how can i turn my life around?

[ilycalvin]

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i know this is long but please bear with me and any advice is appreciated.
mm, i recently decided i wanted to be a dermatologist when i grew up. I did a little research and found that I needed to go through medical school and then a residency all of which is 12+ years of training after high school. i am willing to take up this gruelsome and long process in order to become a dermatologist not only for the $$ 🙂)) but also because i have some personal experiences tying in with dermatology.

the problem is that i'm already a sophomore in high school, and it's April which means sophomore year is almost over. I'm going to be a junior next year. my average GPA at the moment INCLUDING my freshman year is roughly 3.25. my average gpa not including my freshman year is roughly ~3.35. instead of taking Chemistry Honors this year, i took General Chemistry. So i'm already behind a bit as i don't have the experience to take an AP class for next year. So i've decided to take a Physiology class instead which is still EXTREMELY hard but not considered an AP class.

... it's also a bit too late for volunteering at a local hospital this incoming summer as new applications are closed (as of march 1st, thats over 3 months before summer! why does it need to be that early (-_-),
so as you can see i'm kind of screwed right now. i want to try to get into a good university with a variety of premed courses like Stanford's premed program and during my college career i want to do some volunteering and maybe even shadowing a dermatologist or any other physician.

but what else could i do to turn my life around to fit in better with my competitors? thanks. cause first of all, i'm gonna need to get into a good undergraduate school (which i absolutely want to be stanford)

 

[FutureCTDoc]

i know this is long but please bear with me and any advice is appreciated.
mm, i recently decided i wanted to be a dermatologist when i grew up. I did a little research and found that I needed to go through medical school and then a residency all of which is 12+ years of training after high school. i am willing to take up this gruelsome and long process in order to become a dermatologist not only for the $$ 🙂)) but also because i have some personal experiences tying in with dermatology.

the problem is that i'm already a sophomore in high school, and it's April which means sophomore year is almost over. I'm going to be a junior next year. my average GPA at the moment INCLUDING my freshman year is roughly 3.25. my average gpa not including my freshman year is roughly ~3.35. instead of taking Chemistry Honors this year, i took General Chemistry. So i'm already behind a bit as i don't have the experience to take an AP class for next year. So i've decided to take a Physiology class instead which is still EXTREMELY hard but not considered an AP class.

... it's also a bit too late for volunteering at a local hospital this incoming summer as new applications are closed (as of march 1st, thats over 3 months before summer! why does it need to be that early (-_-),
so as you can see i'm kind of screwed right now. i want to try to get into a good university with a variety of premed courses like Stanford's premed program and during my college career i want to do some volunteering and maybe even shadowing a dermatologist or any other physician.

but what else could i do to turn my life around to fit in better with my competitors? thanks. cause first of all, i'm gonna need to get into a good undergraduate school (which i absolutely want to be stanford)

You don't need to go to a big name school to go to medical school. A 3.25 GPA won't kill your chances at most respectable universities, just match it with an excellent SAT. Shadowing in high school only makes sense for those people who are seeking admission to BS/MD or BS/DO programs. When I saw "I want to turn my life around" I was expecting drug problems or a criminal history. Focus on enjoying high school and becoming more competitive. Also note that many schools don't care about a perfect 4.0 and good SATs with nothing else, most would rather see academic achievement which is coupled with athletic prowess, volunteerism or other forms of involvement. Consider applying to BS/MD/DO programs and keep your options open in regards to specialty. While derm pays well and involves relatively few hours as compared to CT surg, some people hate it. Never choose a specialty solely based on hours and remuneration although they should be taken into account. Caltech has a good BS/MD program, WesternU with Pomona offers a great BS/DO as does Nova Southeastern.

 

[Vicviper]

You're not in that bad of a situation. If all else fails, go to a community college and transfer to a great university.

 

[kai35]

It doesn't matter where you go to college. As long as you take all the necessary classes (2 semesters of biology, 2 semesters of gen chem, 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of o-chem, math through calculus, a semester of english comp, and a semester of psychology are all most medical schools require), and you graduate with a bachelor's degree, do well on the MCAT, and of course get a respectable GPA (preferably a 3.5 or better), you'll be fine. You may also want to take medically-related electives like Human Anatomy and Physiology or Medical Terminology, as well as gain proficiency in a foreign language (if your university doesn't already require it.. most do).

