Losing Hope

[iPremed]

Hey, I just changed my post to reflect my true grades...soooo what do you think? I still feel prty bad about my overall grade...but do I still have hope provided I get a 3.7 or higher from now on? Do I have a chance if I apply as a traditional applicant? I am mostly worried about the 1 C, 2 C+'s, and 2 B-'s (mostly BCMP). Should I retake physics 2 next semester?

I am currently a sophomore. Here's my situation:

All my grades:

Freshman Year

Fall:
Bio: A-
Psych: A
Chem 1: A-
Calc: B

Spring (it started going downhill):
Bio: A
English: A
Chem 2: B-
Calc 2: B-

Summer (horrible)
Physics 1: C
Physics 2: C+

Sophomore Year

Fall:
Orgo: C+
ASL: B
Psych: B+
Orgo lab: A-
Genetics lab: A-
Genetics: Satisfactory

Any comments would be appreciated. If I retake courses and do well in them, would I stand a chance?

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[phospho]

Hey

I am currently a sophomore. Here's my situation:

I am getting really depressed at how my grades are turning out. Over the summer, I took physics 1 and 2 and got a C and C+ in the respectively. Even at this point, I figured that if I did well in the rest of my courses, I would be ok. However, this semester is not looking good at all. I may be getting C ranges in ASL (great class, tough teacher, no curve), orgo 1, and possibly in genetics lab. This would be horrendous. I know.

Medicine has been my ambition forever and now I feel so hopeless and depressed. I honestly don't know what to do since I have been studying so hard and still, when it comes to tests, I do so badly. So even though I understand the material, I am not able to apply it.

With these grades, am I out of the game officially?

All my grades:

Freshman Year

Fall:
Bio: A-
Psych: A
Chem 1: A-
Calc: B

Spring (it started going downhill):
Bio: A
English: A
Chem 2: B-
Calc 2: B-

Summer (horrible) - does this count for sophomore year? If so that really sucks even more
Physics 1: C
Physics 2: C+

Sophomore Year
Fall:
Genetics: Satisfactory probably
Orgo: looking at a C range
ASL: looking at a C range
Psych: B+/A-
Orgo lab: B+ or higher
Genetics lab: not curved so probably a C or higher(hopefully higher)


Any comments would be appreciated. If I retake courses and do well in them, would I stand a chance?

Also, if I do have to switch my career plans...what would would I do with these horrible grades anyway? would I be able to do anything? please don't say flip burgers and mcdonalds or something like that. I mean, could I become a middle schoool teacher? or do you need really good grades to do something like that? Or how about a dentist or psychologist? do I stand a chance for DO schools if i improve my GPA for the next couple semesters? or do i just suck at life?

Make a plan and stick with it. You seem like a good student. There is no point in getting depressed. Medicine is a career. It will not (and should not) be the one thing that brings meaning to your life. A lot of us have PLENTY of C's (I even have a couple of D's). Unless you actually fail a course, don't retake it. Take something else and do well.

P.S. I'd take a look at the pre-dent forum if I were you - I'd say getting into dental school is about as stressful as getting into med school. There are less dental schools than med schools in the U.S.

You're still very early in the game, and you have more than enough time to shape up and get your s.hit straight. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[teddybear]

Hey

I am currently a sophomore. Here's my situation:

I am getting really depressed at how my grades are turning out. Over the summer, I took physics 1 and 2 and got a C and C+ in the respectively. Even at this point, I figured that if I did well in the rest of my courses, I would be ok. However, this semester is not looking good at all. I may be getting C ranges in ASL (great class, tough teacher, no curve), orgo 1, and possibly in genetics lab. This would be horrendous. I know.

Medicine has been my ambition forever and now I feel so hopeless and depressed. I honestly don't know what to do since I have been studying so hard and still, when it comes to tests, I do so badly. So even though I understand the material, I am not able to apply it.

With these grades, am I out of the game officially?

All my grades:

Freshman Year

Fall:
Bio: A-
Psych: A
Chem 1: A-
Calc: B

Spring (it started going downhill):
Bio: A
English: A
Chem 2: B-
Calc 2: B-

Summer (horrible) - does this count for sophomore year? If so that really sucks even more
Physics 1: C
Physics 2: C+

Sophomore Year
Fall:
Genetics: Satisfactory probably
Orgo: looking at a C range
ASL: looking at a C range
Psych: B+/A-
Orgo lab: B+ or higher
Genetics lab: not curved so probably a C or higher(hopefully higher)


Any comments would be appreciated. If I retake courses and do well in them, would I stand a chance?

