^^^
Not necessarily true. 7 and 8 year combined programs are what you make of them. I'm in the last year of the undergrad phase of a combined program, and I can tell you for a fact that I've enjoyed college substantially more than I would have if I had taken the traditional route. I didn't let my grades slide, per se, but I would definitely say that I have taken time that I would have spent volunteering, researching, shadowing, writing application essays, and doing science- and medicine-related club activities (Tri Beta, pre-med AMSA, etc) in order to engage in activities which I enjoy much more (sitting on the board of my fraternity, rowing crew, etc). Grades aren't the only factor in your med school app, and from what my traditional route friends tell me, it's all the ECs and additional factors which really end up killing your time. Plus, while I'm still pretty unhappy about bad grades, I'm not ready to declare the end of the world when they happen 😀.
That being said, OP I wouldn't sweat it too much. These programs are EXTREMELY competitive. I applied to 4 of them and was flat out rejected from 3 of them with no interview invitations from those 3. All your planets and stars really need to align correctly to even get an interview, let alone get in. I still don't really know why I got in where I did and why I didn't get in where I didn't, but it always works out for the best. Don't be discouraged. The vast majority of med students get in through the traditional route, and as gold&black2005 said, just be ready to work hard and prove them wrong in a few years' time.
