I Need Your Honest Opinion, Should I Give Up???

[shan1997]

OK, HERE IS MY SITUATION. I AM A SENIOR AND HAVE ASPIRATIONS TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. I AM CURRENTLY A LITTLE BEHIND IN MY COURSEWORK DUE TO MY SWITCHING MAJORS ( I SWITCHED FROM BIOLOGY TO PSYCHOLOGY). I HAVE PHYSICS AND ORGANIC LEFT TO TAKE BEFORE I CAN TAKE THE MCAT. TECHNICALLY I HAVE BEEN ENROLLED IN PHYSICS 3 TIMES, BUT NEVER FINISHED IT TO COMPLETION. THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO DROP WAS BECAUSE I HAD 18 CREDIT HOURS AND FOUND I COULD NOT DEVOTE ENOUGH TIME TO IT IN ORDER TO MAKE A GOOD GRADE. THE SECOND TIME, I WAS NOT DOING WELL SO I DROPPED TO KEEP FROM BRINGING MY GPA DOWN ( IT IS AFTER ALL A 5 CREDIT HOUR CLASS ). I AM NOW CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN PHYSICS AGAIN BUT AM FINDING MYSELF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION. I HAVE 2 PSYCHOLOGY CLASSES AND AND A PHYSIOLOGY CLASS THIS SEMESTER IN ADDTION TO PHYSICS AND WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE OTHER 3 CLASSES I HAVE WERE GOING TO BE SO TIME CONSUMING AND I FIND I AM NOT ABLE TO DIVIDE MY TIME EQUALLY AMONG ALL SUBJECTS. WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW IS, DO YOU GUYS THINK THIS IS SOME SORT OF OMEN OR SIGN THAT IT IS NOT MEANT FOR ME TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS I KEEP ENCURRING WITH PHYSICS? I REALLY FEEL THAT IF PHYSICS WAS THE ONLY SUBJECT I HAD I COULD DEVOTE ALL MY TIME TO IT AND DO WELL. I ONLY HAVE THOSE 3 CLASSES I AM CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN NOW IN ORDER TO GRADUATE THIS DECEMBER, SO DO U GUYS THINK I SHOULD DROP PHYSICS ( YET AGAIN ) FINISH THESE OTHER CLASSES AND THEN TAKE PHYSICS NEXT SEMESTER SO I DON'T BRING MY GPA DOWN AND SO I CAN DEVOTE MORE TIME TO IT? THAT WAY I WILL KNOW FOR SURE IF I AM MEANT TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL OR NOT BECAUSE IF THE ONLY CLASS I HAVE IS PHYSICS AND I STILL CAN'T GET THROUGH IT, I HAVE NO EXCUSES LEFT! ( BUT REALLY I AM NOT MAKING UP EXCUSES, IT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS). ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, I VALUE YOUR OPINIONS. SHOULD I GIVE UP ON MEDICAL SCHOOL? STICK IT OUT? OR TAKE NEXT SEMESTER WHEN I CAN DEVOTE MORE TIME TO IT? I AM NOT ONE TO QUIT THAT IS WHY I WANT TO STILL TAKE PHYSICS BUT I WANT TO TAKE IT AT A TIME THAT I KNOW I WILL DO WELL IN IT. I KNOW SOME MAY SAY SUCK IT UP AND TAKE IT BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO DO WELL IN THE CLASS AND IF I FEEL I CAN'T DEVOTE THE TIME I DON'T WANT TO STAY AND DO BAD IN THE CLASS, I AM LIKE NELLY, I HAVE A DILEMMA! CAN ANYONE OFFER SOME ADVICE???

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dpark74]

I hope you are dropping before the deadlines when a 'DR' is placed on your transcripts. Schools do not like the fact of someone dropping classes regularly especially the same class.

My best advice is to take the class and get as much help from the TA's and profs. Face your fears head on, otherwise they will take control of you. The problem will never go away until you address it.

