Starting Over At 21

[BreatheAgain]

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[QofQuimica]

Do you have access to any kind of counseling? You're coping with so much that I think it would really help you. Maybe at your university?

 

[BreatheAgain]

yes, I am lucky to have found a wonderful therapist that I started seeing recently

I guess I came on here hoping for some input from those of you who have experienced/witnessed someone overcome hardships that have been directly related to their grades and what they would do about it

I had a professor who told my class that he was so focused as an undergrad that not only was he never ever late or absent for a single class, his father had died one of those mornings.. and he went to class that afternoon determined. He said there was nothing he could do for his father anyway, not that he wasn't sad

admirable I suppose

I never forgot that one. I am not as hardcore as that -I flew back the very next morning and withdrew from my class-
but some guidance and ideas would definitely help.

 

[njbmd]

The short answer to your question is yes, there are many people currently in medical school and graduates of medical school that have overcome poor undergraduate GPAs. The second part of the answer to your question is that doing "damage control" is a long and tedious process that is quite demanding so that you want to be sure that you are ready for the challenge. This means being realistic about what you can and cannot change.

You can decide that you are going to hone your study skills and work ethic so that you obtain your long-term goals. You can decide that you will seek out the premedical adviser at your college and learn as much about the process as you need so that you can systematically prepare yourself to be as competitive as possible. You can decide that you will master your coursework but take care of yourself mentally and physically at the same time. You can start slowly with perhaps one or two classes, complete them successfully and build upon that foundation of success.

It isn't how you got to this point but how you deal with the realities of the here and now that will impact your future. You cannot change your past but you can learn from it and use that learning experience to move forward. What you do today will affect your future and not what you DID in the past.

Finally, you have to realize that all of the changes that you may need to make will take loads of time. The good thing is that you have plenty of time to work toward your goals and achieve them making the necessary adjustments as needed. Be realistic about what you want and what you need in order to achieve your dream but you can overcome anything if you are determined, honest and realistic.

 

[BreatheAgain]

I hear you and thank you.

yes there are a great many changes - My life looks, in no way, the way it did during those times. I'm no longer in the city, I live alone, I am well equipped now and am not battling with daily problems I used to

This is also my first time at a four year institution.

It gives me hope to know that applying myself really will help me overcome things that happened in the past.

Thank you kindly

 

[yellowdaffodils]

The short answer to your question is yes, there are many people currently in medical school and graduates of medical school that have overcome poor undergraduate GPAs. The second part of the answer to your question is that doing "damage control" is a long and tedious process that is quite demanding so that you want to be sure that you are ready for the challenge. This means being realistic about what you can and cannot change.

You can decide that you are going to hone your study skills and work ethic so that you obtain your long-term goals. You can decide that you will seek out the premedical adviser at your college and learn as much about the process as you need so that you can systematically prepare yourself to be as competitive as possible. You can decide that you will master your coursework but take care of yourself mentally and physically at the same time. You can start slowly with perhaps one or two classes, complete them successfully and build upon that foundation of success.

It isn't how you got to this point but how you deal with the realities of the here and now that will impact your future. You cannot change your past but you can learn from it and use that learning experience to move forward. What you do today will affect your future and not what you DID in the past.

Finally, you have to realize that all of the changes that you may need to make will take loads of time. The good thing is that you have plenty of time to work toward your goals and achieve them making the necessary adjustments as needed. Be realistic about what you want and what you need in order to achieve your dream but you can overcome anything if you are determined, honest and realistic.

wonderful advice! all i have to add is - good luck! it won't be easy, but i know you can do it

 

[budhak0n]

The short answer to your question is yes, there are many people currently in medical school and graduates of medical school that have overcome poor undergraduate GPAs. The second part of the answer to your question is that doing "damage control" is a long and tedious process that is quite demanding so that you want to be sure that you are ready for the challenge. This means being realistic about what you can and cannot change.

You can decide that you are going to hone your study skills and work ethic so that you obtain your long-term goals. You can decide that you will seek out the premedical adviser at your college and learn as much about the process as you need so that you can systematically prepare yourself to be as competitive as possible. You can decide that you will master your coursework but take care of yourself mentally and physically at the same time. You can start slowly with perhaps one or two classes, complete them successfully and build upon that foundation of success.

It isn't how you got to this point but how you deal with the realities of the here and now that will impact your future. You cannot change your past but you can learn from it and use that learning experience to move forward. What you do today will affect your future and not what you DID in the past.

Finally, you have to realize that all of the changes that you may need to make will take loads of time. The good thing is that you have plenty of time to work toward your goals and achieve them making the necessary adjustments as needed. Be realistic about what you want and what you need in order to achieve your dream but you can overcome anything if you are determined, honest and realistic.

Thanks NJBMD... I needed that.. hope it helped you as well breathe <g>

 

[Cyborg Ninja]

It looks like you deleted your original post, but I can gather what it was about. Maybe you don't know any more replies, but I think you could use some advice from someone who has been there. I was in my 2nd year of college when my mother died. My biggest regret of my life was not being there. I tried going back to class but in the end I just couldn't handle it. Later, I got diagnosed with Graves' disease, Crohn's disease and syringomyelia. That's all within the span of about 2 years. I kept trying to go to class but I just couldn't do it with my health and my depression. My professors didn't care and I didn't know where to get the help that I needed. Every bad grade just made me feel like I should give up. I've taken a break and hopefully next time I go back, I'll be ready. I'm changing to pre-med. I plan on writing a letter to the medical withdrawal office about what has been happening. I know that with the loss of a parent, you can get grades dropped or a whole semester withdrawn if you need to, under psychiatric reasons. At my college there's a mental health and medical health withdrawal/course drop.