I’m taking a break from being premed for now (or forever and ever)!!!!!!!!!!

[lightthecandle]

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I had a long talk with my dean today who told me being a doctor should not be the only thing I live for (which I often feel) and I realized I NEED a break from these science classes because:

1. I'm not doing that great in them : bio I and II I received B,C and Physics I: C. and I haven't taken chem. Or o-chem yet
2. I received an F in one of my classes(History) last semester because I thought I could get a W on it, but the date for that passed and I ended up having an F because of it, but I'll be taking it next fall and hopefully get an A.I had to leave a semester of classes last year (so all W's) I also have a total of 3 C's
3. my gpa is at 3.2 right now
4. I need to get my bipolar disorder managed and treated


as you can see the main reason why I need a break is because I feel like my grades are sooo not good enough and the stress is making me go insane (literally) and very depressed. I CONSTANTLY worry about getting into med school every waking minute, and my grades have been taking a big hit for the past 2 years.


I've always wanted to major in Psychology, so that is what I'll be doing…and then I'll probably go to grad school for Psychology and if I still REALLYREALLY want to become a doctor I'll probably go to grad school and take the premed requirements.


I guess what I'm trying to say is don't kill yourself trying to get into med school...ask yourself the really hard questions like if this is what you REALLY want and know what you're getting yourself into...vigorous training, long hours...etc

What do you guys think about all this?

 

[flip26]

I had a long talk with my dean today who told me being a doctor should not be the only thing I live for (which I often feel) and I realized I NEED a break from these science classes because:

1. I’m not doing that great in them : bio I and II I received B,C and Physics I: C. and I haven’t taken chem. Or o-chem yet
2. I received an F in one of my classes(History) last semester because I thought I could get a W on it, but the date for that passed and I ended up having an F because of it, but I’ll be taking it next fall and hopefully get an A.I had to leave a semester of classes last year (so all W’s)
3. my gpa is at 3.2 right now
4. I need to get my bipolar disorder managed and treated


as you can see the main reason why I need a break is because I feel like my grades are sooo not good enough and the stress is making me go insane (literally) and very depressed. I CONSTANTLY worry about getting into med school every waking minute, and my grades have been taking a big hit for the past 2 years.


I’ve always wanted to major in Psychology, so that is what I’ll be doing…and then I’ll probably go to grad school for Psychology and if I still REALLYREALLY want to become a doctor I’ll probably go to grad school and take the premed requirements.


What do you guys think about all this?

Maybe you should take a break from college? Get your health in order...get a job...do some volunteer work...breathe...

 

[191159]

Relax. Though life is complicated, only what you make it to be. Thank you Tupac.

 

[lightthecandle]

Maybe you should take a break from college? Get your health in order...get a job...do some volunteer work...breathe...

I don't feel like I need to take a break from college as I have already done that last year (for a semester)

I think the stress of med school is to blame though and trying to be good enough for it has been worrisome

 

[lightthecandle]

Relax. Though life is complicated, only what you make it to be. Thank you Tupac.

what do you mean "thank you Tupac"

I love Tupac!!!
but i don't understand the reference


forget it, I know its : Ambitionz Az A Ridah

good one!!

 

[HumidBeing]

Here's what I think.

Smart dean. He really does have your best interest at heart.

Smart lightthecandle for listening to him.

 

[atomi]

What do you guys think about all this?

Let me give you an extremely important piece of advice. Forget grad school. If you don't want to be a doctor or don't think it's worth the effort you're going to have to put in to get your grades up, then you need to decide what other kind of career you want for yourself. Look 5 years down the road. Would you rather be somebody coming out of a masters program with huge amounts of debt and no job prospects or someone who has been working for a few years in a good job and is in the process of buying his/her first house?

Educated types (most people on this board) have a tendency to want to keep studying something, anything, went they don't know what they want to do. Here's the advice: just pick something you can get a good job in. Most of the rest of the world does this. Yet for some reason, there's all these super-intelligent people with PhDs who have never held a real job and have no prospects. Meanwhile their motivated friends who went to community college are now running the car dealership they started working at and expanding into other business ventures.

Write down a list of the kind of jobs you would like to have in 5 years, then pick the best course of study to get these jobs. Unless you have a trust fund, you're going to have to support yourself. Therefore it pays to understand the job market, the economy, and what your talents are.

Consider things like computer science, accounting, finance, actuarial science, human resources -- anything that has decent job prospects.

