Post Bacc, Grad Student with Bad 1st semester

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

NerdGirl123

New Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
...

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
It might be helpful to know your undergrad GPA, your grad GPA (so far), and your MCAT.

I think the most important thing is to pinpoint exactly why you're not doing well--and fast! Are you studying effectively? Are you making use of any resources your program offers for students who are struggling? You say you haven't talked to an advisor; I would definitely recommend reaching out to someone!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Oh of course, my undergrad cGPA was a 3.3 and my MCAT score was a 27. My current grad school GPA now is a 2.4. I was average, not strong enough for medical school which is why I believed doing some sort of post-bacc would be helpful to prove I could handle medical school. I also have around 100 hours of shadowing and internships from a few hospitals and clinics. Volunteer work is also good.

I think I am not doing well because I just wasn't adjusting well to my environment. I'm an incredible introvert when it comes to reaching out and making new friends, which I understand could be a downfall. I recently moved to a studio apartment so I am living alone in a new place. I would say my studying habits are fine. I am the type of person who is just really good at staying organized and staying on track with a schedule. I guess the biggest mistake was not going to office hours every week, as well as not talking to other students and finding out more about the professors that were teaching my class and how the tests were. It's something I am going to work on this next coming semester.

I will definitely reach out to an advisor as soon as I possibly can. According to my school policies, I'll be put on academic warning. It's better than being dismissed from the program since this is something I truly want, but it does hit you hard when you realize you are struggling in something you had high hopes for. I hope this one bad semester doesn't ruin my chances. I plan on doing everything I can this semester to do better.

Is it common for graduate students to have one bad semester? I think I might feel better if I know I'm not alone. I could reach out to fellow students and ask for their feedback, as well. If anyone on here has had a bad semester during their graduate school careers, please feel free to give me any advice you possibly have!
I hope this doesn't come across as too harsh, but you don't have much hope if you can't maintain a 4.0 from now on. Programs like the one you're in are high stakes, and you generally need a 3.7+ GPA to prove to med schools that you have corrected whatever went wrong in undergrad. You'll also likely need a high MCAT to offset this bad semester, since you don't have a great explanation for the 2.4 GPA (family crisis, medical issues, etc.) How many credits did you take last semester?
 
I can't sugar coat this OP, you're expected to do well in ALL of your coursework. The unevenness suggest that you won't be able to handle a full load of medical school classes. How did you do in the rest of your classes? Was the D the only poor grade?? Or was this a mist of D + a C or 2, and the rest B's? or 1 D and everything else A?

If you can't ace everything from now on, I can't recommend medical school for you.
 
What were the courses you were taking? I think you really need to hit the breaks and spend some time evaluating why your grades were so low beyond just "not working hard enough". What does that mean? Did you not submit assignments? Did you not really follow along with the coursework and then try to cram the week before a big exam? Do you have fundamental gaps in knowledge that will make taking upper level science courses more challenging for you? Until you can clearly identify what the problem is you aren't going to be able to fix it. It's not impossible to overcome some academic hurdles but they take a lot of time and effort to correct. If your GPA is below a 3.0 it might take several years of maintaining a nearly perfect GPA in order to convince admissions committees that you are capable. That might not seem fair but that is just how it is. You also should really try and get that mcat up over 30 or whatever the new equivalent is. While my situation was slightly different from yours, I did have an undergraduate science GPA below 3.0 and eventually managed to get myself admitted to 6 medical schools. So it's possible but extremely difficult.
 
Your excuse of one bad first semester is ridiculous! That only flies when you are an 18 year old who just moved away from home for the first time. Certainly not a college grad who has applied to med school and been unsuccessful. This was , as @Goro always says, a try out for med school. And you blew it. Didn't you realize you were doing so poorly? Why didn't you do something about it? Even with your planned good intentions going forward you really need to think about spending more money until you grow up and do what it requires to be successful. No more bad excuses!
 
Top