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I feel like this comes up a lot on these sorts of forums but I'm a MD-PhD hopeful at a university ranked 100-125 and I bombed my first semester, making only a 3.44. I only took STEM classes and I'm very involved in a research lab, and hoping to get an REU for the summer. From what I've heard you need to basically have a 3.8 or greater to have any shot at MSTP, and that would mean making 4.0's for the next semesters.
I'm worried because I felt like I "tried hard" this semester and still did so terribly. I got involved, went to office hours, did practice problems (and generally did well on the practice problems), went to tutoring, etc. and still bombed a few critical tests, dragging the whole average down. I'm not sure how to prevent that from happening or if anyone has any better studying advice, so I don't end up with a downward trend. (For context: I'm an engineering major.) I am also unsure of how to get those other things you need for a med school app like volunteering at a hospital or doctor shadowing since the hospital near my school gives heavy preference to sophomores/juniors.
I'm worried because I felt like I "tried hard" this semester and still did so terribly. I got involved, went to office hours, did practice problems (and generally did well on the practice problems), went to tutoring, etc. and still bombed a few critical tests, dragging the whole average down. I'm not sure how to prevent that from happening or if anyone has any better studying advice, so I don't end up with a downward trend. (For context: I'm an engineering major.) I am also unsure of how to get those other things you need for a med school app like volunteering at a hospital or doctor shadowing since the hospital near my school gives heavy preference to sophomores/juniors.
