Post bacc...

[invisibletiger]

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I am getting ready to graduate, and my GPA is just awful. I am currently sitting at a 2.46, and if I do well these last two semesters, I will be able to get to a 2.8-2.9. I have done horribly in all the prereqs, one F in chem and C's in the rest, and decent in all my other classes.

I know I have to do some significant turning around to be considered for medical school, but my question is, How? How should I structure my postbacc? What can I do to make myself competitive in 3-4 years, including the year it takes to apply for med school?

Right now, I plan to spend one year (or three semesters) redoing ALL the prereqs and then one 1 to 1.5 years doing upper-level science courses. After that, I will bank on if I do well and do a master's.

Anything helps; I want to be pointed in the right direction.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Don't put the cart before the horse. You haven't proven you're capable of handling undergrad let alone graduate science coursework.

You should stop taking these classes until you figure out what your issue is. If it's mental/physical health, work to be in remission before you continue trying. If it was some other external factor, resolve it. If it was just you being lazy, you need to go to the academic success center and figure out how to study and be a good student. Don't even think about the plan until you've resolved the past. What changed since last semester when you apparently didn't do very well?

 

[invisibletiger]

Don't put the cart before the horse. You haven't proven you're capable of handling undergrad let alone graduate science coursework.

You should stop taking these classes until you figure out what your issue is. If it's mental/physical health, work to be in remission before you continue trying. If it was some other external factor, resolve it. If it was just you being lazy, you need to go to the academic success center and figure out how to study and be a good student. Don't even think about the plan until you've resolved the past. What changed since last semester when you apparently didn't do very well?

I think it's an overall lack of discipline and not putting my energy into the right things. I have many family things going on, and as first gen and first son in an immigrant family, a lot falls on me, and I know it. So, I think my lack of success so far isn't an accurate representation of my ability to do well in courses. One of the things I was questioned was if I shouldom school once I graduate to just focus on developing myself, and I take a break fr think that might be the way to go.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

You should def take a break and get out of the family drama situation for a while. Grow up, work, and get some awesome ECs racked up then go conquer school in a few years once you're more mature and stable.

 

[Dral]

It's somewhat difficult to convey just how difficult the first 1.5 to 2 years of medical school can be in terms of academics. If you cannot get As and Bs in undergrad upper level science courses/prereqs, you are taking a HUGE chance of not making it in med school even if you do get accepted. The amount and speed of material that gets thrown at you in medical school is tough.

Change your frame of mind. It's not about getting the grades to get into medical school. It's about forming a good base so you can understand and do well with medical school material and to prove to yourself that you can handle a medical school curriculum. If you focus on those latter things, the grades should happen naturally. An example of a way to do that is to really think about how you study, altering what you need to, and working to get good habits going that promote quality and efficiency during learning/study.

For example in my medical school, we had lecture that wasn't necessarily required attendance. I had friends who knew they learned better by using the time to study the lecture material that was given to us ahead of time on their own instead of spending the time in lecture. I'm not saying you should skip lectures. What I am saying, is figure out what type of learner you are (this could take a bit of experimentation) and then go from there to change how you study with the goals of quality and efficiency.

I'm a visual learner. I knew I could spend less time on material that had a more visual element (like anatomy) but had to spend more time on the topics that are more abstract/less visual (like pharmacology). Furthermore, I had to develop visual learning/memorization cues to attach to things like pharmacology to help me learn/remember it.

Because I'm visual, Ochem came easy to me. Statistics took more work. Think about your strengths and weaknesses (none of us like to admit the latter despite us all having them) as a starting place. Search out help in the way of an academics office if you are having trouble going it alone.

 

[Goro]

I am getting ready to graduate, and my GPA is just awful. I am currently sitting at a 2.46, and if I do well these last two semesters, I will be able to get to a 2.8-2.9. I have done horribly in all the prereqs, one F in chem and C's in the rest, and decent in all my other classes.

I know I have to do some significant turning around to be considered for medical school, but my question is, How? How should I structure my postbacc? What can I do to make myself competitive in 3-4 years, including the year it takes to apply for med school?

Right now, I plan to spend one year (or three semesters) redoing ALL the prereqs and then one 1 to 1.5 years doing upper-level science courses. After that, I will bank on if I do well and do a master's.

Anything helps; I want to be pointed in the right direction.

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention