Grew up in poverty, abandoned by parents, got into undergrad Ivy, failed out-->med school?

[SOMBound13]

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You misunderstood.

I said, "fall into a similar area" in regards to an FA officer's viewpoint. A parent who is institutionalized (voluntarily or not) is going to be viewed to be in a situation where he/she cannot be expected support a child in college, just like a parent who is incarcerated. I wasn't implying that they're the same thing. Absolutely not.

Again, the FA office put you thru a lot more than other FA offices would have.

I have no need to say anymore.

@Affiche

 

[SOMBound13]

In addition to being compelling on an individual level, this is an interesting thread in juxtaposition to the Asians/AA thread.

Something went horribly wrong in this case and I'm not sure we know the whole story yet. That said, I like the idea of starting over at your state university and acing undergrad but with a more realistic approach to what classes to take and including classes that you'll really like as opposed to just going full-bore with STEM.

I agree, but the student is going to have a funding issue if she were to start at her state univ. She likely has a SAP issue: "Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid."

If she can do well at that top CC she mentioned (paying as she goes) and then transfer back to Cornell or another school that meets need for transfers, she'll be in the best situation.

I wonder if she contacted Cornell now and got some sort of written agreement that if she completes XX units at her CC with a 3.0+ GPA, would they allow her to return. I have no idea if schools like C would consider that, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

[lookaprettyflower]

I agree, but the student is going to have a funding issue if she were to start at her state univ. She likely has a SAP issue: "Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid."

If she can do well at that top CC she mentioned (paying as she goes) and then transfer back to Cornell or another school that meets need for transfers, she'll be in the best situation.

I wonder if she contacted Cornell now and got some sort of written agreement that if she completes XX units at her CC with a 3.0+ GPA, would they allow her to return. I have no idea if schools like C would consider that, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Yes- SAP is exactly the issue. You really do know your stuff!!
The cc-need blind transfer is my only hope, and I should think that at least with my story and legitimate improvement, an undergraduate school would accept me after showing a lot of invaluable growth. Especially maybe a liberal arts school that would value personal growth and demonstrating a capacity to do well academically.
I'm going to ask about that point too during my scheduled meeting with academics. I really do appreciate all of you input, truly.

 

[cantankerous]

You should just write a best selling biography/memoir and speak at colleges and conferences across the country lol

 

[fancymylotus]

I thought North Africans aren't considered URM status...

Very important for my future children here. Must know answer.

 

[SOMBound13]

I just got dismissed. I literally just finished finals.

This part bothers me, unless you mean that you just finished finals last Friday. If you literally just finished within the last day or so, then would your profs have already submitted your grades for your school to know whether you had accomplished whatever they expected you to accomplish this last semester?

When they allowed you to come back for this fall semester, what was their expectation? What GPA did they tell you that you needed to achieve in order to continue?

 

[asw98]

This makes me sad as a Cornell grad. I spent a summer TAing the aforementioned summer prep course for incoming URMs and students from academically poor high schools. It was shocking for me to see the difference in college preparedness between my students and myself. Out of 8 of my students, half got an A, while the other half ended up failing. Cornell is a tough place to play catch up and the administration doesn't do nearly a good enough job. Though, I do know that they have extended that prep class to include 2 semester of gen chem and 1 of orgo. Small changes.

 

[DefySomeGravity]

@SOMBound13
Please stop pretending to a be a med student and create your own account as the Alabama mom who dominates College Confidential. Does your son at UAB know you impersonate him on sdn so you can graduate to med school advisor?

Sorry to derail, but alabama mom does not allow PM's in her sdn profile.

 

[SOMBound13]

what?

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Dont waste your life on med school, man. With your drive for pushing against adversity, you could be amazing doing something less demanding of your mental integrity.

 

[Affiche]

I said, "fall into a similar area" in regards to an FA officer's viewpoint. A parent who is institutionalized (voluntarily or not) is going to be viewed to be in a situation where he/she cannot be expected support a child in college, just like a parent who is incarcerated.

Wrong again. If a parent has any type of income withing a given year, that income is required to be reported and will likely be expected to contribute to their dependent's CoA. A parent who has voluntarily sought assistance with mental health but has retained all rights (can legally sign their own documents, for example) is expected to provide parental support and is not considered automatically estranged.

 

[lookaprettyflower]

Dont waste your life on med school, man. With your drive for pushing against adversity, you could be amazing doing something less demanding of your mental integrity.

Another aspect of my background is that I'm not exposed to much. I mean I've tried thinking of other things but nothing compares to the feeling of thinking of being a doctor. I don't know how people get into their different careers either. I want to be passionate about what I'm doing :/ I don't even know where to begin if I try to pretend that medical school is not an option.

 

[IRismyfave]

Lemme break it down.

