Hi, I'm new and I need some advice about med school

[shinelikestars]

Hello! I've been lurking on this forum for about a month, and I think it's about time I made a post. I'm a second semester freshman in college that's majoring in chemical engineering and I have a few questions. My first semester was terrible--not just bad, but TERRIBLE. I got a 2.6 gpa mostly because I took classes that were way above my head and way too many honors classes--along with the fact that I took 19 hours of classes. I realized my problems this semester and still took difficult classes, but not anything terribly bad like before and I have A's in almost every class--I think my average gpa this semester is around a 3.7. However, I did have to drop Calculus II because I was making a C in that class and didn't want it to mess with my GPA.

Also, my studies were hindered for about a month in my first semester because Hurricane Ike hit my hometown pretty hard and hit the university (albeit not as badly, but enough to cancel classes for a week).

Let me put my grades into short statistics.

Last semester (2.6 gpa)
3 hrs| Chem I: C
4 hrs| Cal I: B
6 hrs| Human situation; Antiquity (an honors philosophy in literature class that freshman are mandated to take and <5% get A's in): B+
3 hrs| History honors (with a very difficult professor): C+
3 hrs| Intro to Chemical Engineering honors: A


total hours: 19

This semester
3 hrs| Chem II: A- (can bring this up or down; two exams left--I'm already studying for the one that is a week and a half from now!)
4 hrs| Cal II: W (was a C)
4 hrs| Human situation; Modernity: B+
3 hrs| Political Science honors: A
1 hrs| Chem I lab: A
1 hrs| Chem II lab: A

total hours: 12 | originally 16, but I dropped Cal II

The advising committee in my school was very unhelpful and basically apathetic so I got no answers out of them. They basically said I had no chance at med school whatsoever because I did so poorly the first semester. I guess what I'm trying to ask is if this improvement will mean much if I keep it up/improve throughout the years or if I should just give up now. What can I do to improve my GPA?

Even though I dropped Cal II, I've still been attending the lectures because I want to take the class over the summer and I know it's fast paced, I want to have seen the material before and I'm still doing practice problems every night.

I'm just really anxious and worried and I don't know whether I should just give up on medicine like my advisors say and focus more on chem e. What will the med school think of my first semester gpa and the W?

Thanks for any help!

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[JamesBond15]

It was your first semester, don't worry about it. You still have a strong chance of getting in. Just maintain that 3.7 and you will be fine.

 

[kingofthehill]

All hope is not lost. If you do well over the next few years you can certainly redeem your GPA (and your chances). Given that you're in a major w/ a lot of math and science classes, you have many opportunities to raise your science GPA. Med schools realize many students have a tough time adjusting to college their first year or get in over their head (like taking four science classes together their first year in). If you can raise your GPA up to what is considered average or competitive, you have a good shot. It may mean you have to wait until after your senior grades are in before that happens, in which case you'll have to wait until you graduate to apply to med school. But you're only a year in, and two years is quite a while, so you should just focus on doing as well as you can for the next few years, especially in your med school pre-reqs, and then see where you stand at the end of junior year. Bottom line, though, don't beat yourself up.

 

[nlax30]

People have come back from a LOT worse than 2 C's their first semester. It's still very early for you, with lots of credits to go to bring it up, don't stress about it.

 

[shinelikestars]

Thanks you guys! It's nice to hear some rational reassurance. I know I won't be going to those advisors again for a while, I nearly had a heart attack. I think I'll talk to other people I know. I know I'll be taking Bio next semester and Bio has always come really easy for me, plus I got a 5 on the AP exam, so that should be an easy (with work of course!) A for me. The class that's scaring me next semester is Calculus based physics but I'm gonna aim for the A!

 

[Mobius1985]

You'll do fine if your current work ethic continues. Your advisor was wrong. One W is no big deal at all and your GPA can recover from one bad semester.

 

[WaterBird]

Thanks you guys! It's nice to hear some rational reassurance. I know I won't be going to those advisors again for a while, I nearly had a heart attack. I think I'll talk to other people I know. I know I'll be taking Bio next semester and Bio has always come really easy for me, plus I got a 5 on the AP exam, so that should be an easy (with work of course!) A for me. The class that's scaring me next semester is Calculus based physics but I'm gonna aim for the A!

Congrats on your upward trend. It takes a lot of people longer than 1 semester to get their **** together and adjust to college level classes.

I don't know what school you go to, but Bio was not an easy A at my school since all of the pre-meds take it. Stay humble and work hard and you'll be fine.

If you haven't taken physics before, you might want to consider taking normal physics first and then moving on to calc based (which Im assuming is required for your major).

 

[shinelikestars]

Congrats on your upward trend. It takes a lot of people longer than 1 semester to get their **** together and adjust to college level classes.

I don't know what school you go to, but Bio was not an easy A at my school since all of the pre-meds take it. Stay humble and work hard and you'll be fine.

If you haven't taken physics before, you might want to consider taking normal physics first and then moving on to calc based (which Im assuming is required for your major).

Thank you!

I am fairly good at Biology, and the professor I am taking it with next semester curves insanely. My friend who is in the class right now had a B average last semester and it got curved to an A, and she is getting an A right now too. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I do have all my AP notes and study guides and stuff handy and I've been reviewing. I know the good grade won't come without a lot of hard work, and especially since my GPA sucked last semester, my work ethic right now is through the roof.

As for physics, I would do that but I go to school in Texas and I have to fulfill my chemical engineering requirements as well as my pre-med requirements (I have to take extra biology classes), as well as my honors college requirements. This already adds up to more hours than my degree plan requires. In Texas, if you go above the degree plan by a certain amount you have to start paying premium tuition or something. Honestly, I'm very iffy about my major right now--and might change it to biochemistry. Physics and programming are the two classes that are either going to make or break me for my current major. I could get away with B's or maybe a C in one if I was just an engineering major but as a premed, I'm hoping for high scores in both. If that can't happen, I will drop the physics class I'm taking, switch my major (I looked through the course plan and I'm very interested; I honestly was majoring in chemical engineering to make my dad happy as well as to have a good backup if I can't do med school, biochemistry is a major that appeals more to me. I understand that I will be competing with more people as a biochemistry major.)

Anyway, long story short. I have to take the calculus based physics. I'll drop it if necessary (if I do, I'm switching my major to biochem and not planning on dropping anything else. I can do it with a little work!)

Thank you for your input. You don't know how much I appreciate it.

 

[StarOrSatellite]

Yep, I absolutely agree with what everyone else said. I started off with a pretty low GPA my freshman year and kept improving each semester, and that upward trend is what made all of the difference. Make sure it is upward and not up one semester, then back down again, then back up a bit, etc. If the schools see you are improving, this shows that you are learning from previous mistakes or challenges (ie taking too many units, not studying efficiently) and showing that you can make good decisions (ie learning how to study efficiently, manage time well).

 

[GtownCobra]

You're good; just rock that MCAT thing and you'll be fine