tight situation

[kArSoN RyDaH]

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i am a freshman currently attending the university of hawaii. i am a psychology major and my ideal goal is to get into med school and pursue a degree in psychiatry. problem is this year which is coming to an end i have failed to take any pre-med courses because i didnt know what i wanted to do at the beginning of the year. so now i am stuck with a 2.86 gpa from first semester and somewhere along the lines ofa 3.5 for 2nd semester. which will make it around a 3.2 or 3.1. so now i have to cram all of my pre med courses into 2 years before applying. so my question is do i stretch it and take the 5 year route? or should i take summer school and cram it over 4 years?

 

[mdbound1987]

i am a freshman currently attending the university of hawaii. i am a psychology major and my ideal goal is to get into med school and pursue a degree in psychiatry. problem is this year which is coming to an end i have failed to take any pre-med courses because i didnt know what i wanted to do at the beginning of the year. so now i am stuck with a 2.86 gpa from first semester and somewhere along the lines ofa 3.5 for 2nd semester. which will make it around a 3.2 or 3.1. so now i have to cram all of my pre med courses into 2 years before applying. so my question is do i stretch it and take the 5 year route? or should i take summer school and cram it over 4 years?

I would recommend taking the 5 year route, taking a gap year after you graduate (if you graduate in four years). You definitely do not want to rush into applying. I had a 2.5 gpa freshman year and decided to apply after I graduated in order to bring my gpa as much as possible. It was the best thing I couldve done and it payed off as I will be entering med school this fall. It also gives you the opportunity to commit another entire year to your ECs, volunteering, leadership positions, research, and shadowing. For me, I just had a crappy freshman year and was able to kill the pre-reqs and an upper level bio course except physics 2. For you, you do not know if that will be the same situation so you should spread these classes out. I took only GChem my sophomore year to ease into the pre-med classes, then took G Bio and Orgo my junior year, and physics and cell bio my senior year. If I had just jumped into GChem and, for example, GBio together my sophomore year after my horrible freshman year, my grades could have suffered. Honestly, you could do well squeezing them in, but is it worth the risk considering you are already in a hole?

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

hey I was in a similar situation as you my first year. I ended up taking both bios and gen chem's my sophomore year and I took organic I & II my junior year. I also took physics I my junior year and i will be taking physics II this summer.

I think that it is definitely doable, but you have to be diligent and really work hard. I am applying to medical school next cycle (during my senior year right when I graduate) and I recommend the same route for you. There is no rush, and you should apply when you are READY. Apply when you have taken the necessary pre-recs and feel prepared to take the MCAT, and also when you have a competitive application ready. I think for you, the thing you need to focus on the most is your grades. Your grades are not very good no offense, and thats with basic freshman classes like comp, history, politics, and psych and no pre-med classes yet. Focus on raising your GPA and when you do start taking your science classes make sure your BCMP gpa is high. Good luck to you

 

[rama kandra]

Psychiatry ey? Go check out the subforum if you have specific questions or want advice about that route. Best of luck!

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

I would recommend taking the 5 year route, taking a gap year after you graduate (if you graduate in four years). You definitely do not want to rush into applying. I had a 2.5 gpa freshman year and decided to apply after I graduated in order to bring my gpa as much as possible. It was the best thing I couldve done and it payed off as I will be entering med school this fall. It also gives you the opportunity to commit another entire year to your ECs, volunteering, leadership positions, research, and shadowing. For me, I just had a crappy freshman year and was able to kill the pre-reqs and an upper level bio course except physics 2. For you, you do not know if that will be the same situation so you should spread these classes out. I took only GChem my sophomore year to ease into the pre-med classes, then took G Bio and Orgo my junior year, and physics and cell bio my senior year. If I had just jumped into GChem and, for example, GBio together my sophomore year after my horrible freshman year, my grades could have suffered. Honestly, you could do well squeezing them in, but is it worth the risk considering you are already in a hole?

