Give up?

[dmission]

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[YouNeverKnow22]

Give Up?No. Hell No. You have so much time to bring up your GPA. Just work your butt off these next 2 years and you'll make it.

 

[sc1085]

From here on out there needs to be an upward trend in your grades. There is definitely time to boost your GPA. What is your major? What prerequisite classes have you taken (as far as bio, chem, physics, organic), and what were your grades? Can you be a little more specific about your "work experience" and EC's? Don't give up on applying this early in the game. Sophmore? Sounds like you have plenty of time to fix all these issues. Study your tail off for the MCAT-you will be fine.

 

[dmission]

Just starting 2nd year, so no MCAT yet. Comp Sci major, I finished general chem, which is where my only C's were (2 C's and 1 B). Doing Bio and Org Chem this year, along with some classes for my major and a GE.
My work experience is related to my major, programming stuff.

Thanks

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

Just starting 2nd year, so no MCAT yet. Comp Sci major, I finished general chem, which is where my only C's were (2 C's and 1 B). Doing Bio and Org Chem this year, along with some classes for my major and a GE.
My work experience is related to my major, programming stuff.

Thanks

if it makes you feel better I'm in the same boat as far as a low GPA (3.035), and I sure as hell ain't giving up. I realized the work it's going to take and I'm going to gut it out these next two years

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Just starting 2nd year, so no MCAT yet. Comp Sci major, I finished general chem, which is where my only C's were (2 C's and 1 B). Doing Bio and Org Chem this year, along with some classes for my major and a GE.
My work experience is related to my major, programming stuff.

Thanks

Hey. Comp sci is a hard major.
But have this be your goal: get only one B+ per quarter and the rest As, and you can have yourself up to a 3.7 in no time. Staying for 5 years might help you out by lightening your course load too (since comp sci+premed=lots of units). Then they'll just look at your freshman year as a fluke 🙂

 

[8mile]

are you a good programmer? startups pay pretty well.

 

[sc1085]

The AMCAS application gives you an average for overall GPA, all other courses besides science, and BCPM (bio, chem, physics, math). Obviously you want the BCPM to be as high as it can be. Some people might suggest you re-take the chemistry classes and try for A's. There is really no other advice for now-just make sure you do well from here on out (all A's if possible). If you are applying with a lower GPA the MCAT will be key for you. I'd go ahead and start shadowing some physicians if you have time. Are you involved with any research at your school? All of this stuff is easy to get involved with now...don't wait. You have to stand out some way...most of the students applying to medical school excel in ever y aspect (i.e. grades, MCAT, EC's, research). Read some of the forums on SDN, they will be a lot of help to you.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

are you a good programmer? startups pay pretty well.

Adding to that. Even if you don't end up in medical school there's still no reason you shouldn't be getting good grades. Just think of it this way. Try REALLY hard, and even if you don't get in, you'll at least end up in a really good masters program (and can reapply if you want). Just try and see what happens?

 

[dmission]

All A's from here on out is easier said than done I fear. How crucial is research and shadowing a physician? The all A's alone and a job seems stressful already, not sure if I could do the other two with it

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

All A's from here on out is easier said than done I fear. How crucial is research and shadowing a physician? The all A's alone and a job seems stressful already, not sure if I could do the other two with it

I'm shadowing a trauma surgeon and a clinical physician currently, I honestly went to Wake Forest University's website and started e-mailing people to see if I could shadow...sometimes its as easy as that. And you can get straight A's if you don't stress the fact TOO much

 

[dmission]

I mean, don't med schools see you're only doing that for your application? Or do you actually learn things from shadowing?

How important would you say shadowing/volunteering/research is?

If I got a C in General Chem, am I screwed for Organic chem or is there any chance I will find it easier?

 

[sc1085]

I mean, don't med schools see you're only doing that for your application? Or do you actually learn things from shadowing?

How important would you say shadowing/volunteering/research is?

If I got a C in General Chem, am I screwed for Organic chem or is there any chance I will find it easier?

