Low grades - "Extenuating" circumstances?

[MedicHopeful]

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Need some advice. So here's my situation:

Current sophomore at a top school. Unfortunately, my gpa for the past 3 semesters has not been stellar - it's in the 2.5 range, on track to stay about there by the end of fall term.

The "extenuating circumstances" causing the low gpa include the following:

-- (physical) illness for the past two years, initially mismanaged (both by doc and myself, unfortunately) and is only now on track for proper diagnosis and treatment - but I didn't have cancer or anything dramatic that would catch the attention of adcoms. (and really, just for personal reasons, I'd rather not discuss the specifics of my conditions unless I have to, to "prove" my illness...)

-- the continual struggle and resulting fallout of an abusive and threatening relationship with my parents/family, that started at the end of my senior year of high school and continues to this day (although, finally, security is starting to help me get help) ... again, I'm really not comfortable bringing up specifics and especially

-- anxiety/depression from unrelated personal crises which I don't really wish to discuss ... (I have purposefully avoided a formal diagnosis and/or recorded psych. visits, even possibly at cost of not getting the help I need, just to avoid any negative mark on my mental health records... I am afraid of the implications of that)

My questions ... 1) Are these at all "valid" reasons, or could they be viewed as "lazy" excuses? 2) How/where on my app exactly would I bring these up? 3) In how much detail would I have to describe what happened? Would I have to "prove" it with documentation (e.g. medical or legal records - which, although I'm willing to do if I must, as I said, for personal reasons, I'm just not that comfortable doing ...)

I've been through a lot in the past two years - and part of my heavy anxiety is that I'll "suffer my whole life" and not live the career/life of my dreams, all because of how my I let my "suffering" destroy my academic career early in college (... perhaps an irrational fear?)

Forgive my total ignorance ... thanks a lot.

 

[jcruiser]

-- anxiety/depression from unrelated personal crises which I don't really wish to discuss ... (I have purposefully avoided a formal diagnosis and/or recorded psych. visits, even possibly at cost of not getting the help I need, just to avoid any negative mark on my mental health records... I am afraid of the implications of that)

There are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your PCP. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and GPA.

 

[flodhi1]

there are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your pcp. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and gpa.

+1

 

[ADolefulDream]

there are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your pcp. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and gpa.

+2

 

[tiedyeddog]

There are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your PCP. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and GPA.

Before you can treat others you must treat yourself. These are all good extenuating circumstances, but that doesn't give anyone a free pass. You can bring this up in your PS. No one is going to ask for documentation.

 

[LifeTake2]

While they are extenuating circumstances they are not going to excuse what happened.

The best option you have is to accept what happened, do whatever it takes to address (including getting meds if they help) and work your ***** off the next 2.5years.

If you do well the next 2 years, you can graduate with an acceptable GPA (not great but acceptable) and while they might ask about what happened at first, it will not be the focus of your application.

 

[kexy]

There are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your PCP. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and GPA.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I feel like there is a lot of misunderstanding about what medical schools see/expect in this area. Do most schools have a physical that must be passed before orientation? Do they have a mental health evaluation as well? Are you required to report issues like depression if they are in the past? (I know you may have to for licensing later on, but would past depression present a problem for matriculating?)

 

[compshateme85]

There are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your PCP. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and GPA.

The military medical school does do a physical and an investigation into your past medical history, so if this is your top choice school, then it might become an issue. Otherwise, no other school will ask about it.

Also, it's hard to give advice without specifics. I'm not saying you should talk about things you are uncomfortable with, but the information here might be more vague than you were hoping to get.

 

[MedicHopeful]

Before you can treat others you must treat yourself. These are all good extenuating circumstances, but that doesn't give anyone a free pass. You can bring this up in your PS. No one is going to ask for documentation.

I see... Thank you all!

 

[MedicHopeful]

While they are extenuating circumstances they are not going to excuse what happened.

The best option you have is to accept what happened, do whatever it takes to address (including getting meds if they help) and work your ***** off the next 2.5years.

If you do well the next 2 years, you can graduate with an acceptable GPA (not great but acceptable) and while they might ask about what happened at first, it will not be the focus of your application.

Right - I plan to do just that. Thanks.

 

[MedicHopeful]

The military medical school does do a physical and an investigation into your past medical history, so if this is your top choice school, then it might become an issue. Otherwise, no other school will ask about it.