1. Go talk to your FA office if you haven't already, maybe the dean of your school. Explain your situation in concise terms, maybe bring a bullet list of things that you can give them. Hopefully you can get FA.
2. If not, go work at a job and save money. Plenty of other people have done this, gone out on their own, saved money, attended a few CC classes to see if they can handle it and done fine.
3. Try to take one or two CC classes. See how you do. Keep in mind some medical schools accept CC classes, I would check the MSAR for specifics, there is not really a need to go to a 4 year university if medical school is the dream (aka not Harvard).
4. IF you do well, try to take more. Maybe get a job at a lab somewhere.
5. Volunteer in a clinical setting. Maybe get a job in a clinical field to kill two birds with one stone. Keep taking classes.
6. Now, after several consecutive semester of straight A's, you can start thinking about that pesky MCAT.
7. Rock the MCAT after sufficient study time and practice. At this point you have better grades, hopefully have retaken some of the classes you didn't do well in as well as taken some others to boost your GPA. You're still working and volunteering.
8.Apply to medical school (DO probably but if you want to look up MD that reward reinvention/accept CC credits) while still working, taking classes, and volunteering.
9. Apply again if necessary.
10. Become a physician.

This will be a long road ahead of you. Multiple years (I cant see anything less than 2-3 at the least). YOU CAN DO IT THOUGH. Believe and you can achieve.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Another aspect of my background is that I'm not exposed to much. I mean I've tried thinking of other things but nothing compares to the feeling of thinking of being a doctor. I don't know how people get into their different careers either. I want to be passionate about what I'm doing :/ I don't even know where to begin if I try to pretend that medical school is not an option.

Many people go to college with an automatic idea that they'll be premed. I'm not saying that that's a bad thing but it's also a good idea to do some general exploring. You may find that there are other careers that you love more or just as much as medicine. Once your school affairs are in order, start shadowing or doing some clinical volunteering to see if medicine still excites you. As others have said, it's a super long road so if you find out you don't love it, you'll be saving yourself a lot of time, money, and stress.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

They say that the choice to do medicine should be a deductive decision, meaning you have considered and decided against professions like nursing and other mid level provider roles and aren't just defaulting to being a doctor because they "make the most money". How would you respond if adcoms ask you something like "why not nursing?". Keep in mind that "because I've been premed all my life so its too late to change to prenursing" is not a valid response.

Another aspect of my background is that I'm not exposed to much. I mean I've tried thinking of other things but nothing compares to the feeling of thinking of being a doctor. I don't know how people get into their different careers either. I want to be passionate about what I'm doing :/ I don't even know where to begin if I try to pretend that medical school is not an option.

 

[lookaprettyflower]

They say that the choice to do medicine should be a deductive decision, meaning you have considered and decided against professions like nursing and other mid level provider roles and aren't just defaulting to being a doctor because they "make the most money". How would you respond if adcoms ask you something like "why not nursing?". Keep in mind that "because I've been premed all my life so its too late to change to prenursing" is not a valid response.

Yeah, I've thought about different healthcare options. But the scientific side of being a doctor is just as compelling as the caring side. The scientific and biological aspect of medicine, or science in general, is so exciting. There is a bigger picture involved, and you can apply what you know to situations and see positive, rewarding results in a human body. How amazing is that?! There is a unique level of trust between a patient and doctor, since you trust a doctor and ingest medicine they prescribe, or allow them to operate on your body. That is so special and so valuable. I think medicine is so exciting and intellectually stimulating and I'd want to be able to delve into it to the deepest extent possible - nurses or other providers are so much more limited in terms of specializing, for example. There is more protocol too.
But the reason why I'm willing to literally spent years on this journey is because nothing has ever excited me as much as science. I'm constantly in awe, the simplest things are fascinating. And the idea that humans can learn, and question, and discover, and use that information in real life, and see it happen, and most of all- help someone with it in a very important way... I need to be able to combine both aspects fully.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Good answer, I recommend you read emperor of all maladies by dr muhkerjee if you enjoy the scientific history behind medicine. Best of luck, buddy.

Yeah, I've thought about different healthcare options. But the scientific side of being a doctor is just as compelling as the caring side. The scientific and biological aspect of medicine, or science in general, is so exciting. There is a bigger picture involved, and you can apply what you know to situations and see positive, rewarding results in a human body. How amazing is that?! There is a unique level of trust between a patient and doctor, since you trust a doctor and ingest medicine they prescribe, or allow them to operate on your body. That is so special and so valuable. I think medicine is so exciting and intellectually stimulating and I'd want to be able to delve into it to the deepest extent possible - nurses or other providers are so much more limited in terms of specializing, for example. There is more protocol too.
But the reason why I'm willing to literally spent years on this journey is because nothing has ever excited me as much as science. I'm constantly in awe, the simplest things are fascinating. And the idea that humans can learn, and question, and discover, and use that information in real life, and see it happen, and most of all- help someone with it in a very important way... I need to be able to combine both aspects fully.

 

[lookaprettyflower]

dont know how to delete a post...

 

[lookaprettyflower]

I agree, but the student is going to have a funding issue if she were to start at her state univ. She likely has a SAP issue: "Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid."

If she can do well at that top CC she mentioned (paying as she goes) and then transfer back to Cornell or another school that meets need for transfers, she'll be in the best situation.

