I need some advice on how to proceed after some serious academic issues

[NidokingDaBes]

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I attend a prestigious engineering university, and am currently in my sophomore year majoring in bioengineering. I also engage in research on campus, and will be co-authoring two papers by the end of this school year. That's where the 'good' news ends.

I have three semesters behind me of pretty freaking terrible grades. An overall 2.3, with 46 credits, and my prereqs are looking ****ty as well.

Math- C+, C, B-,
Chem- C+, C
Physics- C
Orgo- C

Although I suppose it hardly matters, most of these are engineering courses, and not the regular math/science courses offered by the school (except orgo).

Over time, the shock of seeing grades like this has numbed, and I'm almost "satisfied" with low B's, which terrifies me. Additionally, I completely understand why my grades are not so good. I have terrible study habits, am frequently distracted from work, and often don't put sustained effort into a class until 2-3 days before an exam. These bad habits didn't affect my grades much in high school, as even the AP courses did not require much effort on my part. Of course I'm feeling the heat now, but for whatever reason, the fact that I really need to do work sometimes doesn't register in my head nearly as well as it should.

I've constantly told myself after each semester I would correct this, but l still end up engaging in this self destructive nonchalance. To whoever reads this, I want you to approach this with the perspective that it WILL sink in this time, and I will try harder.

I will probably have 135 credits by the end of my B.S. Meaning I have 89 credits left. Is there any advice any of you can offer me? Any perspectives, opinions, etc. are welcome. I just really need some advice right now.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

Aside from academic/studying advice (your dean and school counselors will help you with that), your hope is not lost. If you can take a semester off, do so. Or take a semester with some fluff. It will push back your matriculation date but it appears that you seriously have a lot of work to do in catching up on your academia skills.

What you need to focuson now is improving your grades, more so than anything else. Also, amke sure that the classes you took actually qualify as the standard "pre reqs". if you can push your grades up (mostly As) and crush the mcat, you could still have a competitive application.

Even if not, your "upward trend" and extra credits go A LONG way should your app make it into a persons hands. There are also post-bacc courses, medschool internships, and class make ups that you can do. You can petition for a grade change to an "incomplete" and retake the courses as well, but that is less likely.

Get your head on straight, go talk to your dean, and don't beat yourself up. You can do it but you have to give it everything that you have and stick with it for as long as it takes.

 

[Irish Football]

Have to be real with you -- you've put yourself in a really tough hole. Even with straight A's (and that itself is extremely difficult to do) it still won't guarantee you an acceptance. If you want it bad enough you can still try but you have to be real with yourself. Maybe post in the "What Are My Chances" forum to see what people think of your chances if you got straight A's from her eon out. Also, I'm just asking, are you open to going the DO route? Because, grade forgiveness might be able to help you a bit.

 

[Geebeejay]

I attend a prestigious engineering university, and am currently in my sophomore year majoring in bioengineering. I also engage in research on campus, and will be co-authoring two papers by the end of this school year. That's where the 'good' news ends.

I have three semesters behind me of pretty freaking terrible grades. An overall 2.3, with 46 credits, and my prereqs are looking ****ty as well.

Math- C+, C, B-,
Chem- C+, C
Physics- C
Orgo- C

Although I suppose it hardly matters, most of these are engineering courses, and not the regular math/science courses offered by the school (except orgo).

Over time, the shock of seeing grades like this has numbed, and I'm almost "satisfied" with low B's, which terrifies me. Additionally, I completely understand why my grades are not so good. I have terrible study habits, am frequently distracted from work, and often don't put sustained effort into a class until 2-3 days before an exam. These bad habits didn't affect my grades much in high school, as even the AP courses did not require much effort on my part. Of course I'm feeling the heat now, but for whatever reason, the fact that I really need to do work sometimes doesn't register in my head nearly as well as it should.

I've constantly told myself after each semester I would correct this, but l still end up engaging in this self destructive nonchalance. To whoever reads this, I want you to approach this with the perspective that it WILL sink in this time, and I will try harder.

I will probably have 135 credits by the end of my B.S. Meaning I have 89 credits left. Is there any advice any of you can offer me? Any perspectives, opinions, etc. are welcome. I just really need some advice right now.

