GPA, Nursing, Heartbreak...

[McDanielG12]

Hey guys. Sorry if this has been asked 100 times, I just didn't see any posts really similar to my situation. I want med school and I want it bad. Currently, I am in nursing school. This just isn't what I want. I think I would be content with my life if I stayed a nurse, but it's not what I REALLY want. I know it is possible to go to med school as a nursing major. My problem though - my freshman year I started out a Bio major. My mom passed away and my life fell to pieces and I withdrew from Chemistry and stopped going to Calculus, so I took a big ole F for my calc, a C in Gen Bio, and a D in Spanish. My transcript looked AWFUL. The following semester, I changed my major to nursing and had all As and 1 C. Now, I am going steady with all As and an occasional B. My GPA is currently a 3.4 and I still have a year left so hoping it will only raise. I need to retake Calculus and I know this will bring it up tremendously. I have enrolled in my Gen Chem classes for this summer and all I will have left for my prereqs after that is OChem and Physics. My question - have I screwed my GPA beyond repair? Since DO schools have changed the GPA calculation and they now average retakes like MD instead of replacing them, will my GPA hold me back from med school? Am I wasting my time taking courses? I am also taking some elective Bio classes now to help stand out. I am just very discouraged.

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[MakeLifeHappen13]

As long as you finish your pre-req's with at least B's and keep your GPA above 3.4 AND score >503-505 on the MCAT, you will have a good shot at D.O. school. For M.D. you will need at least a >508 to have a chance. There are plenty of people in my class and here on SDN that are nursing converts, it's actually quite common. Just be ready to give a good explanation of why you switched from nursing on interview day.

You still have the hardest part of the pre-med journey left. Orgo & Physics & MCAT. If you can successfully handle these 3 beasts, you will be in good shape for acceptance.

 

[calivianya]

Your GPA won't hold you back unless you bomb the extra courses you're going to take. I would advise not taking general chemistry over the summer for this reason. Accelerated courses are more difficult and you're more likely to get a lower grade in them; might as well maximize your chances of doing well by taking the chemistries over a full semester.