Also, if I do have to switch my career plans...what would would I do with these horrible grades anyway? would I be able to do anything? please don't say flip burgers and mcdonalds or something like that. I mean, could I become a middle schoool teacher? or do you need really good grades to do something like that? Or how about a dentist or psychologist? do I stand a chance for DO schools if i improve my GPA for the next couple semesters? or do i just suck at life?

Relax. You'll be fine. Is it possible for you to repeat any of the less than A-grade courses? Even if it's not you won't end up flipping burgers. You'll graduate with a degree and it'll be what you make out of it. Stick in there.

 

[kansaskid]

You are still early in the game. Figure out why your grades are not where you'd like them to be and then correct that problem. If it's a studying problem, fix it. If something else, fix it. Then spend the next half of your undergraduate years rocking the grades. Contrary to popular SDN belief, you do not need a 4.0 to get into medical school.

Good luck!

 

[Dr Lyss]

you are still early in the game. Figure out why your grades are not where you'd like them to be and then correct that problem. If it's a studying problem, fix it. If something else, fix it. Then spend the next half of your undergraduate years rocking the grades. Contrary to popular sdn belief, you do not need a 4.0 to get into medical school.

Good luck!

qft

 

[pasdechat28]

This is only the beginning of a long are arduous path. Don't give up--as long as medicine is truly what you want to do, then you will be fine as long as you are dedicated and passionate. I would recommend retaking a class or two, however, since your science GPA will not be too great with all those C's. Even if you do not decide to go into medicine, any of the other professions you mentioned like dental, psychology, etc. are competetive as well and it would behoove you to have great grades for them as well.

In the end, although your GPA is important, is it not the only deciding factor for medical school admissions. So make sure to have strength in other areas such as volunteer work, research, MCAT, and interview skills to balance out a lower GPA (if that ends up being the case).

Bottom line, you have plenty of time to raise your GPA and decide if medicine is for you. Good luck!

 

[rjf]

True, it is still early in the game. However, facts are facts...you need to buckle down this next semester. Give yourself some time with perhaps another year of undergrad, don't pack 18 credits into a semester, retake a couple of classes, get A's. If you can't bring your GPA up, even though it may be unfair, you won't get into medical school. Don't give up and good luck!

 

[iPremed]

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts. I am glad to know that I still have a chance.

Do you know anyone who has gotten in with multiple C's?

Also, I have been taking a lot of credit hours per semester (17-18). I should probably try to cut down on that.

Do medical schools weigh grades to count junior year the most in some cases?

I made the mistake of putting too many difficult courses together in some cases (especially this semester - that's why I changed my genetics to the S/F option). I also took the higher level calculus class than required (something I really regret along with the physics)

What are generally "easy A" courses? I know this changes between colleges...but in general which ones are grade boosters?

 

[phospho]

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts. I am glad to know that I still have a chance.

Do you know anyone who has gotten in with multiple C's?

Also, I have been taking a lot of credit hours per semester (17-18). I should probably try to cut down on that.

Do medical schools weigh grades to count junior year the most in some cases?

I made the mistake of putting too many difficult courses together in some cases (especially this semester - that's why I changed my genetics to the S/F option). I also took the higher level calculus class than required (something I really regret along with the physics)

What are generally "easy A" courses? I know this changes between colleges...but in general which ones are grade boosters?

I have gotten into multiple medical schools with quite a few C's and a couple of D's. Obviously, I had a lot of A's to level things out.

Medical schools focus on the most recent coursework (at least in my experience).

You're asking for advice on "grade booster" courses. I highly recommend that you dispose of that idea because you will be surprised by how much medical schools know about which courses are "grade boosters". Also, you want to focus on taking classes that aren't easy, as you need to prove yourself to the prospective medical school(s).

 

[NTF]

Do you know anyone who has gotten in with multiple C's?

I've got C's, I've got F's, I've got W's. Take your pick. So no, med school isn't out of reach.

But obviously this isn't ideal. The bigger the hole you dig the more time you'll need to do GPA repair and cultivate excellence in the rest of your application to compensate.