I see a lot of people on these forums with all of these great research experience, ECs, membership in clubs, publications etc., but with poor or mediocre grades. While I wouldn't advise you to back out on the work you are trying to publish....I would certainly say try to cut down a bit while you work on your grades! A post-bacc might save you if you end up with a lot of bad core-science grades, but I think it's smarter to focus on your classes, focus on improving those study habits and get it together before you start trying to invent the wheel. Also, I would retake all of the classes that are considered medical school pre-reqs, because C's in these classes will definitely not get you into medical school. Again, you probably want to consider a post-bacc, but this is something I really don't know much about :-/

 

[Bluto385]

I attend a prestigious engineering university, and am currently in my sophomore year majoring in bioengineering. I also engage in research on campus, and will be co-authoring two papers by the end of this school year. That's where the 'good' news ends.

I have three semesters behind me of pretty freaking terrible grades. An overall 2.3, with 46 credits, and my prereqs are looking ****ty as well.

Math- C+, C, B-,
Chem- C+, C
Physics- C
Orgo- C

Although I suppose it hardly matters, most of these are engineering courses, and not the regular math/science courses offered by the school (except orgo).

Over time, the shock of seeing grades like this has numbed, and I'm almost "satisfied" with low B's, which terrifies me. Additionally, I completely understand why my grades are not so good. I have terrible study habits, am frequently distracted from work, and often don't put sustained effort into a class until 2-3 days before an exam. These bad habits didn't affect my grades much in high school, as even the AP courses did not require much effort on my part. Of course I'm feeling the heat now, but for whatever reason, the fact that I really need to do work sometimes doesn't register in my head nearly as well as it should.

I've constantly told myself after each semester I would correct this, but l still end up engaging in this self destructive nonchalance. To whoever reads this, I want you to approach this with the perspective that it WILL sink in this time, and I will try harder.

I will probably have 135 credits by the end of my B.S. Meaning I have 89 credits left. Is there any advice any of you can offer me? Any perspectives, opinions, etc. are welcome. I just really need some advice right now.

My advice is to complete your degree and pursue a career in engineering. I am not going to be the one to tell you will not be going to medical school. The AAMC statistics alone show that there is an infinitesimal chance of you even being interviewed with those grades, let alone accepted.

https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/app...mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html

The numbers are sobering. Even with a stellar MCAT and if you happen to be URM, it would still be a huge uphill battle.

 

[NidokingDaBes]

So I mean, at this point, is med school hopeless? I know I've screwed up horribly, but is it really irreversible? Fluidity's talking about me still having a chance if I'm diligent from now onward, and I really really hope I can turn things around. But is it possible, or should I give up? The fact that it could be over is really hard for me to face...

 

[MedPR]

So I mean, at this point, is med school hopeless? I know I've screwed up horribly, but is it really irreversible? Fluidity is offering some hope, and I really really hope I can turn things around, but is it possible, or should I give up? I really don't want to give up...

It's not hopeless but you have a long and hard road ahead.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[Irish Football]

But seriously OP, there are people who check the "What Are My Chances" section who may be able to give you some good perspective and advice.

 

[MedPR]

But seriously OP, there are people who check the "What Are My Chances" section who may be able to give you some good perspective and advice.

👍

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[TheShaker]

So I mean, at this point, is med school hopeless? I know I've screwed up horribly, but is it really irreversible? Fluidity's talking about me still having a chance if I'm diligent from now onward, and I really really hope I can turn things around. But is it possible, or should I give up? The fact that it could be over is really hard for me to face...

If you have the time, money, and motivation, then go for DO which has grade replacement. MD seems like a stretch at this point unless you pull of some kind of miracle.

 

[MedPR]

If you have the time, money, and motivation, then go for DO which has grade replacement. MD seems like a stretch at this point unless you pull of some kind of miracle.

Or are a URM. Are you a URM, OP?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[Bluto385]

So I mean, at this point, is med school hopeless? I know I've screwed up horribly, but is it really irreversible? Fluidity's talking about me still having a chance if I'm diligent from now onward, and I really really hope I can turn things around. But is it possible, or should I give up? The fact that it could be over is really hard for me to face...

The odds are overwhelmingly against you. I can't say it's hopeless because I'm not the ADCOM member making the call. But I think your chances would be about as good as moving to New York and making a name for yourself in show business. And that's just the thing. When someone says that there is a chance, that is NOT the same as saying that there is a probable chance. You don't want to plan your life and your future in hopes of a pipe dream. This is an extremely costly and mentally draining process for even the people with solid statistics. Hell, I have a 3.98 and a 32 MCAT, applied early, and I only have heard back from one of the seven state schools that I applied to. I am very freaking fortunate that I got into that one school, but that just shows you how truly competitive it is.