messed up first year!

[jeshani]

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i'm a microbiology major, and im graduating this spring(in few days) well, i really want to get into med school, but i was wondering if it was a possible task, because i badly messed up my first year.

i had, a C for geography, and math(pre calc)
i made a F for Chem(1) retook it and got an A
i made a F for political science retook it and got a D
but for the rest, i got all A's.. i didnt mess up after my first year..
well my problem was that, i am originally from another country. so i didnt study in english. i had a problem trying to catch up, and the second semester, my dad was very sick, and i missed about 3 weeks of classes.

i made a 40 for my MCAT

i did research for 2+ years, did ER volunteering for 3 years, went to africa for volunteer programs etc. internships during summer. was a tutor. pre-med society. honors degree.. do u think i have a chance?

 

[emaj1n]

i'm a microbiology major, and im graduating this spring(in few days) well, i really want to get into med school, but i was wondering if it was a possible task, because i badly messed up my first year.

i had, a C for geography, and math(pre calc)
i made a F for Chem(1) retook it and got an A
i made a F for political science retook it and got a D
but for the rest, i got all A's.. i didnt mess up after my first year..
well my problem was that, i am originally from another country. so i didnt study in english. i had a problem trying to catch up, and the second semester, my dad was very sick, and i missed about 3 weeks of classes.

i made a 40 for my MCAT

i did research for 2+ years, did ER volunteering for 3 years, went to africa for volunteer programs etc. internships during summer. was a tutor. pre-med society. honors degree.. do u think i have a chance?

With a 40 MCAT and all As after your freshman year, I'm going to go out on a wimb and say you have a chance. And a better than Lloyd in Dumb & Dumber chance.

 

[Green Pirate]

yeah that 40 is sexy.

 

[jeshani]

Thanks guys

but do u think they would care about the stupid political science class?! coz i didnt do too good..! well i made a D after i retook it!

 

[Institute]

I'm not sure, however, if I were an adcom, I just wouldn't look at the classes that you took. I'd look at how they can potentially affect you socially. I'm sure they probably won't care as much, but they might bring up some issues regarding our political system considering you'll be working under it. Just something to think about.

 

[pennybridge]

With a 40 MCAT and all As after your freshman year, I'm going to go out on a wimb and say you have a chance. And a better than Lloyd in Dumb & Dumber chance.

😕

 

[jeshani]

is it like i should kiss good bye to med school! come on it cant be that bad eh?!

 

[Green Pirate]

is it like i should kiss good bye to med school! come on it cant be that bad eh?!

i dont think so. it will probably hurt you for the top tier schools, but you should be fine in the mid tier (which is nothing to be ashamed about)

 

[jeshani]

What do u suggest? i mean, im not thinking of going to harvard or hopkins with 2 F's in my transcript!

 

[voirlesetoiles]

I'm no expert on this... but I think, if you just honestly try to explain what happened without trying to make excuses, you should be fine.

And wow, that 40.... i'm kinda jealous 😛

 

[jeshani]

well dont u think its better than having like C's and B's all over ur transcript 🙂 (ok i know a F is terrible!!! in fact 2 of them lol)
should i just forget about the whole med school idea just becoz i made 2 F's? 🙁

 

[voirlesetoiles]

Your other stats look really good... and yea, I think it's better than someone who has consistently gotten B's and C's. You have an upward trend. At this point, it's all about how you tackle the issue when it comes up during interviews. An awesome PS and ec's, plus that MCAT score will get you through some doors. I think. (I feel like nothing's certain for any pre-med haha)

 

[jeshani]

i havent thought about applying yet, as i wanna take things a little slow. because i studied and had to work damn hard to get all my grades up so i need a little break. where do you think i should apply?

 

[sejin8642]

I don't think few Cs and Ds do not matter. What matters is your overall GPA and science GPA.

 

[jeshani]

my science GPA is a 4.0 (but i made a F for chem and retook it) and my overall GPA is about 3.7 ish.. and its gonna go up after i get my grades for this semester. i took 20 credit hours this semester. my only concern is the 2F's and the fact that i didnt do good even after i retook political science.!
with my stats, where should i think of applying?

 

[AnesthesiaMD]

I'm not sure, however, if I were an adcom, I just wouldn't look at the classes that you took. I'd look at how they can potentially affect you socially. I'm sure they probably won't care as much, but they might bring up some issues regarding our political system considering you'll be working under it. Just something to think about.

I don't think one's performance in a poli sci course one takes in his/her freshman year is going to have profound effects on admission to medical school. Your assertion that they might care that this person earned a D in such a course is going to affect how this person operates within the political system is ridiculous. People grow/mature in college, freshman year is just the beginning of that process!

 

[AnesthesiaMD]

my science GPA is a 4.0 (but i made a F for chem and retook it) and my overall GPA is about 3.7 ish.. and its gonna go up after i get my grades for this semester. i took 20 credit hours this semester. my only concern is the 2F's and the fact that i didnt do good even after i retook political science.!
with my stats, where should i think of applying?