Well I would hope you would want to shadow a physician, at least to see what the job is like. The shadowing is more of a benefit to you, as you will realize if medicine is the profession you should pursue. I've been a NREMT-Paramedic for three years. When I went into my interview and told them I knew I wanted to become a physician, they really didn't ask any questions. If they see you have been involved in healthcare in some way, it looks better for you. Sure, you can say how much you want to be a physician. But you must be able to back that statement. "Prove it", they will say! Not to mention most of the applicants will have shadowing experience. And yes, I'm sure they know you are only doing a lot of things for the application-they've been there and done that. As for research, definitely not required, but beneficial. Especially if you get a publication in undergraduate. All these things are to make YOU stand out, and it might come down to your initiative to do research, while another applicant chose not to. Adcom comparing two applicants with equal stats and interview outcomes---> "Hmm this applicants seems to be slightly more motivated...look, he spent two years in undergraduate school doing research, while this person didn't". Point, it's not going to do anything but help your chances. You aren't screwed because you made C's in Gen Chem. I found organic to be a lot easier than Gen Chem.

 

[dmission]

Good point on shadowing. I guess I'll give that a shot - doesn't seem like it'd be too time consuming. Any preferred length of shadowing they would like you think?

Thanks

 

[loveoforganic]

I finished freshman year with (I think) the exact same GPA. I made 2 C's in Bio I and Chem I, then a B- in Bio II. I hit a point somewhere between first and second semester where I got really committed to medicine, knowing that it was what I wanted to do. So I buckled down and started working, horribly inefficiently, but hard. Because I didn't know how to study, second semester wasn't that great either. I got my stuff in order though, and I finished sophomore year with something like 7 A+'s taking organic, physics, lab, research, etc. You can do it. Commit yourself.

P.S. Nearly no gen. chem is required for organic as long as you get the very basics.

Edit: Shadowing - Honestly I think 40 hours total is plenty. Try and mix it up between a couple different types of physicians though.

 

[ksmi117]

Moving to the What Are My Chances? forum.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

All A's from here on out is easier said than done I fear. How crucial is research and shadowing a physician? The all A's alone and a job seems stressful already, not sure if I could do the other two with it

Grades>>>Job if it comes down to that. Don't freak out though, there are plenty of ways to explain freshman year.
1. juggling a job and school for the first time.
2. first time away from home
3. Didn't know what I wanted to do with myself. Decided on med school and boosted by gpa significantly.
4. etc etc

you can always shadow during the summer too if you don't want it to interfere with your school work. I know UCs even offer a summer research program where you work on your project FULL time during the summer alone and they give you credit for it at the end. Just make sure you keep your grades up and you don't end up sacrificing them for ECs.

 

[sc1085]

Good point on shadowing. I guess I'll give that a shot - doesn't seem like it'd be too time consuming. Any preferred length of shadowing they would like you think?

Thanks

I'm not really sure about a specific amount of time. If you start now, that shouldn't be an issue. You are a sophmore, so you have two more years to shadow. Just try and hook up with some doctors at a local hospital or office. Don't just shadow one type of physician, shadow many (i.e. ER, Peds, Path, General Surgery, OBGYN, Anesthesiology...whatever!) See what YOU like...trust me, it will give you motivation to succeed if you find something that really interests you. Also, check to see if there is a local rescue squad in your area you could volunteer for. They are normally more than happy to have ride alongs, and you will see some of the craziest things medicine has to offer...trust me on this. It will be well worth it.

 

[dmission]

Thanks. Should I email doctors and ask to shadow like the above poster or what is the best way of doing this?

Here's to hoping Ochem is easier than General chem...

 

[fishbait63]

You tend to learn a lot from shadowing, before starting shadowing a general medicine physician I thought there was nothing to gain because it would just be like physicals. However, they will explain a lot more and help you understand as much of the conditions as possible. X rash means this, this the the history of X rash, of X treatment, very interesting actually.

 

[eleven eleven]

Hey,

As far as the shadowing thing goes, I think it's a crapshoot. I've heard some interviewers who want to see you shadow in as many specialties as you can (even if only for a few days or weeks) and others want to see you commit to a long-term shadowing position. So I'd say do whatever you can manage and whatever you will like. If you KNOW you want to go into a particular specialty, try to get something there, and if not, it would be nice to see your options. Some of my interviewers did ask what specialties I was considering .. they are NOT expecting you to have a definite, permanent answer, but rather seeing if you have something to say about your experiences, and can prove you have actually done your homework and really want to be a physician.