I have seen way too many friends get stuck in the college mindset and major in something like history or english, or even psych, and then not be interested in any jobs that those might lead to, so they pursue some stupid graduate degree nobody cares about (or god forbid law school) just to stay in school a little longer, only to burden themselves with huge amounts of debt, be less employable, and generally f themselves over for at least the next 10 years of their life. Don't do that. If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor, but realize you're going to study harder. If you don't want to be a doctor, do something else, but whatever you do, make sure you can get a career type job by your early-mid 20s. Trust me, you'll be much happier.

 

[flip26]

I don't feel like I need to take a break from college as I have already done that last year (for a semester)

I think the stress of med school is to blame though and trying to be good enough for it has been worrisome

Evidently a one semester break wasn't enough.

Right now you can't see the forest for all the trees in the way...you have lost your vision...or you need to alter your vision, change direction...very hard to alter your vision when you are up to your neck in self-doubt with all the pressures that come from college...

Good luck.

 

[lightthecandle]

Let me give you an extremely important piece of advice. Forget grad school. If you don't want to be a doctor or don't think it's worth the effort you're going to have to put in to get your grades up, then you need to decide what other kind of career you want for yourself. Look 5 years down the road. Would you rather be somebody coming out of a masters program with huge amounts of debt and no job prospects or someone who has been working for a few years in a good job and is in the process of buying his/her first house?

Educated types (most people on this board) have a tendency to want to keep studying something, anything, went they don't know what they want to do. Here's the advice: just pick something you can get a good job in. Most of the rest of the world does this. Yet for some reason, there's all these super-intelligent people with PhDs who have never held a real job and have no prospects. Meanwhile their motivated friends who went to community college are now running the car dealership they started working at and expanding into other business ventures.

Write down a list of the kind of jobs you would like to have in 5 years, then pick the best course of study to get these jobs. Unless you have a trust fund, you're going to have to support yourself. Therefore it pays to understand the job market, the economy, and what your talents are.

Consider things like computer science, accounting, finance, actuarial science, human resources -- anything that has decent job prospects.

I have seen way too many friends get stuck in the college mindset and major in something like history or english, or even psych, and then not be interested in any jobs that those might lead to, so they pursue some stupid graduate degree nobody cares about (or god forbid law school) just to stay in school a little longer, only to burden themselves with huge amounts of debt, be less employable, and generally f themselves over for at least the next 10 years of their life. Don't do that. If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor, but realize you're going to study harder. If you don't want to be a doctor, do something else, but whatever you do, make sure you can get a career type job by your early-mid 20s. Trust me, you'll be much happier.

well, you have to admit, realistically, I have absolutely NO chance of getting into med school with my stats, even if I were to do a post-bacc

 

[student12x]

Great advice atomi!🙂

 

[Blade28]

I think the stress of med school is to blame though and trying to be good enough for it has been worrisome

The stress of applying to med school is preventing you from applying to med school? 😕

 

[searun]

OP, you appear to be a person who is unable to handle stress productively. If so, then medicine is a poor career choice for you. I would start evaluating other career choices that might be a better fit for you and more personally fulfilling. Oh, and don't go to law school.

 

[lightthecandle]

OP, you appear to be a person who is unable to handle stress productively. If so, then medicine is a poor career choice for you. I would start evaluating other career choices that might be a better fit for you and more personally fulfilling. Oh, and don't go to law school.

I don't know what other career I'd be happy with. I hate business, law, teaching, computers, accounting, finance, and alot of other careers

I'm stressed out about paying back my undergrad/gradschool loans, and I also want a well paying job, at least 75, 000 + annually. but I don't know what that would entail.

that's one of the things I'm afraid of ....i handle stress TERRIBLY, and that's what makes me think I'm not fit for med school. am I wrong on this?

 

[lightthecandle]

The stress of applying to med school is preventing you from applying to med school? 😕

its true...me doubting my abilities is preventing me from going 100% into medicine

 

[flip26]

I don't know what other career I'd be happy with. I hate business, law, teaching, computers, accounting, finance, and alot of other careers

I'm stressed out about paying back my undergrad/gradschool loans, and I also want a well paying job, at least 75, 000 + annually. but I don't know what that would entail.

that's one of the things I'm afraid of ....i handle stress TERRIBLY, and that's what makes me think I'm not fit for med school. am I wrong on this?

"Think?" Right now, you have to "know" that you are not "fit" for med school. Doesn't mean you can't turn it all around, but you are digging a hole with both hands...don't let it become your academic grave...

Take a year off from college. See the world. Get a fresh perspective. Clear your head.

Oh, and "hate" is a mighty strong word, and you have pretty much ruled out most of the career paths out there...

