I don't know any more..

[Ash I]

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I just completed my second year of pre med studies, basically bombed o chem and many more of my other science classes, so i decided at the beginning of this summer to pursue a business degree instead, thinking it may suit my abilities better than the pre med science classes. Trouble is, all i've wanted to be was a doctor, and the reality that that isn't going to happen is setting in along with major depression. i feel my friends and loved ones see me as a failure and worst of all i feel like a failure myself and like i have let myself down.🙁

 

[bakerchic55]

Hey, I get what you mean, sometimes it feels like you're never going to get there or its impossible.. I'm going into my Junior year and my first 2 years were really rough. I went from a 3.6 to a 3.1 talk about bummer! I had a lot of personal things that affected my gpa and caused it to drop dramatically. From what I've noticed on here though is that if you have good EC's and strong upward trend you still have hope for medical school...also rocking out your mcats doesn't hurt. So just keep that in mind. I was feeling a little hopeless, my prehealth advisor, told me I had little or no chance, but I feel like if you really want this you can make it happen.

 

[patelnb]

There is more to being a doctor than just a few numbers. If you really want to be a doctor, then it will show in your application. If being a doctor is truly your heart's desire, it will show. That doesn't mean you can't try hard. Try your best and that's all you can do. Do not let that discouragement shatter your dreams.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You'll need to figure out whether your grades in those science classes are indicative of not studying enough. Or simply because you don't have any interest in the classes. I know many people who are pre-med and simply don't like science ( I even know a girl who wanted to be a zoologist freshman year but couldn't manage to survive biology 1, needless to say she found a new major). The thing is some people aren't good at science and that's fine. You can manage to do other things in life if that's the case.
I will say that you've still got a good shot at getting into medical school. As long as you start doing better. Now how to do better will involve you figuring out what the problem is. Just know that if you're having difficultly in science because you have no interest in the stuff you're learning right now. Medical school will only be a horrible experience of which you will not be able to manage.


Basically summed up. You need to stop take a break and maybe a semester off. Figure out why you're failing. Maybe take a test taking workshop or maybe talk with your science teachers about your study habits.

 

[Ash I]

i think the most frustrating thing for me is that i have always taken studying very seriously, put in the hours and received horrible results on the exams. Maybe it was my study methods, maybe I'm just a really bad exam taker, I don't know. My dad always told me anything is possible with the right amount of effort, but after these last two years i am seriously beginning to doubt that. I get what you guys are saying about turning it around, it's just that I dont know how much longer i can continue to ride a sinking ship in hopes that i can make a change (and convince my parents im still doing the right thing with my time and their money)😕

 

[Quester]

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[property virgin]

Hey there Ash I,

I'm probably not the best person to help you feel better about your situation, or any situations at all. But, I think I am basically in the same shoes as you are in right now. I've had a disastrous freshmen year bombing many pre-req science classes. That year was a whole shock for me as I came from a reputable high school as a 4.0 student dropping to <3.0 in my freshmen year. Just yesterday I was re-analyzing my last year's performance and realized that there actually is a high probability that I had depression. I even thought of taking a year off to get myself together but I already made a commitment to the school as one of the student leaders for my sophomore year so I just couldn't do it. I thought long and hard if I even had a chance at any MD schools since it would take a very long time to raise by cGPA to sub par level.

Here comes the sophomore year and I took many science courses again. Overall, much better performance, tried to be mentally and physically healthy, and being pre-occupied with school activities have kept me busy and also helped me with time management. Except for one science course in my second term, my pre-reqs ranged from good to excellent. I'd say one another thing that helped me with this improvement was trying to figure out what I was really interested in learning about in science. I catered my courses to those areas of science and that helped a lot.

Unfortunately, my good streak didn't last long enough as I've been taking a full year ochem at another institution during this summer break. Chemistry has never been my forte since college and I was against all the factors to get a good mark. I know that this 8 unit credit will do some major damage to my cGPA now, and once again, I've been thinking if I even have any chance at any schools. My folks would probably kick me out of the house (jkz) but they would definitely be disappointed. I've been browsing through other careers like, nursing, dentistry, and PT but just like you, I couldn't imagine myself having one of these careers for the rest of my life.

I've failed myself and my parents so many times during the last two years, but I hope that for my last two years I could continue to demonstrate improvements and rock the MCAT. I think you should try to figure out which area of sciences you're most comfortable with and try to take as many upper year courses in that field. That should start to bring your confidence level back up and you'll be rollin' again. No one said that you need to have BSc to be a doc; you could get in with that business degree. Maybe you could take a few science classes with your business program and see how it goes...I know a couple of people who are doing that actually, and they're doing quite well. Have you considered being a DO? They would replace your bad grade if you retake it and do better. I am certainly aiming for DO now. Not just because of their holistic view on your applications but because of their philosophy as well.

In terms of depression...maybe talking to your family about your situation may alleviate the stress you're carrying on your shoulder. Keeping yourself always busy with various enjoyable activities, perhaps in clinical field, would give you that extra motivation that you just needed. Well, that's what I'm planning to do for my Junior year...

I hope this long post sorta helped you in some way. Just don't give up because of your first two years. Not everyone became a Doc following the traditional route 😉

I am lurking(as others put it) around WAMC forum before starting school in the fall. We have two self diagnosticians here, talk to your doctors about SSYYMMBBAALLTTAA.

Ashe I and Quester, both of ya can still get into med school. I was in the similar situation at the end of my third year as my BIO series really dragged my GPA down. I considered other options in health care , and shadowed multiple professions (PT, D.O., Pod ). I was encouraged by all three to continue chasing the M.D. dream. Three years later, after one application cycle, I am going. FYI, I did not have a major upward trend at all, but my 4th year science was better than my bio series (pretty bad). ( no course retake either)

For Ashe I, if you were to choose to major in Bussiness next year, and happened to be really good in terms of grades, I recommend applying to medical school with that degree. They are always looking for a business major to enrich the student body. If u choose to stay in science, o chem and bio get more and more connected in upper level courses, they got easier for me. Rock your MCAT, Schools might have overlooked my bio series a bit due to my score on that subject. if you get 12+ on both biological and physical, you should be fine with bad O chem grades.

 

[Quester]

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[property virgin]

Two years off, full time position plus various volunteering clinical and non-clinical. Supportive job environment, but non-medically related. Took the MCAT once, before graduation. I knew it will not work out for me in 2009, because my EC was lacking for 09 matriculation. So I waited for 2010 entry. I submitted my primary in late Oct 09, and crafted my secondaries and sent them in relatively near the deadlines. But I am going to matriculate my top choice. It is never a bad idea to take a few years off. I personally know two others who took two years off college and are now going to matriculate in their respective 1st and 2nd choice schools.