GPA is important, and you should do your best to improve it, but the thing that sucks about AMCAS is that because you apply after your junior year (assuming you will not take a year off), you only have two semesters to bring up your GPA. The good news is that if you can secure interviews, you will be able to update the schools of your grades during senior year (they looove updates), and if you can pull off good grades and not succumb to senioritis, they look favorably on that haha.

In regard to your original question, I don't think you should give up. Talk to your pre-med advisor and any doctors that you know because there are schools that are notorious for GPA and MCAT cutoffs (even if they publicly say they review every application), so you should obviously avoid these. I was real borderline with my GPA too, and my advisor was really helpful in helping me apply to schools 1. that truly do review the entire application (because some schools will not even download your LORs after seeing the numbers, which is just cruel), and 2. that other students from your school have been successful in gaining admission. Even if your school doesn't have a formal affiliation with a medical school, undergrad institutions tend to have a few school at which there is some kind of informal "connection" that results in a disproportionate number of students being accepted to a med school from a particular undergrad.

Also, have you looked into applying to osteopathic schools? I applied both MD and DO, and will be attending a DO school. The DO schools tend to have lower GPA/MCAT statistics than MD schools, and most of them actually take pride in the fact that they consider the entire person in the application (goes along with the DO philosophy of caring for the whole person, pretty neat). Well anyways, sorry for being so long winded, I hope I have helped, and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. 🙂

Best of luck!

 

[sc1085]

Thanks. Should I email doctors and ask to shadow like the above poster or what is the best way of doing this?

Here's to hoping Ochem is easier than General chem...

Does your school have a pre-medical committee? Ususally they have people in place that can schedule these things for you. Not to mention you can get a LOR from them (good way to have multiple professors signatures included in one letter).

 

[loveoforganic]

Thanks. Should I email doctors and ask to shadow like the above poster or what is the best way of doing this?

Here's to hoping Ochem is easier than General chem...

It's very different. Don't try to memorize your way through it. Get the book early, read and understand the best you can the chapters on acids/bases and resonance. Organic's all about fundamentals.

 

[sc1085]

It's very different. Don't try to memorize your way through it. Get the book early, read and understand the best you can the chapters on acids/bases and resonance. Organic's all about fundamentals.

If you really want to get ahead, get these books and start reading: Organic Chemistry As A Second Language I and II. It's what I did and man did it pay off. How about it loveoforganic?

 

[loveoforganic]

I haven't read those, but it sounds about right 😛 I got the text assigned by my professor and read all the chapters on concepts over the summer, during off time with work. I feel like it helped a tremendous amount. I wouldn't bother looking at reactions or trying to memorize much. Just focus on the concept chapters (resonance/acids and bases/aromaticity/conjugation/polarity/etc). When it's time to learn and commit the reactions to memory, you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[dmission]

So, to motivate myself more, I just ordered both of those with my birthday cash... hopefully that will make me study, hah

Thanks for the suggestion, looks like they are great books.

 

[sc1085]

So, to motivate myself more, I just ordered both of those with my birthday cash... hopefully that will make me study, hah

Thanks for the suggestion, looks like they are great books.

Trust me, you won't regret your purchase! I'm telling you the entire year of organic chemistry could be taught using these two books (if you aren't planning on obtaining a PhD in o-chem haha). Also, they are good to reference during your MCAT prep. These books saved my tail numerous times during both organic courses.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

I mean, don't med schools see you're only doing that for your application? Or do you actually learn things from shadowing?

How important would you say shadowing/volunteering/research is?

If I got a C in General Chem, am I screwed for Organic chem or is there any chance I will find it easier?

shadowing is probably the most helpful thing I've done. It puts you on the job right there in the battle lines, I find it very helpful.

 

[sc1085]

Be sure to PM me when you receive them and let me know what you think, and also when you start your organic class. You can thank me later!😀 Good luck!

 

[dmission]

Thanks to both of you, really appreciate your help!

 

[sc1085]

Thanks to both of you, really appreciate your help!

Sure, anytime! PM me if you have any more questions.

 

[buccsmf1]

figure out what you did wrong, learn from your mistakes, and you should be OK. I ended my freshman year with a 3.19 and was able to raise it to a 3.57 by the time I graduated; nothing incredible, but competitive enough to give me a shot. I also had zero ECs by the end of my freshman year. You might have to wait till after your senior year to apply though unless you get straight As your sophomore and junior years

and yes, orgo is easier than gen-chem. at least i thought so