If I'm struggling in Undergrad, is medicine not for me?

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omare61

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I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

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My brain has definitely been torn apart here...
 
Success is largely a matter of knowing how to fail. Everyone fails - the difference between those who succeed and those who don't is the former learn from their failure, understand that "failure" is more so "feedback" than some sort of measure of inadequacy, and keep moving forward. If you're serious about this question, you need a major readjusting of perspective.
 
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Stick it out. Genetics can be rather difficult. Besides, losing the inflated pre-med ego will be good for you.
 
Reads title: "If I'm struggling in Undergrad, is medicine not for me?"
Reads first sentence: "I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA"
Stops reading
 
Is this a real thread? Man how I wish I had a 3.99 sophomore year!
 
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I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

Okay, I have two points:

1) I think your definition of struggling is a little off...

2) Wait until you take more upper division bio courses. If that "struggle" is still there, perhaps reevaluate your goals then.
 
I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

Know that many people have a bad start freshman year and still manage to get on top of everything. You're already at the top of the pre-meds at your school, so you're fine. If the other struggling pre-meds can become successful, then you can too.
 
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I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

I think you're confusing being challenged with "struggling." Maybe you're also underestimating yourself, and I think that is very likely the case given your 3.99 GPA. Do your best and I'm sure you'll be fine. :thumbup:
 
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You hardly need average intelligence to pass preclinical years in medical school. It's all about hard work.
 
You hardly need average intelligence to pass preclinical years in medical school. It's all about hard work.

I think you're slightly overestimating what "average intelligence" is.
 
How do you have a 3.99 GPA? Assuming ten 3.0 credit courses with nine As and one A-, that puts you at a 3.97.

What was this 1.0 credit class that you took and got an A- in?
 
tumblr_lvm5xyViAK1qbl86ko1_500.gif
 
I struggled in high school...


... I should probably quit life.
 
I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

Hey man I understand your problem and that is definitely a tough situation to be in. I've got something here that should help you out, it's probably your best option going forward. Check it out bro.



3513522028_b247dee477_o.png
 
3.99 from the same OP who made a thread whining about how all the A minuses he gets are worth 3.7 and not 4.0.

Seems legit.
 
I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

I'm in first month of MS1 and feel this way too. The thing is, I remember feeling inadequate and confused on several occasions in undergrad, but I still managed to end up here. :)

I wouldn't take it as a sign that you're not cut out for medicine, what your feeling is quite normal...at least it was for me. Learn to address what's wrong and find ways to overcome it. And if you ever feel the same way in med school, you'll handle it better, by learning how to deal with it now.
 
Hey man I understand your problem and that is definitely a tough situation to be in. I've got something here that should help you out, it's probably your best option going forward. Check it out bro.



3513522028_b247dee477_o.png

So to McDonalds Sikh, atheists, and agnostics are all free thinkers?
 
I think you're slightly overestimating what "average intelligence" is.

There is actually little evidence of IQ and the ability to memorize a large volume of information being correlated.
 
I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA. The problem is, I know I will have a downward trend in GPA! Classes will not get easier, but harder.

Currently, I find myself struggling with understanding concepts of Genetics. Its a very difficult course, but my ego is getting defeated from this course. Will I be able to survive in med school while struggling with a mild science course? I feel like it just defeated my confidence.

Don't have a massive downward trend (no C's or D's). Med schools aren't looking for perfection, but they don't want to see drastic academic changes. Consistency is good, but it doesn't mean landing straight A's (though that would be nice).

If all else fails and you do drop down to a 3.8 or 3.7, do well on that MCAT and keep up with EC's that you enjoy.

Cheers :oops:
 
OP, absolutely not. You are fine.

What nobody tells you is that around sophmore year of college, the educational system starts to fall apart. Up until now, you've been able to master all of the concepts you've been taught in grade school,high school, and intro courses freshman year. You could wrap your mind around everything in the syallbus. From here on out, everything starts to become specialized. The days of learning all in the same day about basic math, then basic composition, then basic spanish, then whatever, are over. You will no longer be taught by professional teachers, but by people who have made the subject they are lecturing you on their life's work. There is no possible way you can know it all in a semester. You can only get a glimpse of what they do unless you also choose to make it your life. You will drive yourself crazy if you try to master everything in the book. From now on, no matter how much you study you'll walk into tests knowing that there is stuff you might be asked that you don't have the slightest clue about.