If you go to a more prestigious university, you will be with more competitive students, which can be good because I've always believed that if you surround yourself with the best, they will pull you to their level. But it can also be bad because it can be intimidating and you might not get as generous of a curve in most classes as you would otherwise. Your GPA may suffer, but you may be more prepared for the MCAT.

If you go to an easier university (generally a state/public school), you may be more likely to be in the upper eschelons of any given class, thus helping your GPA, but the program may be weaker than a better school and that could hurt your preparation when it comes time for the MCAT.

Ultimately, work hard no matter where you go. The MCAT judges everyone by the same stick.. so those who have 3.9's that did a Psych program at a state school don't necessarily have an advantage over those who have 3.3's in Biomedical Engineering at MIT. Depending on your GPA, the MCAT can be your death or your savior... for me it was the latter.

No matter where you go, make sure there is a pre-medical club or honors society. This will ensure that there are others who have the same aspirations as you, and can put you in touch with a pre-medical advisor who can advise you on what classes to take and when to take them, as well as how to get shadowing and volunteer experiences that will be important to put on your resumé when you apply. (Sounds kind of superficial, but everyone who gets in has to play this game to some extent.)

It's really good you know what you want to do now because a lot of people decide they want to be a doctor after 2 years of destroying their GPA because they just wanted to be a C-average student. Right now, you can make sure that you have an excellent grasp of high school level Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, so that when you get to college, you'll be ready to hit the ground running.

Most of all, enjoy it. Work hard and have fun. College is one of the most exciting times of your life. It will all go very fast.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Good luck...

 

[TarheelDDS]

I thought like you too, until I talked to admissions people...they could care less about your under grad schools name (with respect of course).


I hate to be a pessimistic, but Stanford would be a very hard goal since your GPA is already very low for HS.

 

[kai35]

Also.. just another thing to add. Don't underestimate the costs to apply to medical school. Many aspiring pre-meds don't realize that applying to medical school often costs well over $1,000 total ($230 or so to take the MCAT, $300 or so to send in a reasonable amount of primary applications on AMCAS, plus $50-$125 per school in secondary application fees, plus the cost to travel to the location if you have an interview, which can be a ton more.)

Unless you have parents that are able to help you out with this or you have personal savings, I would advise you not to ruin your credit as soon as you turn 18. In other words, take out a credit card when you get to college and save it for the purpose of applying to medical school.

Of course, if your parents help you out, that's all good. 😀

 

[BenFelson]

Most people end up changing their minds about their choice of specialty. Dermatology happens to be one of the most competitive. The income is good and lifestyle is great. I would consider if tougher to get into than to gain admission to medical school.
There are less than 250 slots each year. Every year, medical schools graduate more then 15,000 new doctors. The larger specialties are Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics and General Surgery. To successfully match into a Dermatology program, you have to be in AOA, which is the honor society for the top 15% of the medical school class. You need top USMLE board scores, research experience and connections.
During the recent match, a top student I know at the University of Arizona failed to match. He would have gotten into most other specialties. Unfortunately, there is no Dermatology residency at U of A so he has no connections.
You have a clean slate when you start college. I know plenty of people who are late bloomers. Just develop good study habits and work hard from this point on. Good luck to you.

 

[desi0chick]

As a high school senior I can tell you one thing..if you really want to become a doctor (dermatologist in your case) you'll realize prestige does not matter. I gave up an ivy league school for an undergrad school I thought I would be better geared for medicine. Of course i strongly urge you to follow your dreams and attend Stanford, but don't be disheartened if things don't work in the future or so. your gpa may not be that great now but that certainly does not mean you can't improve it. I've taken Anatomy and Physiology for my senior year and i'll tell you one thing: it's just as equivalent to an AP Class or even harder. It obviously depends on your teacher but you'll probably be learning what many med school students learn. Also I suggest you to look at some straight pre-med programs because they'll save your time & money. you can do it, just have faith in yourself! best of luck :]

 

[FutureCTDoc]

FWIW, medical schools care about GPA/MCAt, except in besiding between two virtually identical applicants, Harvard vs. UMass Boston doesn't matter. Prestige matters in somethings, this isn't one of them. I know people who have gone to podunk medical schools and have matched into amazing speciaties and I know an HMS grad who is enjoying low paying primary care. Bring the grades up and focus on finding a school that is a good match as opposed to a good name.

 

[avatarftw]

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