- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 44
- Reaction score
- 0
freshman year- 3.2 gpa, 3 C's one in physics II and two in orgo (science gpa- 2.7) , what do u guys think? forget about med and do pharmacy or what?
Maybe I should Quit?
- Thread starter medschoolfreak8
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2003
- Messages
- 854
- Reaction score
- 4
I'm no expert about pharmacy school, but I would think C's in ochem would be more detrimental towards pharm school admission than med school admission.
You're only a freshmen so you have plenty of time to retake those courses if you need to. Just concentrate now on acing the rest of your prereq's.
You're only a freshmen so you have plenty of time to retake those courses if you need to. Just concentrate now on acing the rest of your prereq's.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2005
- Messages
- 505
- Reaction score
- 0
medschoolfreak8 said:
You're a freshman? You still have time to bring up your gpa, so if medicine is what you really want to do I think you should stick with it. Did you take gen. chem. in high school??
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 44
- Reaction score
- 0
BradenDO said:
yea i came in wit like 30 ap creds and then this whole year a lot of personal crap and problems lead to the disaster known as my gpa
S
SpinEcho13
Take the courses you had AP credits for, some med schools don't even accept AP plus they will be an easy boost to your GPA. Keep at it and if you have similar grades while trying your hardest maybe you should reconsider, but if it really was family stuff or mistakes on your part (we all have ****ty semesters) you'll do fine. I'm suspecting it's the later and you'll do great from now on. I know it took me bombing one semester to get really motivated and do my best.
- Joined
- May 30, 2006
- Messages
- 667
- Reaction score
- 1
Even still, a 3.5 GPA is not stellar, while not bad. I think if you show improvement over the years, and make you're personal problems relevant to the GPA situation, it will be okay. There are always ways to make it if you want it bad enough. 
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2005
- Messages
- 9,729
- Reaction score
- 25
There's always the Caribbean
D
deleted50541
Don't forget Hollywood Upstairs Medical College!DropkickMurphy said:
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2005
- Messages
- 9,729
- Reaction score
- 25
Or UB.....either way....
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 30,873
- Reaction score
- 10,063
medschoolfreak8 said:
The moral of the story -- don't rush into the hard sciences until you have a sense of how to handle your college courses. This is not a race and there is no reason to have tried to finish up your prereqs freshman year. On the positive side, you absolutely have time to fix your problems. I personally would spend the rest of your college career taking courses that you enjoy and can do well in and not touch the premed stuff again until late in your college career or even afterwards -- you need some seasoning and confidence building. Get a few semesters of nothing below a B before you attempt any more sciences or a retake of any of those prior ones. What you do not want to do is take a lot of hard courses you cannot handle and dig yourself a deeper hole. Good luck.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2006
- Messages
- 65
- Reaction score
- 0
i would retake general chem, then retake the three c's.
you can always explain to adcomms that you were not sufficiently prepared to take college level organic chemistry with AP chem classes (which is true).
besides, most med schools won't take AP classes?
you can always explain to adcomms that you were not sufficiently prepared to take college level organic chemistry with AP chem classes (which is true).
besides, most med schools won't take AP classes?
8
8744
medschoolfreak8 said:
Two words:
Hari Kari.
It's the only way.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2005
- Messages
- 9,729
- Reaction score
- 25
More correctly, seppuku....here's a step by step guide to it (albeit a very sarcastic one):
Seppuku - A Practical Guide.
By Nick May
It is hanami time in Japan and readers thoughts turn naturally to ritual disembowelment. Here in handy cut out form is the Gleaner guide to elegant self-immolation - please don't call it hari kiri...
Seppuku is highly ritualistic, exquisitely precise and earns you maximum respect from students and potential job interviewers alike. However, to avoid excessive pain, thoroughly internalise this fact: seppuku is all about RITUAL. Often one was not even required to DO anything, merely reaching for the knife was considered to be the act initiating your second's coup-de-grace. In almost all cases death occurred from having the head almost separated from the body.