 

[lightthecandle]

"Think?" Right now, you have to "know" that you are not "fit" for med school. Doesn't mean you can't turn it all around, but you are digging a hole with both hands...don't let it become your academic grave...

Take a year off from college. See the world. Get a fresh perspective. Clear your head.

Oh, and "hate" is a mighty strong word, and you have pretty much ruled out most of the career paths out there...

I know this is going to sound weird but how does one "see the world" ??
I ask because would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to do this but here are my problems:

1. I don't have the money
2. how would I go about seeing the world? does this entail study abroad? I would love to do study abroad, but then I'd have to graduate in 6 years, and god knows I can't do that

 

[flip26]

I know this is going to sound weird but how does one "see the world" ??
I ask because would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to do this but here are my problems:

1. I don't have the money
2. how would I go about seeing the world? does this entail study abroad? I would love to do study abroad, but then I'd have to graduate in 6 years, and god knows I can't do that

I suspect you are an April Fools troll...

Good luck...sorry for my first hasty reply.

 

[lightthecandle]

I now conclude you are an April Fools troll...

Get lost.

How can you conclude this? I'm definitely not a troll and I wish the questions that I've asked were a joke so I wouldn't have to deal with them..but its not

honestly, I'm just looking for some advice, because I don't know where else to find alot of premeds/med students to talk to

 

[devilpup]

I don't feel like I need to take a break from college as I have already done that last year (for a semester)

I think the stress of med school is to blame though and trying to be good enough for it has been worrisome

🙄 ... I am reminded of a quote by D.H lawrence, "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself."

 

[HumidBeing]

OP, I remember your previous posts and difficulties. I really do think that you were making good choices after that talk with your dean. Most of us don't have to contend with BPD or the side effects of meds used to control it. I'm guessing that the decision to put being a premed to the side was both difficult, and a huge relief.

Taking a year off to "see the world" sounds unreasonable to me. It's expensive. You would have to start paying back your undergrad loans. You run a higher risk of never completing college.

I'd recommend that, for now, you concentrate on taking the types of courses you most enjoy and doing well in them. College is a whole lot different, and more enjoyable, when you aren't loaded down with courses that are too stressful for you. Talk to career counselors at your school. If they are any good, they may be able to help you understand the types of jobs that are out there and help you get on a path that suits your needs and interests. There are many helping professions, and there are many fields in the medical community that may be better suited to you, too.

You're right. After a time, you may be glad you made the change, or you may decide that you really do want to pursue a medical degree. If you do decide to jump back in, you can finish up your prereqs and preparation at a pace that is suitable for you.

I wish you well.

 

[flip26]

OP, I remember your previous posts and difficulties. I really do think that you were making good choices after that talk with your dean. Most of us don't have to contend with BPD or the side effects of meds used to control it. I'm guessing that the decision to put being a premed to the side was both difficult, and a huge relief.

Taking a year off to "see the world" sounds unreasonable to me. It's expensive. You would have to start paying back your undergrad loans. You run a higher risk of never completing college.

I'd recommend that, for now, you concentrate on taking the types of courses you most enjoy and doing well in them. College is a whole lot different, and more enjoyable, when you aren't loaded down with courses that are too stressful for you. Talk to career counselors at your school. If they are any good, they may be able to help you understand the types of jobs that are out there and help you get on a path that suits your needs and interests. There are many helping professions, and there are many fields in the medical community that may be better suited to you, too.

You're right. After a time, you may be glad you made the change, or you may decide that you really do want to pursue a medical degree. If you do decide to jump back in, you can finish up your prereqs and preparation at a pace that is suitable for you.

I wish you well.

Not everyone is cut out for college. And the OP informs us that he "hates" just about every discipline imaginable - hard to see how he is going to find bliss in his current state of mind, and he may end up bombing out of college at this rate...

My suggestion is to take a break, get away from college. OP thinks that it is the stress of doing well enough for medical school that is hurting him. My guess is that it is the pressure of college that is doing him in...

 

[lightthecandle]

OP, I remember your previous posts and difficulties. I really do think that you were making good choices after that talk with your dean. Most of us don't have to contend with BPD or the side effects of meds used to control it. I'm guessing that the decision to put being a premed to the side was both difficult, and a huge relief.

Taking a year off to "see the world" sounds unreasonable to me. It's expensive. You would have to start paying back your undergrad loans. You run a higher risk of never completing college.

I'd recommend that, for now, you concentrate on taking the types of courses you most enjoy and doing well in them. College is a whole lot different, and more enjoyable, when you aren't loaded down with courses that are too stressful for you. Talk to career counselors at your school. If they are any good, they may be able to help you understand the types of jobs that are out there and help you get on a path that suits your needs and interests. There are many helping professions, and there are many fields in the medical community that may be better suited to you, too.

