Have I made a mistake?

[carmen1409]

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I quit my job in marketing (I have a degree in Business Management and Marketing) to go back to school for my pre-reqs to apply to med school. I'm taking Chem 1, Biol 1 and their corresponding labs. So far, in Bio I'm making an A and based on my quizzes in both labs I'm making B's ( I think). I just took our first Chem test of the semester and made an abysmal 65%, which is exactly the class average and comes out to be a C+. I've been making 90s and up on the homework, but they really are very minimal in terms of adding to the overall final grade.

My point here is that I'm not making A's in my classes and I feel like I HAVE to make A's to have any chance to get into medical school. My uGPA was 3.1, but it was business and 7 years ago. I wasn't really focused in undergrad not that I partied or anything I just didn't really apply myself. I just figured that business was pretty much applicable to anything I did and GPA wasn't overly important. No employers have asked my GPA since, just as I figured.

I've given up so much to go back to school. My dream is to become a doctor. I can't imagine anything else I want to do, but what if the reality is that I'm just not cut out to do it? Now that I am really applying myself, unlike in undergrad, I'm seeing the outcomes (not A's!) and doubting my decision. Have I made a mistake? Should I have just trudged through my marketing career (even though I did like it I wasn't really thriving at it and always felt I wanted to do more). One of my study partners is 19 I'm 28 and she made a 90 on the Chem test. She also wants to be a doctor. Am I just fooling myself thinking that I was smart enough to do this?

What do you all think? I mean, maybe I need a reality check.

Thanks

 

[carl414]

Carmen, it's never a mistake to pursue a dream. I'm 33 and also having the same "crisis" that you are. Last semester I bailed on 2 of my 4 classes because I couldn't manage my business, family, and school load. It sucked and I had to take 2 classes during summer just to keep my financial aid in order. I hated every minute and seriously considered quitting.

Thing is that I too can't imagine another path now. I feel like I should hurry considering my age, but I also know I have to do everything right now... no more mistakes. Tortise and the Hare story anyone?

Talk with your instructor so you can be sure of what you need to study - get help, ask for extra assignments that might help you make up points. Once an instructor knows how badly you want an A they will almost always find a way to help you get it.

Finally, realize that you've chosen one of the most difficult courses of study. Don't be discouraged by taking one on the chin... that comes with getting in the ring with a big opponent... take it, then regroup, and come back out of your corner fighting like you've never fought before.

Chine proverb: If knocked down seven times - get up eight.

Good- luck.

 

[LadyTMD]

Hello Carmen,
No one can ultimately make the decision to keep going at this aside from you. The road to medicine is not easy. In fact, you should know that life is simply not easy. Usually, if it’s easy, there is a catch and a significant drawback. We fight for what we really want in life, and the rest just "happens" to us. You have to decide what you want your life and future to look like. I will say that you need to give it time. If you go into Pre-Med thinking you’ll get an A, or B, on every assignment you have a rude awakening coming to you Darlin. I guarantee you, if you talk with the Professor, join a study group, and study an extra 10 hours a week, your next test score will be at least 10 points higher! Whatever you do, don’t shell up and expect a miracle without significant and consistent work. A 65% on one Inorganic Chemistry test is not going to kill your chances of getting into medicine, but, letting that 65% hold you down and discourage you will kill your confidence and ultimately reduce your likelihood of staying in the "game" and winning. Unlike other games we know, in the game of your life Carmen YOU define the "win". Do let us know how things are going for you, I am curious to know your results and decision. Remember, be proactive! You have more than enough time to turn that grade around.
Best of Luck to you.

 

[J ROD]

It's true you need a high GPA to get in and you do need to pull that 3.1 up too so you really need to make A's. You can make a few B+.

Still must do well on the MCAT.

Keep going and pull up that 65. I made a 73 on a chem test and still got an A by making As on all the other tests. Basically, dont give up yet! At least, see how you stand after a couple of semesters.

You do have a decent hill to climb but it is still too premature to stop climbing.

 

[carmen1409]

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. I didn't expect it to be easy, but I didn't expect it to be so hard for me either! Just figured the hard part would come later. Ha! I should learn by now to expect the unexpected. 🙄

I'm gonna keep going and do what it takes to. I'll keep you updated.

