Need some help from the pro's plz help...

[pw079]

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Hey guys i need help. I am coming into my junior yr and i will be applying to college soon and i want to pursue a career in medicine DO or MD (DO preferably). I have every intention to do so, but in HS my GPA is 3.54 and my science gpa is atleast 3.8. My problem is that i am so horrible at math that it scares me that i may not succeed. i will be in in alg 2 my jr yr and geom my sr yr. and probably hold a C avg. My question is will i be able to succeed in med school and what undergrad degree should i pursue in. if u ppl dont think i can make it and i bet u would be able to tell, so tell me so i can start a different path...
Thanks you all for the help..

 

[kaikai128]

I think that there are may majors that you can pursue with a minimum or no math requirements for your undergrad degree. I know several people who took no math in college. That being said, pick an undergrad major that you would like and would be interested in. Take whatever classes you would like and just make sure you get your pre-reqs while you are in school. You are way too young to be worried about your grades and getting into medical school. Enjoy high school...and enjoy college (but get good grades there) 🙂

 

[HoodyHoo]

Hey guys i need help. I am coming into my junior yr and i will be applying to college soon and i want to pursue a career in medicine DO or MD (DO preferably). I have every intention to do so, but in HS my GPA is 3.54 and my science gpa is atleast 3.8. My problem is that i am so horrible at math that it scares me that i may not succeed. i will be in in alg 2 my jr yr and geom my sr yr. and probably hold a C avg. My question is will i be able to succeed in med school and what undergrad degree should i pursue in. if u ppl dont think i can make it and i bet u would be able to tell, so tell me so i can start a different path...
Thanks you all for the help..

First of all gain some confidence. you are young, you have time to decide. Many people go through a few years of college before they even decide they want to go to medical school. As far as a major, you can be anything you want as long as you fullfill the pre-med requirements. There are tons of people in my class who were history/english/psychology/etc majors.

As far as the math thing goes, don't worry too much about it. There is little math in my courses now, however, occasionally we have to know various equations like for cardiology, but much of that is based on understanding the concept more than doing the math.

You can easily make it if you try, it's a matter of just going after it and not being scared. don't let ppl intimidate you, and have some confidence in yourself. My advisor in college told me sooooooooooo many times to quit pre-med because she thought my grades weren't high enough. Oh how I would love to tell her to shove it right about now.

And also, your high school grades don't count for jack. i know plenty of people who had 4.0's in high school who are now college dropouts. and I also know people who did poor in highschool because they didn't care, and turned out to be great students in college. You can't compare highschool to college, just like you can't compare college to medical school.

In the end, it's all up to you and how hard you work in undergrad. make sure to volunteer, do research, get involved with the community and the medical world. you have plenty of time, as in years, to decide.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hey guys i need help. I am coming into my junior yr and i will be applying to college soon and i want to pursue a career in medicine DO or MD (DO preferably). I have every intention to do so, but in HS my GPA is 3.54 and my science gpa is atleast 3.8. My problem is that i am so horrible at math that it scares me that i may not succeed. i will be in in alg 2 my jr yr and geom my sr yr. and probably hold a C avg. My question is will i be able to succeed in med school and what undergrad degree should i pursue in. if u ppl dont think i can make it and i bet u would be able to tell, so tell me so i can start a different path...
Thanks you all for the help..

you don't use any math in medical school

take the easiest math possible, as required for your degree, and major in something that is fun (you can major in anything to go into medical school----no need to major in something that will give you a low GPA)

 

[Kevbot]

Actually, you'll need a decent math background to get through physics and general chem in both college and on the MCAT. But consider this:

I was in your position in high school. I was very bad at math. In fact, I had to take precalc over when I got to college because I just hadn't learned it well in high school. Everyone has their weak points though. If yours is math, you may have to work a little bit harder in college math classes like calc 1&2. Big deal. That's 2 classes out of 40 classes you'll have in college. When you get to college, you ask some of your classmates for help, or better yet, you should get a tutor early on. Overcoming obstacles is what being pre-med is all about. Good Luck.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

you don't use any math in medical school

take the easiest math possible, as required for your degree, and major in something that is fun (you can major in anything to go into medical school----no need to major in something that will give you a low GPA)

With that said, most, if not all schools require some form of calculus.

 

[OSUdoc08]

With that said, most, if not all schools require some form of calculus.

Nope. Of ALL of the osteopathic medical schools in the nation, only TCOM requires calculus or statistics. This is because it is a Texas rule.

http://www.aacom.org/data/cib/03-prereqs.html

 

[Elmer]

Nope. Of ALL of the osteopathic medical schools in the nation, only TCOM requires calculus or statistics. This is because it is a Texas rule.

http://www.aacom.org/data/cib/03-prereqs.html

I think he meant for undergrad.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I think he meant for undergrad.

Unless you are a hard science major, most schools let you take either calc or stats for any B.S. degree.

 

[Kevbot]

Unless you are a hard science major, most schools let you take either calc or stats for any B.S. degree.

I think the bigger picture here is that the OP is being scared away from medicine because he is weak in one area.

To the OP... there's going to be plenty of stuff your going to be weak in no matter what tract you take. (for example, the MCATs) I wouldn't choose a particular major just to avoid taking 6 credits of math... That would be ridiculous. My advice: If you are really set on being a doctor, go to the bookstore and buy "Algebra2 For Dummies" or "Schaum's Outlines College Math", and get crackin'.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I think the bigger picture here is that the OP is being scared away from medicine because he is weak in one area.

To the OP... there's going to be plenty of stuff your going to be weak in no matter what tract you take. (for example, the MCATs) I wouldn't choose a particular major just to avoid taking 6 credits of math... That would be ridiculous. My advice: If you are really set on being a doctor, go to the bookstore and buy "Algebra2 For Dummies" or "Schaum's Outlines College Math", and get crackin'.

Yup, you need to pass those classes that are required, but none of the medical school prerequisites need anything like calculus. I think really that was my point.

Some pre-meds think you have to take calc-based physics, and there is obviously no point in doing that unless you like it.

I've even seen some that want to take extra calculus courses to prepare for med school.

I haven't done anything beyond a 10th grade math level in med school so far.

 

[stomper627]

First, I gotta say lets keep this all in perspective. The OP is what? 16? 17 at most? That is a child, and one that has quite a lot of living to do before they really need to worry about ONE class in college and the potential to get into medical school.
Now Im not knocking the OP for wanting to go into medicine, but Id rather someone go into it after experiencing life a little....going to college, having fun (that means screwing up a bit too), travelling the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, S.A, Australia....not seeing the grand canyon), dating, etc.
Your still only a junior in HS....if you grow up too fast now, youll never be a KID!!!
stomper