Don't give up on a career (life) if you truly believe you can make a difference in the lives of others and your own! Keep your chin up and do your very best.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

What is the rush? I say, take it when you are ready. If it means finishing up your psych degree, then so be it. Just don't take too much time to finish up your prereqs for med school. (e.g. 6 years for undergrad and 3 yrs for prereqs). You don't want to sacrifice your GPA and MCAT because you want to prove you can handle a heavy courseload, especially if you feel very uncomfortable about it.

Also, the schools don't know how many times you've dropped a class if you never received a grade for it. But, you will have to suck it up and take it one day. It is up to you to decide if you think today or tomorrow is the day.

 

[Sweet Tea]

My pieces of advice, for whatever they're worth.

1) STOP YELLING!!! the caps lock is on. okay i'll be serious now...

Find out your school's policies on dropping a class. Does it show up on your transcript as a W? Does the W disappear if you take the class to completion? Med schools see your entire transcript-- I'd be very cautious about having 3 W's on my record, but that's just me. You'd probably have to explain it at some open-file interviews. Can you get a tutor? Most universities offer peer-tutoring services, or have grad students looking to make a few bucks by tutoring. I recommend checking them out.

When are you planning on taking the MCAT? April 2003? I only ask b/c if you're having problems with time-management with 3 classes, you're going to find it hard to both study for the MCAT (it's really time-consuming) and study for physics. There is a lot of physics on the MCAT, so you are going to have to know it.

I suspect you have a mental block about physics... I completely understand b/c I had a mental block about orgo (I took the course twice, refused to let it freak me out the second time, and LOVED the class). You CAN do physics-- you just need to find a study method that works for you and you need to STICK WITH IT. And have confidence in yourself!!

If being a doctor is really what you want to do, then don't let physics stand in your way. Talk to a pre-med advisor about how you should schedule your classes. Above all RELAX and have faith in yourself. Best of luck, shan1997.

 

[Veilside]

yea i agree with sweet tea: if you're having problems finding enough time to study for physics and your psych courses, you'll definitely have trouble finding time to study for the mcat and managing your courses and ECs. that's why i ended up taking the mcat in august 2001.

but you definitely should not let physics stand in your way of becoming a doctor. you'll have much tougher times than that in your path towards MD. i'm sure u'll be okay though. i've never heard of anyone giving up on medicine because of newton's laws...

 

[shan1997]

thank you guys so much for the advice and the encouragement, i really appreciate it. Whe it all comes down to it, i know what i have to do. I am not going to let a class make me give up my dream, i am going to face it head on and hope for the best. I will check into it and see if the W can't come off my trancript when i finish the class to completion. I have in myself to do it and i will. i guess i just needed some encouraging words. anyone else feel free to offer advice, opinion, or suggestions

 

[Sweet Tea]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Shan1997!!!

Yay for not giving up.

 

[Veilside]

Originally posted by shan1997
I will check into it and see if the W can't come off my trancript when i finish the class to completion.

i doubt that they'll do that. i mean i hope they do, but it is my understanding that most schools don't take off the W. but just do good on your physics now, and tell the adcom why you had to withdraw from your previous physics courses. you'll be fine!

 

[::Seabass::]

I was a civil engineering major and didn't decide until the summer before my senior year that I WANTED to go to med school. I had already taken some of the pre-reqs, but had to finish the rest the year after I graduated. This can become pretty demanding with a full time job, but it does really make you set your priorities straight. I will have had 2 years off before starting school and looking back, it gives you such an edge in the application process and a real enthusiasm for going back to school. At the interviews I have gone to, it is amazing to see how intimidated people are, and I feel my experiences in the real world have given me a lot of composure. The admissions committee loves those who don't go right to school and comment on how comfortable I am compared to all the "lap dogs" (college seniors) trained by their pre-med advisors. Go for it, take your time, and do something useful (like research and volunteering) with your time. This is a great chance to beef up you application where it is lacking.