Obviously you have to decide well in advance why you are doing it as precise etiquette varies. Resistance, remonstrance, show of loyalty, affirmation of the correctness of one's own position, expiation of a crime and the wiping out of disgrace are all perfectly good reasons; being refused a work visa is not (though it might come under funshi, or seppuku to express great indignation). After all, even in matters of self disembowelment a man must retain a sense of proportion. We will discuss "basic" seppuku and leave you to furnish your own flourishes.
Seppuku absolutely requires a minimum of two participants. Waiting to die from disembowelment is a notoriously drawn out process, very messy and trying for the spectator. Since the Empo era (late 17th century) only loonies such as Mishima and characters in Samurai dramas actually waited for hours to contemplate their entrails by- the-light-of-the-rising-sun - there is no need for you to indulge in anything so vulgarly melodramatic. You will require the services therefore of a Kaishakunin, or "second" whose duty it is to despatch you with a sharp sword at your signal. The exact moment he strikes is entirely for you to decide - obviously the later and more painful your death the better your chances with that next visa. For maximum effect and minimum pain we suggest you fake it. Be sure however that your second has no higher ideals than you, and of course better nerves and swordsmanship.
Choosing an appropriate Kaishaku-nin is obviously very important. You should consider the following. Beheading being very infra dig points are deducted for actually detaching the head. Make sure your kaishakunin has practiced and perfected the "daki-kubi" cut so that your head is left attached to the body by a short flap of skin. This ensures your face is hidden, demonstrates his prowess with a sword and entirely remove the stigma of decapitation.
There are three ritual systems indicating when it is appropriate to strike; choose the one most appropriate to you. Do chat to your kaishaku-nin beforehand and establish precisely when he is to intervene. DON'T rely on a student, in our experience they make lousy kaishikunin - they've all seen far too many samurai movies and read too few history books. They will almost certainly insist you not only disembowel yourself but write your name in kanji with your own blood on a silken handkerchief given-you-by-fair-virgin-lady before carrying out their ultimate duty. If you are a child, point out that it is customary to strike at the earliest possible moment. The knife itself, the kozuka, should be of about 11.5 inches, wrapped in paper with the final inch exposed. Check it is steel and not a painted bamboo substitute. Youth can be cruel.
Dress and execution. A loose kimono should be worn. As soon as the Sambo tray with the knife is placed before you, allow the kimono to fall open, reach forward, pull the tray toward you, pick up the knife and cut from left to right. The "jumonji", the crosswise cut, may be omitted by colonials but gentlemen will know better. The final upward jerk may result in a "summa cum laude"! Remove the knife, replace it carefully on the Sambo and signal the Kaishaku-nin to proceed.
In general your friends will try to create an atmosphere of mourning as though you are already dead. Don't be offended - this consideration is intended to put you at your ease! Immediately prior to the act you may be offered a last cup of water. Your cup will be filled in two pourings, you must drain the contents in two pairs of two sips. "Three" is taken to imply repetition, two indicating definitely-not-repetition-no-way! 2 X 2 is 4, or shi, which can be read as "death". How comforting such intellectual jeux d'esprit at this time!
And that is about it. DON'T engage in any of the degenerate forms of seppuku that involve stabbing yourself with a paper fan: they are vulgar and a paper cut can be quite nasty. DO cover the tatami in your apartment or your guarantors will have to replace it and definitely DON'T chew gum or ask for a last cigarette. Be considerate of others and try not to make a lot of noise.
The rules for seppuku are as complex as for the tea ceremony, and the result roughly the same; if pushed we would have to recommend self-disembowelment over a slow death from lethal boredom, arthritis and bitter tea.
http://kyushu.com/gleaner/editorspick/seppuku.shtml
Another discussion of technique:
The Fine Art of Seppuku
Seppuku (only gaijin refer to it as "hari-kari") is a highly ritualized performance, as complicated as tea ceremony or chado. The principle difference is that at the end of chado, one is merely nauseated from too much green tea, whilst at the end of seppuku, one is dead.
Seppuku is ideally committed by in a garden or a Buddhist temple (Shinto temples should not be defiled by death). The participant dresses in white, to express purity of intention and sits in the seiza position (legs drawn up under the body so that one is actually sitting on ones heels). A servant places the sanbo (an unlacquered wooden table) before one. It will contain a sake cup, a sheaf of washi (paper handmade from mulberry bark) and writing accoutrements, and the kozuka (disemboweling blade). This can be a tanto (dagger) blade without hilt, wrapped in several sheets of paper to provide a better grip. Real samurai, however, use their own wakizashi.
The sake cup is filled from the left, by an attendant using his left hand (this is indescribably rude under other circumstances). The person committing seppuku then empties it in two drinks of two sips each (one sip would show greed, whilst three or more would show hesitation). This makes a total of four sips; shi, "four", also means "death" (Nihonjin just love these kinds of puns, especially when theyre about to kill themselves).
One then writes a death poem in the waka style (five lines of five, seven, seven, five, and seven syllables). The poem should be graceful, natural, and about transient emotions. Under no means should it mention that the fact you are about to die. Asano, whose seppuku precipitated the famous "Forty-seven ronin" incident, is said to have written a particularly poor death poem, showing the immaturity and lack of character that led to his being ordered to commit seppuku in the first place.
At this point, the person slips out of his outer garment (kamishimo) and tucks the sleeves under his knees to prevent him from doing something undignified like slumping to one side. He picks up the kozuka, and with his other hand picks up the sanbo and places it under his buttocks, to cause him to lean forward slightly in the proper attitude.
If the person committing is so young or so evil that a fan has been substituted for a blade, the kaishakunin executes a kirioroshi strike (a vertical cut) as soon as the person committing seppuku touches the fan to his stomach. Otherwise, he will typically wait until the person plunges the blade deep into the left side of his belly, and draws it across to the right, with a sharp upward cut at the end. A samurai who feels himself capable may then plunge the blade into his groin and cut upwards to the sternum, followed by a horizontal cut at the base of the rib cage. However, the kaishakunin is supposed to keep a sharp (heh, heh) eye out, and strike at the first sign of pain or hesitation in his principle.
The kirioroshi, incidentally, was not intended to actually sever the head, but to leave it attached by a strip of skin at the throat. It was considered infra dig for ones principals head to go spinning across the room, spraying blood as it went; only low-class criminals were treated thus. Especially one should not whack ones principal in the jaw with the katana, as Yukio Mishimas kaishakunin did in 1970. The sanbo, the kozuka, and the katana are all discarded as being defiled by death.
Incidentally, real badasses did kill themselves, in the ritual known as jumonji giri. This is just like seppuku, except that there is no kaishakunin. After disemboweling yourself, you sat quietly and bled to death over the next half-hour or so. The last person to do this historically was General Nogi, who did it as junshi (following ones lord in death) on the death of the Meiji emperor in 1912. He not only committed jumonji giri, he buttoned up his white naval blouse afterwards.
In such circumstances, of course, there usually wasnt time for the whole ritual, so expedients as cutting ones own throat, throwing oneself from a running horse with a sword in ones mouth, or flinging oneself off high walls, towers, or cliffs were winked at. In 1516, Muira Yoshimoto committed suicide by cutting off his own head, something that got him a gazillion style points (he was still dead, however).
SOURCE: http://www.win.net/ratsnest/archive-articles21/fog0000000384.html
Seppuku - A Practical Guide.
By Nick May
It is hanami time in Japan and readers thoughts turn naturally to ritual disembowelment. Here in handy cut out form is the Gleaner guide to elegant self-immolation - please don't call it hari kiri...
Seppuku is highly ritualistic, exquisitely precise and earns you maximum respect from students and potential job interviewers alike. However, to avoid excessive pain, thoroughly internalise this fact: seppuku is all about RITUAL. Often one was not even required to DO anything, merely reaching for the knife was considered to be the act initiating your second's coup-de-grace. In almost all cases death occurred from having the head almost separated from the body.
Obviously you have to decide well in advance why you are doing it as precise etiquette varies. Resistance, remonstrance, show of loyalty, affirmation of the correctness of one's own position, expiation of a crime and the wiping out of disgrace are all perfectly good reasons; being refused a work visa is not (though it might come under funshi, or seppuku to express great indignation). After all, even in matters of self disembowelment a man must retain a sense of proportion. We will discuss "basic" seppuku and leave you to furnish your own flourishes.
Seppuku absolutely requires a minimum of two participants. Waiting to die from disembowelment is a notoriously drawn out process, very messy and trying for the spectator. Since the Empo era (late 17th century) only loonies such as Mishima and characters in Samurai dramas actually waited for hours to contemplate their entrails by- the-light-of-the-rising-sun - there is no need for you to indulge in anything so vulgarly melodramatic. You will require the services therefore of a Kaishakunin, or "second" whose duty it is to despatch you with a sharp sword at your signal. The exact moment he strikes is entirely for you to decide - obviously the later and more painful your death the better your chances with that next visa. For maximum effect and minimum pain we suggest you fake it. Be sure however that your second has no higher ideals than you, and of course better nerves and swordsmanship.
Choosing an appropriate Kaishaku-nin is obviously very important. You should consider the following. Beheading being very infra dig points are deducted for actually detaching the head. Make sure your kaishakunin has practiced and perfected the "daki-kubi" cut so that your head is left attached to the body by a short flap of skin. This ensures your face is hidden, demonstrates his prowess with a sword and entirely remove the stigma of decapitation.
There are three ritual systems indicating when it is appropriate to strike; choose the one most appropriate to you. Do chat to your kaishaku-nin beforehand and establish precisely when he is to intervene. DON'T rely on a student, in our experience they make lousy kaishikunin - they've all seen far too many samurai movies and read too few history books. They will almost certainly insist you not only disembowel yourself but write your name in kanji with your own blood on a silken handkerchief given-you-by-fair-virgin-lady before carrying out their ultimate duty. If you are a child, point out that it is customary to strike at the earliest possible moment. The knife itself, the kozuka, should be of about 11.5 inches, wrapped in paper with the final inch exposed. Check it is steel and not a painted bamboo substitute. Youth can be cruel.
Dress and execution. A loose kimono should be worn. As soon as the Sambo tray with the knife is placed before you, allow the kimono to fall open, reach forward, pull the tray toward you, pick up the knife and cut from left to right. The "jumonji", the crosswise cut, may be omitted by colonials but gentlemen will know better. The final upward jerk may result in a "summa cum laude"! Remove the knife, replace it carefully on the Sambo and signal the Kaishaku-nin to proceed.
In general your friends will try to create an atmosphere of mourning as though you are already dead. Don't be offended - this consideration is intended to put you at your ease! Immediately prior to the act you may be offered a last cup of water. Your cup will be filled in two pourings, you must drain the contents in two pairs of two sips. "Three" is taken to imply repetition, two indicating definitely-not-repetition-no-way! 2 X 2 is 4, or shi, which can be read as "death". How comforting such intellectual jeux d'esprit at this time!
And that is about it. DON'T engage in any of the degenerate forms of seppuku that involve stabbing yourself with a paper fan: they are vulgar and a paper cut can be quite nasty. DO cover the tatami in your apartment or your guarantors will have to replace it and definitely DON'T chew gum or ask for a last cigarette. Be considerate of others and try not to make a lot of noise.
The rules for seppuku are as complex as for the tea ceremony, and the result roughly the same; if pushed we would have to recommend self-disembowelment over a slow death from lethal boredom, arthritis and bitter tea.
http://kyushu.com/gleaner/editorspick/seppuku.shtml
Another discussion of technique:
The Fine Art of Seppuku
Seppuku (only gaijin refer to it as "hari-kari") is a highly ritualized performance, as complicated as tea ceremony or chado. The principle difference is that at the end of chado, one is merely nauseated from too much green tea, whilst at the end of seppuku, one is dead.
Seppuku is ideally committed by in a garden or a Buddhist temple (Shinto temples should not be defiled by death). The participant dresses in white, to express purity of intention and sits in the seiza position (legs drawn up under the body so that one is actually sitting on ones heels). A servant places the sanbo (an unlacquered wooden table) before one. It will contain a sake cup, a sheaf of washi (paper handmade from mulberry bark) and writing accoutrements, and the kozuka (disemboweling blade). This can be a tanto (dagger) blade without hilt, wrapped in several sheets of paper to provide a better grip. Real samurai, however, use their own wakizashi.
The sake cup is filled from the left, by an attendant using his left hand (this is indescribably rude under other circumstances). The person committing seppuku then empties it in two drinks of two sips each (one sip would show greed, whilst three or more would show hesitation). This makes a total of four sips; shi, "four", also means "death" (Nihonjin just love these kinds of puns, especially when theyre about to kill themselves).
One then writes a death poem in the waka style (five lines of five, seven, seven, five, and seven syllables). The poem should be graceful, natural, and about transient emotions. Under no means should it mention that the fact you are about to die. Asano, whose seppuku precipitated the famous "Forty-seven ronin" incident, is said to have written a particularly poor death poem, showing the immaturity and lack of character that led to his being ordered to commit seppuku in the first place.
At this point, the person slips out of his outer garment (kamishimo) and tucks the sleeves under his knees to prevent him from doing something undignified like slumping to one side. He picks up the kozuka, and with his other hand picks up the sanbo and places it under his buttocks, to cause him to lean forward slightly in the proper attitude.
If the person committing is so young or so evil that a fan has been substituted for a blade, the kaishakunin executes a kirioroshi strike (a vertical cut) as soon as the person committing seppuku touches the fan to his stomach. Otherwise, he will typically wait until the person plunges the blade deep into the left side of his belly, and draws it across to the right, with a sharp upward cut at the end. A samurai who feels himself capable may then plunge the blade into his groin and cut upwards to the sternum, followed by a horizontal cut at the base of the rib cage. However, the kaishakunin is supposed to keep a sharp (heh, heh) eye out, and strike at the first sign of pain or hesitation in his principle.
The kirioroshi, incidentally, was not intended to actually sever the head, but to leave it attached by a strip of skin at the throat. It was considered infra dig for ones principals head to go spinning across the room, spraying blood as it went; only low-class criminals were treated thus. Especially one should not whack ones principal in the jaw with the katana, as Yukio Mishimas kaishakunin did in 1970. The sanbo, the kozuka, and the katana are all discarded as being defiled by death.
Incidentally, real badasses did kill themselves, in the ritual known as jumonji giri. This is just like seppuku, except that there is no kaishakunin. After disemboweling yourself, you sat quietly and bled to death over the next half-hour or so. The last person to do this historically was General Nogi, who did it as junshi (following ones lord in death) on the death of the Meiji emperor in 1912. He not only committed jumonji giri, he buttoned up his white naval blouse afterwards.
In such circumstances, of course, there usually wasnt time for the whole ritual, so expedients as cutting ones own throat, throwing oneself from a running horse with a sword in ones mouth, or flinging oneself off high walls, towers, or cliffs were winked at. In 1516, Muira Yoshimoto committed suicide by cutting off his own head, something that got him a gazillion style points (he was still dead, however).
SOURCE: http://www.win.net/ratsnest/archive-articles21/fog0000000384.html
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2005
- Messages
- 776
- Reaction score
- 0
frosh year i had a 2.7 gpa and a c in bio I. by the time i graduated i had a 3.7 gpa and a sci. gpa of 3.82. just take some upper levels and get some A's. If you really want to impress someone bust out some A's in Pchem, which would make your C in organic look like nothing.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2005
- Messages
- 9,729
- Reaction score
- 25
Of course, ritualistic suicide is still a valid optionnovawildcat said:
After all you did disgrace the emperor by your unacceptable performance against your adversary! - Joined
- Oct 17, 2002
- Messages
- 140
- Reaction score
- 0
Actually, medical school is probably not going to happen for you.
If you still want to work in healthcare, there are a number of other careers for which you'd be suited.
If you still want to work in healthcare, there are a number of other careers for which you'd be suited.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2006
- Messages
- 2,508
- Reaction score
- 5
Yeah, wow...that was a lot for you to take freshman year.
The good news is that if the AMCAS is still the same as it is now, your GPA gets broken down into Fresh, Soph, Jr., Sr., Post-Bac, etc. So show an upward trend. Only take a few science classes a quarter. Don't overload with classes. If you have to take a summer session, do it. Just don't put too much on your plate at once.
Relax. Take a deep breath. What is done is done. Now you have to move on from it.
Focus on what you could have done better. Don't make excuses like, "Well, if such-and-such hadn't happened, then..."
If you needed to get more study time, take better notes (does your school have a notetaking service? Better yet, do you have a friend to be a note buddy with (that way if you miss a class you can get them?)?), review your notes and if you must do reading from your textbooks, be wise and don't spend too much time there. If your college has a tutoring service you might want to check it out for some study/organization tips.
I came in cocky and ready to go from HS and got burned freshman year: 3.4! I had never gotten anything besides an A in HS. Going to Career & Counseling Services and taking a few notetaking and organization classes helped me get back in the game.
The good news is that if the AMCAS is still the same as it is now, your GPA gets broken down into Fresh, Soph, Jr., Sr., Post-Bac, etc. So show an upward trend. Only take a few science classes a quarter. Don't overload with classes. If you have to take a summer session, do it. Just don't put too much on your plate at once.
Relax. Take a deep breath. What is done is done. Now you have to move on from it.
Focus on what you could have done better. Don't make excuses like, "Well, if such-and-such hadn't happened, then..."
If you needed to get more study time, take better notes (does your school have a notetaking service? Better yet, do you have a friend to be a note buddy with (that way if you miss a class you can get them?)?), review your notes and if you must do reading from your textbooks, be wise and don't spend too much time there. If your college has a tutoring service you might want to check it out for some study/organization tips.
I came in cocky and ready to go from HS and got burned freshman year: 3.4! I had never gotten anything besides an A in HS. Going to Career & Counseling Services and taking a few notetaking and organization classes helped me get back in the game.
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
- Messages
- 2,179
- Reaction score
- 26
medschoolfreak8 said:
You're just a freshman, but let's not mince words, the low science GPA is a bad thing. You have plenty of time to bring it up and we always hear about how med schools like upward trajectory. You're really going to have to work at it though, need to take some hard science and prove you can do it. Then at your interviews when they ask you you can say, "yeah, freshman year was a bit of a shock."
BTW, why physics II and both orgos your freshman year?!?!
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2001
- Messages
- 12,640
- Reaction score
- 2
A low GPA in freshman year does not demolish your chances if you demonstrate a good upward trend and balance it out towards the end.
My freshman year sucked.
My freshman year sucked.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2006
- Messages
- 302
- Reaction score
- 2
Work hard.
Bring up your GPA.
Maybe do a good postbac.
And consider US-MD, DO, and Carib options.
Bring up your GPA.
Maybe do a good postbac.
And consider US-MD, DO, and Carib options.
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,814
- Reaction score
- 6
Panda Bear said:
Lemme hear ya...a one...a two...a three...
