is it possible? give me hope!

[confusedgirl]

---

Members don't see this ad.

hi everyone-
it's me again. in case you're wondering why i only have 2 posts and both of them are whining, i might as well tell you that i'm actually a normal sdn member, but posting under a different name for these few somewhat embarrasing posts. so anyway.

my averages so far: anatomy. 2 tests down, 2 to go. i have a 50% in the class. 70% is pass.

biochem: 2 tests left. got 56% on first one. again, 70% is passing.

2 other assorted courses: one midterm, one final in each of these. got 52% and 75% and again, 70 is passing.

i want to know if you think i can do it. can i make 90% or higher on both upcoming anatomy exams, and also make 80-90% in these other classes' exams in order to pass??

for the first month of school, i wasn't going to class and wasn't studying at all. . maybe 2 hours per week studying.

i came from a good undergrad and thought i could get by, and besides i had really low energy and was sleeping all the time. i didn't like med school very much, either.

but now, i am keeping up with the material, going to most of my classes, and getting tutorial assistance, from tutors and from the dean for eduational assistance or something.
do you guys think it is too late? should i ask to decelerate? i really, really want to stick it out, but i don't want to expend all my energy into chasing a 'castle in the clouds.'

any advice or suggestions or opinions would be appreciated. . i just needed to ask someone about this, and i'm too embarrassed to ask anyone i know.

thank you guys so much!! you're the best.

 

[Adcadet]

I think you should be talking to somebody in your school about this more than SDNers. I mean, sure, you could pull 100% on all the rest of your exams. And furthermore, does failing a class automatically mean deceleration? I know at my school you can take a comprehensive re-exam during your next holiday break (Christmas, Spring break, Summer). Ask your Dean for specific details. Maybe it would make sense to just "drop" one class so you can pass the others, then take the comprehensive exam at the end of Christmas break or something.

And of course, if you think you need help(psychological, medical, dugs, courseling, tutoring, etc), make sure you get it!

 

[Street Philosopher]

maybe

probably worth trying. fail or quit same thing. at least if you try you have a chance.

 

[lola]

i agree with Adcadet. what happens next is really school specific. at my school we have basic science advisors who contact you if you are doing poorly, set you up with a tutor, and make sure everything is going ok. it sounds like you have gotten your act together now, which means you will likely pass the coming exams. you can definitely pass biochem. not to bring you down, but there is absolutely no way i could get 90 or higher on anatomy exams! maybe they work differently at your school though, or maybe you are a little more naturally gifted in anatomy than i am. you should find out if you can take a course during one of your breaks if you end up failing. i think we have that option for biochem, because sometimes people fail the course. you might as well give it your best in anatomy, because even if you don't pass you'll make it easier on yourself the second time around if you once knew the material.
one more thing... don't be embarrassed! lots of people have trouble in med school. you just need to adjust and figure out how to study. talk to someone at your school about this. there are people who can support you through this and probably even some classmates who are in a similar predicament.

 

[BiggMann79]

I've been though this myself, so I think I might be able to help you out.

I started med school last year. My school has a system where you take cell biology and biochemistry the first 8 weeks, have a Fall break and then you start gross anatomy and microanatomy.

I actually did O.K. during the first 8 weeks, pulling a B in biochem and a very high C in cell biology. In retrospect I did O.K. because I was running on the excitement of starting medical school.

Then gross anatomy and microanatomy started. I got a C on the first gross test and failed the first micro test. Then I spent what time I did study studying for micro and totally neglected gross. I ended up failing the second micro test and totally bombed the second gross test. Long story short, I somehow managed to pass microanatomy and needed a 90% on the head and neck test to pass gross. I saw that this was going to be futile and basically stopped studying at this point. So I failed gross.

Throughout most of this time period I had pretty much stopped going to class (except for gross lab) and would sleep until noon almost every day.

At this point I decided to go to student mental health and talk to a psychiatrist because I knew I was very depressed. I'm truly convinced that my poor academic performance came from being depressed and not vice versa.

I ended up taking a leave of absence from medical school to deal with the depression and some other personal problems.

I mention all this to show that I know exactly where you are coming from.