You're right. After a time, you may be glad you made the change, or you may decide that you really do want to pursue a medical degree. If you do decide to jump back in, you can finish up your prereqs and preparation at a pace that is suitable for you.

I wish you well.

thanks for the advice.

--number one on my list is to attend med school (I mean, who doesn't want to be a doctor?)
--another profession I can see myself going into is child psychology

..the only problem I have with Psychology is that I'll probably never pay back my undergrad loans (60,000+)...plus, there's grad school to pay for

 

[Quadratic]

4. I need to get my bipolar disorder managed and treated

Lack of treatment explains this thread.

 

[HumidBeing]

Quadratic, that's not nice.😡

It can take quite some time to establish effective treatment, and management is an ongoing effort.

 

[wisconsindoctor]

Let me give you an extremely important piece of advice. Forget grad school. If you don't want to be a doctor or don't think it's worth the effort you're going to have to put in to get your grades up, then you need to decide what other kind of career you want for yourself. Look 5 years down the road. Would you rather be somebody coming out of a masters program with huge amounts of debt and no job prospects or someone who has been working for a few years in a good job and is in the process of buying his/her first house?

Educated types (most people on this board) have a tendency to want to keep studying something, anything, went they don't know what they want to do. Here's the advice: just pick something you can get a good job in. Most of the rest of the world does this. Yet for some reason, there's all these super-intelligent people with PhDs who have never held a real job and have no prospects. Meanwhile their motivated friends who went to community college are now running the car dealership they started working at and expanding into other business ventures.

Write down a list of the kind of jobs you would like to have in 5 years, then pick the best course of study to get these jobs. Unless you have a trust fund, you're going to have to support yourself. Therefore it pays to understand the job market, the economy, and what your talents are.

Consider things like computer science, accounting, finance, actuarial science, human resources -- anything that has decent job prospects.

I have seen way too many friends get stuck in the college mindset and major in something like history or english, or even psych, and then not be interested in any jobs that those might lead to, so they pursue some stupid graduate degree nobody cares about (or god forbid law school) just to stay in school a little longer, only to burden themselves with huge amounts of debt, be less employable, and generally f themselves over for at least the next 10 years of their life. Don't do that. If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor, but realize you're going to study harder. If you don't want to be a doctor, do something else, but whatever you do, make sure you can get a career type job by your early-mid 20s. Trust me, you'll be much happier.

Atomi is a very well educated person. He/she understands the job market and how the economy works. Let me take a minute to elaborate on why a lot of college students make the mistake of going to graduate school right after college.

The purpose of college isn't really to "find yourself," it's a time where you develop skills, learn how to think, write, speak, work (please work a real job in college), interact with others, and so forth. People who get a degree in History, English, or Greek are not going to get a job just based on the degree they have. They will get hired based on what they can do for the employer. Thus, the skills they developed as a college student is what will get them the job.

If you are a student graduating college and finding it hard to get an interview, you should not ignore the red flag. By going to graduate school (or even Law school) just because you can't get a job right out of college is NOT going to improve your chances of getting a job. In fact, it will only make it harder for you to get a job. A lot of companies will pay your masters degree for you. You DON'T get a masters degree, in most cases, to get a job. Most masters degrees are set-up for people to get promotions or change career paths. For instance, the point of an MBA is to get a promotion, not a job.

College graduates do need to realize that they will need to take an entry level job (yes many students with a little imaging certificate or 2 year degree might start out with a higher salary than you). But a mistake a lot of college graduates make is they take the first job they can get. Sure it's ok to get a small job to pay the bills for a few months, but you need to be selective in the type of job you get right out of college. If you want a career in medical sales, than you need to find an entry level job in medical sales. Sure it might take you 6 months to get hired, but you shouldn't take some dead end job (god forbid the students who take the lab tech jobs) and stay at the job.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO LEAVE A JOB. A job does not need you, you need a job.

To the OP, please list what you do like. What makes you happy? don't think so much as I don't want a sales job or a lab job. Think more in the terms of what type of industry you want to work in. Do you want to work in sales, sports, or other industries?

 

[lightthecandle]

Atomi is a very well educated person. He/she understands the job market and how the economy works. Let me take a minute to elaborate on why a lot of college students make the mistake of going to graduate school right after college.