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack
I don't care if I ever get back
So it's root, root, root for the Cubbies
If they don't win it's a shame
For it's one...two...three strikes you're out
At the old...ball...game...
LET'S GET SOME RUNS!!
(my apologies...it's friday and my brain has checked out for the weekend...)
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2006
- Messages
- 5,253
- Reaction score
- 72
medschoolfreak8 said:
I don't think it's your less than perfect grade that will keep you out of medical school but your lack of motivation. No one gets anywhere by being a quitter, your grades are fine for freshman year. Use the next few years to improve and you'll be fine. I know people with 2.5 gpas (sophmores) who are still pre-med. There are people worse off than you.
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2006
- Messages
- 324
- Reaction score
- 9
medschoolfreak8 ,
I sympathize with you.
My freshman year I was in a similar situation. I rushed into my Premed Req's and earned 3.1 GPA by the start of my sophomore year.
By that time, I had a year of Orgo, and a year of physics left to complete. I was in serious estiercol. So I decided to take a break from the premed curriculum, and analyzed my situation. Turns out my lack of motivation, my ego, and my girlfriend were the main issues affecting my academic performance. I had to sincerely answer two questions:
How bad do I want this? & Why Medicine?
Those are questions you have to answer!
After this, I came back to the premed game, and got straight A/A+'s! (since my sophomore year). Now have a 3.6 GPA; although its not stellar, it is enough to get my foot in the door. It takes hard work, and MOTIVATION!
Take heed unto Law2Docs words. Its good advice.
& Good luck to you!
I sympathize with you.
My freshman year I was in a similar situation. I rushed into my Premed Req's and earned 3.1 GPA by the start of my sophomore year.
By that time, I had a year of Orgo, and a year of physics left to complete. I was in serious estiercol. So I decided to take a break from the premed curriculum, and analyzed my situation. Turns out my lack of motivation, my ego, and my girlfriend were the main issues affecting my academic performance. I had to sincerely answer two questions:
How bad do I want this? & Why Medicine?
Those are questions you have to answer!
After this, I came back to the premed game, and got straight A/A+'s! (since my sophomore year). Now have a 3.6 GPA; although its not stellar, it is enough to get my foot in the door. It takes hard work, and MOTIVATION!
Take heed unto Law2Docs words. Its good advice.
& Good luck to you!
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,347
- Reaction score
- 2
It's not the end of teh world. One thing thats impressive is that you took physics and orgo all in fresman year, classes that some people dont take until sophmore and junior year.Clearly the GPA is bad but theres plenty of time to bring it back up before applying. You should try to get into some kind of research immediately and get involved in some clubs. This summer you should consider going to Africa, the land of the poor GPA. Then next summer take a MCAT prep course and knock the MCAT out of the park. Before you know it you'll be a very competitive applicant
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,028
- Reaction score
- 1
medschoolfreak8 said:
Don't call it quits that easily. You are still a freshman so, you got more than enough time to pull it up. But why the flying **** would you take physics and orgo in your freshman year?
I'll tell you a story. The year was 2000. It was a new millenium and a time when flying cars and life styles imitating the Jetsons were in the cards. A time when I went to college. Now you whipper-snappers might not remember the year 2000 but it was like all the years after it, Bill Gates was rich, Oprah had fluctuating weight but she was still rich. But I digress...anyways, I had a horrible first semester....2.87. Second semester, slightly better with a 3.3. The next semester...another 3.3, with a C+ in organic. Med school seemed far away. I coulda given up. But I ate my spinach, slept with professors of both genders and managed to graduate with a barely respectable 3.5.
Then came the beast, people call MCAT. Many a good students have been devoured by it. They say, you see the beast, you'd best play dead. Anyway, I got beat by the beast. Med school seemed far away again. Then I powdered my face, put on my stockings and asked the beast to dinner, got the beast drunk and took advantage of it and left with a decent score. If you are still reading this then you waded through this crappy long ass post. And if you can do that, then you can surely put in some elbow grease and pick up the grades.