See, I think this totally reiterates what I mentioned. I did exactly the opposite and jumped right into Gchem and gen bio my sophomore year and made A's in all four classes. I was working part time and volunteering as well, so I think it is definitely possible. At some point you must take these classes, so you can bunch them together if you think you can handle it or you can wait and spread it out as mbound mentioned

 

[kArSoN RyDaH]

I would recommend taking the 5 year route, taking a gap year after you graduate (if you graduate in four years). You definitely do not want to rush into applying. I had a 2.5 gpa freshman year and decided to apply after I graduated in order to bring my gpa as much as possible. It was the best thing I couldve done and it payed off as I will be entering med school this fall. It also gives you the opportunity to commit another entire year to your ECs, volunteering, leadership positions, research, and shadowing. For me, I just had a crappy freshman year and was able to kill the pre-reqs and an upper level bio course except physics 2. For you, you do not know if that will be the same situation so you should spread these classes out. I took only GChem my sophomore year to ease into the pre-med classes, then took G Bio and Orgo my junior year, and physics and cell bio my senior year. If I had just jumped into GChem and, for example, GBio together my sophomore year after my horrible freshman year, my grades could have suffered. Honestly, you could do well squeezing them in, but is it worth the risk considering you are already in a hole?

thats what i was thinking. of just waiting 1 year and sitting out working or shadowing a psychiatrist and everything after the 4 years.

this is what my schedule will look like if i try to graduate in 4 years and enter med school in the 5th


fall 2010
bio 171 (intro bio I)
chem 151 (elem. survey of chem)


spring 2011
bio 172 (intro bio II)
chem 161 (general chem I)
math 140 (precal) <-- stupid pre req for physics

summer 2011 (here the debate on if i should take summer or not?)
chem 162 (general chem II)

fall 2011
chem 272 (organic chem I)
physic 151 (college physics)
math 215 (calculus I)

spring 2012
chem 273 (organic chem II)
biology 275 ( cell and molecular bio) <-- not a req. for med school
math 216 (calculus II)

spring 2012 take mcat

summer 2012 apply med school
fall 2012
bio chem

complete secondary app

spring 2013

await interviews

summer 2013


soooo idk how i would restructure this to a 5 year plan. if i should complete all of them in 4 years? and then wait a year? or if i should complete them all in 5 years? and not wait at all?

 

[kArSoN RyDaH]

hey I was in a similar situation as you my first year. I ended up taking both bios and gen chem's my sophomore year and I took organic I & II my junior year. I also took physics I my junior year and i will be taking physics II this summer.

I think that it is definitely doable, but you have to be diligent and really work hard. I am applying to medical school next cycle (during my senior year right when I graduate) and I recommend the same route for you. There is no rush, and you should apply when you are READY. Apply when you have taken the necessary pre-recs and feel prepared to take the MCAT, and also when you have a competitive application ready. I think for you, the thing you need to focus on the most is your grades. Your grades are not very good no offense, and thats with basic freshman classes like comp, history, politics, and psych and no pre-med classes yet. Focus on raising your GPA and when you do start taking your science classes make sure your BCMP gpa is high. Good luck to you

the transition was very difficult from california to hawaii and i had to adjust from public high school life to college life pretty quickly. thats not an excuse however i did manage to signifiicantly improve this semester in my grades and work ethic. the HS i came from was terrible and the graduation rate was horrible coming from L.A. but i thank you for the luck.

