So far I was a math and bio double major...however this has not worked out as well as I hoped. My GPA is about a 3.0 right now after I finish retaking 2 classes I did poorly in. I've changed decided to make the math a minor and focus on just bio for the most part. Now, my GPA is fairly low and my BCPM is also low as you may have figured out. Its just been hell, especially come exam time...right now I'm taking Diff. Eqs, Orgo 2, Physics 1, Adv Calc, and Cell Str. and Func. I was hoping you guys could point me in a good direction and i've been in a sort of depressed mood over the last few days just thinking about applying to med school. I talked to my dad who is a psychiatrist and my mom who is a occup. therapist...both have been very encouraging and told me that its ok to fall down, but I should pick myself up and learn from this experince. Its good to know that there are other people in my situation here. I guess I'm just reaching out...
Ron, I too did poorly as an undergrad (3.0). I went on and did well in graduate school (~4.0). I've been admitted to 4 schools so far. There is hope but you need to get with the program right away! If you want to be an MD, why are you double majoring in two hard sciences? Grades are really important and you're heading the wrong direction!. By this time, you surely have enough calculus for ANY medical school. Dump the mathematics (or the biology if you prefer). It isn't helping your case. You will need to bring your GPA up from where it is. No more "B's" for you. Time to bust your @ss. You'll need to crush the MCAT (30+). You'll need really good letters. Make sure you ask the instructors of your upcoming classes where you will get all A+'s. Make sure you have really good clinical exposure, volunteer work, and other extras. No one's going to hand this to you. You're going to have to take it. You really need to finish strong if you want to do this!
Ron, I was a math/chem major, and I just kept filling up my schedule and graduated in 3 years. I feel your pain - I was taking PChem, OChem and adv. calc all at the same time. Oh, and dif eq and some other math class that escapes me right now. It seriously sucked, but mainly because of adv. calc. Ok, second semester sucked worse 'cuz I got mono. But still, it sucked. I was never so glad to have that year over. Pretty sad when your math classes make your chem classes your lowest priority. But even worse was biochem and abstract algebra at teh same time the next year. Truly bad. I feel your pain, Ron. I really (REALLY) do. Chin up. Those classes don't last forever. I started 'treating myself' with lattes at coffee houses after study sessions. I felt I deserved 'em.
wow...it must have been difficult doing that much after you had already been thru school. I know the struggle because my dad had to retake a lot of exams and had a lot of trouble getting into residency because we moved to the US from india. he was practicing there for 18 yrs and had to start all over again once he got here. Anyway, keep up the good work because you are much stronger than most people and I see a lot of success in your future. As for me, I think I'm going to change the math to a minor. Like robh said, I'm just messing up my gpa with 2 difficult majors when I could have something much better while focusing on just one. I'm in my junior year right now, so I still have 3 semesters to go...
Ron, if I can go back to school after 20 years, you can make it through a bio major and math minor. Heck, you've already taken adv. calc, you gotta be about done with your math minor!! (shoot, you're probably really close to your math major). Believe me, NOTHING is as bad as adv. calc. NOTHING. Ok, biochem came close. OH, ALL RIGHT, biochem was just about as bad as adv. calc. Take an easy semester when you take biochem if the prof is known to be hard and give essay exams (like mine - but he was seriously about the best prof I've ever had). Chin up. study hard. You'll make it.
Our final was take-home. And it sucked... yeah. I worked for 2 weeks on that thing. Every freakin' question was another proof. Adv. calc was the only class I ever took where I turned in 12 pages of homework and got a ZERO. Yup. ZERO. I do remember neighborhoods quite vividly. And covers, open and closed.
We started first semester of adv. calc with 36 math majors, most of them seniors. I know for a fact that 6 people didn't graduate because they failed that class. Heinous. What's your exam covering?
By Adv Calc, do you mean vector calculus, or real and complex analysis? Because "analysis" is the proper term for the very advanced version of what's called "calculus" in its earlier courses.
its analysis...i cant tell you real or complex cause i dont know the book however is called elementary classical analysis.alos, if you guys could enlighten me on compact spaces, I would be very very greatful. And yeah shyrem, we started with atleast 25+ kids and now there are like 12 or so left...and once girl is taking it for the 3rd time.
merc, different schools call it different things. "real analysis" is also the name for what our school called "adv calculus". The senior level sell your soul rip your heart out course after the freshman and sophomore easy calc I, II, and III. Complex analysis was a totally different course at my school - and I really liked it. Make PChem SOOOO much easier (esp. liked that continuous deformation theorem). But branch cuts were a bit tenuous to grasp at first in complex analysis. Vector calculus - isn't that with multi-variate in calc III?