I did get some encouraging news yesterday. We got our grades back from out first Bio test and I made a 92. The class average was 71. Maybe I'm not dumb after all (at least in Bio!).

Good luck to you all 🙂

 

[Jlaw]

Hey Carmen- Just keep working hard, go for extra help, study, study and study. Like you I am taking Bio1/Chem1 and today I bombed a Chem quiz badly. What makes it very frustrating is that I knew the stuff, but a mistake in labeling the periodic table my prof gave us almost certainly killed me.

Like you I am putting alot of pressure on myself to do well and like you it is working for the most part. I have gotten all A's on the quizzes, homework and labs in both classes- other than this quiz and a B- on a Bio quiz (class average was probably a D-, if that). Just remember that 1 grade doesn't make the semester. Forget about it, move on and focus on nailing the next quiz/test.

 

[agirl]

deleted.

I quit my job in marketing (I have a degree in Business Management and Marketing) to go back to school for my pre-reqs to apply to med school. I'm taking Chem 1, Biol 1 and their corresponding labs. So far, in Bio I'm making an A and based on my quizzes in both labs I'm making B's ( I think). I just took our first Chem test of the semester and made an abysmal 65%, which is exactly the class average and comes out to be a C+. I've been making 90s and up on the homework, but they really are very minimal in terms of adding to the overall final grade.

My point here is that I'm not making A's in my classes and I feel like I HAVE to make A's to have any chance to get into medical school. My uGPA was 3.1, but it was business and 7 years ago. I wasn't really focused in undergrad not that I partied or anything I just didn't really apply myself. I just figured that business was pretty much applicable to anything I did and GPA wasn't overly important. No employers have asked my GPA since, just as I figured.

I've given up so much to go back to school. My dream is to become a doctor. I can't imagine anything else I want to do, but what if the reality is that I'm just not cut out to do it? Now that I am really applying myself, unlike in undergrad, I'm seeing the outcomes (not A's!) and doubting my decision. Have I made a mistake? Should I have just trudged through my marketing career (even though I did like it I wasn't really thriving at it and always felt I wanted to do more). One of my study partners is 19 I'm 28 and she made a 90 on the Chem test. She also wants to be a doctor. Am I just fooling myself thinking that I was smart enough to do this?

What do you all think? I mean, maybe I need a reality check.

Thanks

 

[carmen1409]

jlaw - oh yeah, I make mistakes like that all the time. so annoying when you know you would've gotten the answer right otherwise. good luck in your classes! let us know how they turn out.

agirl - woot! nice job!! hoping I can pull off the same magic trick!

you all have really helped get me back on track. I really woke up on the wrong side of the bed the other morning.

I emailed my professor, asked him what I can do to improve and he was really helpful. he told me new ways to do my homework and better ways to learn the concepts. i'm trying it out and so far I'm making better grades on my homework in a faster time which is what i really needed. i definitely wasn't studying efficiently. I guess what he really pointed out that even though I was putting in the hours, I wasn't really being very effective. I knew it, but I didn't know how to change it so he helped. Feeling much better. I'm not in the clear yet, but I can see the light

Now, back to my homework...

 

[MaineDr2B]

Carmen- Just out curiosity, what advice did your professor give you to improve your study... was it based on habit or material?

Steve

 

[carmen1409]

MaineDr2B - We do our homework online and have unlimited times to get do it but we only have one week before it closes. He went back and looked through my homeworks where I was basically just hacking away at the homework trying to get a high grade, but not really mastering the concepts. So I would get 5 out of 12 problems right about 3 times in a row and then somehow get an 11 or 12 out of 12 and stop there. He told me that what I was knew was really about 5 out of 12. So he said that when I saw that I did not understand the concept instead of hacking away at it like I was doing (basically wasting time) to go back to the book. If that didn't help, print out my homework, go to tutoring and really learn the concept. Finally, he told me to stop using my notes and book on the homework and to just know the concepts. Since he told me to stop using my notes, I've been doing better and have cut my homework time by HOURS because now I have to rely on my memory. Seems simple enough, but I was kind of just reading my book, notes and doing the homework all in one go. I know it seems like common sense and I guess the other method works well in other classes, but not in his class. I'm listening to him and it's working. I guess after 30 years of teaching students he knows what he's talking about. All in all, I guess the answer to your question is that it's based on habit.