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

seems reasonable. I'd go with the above schedule but remember you need physics II as well for the MCAT

 

[kArSoN RyDaH]

seems reasonable. I'd go with the above schedule but remember you need physics II as well for the MCAT

i forgot to input phys 152 (physics II) in spring of 2012 ... thanks for the reminder though. you scared the crap out of me i thought i didnt have it in my schedule but i did i was scared i was going to have to re do everything...


the only problem is at my school certain classes are only available certain semesters bc of budget cuts so hopefully i get into all of them. i am enrolling in the honors program and i shud get first bid on everything after i get in.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

i am a freshman currently attending the university of hawaii. i am a psychology major and my ideal goal is to get into med school and pursue a degree in psychiatry. problem is this year which is coming to an end i have failed to take any pre-med courses because i didnt know what i wanted to do at the beginning of the year. so now i am stuck with a 2.86 gpa from first semester and somewhere along the lines ofa 3.5 for 2nd semester. which will make it around a 3.2 or 3.1. so now i have to cram all of my pre med courses into 2 years before applying. so my question is do i stretch it and take the 5 year route? or should i take summer school and cram it over 4 years?

Well, I'm taking all my junk in 12 months. Of course, I got a B.S. seven years ago.

 

[kArSoN RyDaH]

Well, I'm taking all my junk in 12 months. Of course, I got a B.S. seven years ago.

i honestly wish i could do this but stupid asss general education requirements!!!! ugh.

 

[mdbound1987]

i forgot to input phys 152 (physics II) in spring of 2012 ... thanks for the reminder though. you scared the crap out of me i thought i didnt have it in my schedule but i did i was scared i was going to have to re do everything...


the only problem is at my school certain classes are only available certain semesters bc of budget cuts so hopefully i get into all of them. i am enrolling in the honors program and i shud get first bid on everything after i get in.

Is there any particular reason you are doing the honors program? A lot of pre-meds think this will impress adcoms, but in the end, it doesn't. If you have a 3.5 in the honors program and someone else has a 3.7 who is not in the honors program (assuming all other aspects of your apps are synonymous), they will take the 3.7 applicant every time. The same goes for people who double major with minors. It is so unnecessary. I have a good friend who had an amazing application...very solid mcat, great ECs, leadership, shadowing, research, and volunteering; however, he was in the honors program and had like a 3.1 gpa overall. This killed him and he only got accepted to Howard for med school. Not that this is a bad school or anything and getting accepted to even one school is a great feat, but trust me, if he hadnt done the honors program he wouldve had a 3.8+ gpa and would've been accepted everywhere.

 

[kArSoN RyDaH]

Is there any particular reason you are doing the honors program? A lot of pre-meds think this will impress adcoms, but in the end, it doesn't. If you have a 3.5 in the honors program and someone else has a 3.7 who is not in the honors program (assuming all other aspects of your apps are synonymous), they will take the 3.7 applicant every time. The same goes for people who double major with minors. It is so unnecessary. I have a good friend who had an amazing application...very solid mcat, great ECs, leadership, shadowing, research, and volunteering; however, he was in the honors program and had like a 3.1 gpa overall. This killed him and he only got accepted to Howard for med school. Not that this is a bad school or anything and getting accepted to even one school is a great feat, but trust me, if he hadnt done the honors program he wouldve had a 3.8+ gpa and would've been accepted everywhere.

not all classes at my school are available in honors but this is mainly for my major courses which is psychology. not pre-med. a huge advantage of being in honors is the fact that you are guarenteed to get into whatever classes you need and at a time where the economy is not in a good state and when the school is suffering major budget cuts it is a huge benefit for me. this semester i wasnt able to take bio I because of budget cuts. so hopefully this will help. not to mention my professor recommended it for me and is based purely off of recommendation not application.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

i honestly wish i could do this but stupid asss general education requirements!!!! ugh.

Your day will come, young grasshopper. lol

 

[mdbound1987]

not all classes at my school are available in honors but this is mainly for my major courses which is psychology. not pre-med. a huge advantage of being in honors is the fact that you are guarenteed to get into whatever classes you need and at a time where the economy is not in a good state and when the school is suffering major budget cuts it is a huge benefit for me. this semester i wasnt able to take bio I because of budget cuts. so hopefully this will help. not to mention my professor recommended it for me and is based purely off of recommendation not application.

Ok gotcha.