I think there is a very good possibility that you could be depressed. Your statement about not going to class, low energy, and sleeping all the time really make me think that.

So I would suggest that you go and see someone with student mental health if your school has such a thing.

Try to do your best on the upcoming tests, but also realize that you might not be in the best mental condition to do your best at the moment.

In retrospect, screwing up in medical school was probably one of the best things that has ever happened. It forced me to deal with a lot of personal problems that I never even realized that I had.

I start gross anatomy again on Monday and I'm really looking forward to it.

Do your best to pass the classes, but if you don't use this to make changes.

BTW, for anyone that has read my responses to radrules, my attitude comes from the above experience. I used to be pretty cocky myself, but this changed all that🙂

 

[confusedgirl]

thank you guys for your honest answers. actually the dean for educational help suggested the same thing (depression) and said i should probably go see a psychiatrist. but, i want to wait till next semester; i don't want another thing to deal with and i've heard meds can really screw you up too.
i think as long as i force myself to be pumped up each day (pray, listen to some happy music) and force myself to go to bed early (i can't sleep more than 11 hours usually) then those are ways to cope with what i also think might be mild depression. i'm also gonna try to start working out, i hear that can help w/energy.

so i have one more question for anyone else who reads this. . .
lets say i go for this. . . how do the A students do it? my biggest fear is the one lola voiced; 90 on anatomy twice seems near impossible.
so. . any advice from those at the very top of your classes? how do people pull 'A' averages in gross? i need your study habits/patterns/attitudes/techniques!! 🙂

thanks soo much. and yes, i'm sure i will open up to ppl around me eventually, but right now it's nice to have the total anonymity of this forum 🙂

 

[Sessamoid]

Originally posted by confusedgirl
so i have one more question for anyone else who reads this. . .
lets say i go for this. . . how do the A students do it? my biggest fear is the one lola voiced; 90 on anatomy twice seems near impossible.

How do they do it? There's no one set answer. They all do it differently, depending on their learning and studying styles. I pulled pretty much all A's in my basic sciences (oh so many ages ago), though I'm blessed with a good fact retention and the ability to reason out what I can't remember pretty well. Study techniques really depend on how your brain works. Some of the people at the top of my class weren't necessarily superintelligent but were manic studiers, who practically did nothing but study. OTOH, one of my friends just happened to be unbelievably brilliant and retained almost everything he read. Sometimes we'd study together in a group and somebody would challenge him on some fact or another. He'd inevitably respond with something like "Check it on page so-and-so of Robbins. I'm pretty sure it's there." He was almost always right. Most of the rest of us fell somewhere in between.

 

[HiddenTruth]

Hey confusedgirl....first of all...chillaX girl...take a chill pill...it's only med school..if u fail u go and work at MCDonalds..no big deal... im kidding im kidding....well let me put n my two cents i guess....i think it is very impt for you to go to class...i seem to get a lot out of class..try sitting in the front of class and just pay attention to waht is going on....i jot down frantic notes just to prevent from missing anything that was mentioned in lcture but if you are a big reader then just sit and listen ...and belive it or not ull walk out learning so much..and in retrospect u wont have to spend that much time mastering the material...and i would jump on the material that you did that day in class right away...just because it is so fresh...i usually have to go throug material 2-3 times before it is all there ...and usually spend fair amt of time the first couple times...so try doing that..try to quiz yourself after you finsih studying a aprticular lecture..try tellling yourself the story and if you fall short go back and read up on those sections...and some ppl i kno do difft things each time htey go around and go through amterial very quick just so they dont get broed and daze out..you can try that..and each time u go around use a difft method...thats too creative for my lil mind..but dont panic ....just put in the time..med school is not for geniuses but rather ppl who have patience and are willing to put in the time...and by the way cut down on the 11 hours of sleep...i go on abt 6-7....most ppl would disagree with that but you dont need mroe than 8 horus of sleep...make good use of your time...be efficient..motivate yoruself by treating yourself with something little after achieving a certain goal (completeing a gross and biochem lecture....and when i say complete i eman KNOWING in not jsut passively reading it)..see what works for you...but in general...be motivated, look at other ppl who are doing and motivate yourself..study witha friend in the same location to keep yourself motivated, have a desire..some fear..that usually keeps me going...lol..but anwyyas good luck..i wish u all the bst..u will do just fine...

