into med school, but it will be a challenge. The advice to GO SLOW is a good one--don't bite off more than you can chew and try to make up for a 2-year bad start overnight. If you do ECs and research, get VERY good grades from here on out (and yes, perhaps delay graduation for a year); and get a very good score on the MCAT, you'll have a good shot.

Adcomms really like to see upward trends in grades, and if you show excellent academic improvement after having found your focus (medicine), you'll have a great story for your personal statement.

Look, don't be scared. Just go out there and show what you can do. Be patient--get yourself on a three year plan. This is what I did. My grades were WORSE than yours, but after three years of As, a high MCAT, and several volunteer and research experiences, I was admitted to two tier-1 medical schools and waitlisted by another. If I can do it, you can too! All it takes is work. Don't worry about your parents right now--a couple years of A's will probably change their minds.

I think it's great that you've decided to follow your dream. Now just go out and do it! Good Luck!

P.S. I don't think a grad program is necessary for you. Delaying graduation is a better option. PM me if you wish!

 

[natureboy503]

full of hope,
I agree with "moo" about applying to DO schools. If you really want to be a doctor, be open to both options (MD/DO). I applied/interviewed at both, and I must say that MD schools tend to look *almost* strictly at numbers. The DO schools do look at numbers and you must be competive with the 2500 other students that apply to that school, but they tend to lean a little more toward health care related experience and EC's. Some of the schools require you to have health care experience. Just keep this in mind along your journey and plan accordingly. Good Luck.