What state are you in?

 

[jeshani]

well thats good news.. if u were me, where would you try and apply.. ?
i live in Louisiana. but i dont want to be going to a medical school here. i have a weird history, i was born in california. went to school in india.. came to Louisiana to do my undergrad(no specific reason).

 

[psipsina]

Your original grades are calculated in AMCAS even if you retook them, just fyi, so you don't have a 4.0 science gpa. I think you should be able to get in somewhere apply to some reaches and some "safeties" and I'm sure someone will fall in love with your mcat score somewhere as long as the rest of your app is also solid (ECs, interview, PS, letters . . .) I would still apply to the LSUs as safeties even if staying here isn't your dream, your state school is always your best bet (well, unless you're from Cali or Penn), and their cheap which is nice.

 

[jeshani]

well i could go to grad school, do good blah blah, and apply after that?!
this is bad 🙁

 

[45408]

I don't think few Cs and Ds do not matter. What matters is your overall GPA and science GPA.

a few C's and D's can do serious damage to your overall though. That's like saying you don't care what a girl looks like, as long as she's hot. Uhhhhhh.....

 

[Glorified]

Uhhh don't people with 3.4 GPA's and 27 on MCATS get into med school (if not lower stats). You are being too hard on yourself. If for some freakish reason you can't get into an MD program, the apply to a DO program which will most likely immediately accept you. I think you are worrying too much, personally.

 

[Crazy4F1]

well i could go to grad school, do good blah blah, and apply after that?!
this is bad 🙁

i agree with what people have already said - you've more than proven your ability to handle the sciences, which is what you need for medical school. the one bad poli sci grade aside, i'm presuming you went on to make good grades in all of your other non-science courses, which demonstrates you should have a grasp of the english language that is more than sufficient for communicating with patients and any writing you might have to do. i think grad school would be a waste of your time and money. you should have a place either in your PS or on the application itself to explain, if you choose and decide it is necessary, why you had problems in your first year, and what you did to remedy them for the future.

apply early and broadly, and dont skip your state schools. get an msar and go from there 😀 good luck!

 

[jeshani]

Thank you soo much for the advice.. but where should i apply? 🙂

 

[pennybridge]

Thank you soo much for the advice.. but where should i apply? 🙂

anywhere you'd be happy.


seriously, apply to any and every school you'd like to go to. Want to go to Harvard? Apply! Hopkins? Apply! Loma Linda? Sorry can't help you with that one.

Applying is easy, and not too expensive.

I'd imagine you have at least a 3.5 gpa when amcas calculates it, but it seems like it will be higher. With that 40 on your mcat, i think you'll be fine.

Get an MSAR, get the USNWR med school book, get on the internet and look at school websites, talk to friends, doctors, professors, whatever.

Think about where you'd like to go geographically, its a good starting point, then just apply to schools you would like to go to

don't bother applying to schools you don't really want to go to, save that for your third application cycle if it comes to that.

 

[jeshani]

ah now that felt MUCH better..! well yesterday or maybe even before, i was going to drop the whole idea about going to med school coz of that irritating polical science course!

 

[Arc]

lol, you retook a class and still got a D?
Did you get lazy or something?

Anyway, here's a Excel tool to help calculate your AMCAS GPA. And that D shouldn't be a big hit on your GPA, its only 3 credits, right???

http://download.yousendit.com/82AD5B7C6F85E5CA

Honestly, retake the class if you can manage getting a C or higher. Ask someone to help you if you really need the help that badly.

 

[Critical Mass]

So are you considered a US citizen or international student?

My feeling is that you shouldn't have any problem getting in somewhere.

Don't do grad school.

I'd need your state of residence and a little bit of knowledge about what school you went to before I could give honest advice about where I think you'd get in.

 

[jeshani]

if i retake it, i have to stay in school for one more semester..! im a US citizen, but i went to high school in a different country..
and yes, its only 3 credits. the second semester, i missed 2 exams because my dad was very sick, and he didnt let me do the make-up cause apparently, it wasnt "me" who got sick!

 

[jeshani]

lol, you retook a class and still got a D?
Did you get lazy or something?

Anyway, here's a Excel tool to help calculate your AMCAS GPA. And that D shouldn't be a big hit on your GPA, its only 3 credits, right???

http://download.yousendit.com/82AD5B7C6F85E5CA

Honestly, retake the class if you can manage getting a C or higher. Ask someone to help you if you really need the help that badly.

Thank you for the Excel tool 🙂

 

[Arc]

if i retake it, i have to stay in school for one more semester..! im a US citizen, but i went to high school in a different country..
and yes, its only 3 credits. the second semester, i missed 2 exams because my dad was very sick, and he didnt let me do the make-up cause apparently, it wasnt "me" who got sick!

Do it as a summer course then. There is less of a timespan for stuff like that to happen. After tha, try and get a research job and apply for the next cycle.