 

[gwyn779]

Originally posted by confusedgirl
thank you guys for your honest answers. actually the dean for educational help suggested the same thing (depression) and said i should probably go see a psychiatrist. but, i want to wait till next semester; i don't want another thing to deal with and i've heard meds can really screw you up too.
i think as long as i force myself to be pumped up each day (pray, listen to some happy music) and force myself to go to bed early (i can't sleep more than 11 hours usually) then those are ways to cope with what i also think might be mild depression. i'm also gonna try to start working out, i hear that can help w/energy.

The problem with depression is it makes you rationalize NOT getting help. Seeing someone is much more likely to help than to hurt and if you really are depressed, you'll feel a lot better knowing there's a reason you feel the way you do and that you can do something about it. As far as meds messing you up, again, they're much more likely to help, particularly if you talk to the psychiatrist about specific side effects you want to avoid, because there are so many choices now.
Some other things, sleeping less and exercising more will both help with depression and energy.

 

[BiggMann79]

Definately get help as soon as possible. If they do put you on meds be sure to keep in contact with your doctor with how it's working. They can always switch them around if necessary. In my case Zoloft did nothing for me except give me tremors and twitches. I switched to Wellbuttrin and it was a Godsend. It made a difference in 1 day.

 

[Jim Picotte]

You have to let us know about your school policies. What are the consequences for failing a class? Is it no big deal or will you be expelled from medical school? I know where I went if you failed two of your first semester 1st year classes then you automatically got dismissed and had to petition to get back in and go in front of the academic counsel and plead your case. My advise would be different depending on these scenerios:

If you fail 2 classes and you're screwed because of the scenerio stated above then seriously and I mean serioulsy consider dropping or withdrawing from anatomy and whatever other class your doing bad in and just extending your medical school experience. Where I went, it was not easy to get back into medical school once you got dismissed. A few people every year would get booted and not get back in. While you may be able to pull it off, you'll have a tough time getting over 90% on two anatomy exams in a row...a very tough time, not to say you can't do it. If it's not a big deal if you fail a couple classes then keep on trucking, get the help you need ASAP...don't wait.

 

[ckent]

I just wanted add my vote to the seeking medical help option. For a young female, there are a lot of common problems that can cause chronic fatigue, some of them being very treatable (hypothyroidism, fe deficiency anemia, depression, etc). Getting your blood drawn one time can provide a lot of useful info. Regarding not wanting to meds if you are depressed because you are "afraid that they will mess you up", how can you prescribe these meds for your patients if you wouldn't even be willing to try them if you are suffering from the same medical condition that they are? If you look at the long-term studies regarding anti-depressants, most of the newer ones have not been shown to have any long term side effects and some of them have actually been shown to be associated with a decreased mortality in certain patients with other comorbidities. Just something to think about. It sounds like you are already pretty plugged into your school's academic help system. A lot of people underestimate the amount of work that med school will require and try to coast or they get overwhelmed. Nothing to be ashamed of, just try your best to regroup and figure out what you did wrong and what you can do to correct it. You will most likely be repeating anatomy and biochem based on what you have posted. During your time off, I'd advise doing sporadic study sessions and research (preferably paid) or doing a paying part time job. Waitressing can be pretty lucrative in a busy restaurant. It's good exercise too.

 

[Adcadet]

if you really really don't want meds, tell your doctor and be open to the idea of counselling. I'm sure an hour or two per week would be time well-spent and would more than make up for the time commitment.

 

[jennie 21]

I'm sorry I don't have much in the way of academic advice for you; I'm not someone who gets 99s on my exams. But in the way of other advice, you do sound to me like you might be depressed. Sleeping 11 hours a day is not normal. I would really, really urge you to go see someone about this...get some psychological help. In the long run it will help you with your studies, because you'll be happier and able to focus better and remember more. Don't insist on fighting this battle alone. By the way...I'm not sure what you mean about meds screwing you up, but they really don't and they do help a lot of people.