The purpose of college isn't really to "find yourself," it's a time where you develop skills, learn how to think, write, speak, work (please work a real job in college), interact with others, and so forth. People who get a degree in History, English, or Greek are not going to get a job just based on the degree they have. They will get hired based on what they can do for the employer. Thus, the skills they developed as a college student is what will get them the job.

If you are a student graduating college and finding it hard to get an interview, you should not ignore the red flag. By going to graduate school (or even Law school) just because you can't get a job right out of college is NOT going to improve your chances of getting a job. In fact, it will only make it harder for you to get a job. A lot of companies will pay your masters degree for you. You DON'T get a masters degree, in most cases, to get a job. Most masters degrees are set-up for people to get promotions or change career paths. For instance, the point of an MBA is to get a promotion, not a job.

College graduates do need to realize that they will need to take an entry level job (yes many students with a little imaging certificate or 2 year degree might start out with a higher salary than you). But a mistake a lot of college graduates make is they take the first job they can get. Sure it's ok to get a small job to pay the bills for a few months, but you need to be selective in the type of job you get right out of college. If you want a career in medical sales, than you need to find an entry level job in medical sales. Sure it might take you 6 months to get hired, but you shouldn't take some dead end job (god forbid the students who take the lab tech jobs) and stay at the job.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO LEAVE A JOB. A job does not need you, you need a job.

To the OP, please list what you do like. What makes you happy? don't think so much as I don't want a sales job or a lab job. Think more in the terms of what type of industry you want to work in. Do you want to work in sales, sports, or other industries?

well, I'm very very interested in Psychology, but I have no idea what I want to do with it. Since I probably won't be able to become a medical doctor, I want to get my PHD in Psychology. and maybe that way I'll make more money too (I'm not all in it for the money, but hey, I do gotta pay the bills) anyway, I'm looking into child Psychology, but I'm not sure how much money I'll make doing that

 

[DeadCactus]

What do I think? I think you ought to step back and put some perspective on your situation and get a real idea of where you stand rather than just flailing about.

First, undergrad is about general education. Grad school is not. Graduate school is where you go because you have a career in mind and you need that education to get there. It's not where you go to jerk around for a few years and figure out wtf you are doing. It just makes a lot more sense to get paid while you figure out a career path than to pay.

Second, I'll never understand why people get so stressed out over school. Most students are shelling out more in tuition annually than the vast majority of people in the world make in a year. While you're pooping bricks over getting into medical school, others are worrying about whether they'll have some food to eat. While we're all worrying about that awful chemistry test dropping our GPA by 0.01, some kid our age is over in Iraq praying to God he doesn't fail his next "test" and get his buddies brains spilled in some forsaken dessert. I'm not saying I never get stressed out over school related stuff, but you really need to step back once in awhile and remember where it all fits in the grand scheme of things.

So seriously, chill the f*** out. Once you do that, then worry about picking a career path. My GPAs is in the same range as yours, I don't see any need to start freaking out. Maybe I'll get into medical school, maybe I wont. I'll give it a shot or three and if it's just not meant to be, I'll find a job and find other ways to accomplish what I wanted to get out of medicine. You can make your life about fearing constant and impending failure or about constantly adjusting to new hurdles in order to get what you want out of life...

 

[lightthecandle]

What do I think? I think you ought to step back and put some perspective on your situation and get a real idea of where you stand rather than just flailing about.

First, undergrad is about general education. Grad school is not. Graduate school is where you go because you have a career in mind and you need that education to get there. It's not where you go to jerk around for a few years and figure out wtf you are doing. It just makes a lot more sense to get paid while you figure out a career path than to pay.

Second, I'll never understand why people get so stressed out over school. Most students are shelling out more in tuition annually than the vast majority of people in the world make in a year. While you're pooping bricks over getting into medical school, others are worrying about whether they'll have some food to eat. While we're all worrying about that awful chemistry test dropping our GPA by 0.01, some kid our age is over in Iraq praying to God he doesn't fail his next "test" and get his buddies brains spilled in some forsaken dessert. I'm not saying I never get stressed out over school related stuff, but you really need to step back once in awhile and remember where it all fits in the grand scheme of things.

So seriously, chill the f*** out. Once you do that, then worry about picking a career path. My GPAs is in the same range as yours, I don't see any need to start freaking out. Maybe I'll get into medical school, maybe I wont. I'll give it a shot or three and if it's just not meant to be, I'll find a job and find other ways to accomplish what I wanted to get out of medicine. You can make your life about fearing constant and impending failure or about constantly adjusting to new hurdles in order to get what you want out of life...

you're completely right. I do need to chilll the F out. and it does help to change perspective once in a while . however, this does not change the fact that my dream is going down the drain because of my terrible grades and Ws and Cs and F

 

[skyeblue0610]

I think you need to take a break from SDN as well. Part of that post sounds like you should. This site does wonders, it's helped me with things I need to do and some very good advice but other than that. The "horror" stories of the 36, 3.8 with 4 acceptances and no acceptance at Penn or whatever bothered me so I took and break and it did wonders. I take this site in small doses but that's me.