Your liberal arts education is over, but you've got another 2 more years of being stuck in a liberal educational system being taught specialized material semester by semester. You will not remember any of the stuff unless you choose to make that your career. You just do the best you can and get through it.

When you get your first job, it doesn't get any better. It will take years, decades even to really understand the stuff you'll be taught in your upper level courses. I remember taking linear algebra freshman year of college 11 years ago. I still understand it. No big deal - I could wrap my head around it. But by my senior year of college, I was taking an ultraspecialized math class - should be easier right? I couldn't even understand the symbols they were using and to this day can't even begin to explain what the class was about -- something involving irrational numbers and calculus. It was a foreign language. I walked into the exams knowing literally nothing and still made an A. It's not like I was working any less hard. How did we go from teachable material to totally of the wall stuff in only 3 years?

Enjoy what's left of this year. From here on out, you have to pick something and struggle to master it. If you try to get a broad education in everything, you'll end up frustrated because everything in our world is so advanced now, things take years, not 3 months to understand, and either never remember any of it, or else think you know something about something which you really haven't the slightest clue.
 

+3 Pshh I would have been happy with a 3.99 gpa as a Sophomore. Just keep up the hard work and you will do fine. Not all material is going to come straight to you. Just learn from your mistake and study harder.
 
OP, absolutely not. You are fine.

What nobody tells you is that around sophmore year of college, the educational system starts to fall apart. Up until now, you've been able to master all of the concepts you've been taught in grade school,high school, and intro courses freshman year. You could wrap your mind around everything in the syallbus. From here on out, everything starts to become specialized. The days of learning all in the same day about basic math, then basic composition, then basic spanish, then whatever, are over. You will no longer be taught by professional teachers, but by people who have made the subject they are lecturing you on their life's work. There is no possible way you can know it all in a semester. You can only get a glimpse of what they do unless you also choose to make it your life. You will drive yourself crazy if you try to master everything in the book. From now on, no matter how much you study you'll walk into tests knowing that there is stuff you might be asked that you don't have the slightest clue about.

Your liberal arts education is over, but you've got another 2 more years of being stuck in a liberal educational system being taught specialized material semester by semester. You will not remember any of the stuff unless you choose to make that your career. You just do the best you can and get through it.

When you get your first job, it doesn't get any better. It will take years, decades even to really understand the stuff you'll be taught in your upper level courses. I remember taking linear algebra freshman year of college 11 years ago. I still understand it. No big deal - I could wrap my head around it. But by my senior year of college, I was taking an ultraspecialized math class - should be easier right? I couldn't even understand the symbols they were using and to this day can't even begin to explain what the class was about -- something involving irrational numbers and calculus. It was a foreign language. I walked into the exams knowing literally nothing and still made an A. It's not like I was working any less hard. How did we go from teachable material to totally of the wall stuff in only 3 years?

Enjoy what's left of this year. From here on out, you have to pick something and struggle to master it. If you try to get a broad education in everything, you'll end up frustrated because everything in our world is so advanced now, things take years, not 3 months to understand, and either never remember any of it, or else think you know something about something which you really haven't the slightest clue.

I can relate to this. :laugh:
 
There is actually little evidence of IQ and the ability to memorize a large volume of information being correlated.

You seem to ignore the fact that the ability to memorize a large volume of information is not all it takes to get into med school.
 
originally posted by burla view post
reads title: "if i'm struggling in undergrad, is medicine not for me?"
reads first sentence: "i'm a sophomore and i currently have a 3.99 gpa"
stops reading

+5
 
Reads title: "If I'm struggling in Undergrad, is medicine not for me?"
Reads first sentence: "I'm a sophomore and I currently have a 3.99 GPA"
Stops reading
Same here. This idiot should know he's at best Caribbean material.
 
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