seeking some perspective!

[yelooc45]

Hello all!
I am a senior in college, and just this summer had the revelation that I want to go to medical school. I had planned the previous years to apply to PA school- even went as far as taking the GRE and opening a CASPA application. However, this summer I got accepted into a paid internship designed for pre-med students in which we got to shadow and assist doctors in 13 different specialties. I had the best summer of my entire life. All of the doctors I worked with were both fascinating and encouraging, and I loved going about their day-to-day lives with them. I even had the opportunities to work with med students and residents, visit a medical college, and participate in weekly pre-med discussions led by the surgeon that runs the internship each summer. It was fantastic.
Fast forward and it's my senior year. I am taking organic chem and physics, volunteering and counseling at the Student Health Center, conducting research with the same professor I have been working with since freshman year, holding a leadership position in my sorority, and getting tutoring for organic chem (got an 88 on the first exam though before the curve!!) I feel so in over my head and sleep deprived that I've started questioning if I would be able to survive medical school. I'm hoping to get input from all of you- do I stick to the dream and will the end goal be worth it? I'm just starting to get very nervous that if I am already so stressed, will I come to hate medicine when I am living the crazier life of a med student?

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[NotASerialKiller]

What's your GPA so far so we can have a sense of your chances out of undergrad? If it's high enough without you even having med school in mind that would mean that you'll very likely be able to handle it. If it's not, you still might after a post-bac or something.

Also it's usually a bad idea to put a real picture of yourself as your avatar. Anonymity is good.

 

[yelooc45]

Thank you for your input!
My GPA currently is a 3.90 cumulative.
Gen chem 1-A
Gen chem 2-A-
Bios-A-
Hoping I can do just as well in Physics and Organic chem

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Thank you for your input!
My GPA currently is a 3.90 cumulative.
Gen chem 1-A
Gen chem 2-A-
Bios-A-
Hoping I can do just as well in Physics and Organic chem

So you're a senior with a 3.9, success in science courses and a newfound passion for medicine. With a moderately decently okayish MCAT, you are going to get in, and there's no reason why you wouldn't be able to handle it. Well done, and good luck!

 

[goldy490]

If you can hold down a 3.9 (provided you go to a reasonably rigorous undergrad) you've got a great shot and will probably be able to handle med school. It seems like you've got enough clinical experience and research, so do well on the MCAT (510+) and you shouldn't have a problem getting in. Also remember that in med school you will have far fewer extracurricular commitments, so don't be too worried about the stress you're feeling now.

 

[Catalystik]

I am a senior in college, and just this summer had the revelation that I want to go to medical school. I had planned the previous years to apply to PA school- even went as far as taking the GRE and opening a CASPA application. However, this summer I got accepted into a paid internship designed for pre-med students in which we got to shadow and assist doctors in 13 different specialties. I had the best summer of my entire life. All of the doctors I worked with were both fascinating and encouraging, and I loved going about their day-to-day lives with them. I even had the opportunities to work with med students and residents, visit a medical college, and participate in weekly pre-med discussions led by the surgeon that runs the internship each summer. It was fantastic.
Fast forward and it's my senior year. I am taking organic chem and physics, volunteering and counseling at the Student Health Center, conducting research with the same professor I have been working with since freshman year, holding a leadership position in my sorority, and getting tutoring for organic chem (got an 88 on the first exam though before the curve!!) I feel so in over my head and sleep deprived that I've started questioning if I would be able to survive medical school. I'm hoping to get input from all of you- do I stick to the dream and will the end goal be worth it? I'm just starting to get very nervous that if I am already so stressed, will I come to hate medicine when I am living the crazier life of a med student?

In med school the flow of information is so broad and so rapid that there's no possibility you can learn it all. Thus, one must prioritize where one's energies are best spent and accept less than personal perfection, or the stress becomes overwhelming. You might practice cutting back on your personal expectations now and emphasizing what is most important. As it happens, GPA is your highest priority. So decompress your schedule by taking a break from, dropping, or delegating responsibilities from other commitments.