I wonder if she contacted Cornell now and got some sort of written agreement that if she completes XX units at her CC with a 3.0+ GPA, would they allow her to return. I have no idea if schools like C would consider that, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

UPDATE--> My bio professor, who knows of my situation and saw my improvement this semester, was really upset and wrote a letter to the academic committee. I'm going to be able to stay in school AND get aid through an appeal. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

 

[lookaprettyflower]

Although...

Don't give up on your uni yet -- Do you know any influential alum's? (You may be able to find some useful info online) Any powerful politicians that attended this school? What about your professors? The ones where you scored so extremely well on your finals? Could you talk openly and honestly with any of them? Ask them to help you?

Before you decide to leave, try everything possible to secure your way back - to lay out a specific path where if you do this, your school will let you back in and restore your scholarship. Point to your extreme academic improvement once you got your medical conditions and living situations under control. Ask how you can prove to them that you're up to the task and worthy of their taking one more chance on you. If it comes to it, ask your uni if they have any affiliations with nearby CC's, and if that means you're going to waitress for a living, waitress there. (My concern is that if you go back home, you'd be going back to an environment that will hold you back rather than helping you succeed.)

UPDATE--> My bio professor, who knows of my situation and saw my improvement this semester, was really upset and wrote a letter to the academic committee. I'm going to be able to stay in school AND get aid through an appeal. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

 

[lookaprettyflower]

Now I need to figure out how to salvage my situation. My professor told me he would write me an excellent letter of rec if I ever needed it, I did extremely well in his class and he knows about my situation. He was really inspiring and shared some personal stories of his own. I'm not going to graduate with a GPA higher than a 3.2/3.3 even with really great grades...but I can only hope that with my story, LOR's, MCAT, etc, and really dramatic improvement I will be able to make it 😱😱

 

[futuremdforme]

Although...

UPDATE--> My bio professor, who knows of my situation and saw my improvement this semester, was really upset and wrote a letter to the academic committee. I'm going to be able to stay in school AND get aid through an appeal. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

That's awesome, congrats!

 

[order66.exe]

Now I need to figure out how to salvage my situation. My professor told me he would write me an excellent letter of rec if I ever needed it, I did extremely well in his class and he knows about my situation. He was really inspiring and shared some personal stories of his own. I'm not going to graduate with a GPA higher than a 3.2/3.3 even with really great grades...but I can only hope that with my story, LOR's, MCAT, etc, and really dramatic improvement I will be able to make it 😱😱

Start slow, get 4.0's and take an extra year to graduate if need be.

 

[DokterMom]

Although...

UPDATE--> My bio professor, who knows of my situation and saw my improvement this semester, was really upset and wrote a letter to the academic committee. I'm going to be able to stay in school AND get aid through an appeal. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

That's wonderful! Merry, Merry Christmas

Let your mantra be "Slow and steady wins the race --" You need two-three years of sustained strong performance to show that you are no longer a high-risk applicant. Get that, and you've got a turnaround / bootstraps story of the first order.

 

[Petrichor1]

To clarify- my mental stuff is under control, I started good counseling and got on medication after my suspension. Also, this semester I've proven to myself I can do well academically - I got a perfect score in an orgo and calc exam. Also, when I broke down once last year and talked to my bio and stats professor after failing all the first exams, I got over a 95 in both of those finals. So instead of failing my stats and bio last year, I got a B and C. So I also know I can understand material. But it's too late, since even then my grades are decent this semester for the first time, they're not enough to make up for the past and qualify for financial aid or good standing.

I can say that your story is believable and I feel very disheartened that noone stepped in for you. However, I too have seen a little bit of this and quite frankly find your story to be true without contesting it the slightest bit. You seem to be confident, charismatic, honest, and pursuant of medical school. I would highly advise that you complete your cc career and transfer to a four year. From there, when you think you are ready, apply to both DO and MD schools. Yes, gpa pull is going to take time but won't be terrible as long as you maintain good grades from here on in. From what you are saying, it seems you are good with standardized exams. You got this, don't be discouraged and pull down your grades because you think you don't stand a chance. You certainly do. I hope that this christmas, you have a roof over your head, a warm blanket, and a supportive albeit small group of people that can only bring you up.

 

[DrBelle]

Although...

UPDATE--> My bio professor, who knows of my situation and saw my improvement this semester, was really upset and wrote a letter to the academic committee. I'm going to be able to stay in school AND get aid through an appeal. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

I just found this thread and reading your update just now completely made my day.
I'm stunned by how much we have in common, how only recently I realized I was "one of those kids". The classic story of the low ses student that slipped through the cracks. I too am fighting for myself with a better understanding, newfound stability, and reading between the lines of so many postings that advise people who have more traditional issues.

Your energy jumps off the screen and I wish all of the best things for you. I hope you stick around and use SDN as a resource (within reason. I am even inspired by how you did not allow someone who could not even fathom stories like this from being true from discouraging you. Great attitude and honestly, this will serve you so well in your future medical career)

Like the other poster said, pace yourself, do well, stay strong, and take the extra time if you need to. Cornell? Despite the disappointing points, if you use your resources it will serve you so well.

Merry Christmas to you. I'm so thrilled, you don't even know. 🙂