Struggling transfer student

[FutureSurg2019]

So my final grades are in for this year...not what I was hoping:

Fall
Physics B
Physics Lab B
O chem A
O Chem Lab B+
BME 1 B+

Winter
Physics B+
Physics Lab B+
O Chem B-
O Chem Lab C+
BME (Cell biology 1) B

Spring
Physics B
Physics Lab B
O Chem B+
BME (Cell biology 2) B+

Lots of B's! My GPA is a 3.209. I transfered from a community college with a 3.7 cum GPA, and so this transition year looks really bad. I don't really know what is going on...I study a lot, but just can't seem to ever find enough time to cover all the material for my classes effectively. At the university that I transfered to, your GPA starts over when you transfer, so that 3.7 is not able to help. However, this is only my first year, so I can still raise it in the upcoming 2 years.

My question, do med schools look down upon students who take credit for research? This summer, and for the rest of my time at the university, I'm going to be taking research units, which are guaranteed 5 unit A's per quarter. This should help raise my GPA.

I guess I just need to study more... I have extremely high goals, and a 3.2 is not going to cut it. This upcoming year is going to be filled with UD BME courses and a few bio courses: genetics, bio chem, and molecular bio. Any advice for these classes? Are they easier to study for than physics and o chem? Any of you have trouble taking multiple science courses together? If so, did you find a way to adapt and improve your grades?

Lastly, can you make up for a poor GPA (~3.5) with excellent research? I got into an excellent lab where I'm doing spinal cord injury studies, and will be first or second author on several papers before I graduate.

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[HolyGrail]

I was in your exact same shoes.

I transferred in from another University with a 3.744, right now I have a 3.4 at my current institution. I'm taking summer classes right now and I'm graduating in the fall(I plan on working for a little bit, studying for the MCAT and doing well enough to apply). But I'm looking at probably leaving here with a 3.55, factored in with my 3.744 I'll have around a 3.65.

I noticed that the professors at larger Universities aren't as good teachers, they're better researchers than at smaller Universities. They're hired for different tasks. I ran into a bump when I first got here... my first semester was a 3.0, my second semester was a 3.33, then finally I started getting the hang of things and got a 3.5 and then a 3.6. There's an acclimation period I feel like, transferring in from a different University. You should get to know people in your class, join some extra curricular clubs, get to know your professors, and stay in the library more often.

Science courses aren't really so bad to double up on, but like I said, you need to find friends who are excited about learning as much as you are. It's difficult when you befriend people who don't do very much homework, or who don't have lofty goals. Anyway, hope this helps, it's definitely a different type of studying, you can't just go talk with your professor for 2 hours twice a week about the course, that just doesn't happen.

 

[FutureSurg2019]

Thanks man. Hopefully I can bring the GPA up...

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Do you happen to go to UCI?

 

[Caesar]

So my final grades are in for this year...not what I was hoping:

Fall
Physics B
Physics Lab B
O chem A
O Chem Lab B+
BME 1 B+

Winter
Physics B+
Physics Lab B+
O Chem B-
O Chem Lab C+
BME (Cell biology 1) B

Spring
Physics B
Physics Lab B
O Chem B+
BME (Cell biology 2) B+

Lots of B's! My GPA is a 3.209. I transfered from a community college with a 3.7 cum GPA, and so this transition year looks really bad. I don't really know what is going on...I study a lot, but just can't seem to ever find enough time to cover all the material for my classes effectively. At the university that I transfered to, your GPA starts over when you transfer, so that 3.7 is not able to help. However, this is only my first year, so I can still raise it in the upcoming 2 years.

My question, do med schools look down upon students who take credit for research? This summer, and for the rest of my time at the university, I'm going to be taking research units, which are guaranteed 5 unit A's per quarter. This should help raise my GPA.

I guess I just need to study more... I have extremely high goals, and a 3.2 is not going to cut it. This upcoming year is going to be filled with UD BME courses and a few bio courses: genetics, bio chem, and molecular bio. Any advice for these classes? Are they easier to study for than physics and o chem? Any of you have trouble taking multiple science courses together? If so, did you find a way to adapt and improve your grades?

Lastly, can you make up for a poor GPA (~3.5) with excellent research? I got into an excellent lab where I'm doing spinal cord injury studies, and will be first or second author on several papers before I graduate.

OP,

*The will not look down on you for taking research for credit. At my UC that is the only way to do research.

*Maybe studying more is not the answer, I would evaluate how effectively you study. Maybe the methods you are using aren't the best. Try a few different things Highlighting/notecards/reading aloud/etc and see what works best.

Good luck to you.

 

[FutureSurg2019]

yea I go to UCI... how'd you know? Course descriptions?

 

[Blade28]

Remember that when you apply to med school, AMCAS will look at ALL the grades you've ever earned - everything from as far back as CC classes in high school, if applicable. So your previous 3.7 GPA will count.