You just need to chill and take it slow. Slow people because doctors too no matter how long it took them to get there.

And if you do have bipolar disorder you really need to get it treated nand managed. What sort of example will that make if/when you're pursuing a psychology career when you yourself just kept ignoring your own psychological disorder?

 

[SaveThisLabRat]

So seriously, chill the f*** out.

This had me rolling on the floor laughing. I don't know why.

OP, as someone who is also dealing with a mental illness (borderline personality disorder), I can relate to everything you are saying. My grades suffered tremendously, and my future career path loomed over me like the hot sun in the sahara desert. Eventually, I had to take some time off of school. I know you said you already have, but you might want to try it again. For you, by the way things are going, your grades are only going to get worse. I guarentee it. It's not about the classes you take - whether they are in molecular biology or basket weaving - you're going to struggle because you're not prepared mentally.

As I said, I'm taking time off. I'm currently taking this time to engage in full treatment - I'm getting some great tools from my doctors to deal with stress (extremely important), I'm volunteering, taking one or two classes at the local community college (this keeps you from having to pay back your student loans), and I'm finding out who I am. I'm also studying to take the pharmacy tech exam so I can get a part-time job, flying lessons, and picking up a foreign language. I'm going to have a LOT to say on my personal statement.

Medical school isn't going anywhere, sweetheart. But you'll be going straight to the psychiatric ward if you keep this lifestyle up.

 

[Quadratic]

Quadratic, that's not nice.😡

It can take quite some time to establish effective treatment, and management is an ongoing effort.

Wait, are you talking about the OP or the War on Terror?

 

[lightthecandle]

what do you guys think about this:

finish undergrad with a degree in Psychology
then get a Post bacc and finish up my premed requirements which are gen chem, and ochem? and then apply to med school?

 

[DeadCactus]

you're completely right. I do need to chilll the F out. and it does help to change perspective once in a while . however, this does not change the fact that my dream is going down the drain because of my terrible grades and Ws and Cs and F

No, a legless quadriplegic who wants to be an Olympic sprinter is watching his dream swirl around the toilet. You're just another pre-med with a few extra hurdles in the way. No, you're not just going to saunter into a medical school like many others will, but you're not a 60 year old high school drop out; you're a college student with a 3.2 and a bad patch in your academic history.

Your dean is right, being a physician should not be all you live for. Go figure out a backup plan. Get some sort of satisfactory stable future going and take some time off if that's what you need to do so. Life's not about failing and succeeding. It's about developing a short-term and long-terms plan, working towards them, and stopping every now and then to reevaluate how your doing and how your plans need to change...

 

[bravesfan113]

what do you guys think about this:

finish undergrad with a degree in Psychology
then get a Post bacc and finish up my premed requirements which are gen chem, and ochem? and then apply to med school?

awful idea. why wouldn't you take them as part of your undergrad, if you are going to pay for undergrad anyways. post bacc's just cost even more money. if you want, go ahead and get a degree in psychology, and take the pre-med prereqs as your electives. might as well knock out two birds with one stone.

one more thing - if you have a GPA of 3.2 you haven't sunk your premed dreams. if you haven't taken chem or ochem i'll assume you are just starting out your undergrad career.. in year 1 or 2. you've got plenty of time. just make sure you finish strong.

taking some time off and working could be a good idea. working really gives you a good perspective on things. every time i work my dead-end ****ty job that i do just for the money it motivates me to study my *** off so i don't end up doing it the rest of my life

 

[lightthecandle]

awful idea. why wouldn't you take them as part of your undergrad, if you are going to pay for undergrad anyways. post bacc's just cost even more money. if you want, go ahead and get a degree in psychology, and take the pre-med prereqs as your electives. might as well knock out two birds with one stone.

one more thing - if you have a GPA of 3.2 you haven't sunk your premed dreams. if you haven't taken chem or ochem i'll assume you are just starting out your undergrad career.. in year 1 or 2. you've got plenty of time. just make sure you finish strong.

taking some time off and working could be a good idea. working really gives you a good perspective on things. every time i work my dead-end ****ty job that i do just for the money it motivates me to study my *** off so i don't end up doing it the rest of my life