Also, it's hard to give advice without specifics. I'm not saying you should talk about things you are uncomfortable with, but the information here might be more vague than you were hoping to get.

That's something I wanted to ask as well... Thanks for the info.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Are you required to report issues like depression if they are in the past? (I know you may have to for licensing later on, but would past depression present a problem for matriculating?)

Many schools (mine did) require a physical. This is mainly to assure you don't have any condition that could keep you from completing tasks during third/fourth year. Also

You might get asked by whoever does your physical about depression, maybe not. It's going to be up to you to bring in up. Even if you do, it won't make a difference.

However, I have no idea about your history or anything, but make sure BEFORE you start medical school you get any mental problems under control. The stress will exacerbate these issues if you don't have a plan for dealing them before school starts.

 

[illegallysmooth]

1. That sucks and I'm sorry, really.
2. Most schools will not let a student in based on guessing that if the student had an easier personal life, he/she might have gotten at least a B average and therefore might pass the medical school classes.
3. Your medical records are confidential, with the exception of needing to pass a physical.
4. My advice to you is to take care of yourself and get everything under control. Then re-take some classes or do a post-bacc to prove you can excel in the science classes, because that's what they need to see. Then, and only then, take the MCAT and apply BROADLY. Don't discount DO schools, and don't apply with a 2.5.
5. Crap happens and adcoms know this - but they want to see the ability to rise above. My friend in undergrad had a recurrence of osteosarcoma and underwent radiation therapy while in school. She cried when she got a B in biochem... because she had a 4.0 otherwise. The girl had to run out of class to throw up, frequently. She ended up with an admission offer from Johns Hopkins. Last I heard, she couldn't attend because she couldn't pass the physical. I'm sure there are many others like her. Be thankful your body won't keep you out of med school, deal with these problems, commit to your success and rise above it.

 

[MedicHopeful]

I see; thanks!

 

[MedicHopeful]

Yes - and I will try my very best to "rise above". The trouble hasn't ended but I can't let it bring me down anymore - and someday it also will pass. 🙂 Thank you.

 

[b05010445]

In my first year and a half of undergraduate I was battling a physical condition that was threatening to leave me in a wheelchair and I was frequently traveling far away to specialists. Granted, I didn't do very well in my classes. I had a strong upward trend in my grades, got involved in lots of research and have a different view of the medical profession because of being on the receiving end.
That said, my stats still were not strong enough for US MD on my first try (I didn't even bother wasting the money to complete the secondaries once I got realistic about it).
I'm in an SMP now because they saw my upward trend and believed in my abilities. I was not denied from any SMPs.
In all my applications I emphasized that my condition is improved and my specialists do not expect it to be an issue in my continuing education. So I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to bring up that you had a medical issue resulting in some sub-par grades which you have since made up for granted that condition is not re-occurring so they have no reason to expect you will bomb out in Med school. Personally, I would leave out the anxiety/depression/family issues when mentioning anything since those could easily be reoccurring and may contain a certain stigma to them.
Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. You can't live your life as a victim, over come!

 

[r1d1]

She ended up with an admission offer from Johns Hopkins. Last I heard, she couldn't attend because she couldn't pass the physical.

That's really sad!
In another post somebody mentions an HIV+ medical student. I have a hard believing that schools would admit HIV+ students, but he could have contracted it during school.

 

[MedicHopeful]

That's very true. Thanks so much for your advice and sharing your story.

 

[theseeker4]

That's really sad!
In another post somebody mentions an HIV+ medical student. I have a hard believing that schools would admit HIV+ students, but he could have contracted it during school.

Unless they volunteer that information, how would the school even know about their HIV status? I am pretty sure extensive testing for various diseases is not part of the physical, which is simply checking your ability to perform the duties of a physician.

 

[BurntFlower]

There are no implications of getting diagnosed for your anxiety and depression. Nobody will ever see your med rec except for you and your PCP. If you don't get help, you will face a downward spiral in both your life and GPA.

Thisthisthis. I have depression and going to a psychiatrist has improved my life SO much.

 

[MedicHopeful]

I am strongly considering it. Thanks

 

[gloeotrichia]

Agree with everyone that you really should seek help, and medical schools won't see those records. Also, I did actually talk about my struggle with generalized anxiety disorder in some of my admissions essays and have been getting plenty of interview invites, and one acceptance already. So even if you were to discuss it, as long as you had gotten the illness to a manageable level, most places aren't going to reject you solely because of that.