The moral of the story is....always clean your plate.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2006
- Messages
- 32
- Reaction score
- 0
medschoolfreak8 said:
Hmmm....so you've titled yourself "medschoolfreak", that might be part of the problem. Quit worrying about it so much. Why make yourself miserable about? Do the best you can and see where (and I guess who) you are in a few years.
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Messages
- 563
- Reaction score
- 5
You're a freshman. But quit. You're probably not smart enough.
novawildcat said:
i'm guessing that was early on in your freshman year, otherwise your graduation gpa is not possible, unless you took a lot more units than neccessary.
and to the person who posted subject. why did you take ochem and physics in your first year!?!?!? Anyone would have a hard time with that. Just do well in your future years, retake ochem and physics. Your gpa is not crap, it can still go up.
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2006
- Messages
- 735
- Reaction score
- 0
Are you guys kidding me? With a 3.2gpa freshman year-that can EASILY be raised to a nice gpa by senior year!! Plus, adcoms like to see an upward "trend"....many schools would prefer a student who knows what it's like to "fail" (by fail, I don't mean "F's") and get back on their feet and do wonderfully, then a student who has never made an A- in their life!! Do you think you're always going to succeed as a physician? Do you think you're never going to have those thoughts of "what if I would have done this treatment to that patient-would they have lived?"....moral of the story- your "low" gpa this year shows humility, it shows that you are an actual person and if you work hard and make straight A's from here on out-it will show that you overcame your barriers and learned a little about yourself in the process (ie. your not always perfect). My favorite quote, and I believe that many adcoms would agree with this quote, is "you learn more from your failures than from your successes."
- Joined
- May 13, 2006
- Messages
- 488
- Reaction score
- 1
91Bravo said:
I think that's a bit extreme. It sounds like it's his first year. He can bring up the GPA, and do things to show the ad com that he wants it. I don't think you can predict whether or not he'll get into school with just one year's worth of classes.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2005
- Messages
- 394
- Reaction score
- 0
medschoolfreak8 said:
The most important thing is whether or not you learned the material: you can still score high on the MCAT even if your gpa isn't the highest
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 30,873
- Reaction score
- 10,063
Rafa said:
If you are a junior with a sub 3.0 BCPM like the OP, then you really better plan on retaking a few things or do a postbac in upper level science before applying. The OP's issue is far less about the cumulative GPA and more about the struggling in the prereqs.
A 3.2 gpa is not that bad after your freshman year. I had a 2.87 gpa after mine, albeit w/o any C's. After 3 years of hard work and a reasonable MCAT score, I am proud to say I will be going to medschool this fall (although I did have to take a year off so my senior gpa would count too.)
Just because of the way averages are done, your sophomore year is going to be your best chance at raising your gpa. Think about it, just get two 4.0 semesters (alot easier said than done) and you will be sitting pretty at 3.6. So, I would advise you to take all easy classes your sophomore year. You can put off the science classes until your junior and senior year. At that point, I would balance the classes so at worst, you'd leave with a 3.6 semester each semester. This will put a lot less pressure on you I think.
Good luck!
Just because of the way averages are done, your sophomore year is going to be your best chance at raising your gpa. Think about it, just get two 4.0 semesters (alot easier said than done) and you will be sitting pretty at 3.6. So, I would advise you to take all easy classes your sophomore year. You can put off the science classes until your junior and senior year. At that point, I would balance the classes so at worst, you'd leave with a 3.6 semester each semester. This will put a lot less pressure on you I think.
Good luck!
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 44
- Reaction score
- 0
retake orgo?
skypilot said:
medschoolfreak8 said:
Make a schedule that you can rock. Find science classes that you can get an A in. Raise your GPA to an acceptable level. Then maybe consider retaking the Orgo and the Physics in the summer time when you can get an A in them.