 

[closer23]

Instead of taking stereotypical "easy A" courses, sign up for courses that fit your strengths and interests. If you enjoy the course and it lines up with your strengths, you'll get an "easy A". However, it won't be a waste of your time or be seen as a "grade booster".

 

[OncoCaP]

If you are doing your best, continue to do your best, even if your grades don't fall where you want them to. It isn't necessary to rule anything out at this point, but you should probably consider what you would do besides medicine for a number of reasons, including not getting into medical school, finding that your dream and the reality don't match (and you really don't want to become a doctor after all, once you learn more about the reality). If for some reason you don't think you are doing your best, talk to a family member, friend, or counselor you trust about what might be wrong and how to improve the situation.

On the career side of things, there are a variety of options and you can explore how easy / difficult they are academically and how closely they match with your interests. There are several other medical careers you can check out around SDN, such as physical therapy, audiology, etc. If you have a list of options it might take some of the unnecessary stress off. Having some stress helps you do your best. But, there comes a point where the stress might actually cause you to do worse that you would otherwise and that's what you want to stay away from. Most happy and successful people in the world are not physicians ... there are many things you can do and should consider in addition to a career in medicine. By not putting all your eggs in one basket right now, your grades could actually come up. Also, if you looked at a lot of possibilities and, if you do wind up in medical school, you'll be confident in your decision and be able to make the long slog through medical training and beyond with a decent attitude and might even enjoy it.

 

[rjpark2]

Don't give up- you still have a lot of time left in undergrad. Also, you can look into extra-curriculars that you can get involved in to round out your application but be careful with time management if you're having issues studying.

Also, you could look into osteopathic medicine. the average gpa and mcat scores for acceptance seem a tad lower, even though (I feel) that DOs are equal caliber as MDs. Good luck!

 

[iPremed]

Thank you for all of your advice. I feel a lot better now.

I am still scared since I may end up with 4C's and 3 would be in prereqs. Should I retake at least 1 of them (physics 2 b/c I like that better than 1) next semester?

Do you know anyone in a similar situation who got into med school?

Even if I get straight A's from now on, it would still only get my grade to about a 3.5. And getting straight A's is not very practical.

Is orgo 2 very similar to orgo 1? Like does it really build up on it...meaning it would be difficult if I didn't do well this semester?

Any other tips?

Thanks again!

 

[alibai3ah]

If your school lets you, you can retake the C's. But you have to understand medical school adcomms will still look at your first grade, and be like it took this student a second time to get an A blah blah..... I don't think you should waste your time on grades that you have already done poorly in. Instead focus on your major classes that come up your junior and senior year and ace those. Rock the MCAT science sections and those C's really won't matter as much. Spend your time instead on more extracurriculars, b/c i cannot stress enough how important those are. I actually feel as though they are just as important as grades/MCATs.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Choose upper level biology courses. Most of them are relatively easy to ace and they look good on your application. Avoid the physical sciences, averages are typically much lower in those courses.

 

[iPremed]

I have edited my grades to reflect how they really ended up since I had only given hypothetical situations before.

I would appreciate any input!

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

 

[iPremed]

Merry Christmas!!!




So, I calculated what my grades would be like after getting straight A's for the next 3 semesters.

It would be: 3.5596 overall, 3.3906 BCPM, and 3.83 all other GPA

This is provided I get straight A's though. Would these numbers be somewhat acceptable for at least state schools??

What are some tips on getting straight A's??

Should I retake the courses I got C's in?

Thanks!!

 

[pianola]

Happy holidays, iPremed. And good luck!

One tip...don't *count* on getting straight As in the coming semester. You kind of need a plan that relies on 'pretty good' grades, but not perfect ones. That sort of thing is too impossible to predict.

If you need to take some time to take extra undergrad classes to help your GPA, don't hesitate to do so.

After going through one application cycle (or nearly having finished one application cycle, anyway) I can tell you I would *never* ever ever ever want to reapply.

So just make yourself the strongest applicant you can be and THEN apply. Get as many A-grades as you can.

 

[link2swim06]

Getting your GPA up to the levels you cited would be sufficient for some MD schools if and only if you had a good MCAT score and ECs. Just make sure you take classes you can realistically get As in. It is one thing to say your going to get a 4.0 but a different thing to actually achieve it.

 

[drmonti]

i know.