\

this is my idea because right now, to be honest, I don't think I have what it takes to take the sciences or I need to get better mentally and emotionally to do so. I don't want to take the sciences and just fail in them and make my Gpa worse . I'm thinking of finishing undergrad with a psych degree (w/o finishing the med school pre reqs) and then seeing if med school is really within reach or if I still reallyreally want it

 

[Lawliet2008]

I know this is going to sound weird but how does one "see the world" ??
I ask because would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to do this but here are my problems:

1. I don't have the money
2. how would I go about seeing the world? does this entail study abroad? I would love to do study abroad, but then I'd have to graduate in 6 years, and god knows I can't do that

I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I have about a 3.2 right now, and a pretty good MCAT, so I applied to med school in Ireland. Beautiful country.

However, no matter what you do decide to do, make sure you realize that it is just a job. It is just another 9-5er that we are all killing ourselves over.

Long time from now, when we're surrounded by grandchildren and lying on our deathbed, trust me, we probably won't be thinking about our job. There are plenty of other ways that we can make money so that we can get back to what's really important: spending time with our family and friends.

 

[Maxprime]

Lots of time to go to med school - to be blunt, stay on your meds and get your life in order before you add more stress into it. Med school will be there when you're ready - they'll just be slightly more expensive. 🙂

 

[searun]

what do you guys think about this:

finish undergrad with a degree in Psychology
then get a Post bacc and finish up my premed requirements which are gen chem, and ochem? and then apply to med school?

It is nice that so many people seem to care about you on an internet forum. I mean that respectfully. Here is what I suggest. Do not spend or go into debt for another $40,000 or $50,000 to do a Post Bacc. A total waste of money. Mentally and emotionally, you are so far from being able to survive first year med school, do not waste your money. It is highly unlikely that you would get admitted to med school, and if you did, you would probably fail. On the bright side, I doubt that you would fool any med school ad coms. Your odds of being admitted to med school are zero and none.

So get off of this forum. Kill the fantasy. Throw your computer in the nearest lake, if necessary, and actually do something constructive with your life, because hanging out on SDN is not helping you.

Move on. Respectfully for your own good. And good luck. Do you actually have any real live friends that you can talk to? If so, talk to them.

 

[metalgearHMN]

Why don't you just apply to D.O schools?

 

[lightthecandle]

It is nice that so many people seem to care about you on an internet forum. I mean that respectfully. Here is what I suggest. Do not spend or go into debt for another $40,000 or $50,000 to do a Post Bacc. A total waste of money. Mentally and emotionally, you are so far from being able to survive first year med school, do not waste your money. It is highly unlikely that you would get admitted to med school, and if you did, you would probably fail. On the bright side, I doubt that you would fool any med school ad coms. Your odds of being admitted to med school are zero and none.

So get off of this forum. Kill the fantasy. Throw your computer in the nearest lake, if necessary, and actually do something constructive with your life, because hanging out on SDN is not helping you.

Move on. Respectfully for your own good. And good luck. Do you actually have any real live friends that you can talk to? If so, talk to them.

I know people are thinking why on earth is she still on SDN? well, I take a 5 minute break from studying every .5 hour so I just check SDN.

but anyway, its probably more of a fantasy. do I want to be a doctor ? hell freakin yeah right now that's all i see myself doing... but being ABLE to is another question seeing as to how I crack with the slightest bit of pressure...that is what is preventing me from devoting my entire time trying to get into med school and put in the necessary grades...because part of me thinks (or knows) I probably won't be able to handle the stress of the first 2 years of medschool, boards, or even O-chem which I haven't taken yet so I don't put in enough effort. my constant worry and feelings of inadequacy both in grades and life are pretty depressing, and also the fact that my boyfriend broke up with me a year ago is to blame for alot of this..he's a huge reason why I can't get my act together(pathetic, I know)

its sad to say but the SDN community is the only place I can really talk to. My friends at school ditched me and are tooooo busy with their own lives, my best friend lives all the way in Maryland, so I never get to see her, and my parents just don't understand

 

[lightthecandle]

Why don't you just apply to D.O schools?

I don't mean to be rude or sound snobby, but I probably wouldn't apply to DO schools..I'm not really into their whole philosophy as opposed to MD schools and part of it also has to do with the stigma

 

[SgtDoc]

I know this is going to sound weird but how does one "see the world" ??
I ask because would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to do this but here are my problems:

1. I don't have the money
2. how would I go about seeing the world? does this entail study abroad? I would love to do study abroad, but then I'd have to graduate in 6 years, and god knows I can't do that

Join the military. You'll make decent money (especially if you go in after you graduate, you'll be an officer), see the world (join the Navy or AF, be on a boat), and give your self some time to think about what you want to do.

 

[lightthecandle]

It is nice that so many people seem to care about you on an internet forum. I mean that respectfully. Here is what I suggest. Do not spend or go into debt for another $40,000 or $50,000 to do a Post Bacc. A total waste of money. Mentally and emotionally, you are so far from being able to survive first year med school, do not waste your money. It is highly unlikely that you would get admitted to med school, and if you did, you would probably fail. On the bright side, I doubt that you would fool any med school ad coms. Your odds of being admitted to med school are zero and none.

So get off of this forum. Kill the fantasy. Throw your computer in the nearest lake, if necessary, and actually do something constructive with your life, because hanging out on SDN is not helping you.

Move on. Respectfully for your own good. And good luck. Do you actually have any real live friends that you can talk to? If so, talk to them.

so why do you say I have a O chance? anyone else agree with this? is it because of my grades? or is it because of my lack of maturity and emotional/mental/personal issues?or both?

 

[flip26]

so why do you say I have a O chance? anyone else agree with this? is it because of my grades? or is it because of my lack of maturity and emotional/mental/personal issues?or both?

Because you are a train wreck, yes, yes, yes, yes...

 

[searun]

so why do you say I have a O chance? anyone else agree with this? is it because of my grades? or is it because of my lack of maturity and emotional/mental/personal issues?or both?

Now I feel worse for you because you are a girl. If you were a guy, I could just say, grow a pair, but you don't need to grow a pair, you don't need testicles, you are a girl.

So, seriously, you should not be trying to go to med school at this point in your life, your seem very fragile, so take some time off, do not go into debt, and just grow up over the next few years, and be careful, and avoid the bad guys.

 

[lightthecandle]

Now I feel worse for you because you are a girl. If you were a guy, I could just say, grow a pair, but you don't need to grow a pair, you don't need testicles, you are a girl.

So, seriously, you should not be trying to go to med school at this point in your life, your seem very fragile, so take some time off, do not go into debt, and just grow up over the next few years, and be careful, and avoid the bad guys.

how does being a girl change things?
I'll admit it, I am very fragile, very very much so and complete emotional wreck. but I feel like this should not prevent me from giving up my dream? I don't know. but I do feel like I need to grow up, I 'll be 21 freaking years old soon, and i feel like I'm 12!...so unsure of myself.


I know it might seem that intellectually I'm lacking...the funny thing is I'm the one all my friend's in my classes run to for help ...I know all the material inside and out, and have worked out a ton of practice probs and know them well...but when test time rolls around I completely blank out, have a panic attack, and do poorly on my exams, when I know I could've done really well had I not been stressed out...and its been this way ever since sophomore year

 

[SaveThisLabRat]

You need therapy right now. You're not really fit for handling adulthood. I say this in the nicest way possible. Are you actively seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

 

[lightthecandle]

You need therapy right now. You're not really fit for handling adulthood. I say this in the nicest way possible. Are you actively seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

i understand. yes, I'm seeing a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a counselor. I have been for the past 5 years and apparently it hasn't done much for me currently. I mean I've had bouts of happiness and contentment in my life but not recently with all this "having to get into to medschool or my life is completely over mentality"

 

[SaveThisLabRat]

i understand. yes, I'm seeing a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a counselor. I have been for the past 5 years and apparently it hasn't done much for me currently. I mean I've had bouts of happiness and contentment in my life but not recently with all this "having to get into to medschool or my life is completely over mentality"

You've got to bring this up in your next session. All of your concerns, you inability to do well on tests, the stresses of being a pre-med. For your test-taking woes, especially if you feel you are adequately understanding the information, consider going to the office of students with disabilities. They can assist you, like giving you more time to take the test, a seperate more quiet place to take it, etc.

Do you have a certain specialty of medicine you're interested in?

 

[lightthecandle]

You've got to bring this up in your next session. All of your concerns, you inability to do well on tests, the stresses of being a pre-med. For your test-taking woes, especially if you feel you are adequately understanding the information, consider going to the office of students with disabilities. They can assist you, like giving you more time to take the test, a seperate more quiet place to take it, etc.

Do you have a certain specialty of medicine you're interested in?

I know this might seem a little contradictory..but I really wanted to go into Psychiatry.

with my test taking woe's ...maybe I don't know the material in the first place...but I think I do. I don't know what I'm talking about.

I think for med school one must be intellectually and emotionally ready. and I need to jump start the emotional part bc it is soooo lacking