to go offshore or not?

[georgia]

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Here is my situation:

I graduated UF 1997 with a 3.0 overall gpa and a 2.4 scigpa. Went to chiropractic school in Los Angeles and got a 2.9. Ive had a few blemishes on my undergrad record: D+ physics and an F in organic one, with a few W's on the transcript. In chiro school got 2 F's and 3 D's, though the D's are passing.

I left chiropractic school because of ideological problems i was having. Since the day i got there, i was having second thoughts about being there and what i have found is that when my heart is not totally into something i mess up. That is why i got those bad grades in chiro school and in college.

Im sure there are people out there that think im not smart enough to become a doctor, but i know that this is not true. I did have occasional flashes of brilliance in college, but i did not take my studies seriously at the time. I realize that when i put my mind to something that i do achieve my goals. I have made some terrible mistakes in the past, I have accepted this, and am willing to move forward.

I had some maturity issues in the past, but now realize that everything that i have ever done does affect my future. I want to go to medical school to achieve a lifelong dream and wanted to know of advice or success stories of persons who have gone from being down in the dumps to becoming a medical student.

I feel that i have 2 options: go to the carribean or take post-bacc and do extremely well on the MCAT. I feel that the latter is a gamble because i know of friends with better numbers than i who had trouble getting into medical school--it took some of them 2x going through AMCAS.

I am getting married in December of this year and that is another obstacle i am running into. I would rather not leave my wife behind, but am afraid of the carribean being my last chance of achieving my goals.

Constructive and helpful advice is much appreciated.

GA

 

[TQL]

You seem to have good life experience and people do learn from their mistakes. have you ever thought about applying to DO schools?

 

[PB]

If it's really what you feel in your heart that you are meant to be, then, you can do it! I know that applying to U.S. schools is a gamble, and you could be waiting around for a few years before getting in, so if you don't have that option, going to a foreign school is just fine. Be careful of some of the Caribbean schools though. (look at the posts under international (MD)).
PB

 

[cholecalciferol]

I suggest that you think long and hard about continuing on to Med School. I don't want to sound too discouraging but if you do make it into a med school, you still need to passs.

At many med school in North Amercia, you need a numberical grade of 70 to pass (B- or better). If you Don't, you may fail out (ie. they ask you to leave). In the end, you are wasting money & time. Remember also that, the degree is no good if you can't pass your board exams to practice.

So you will have to reconsider why you did so poorly in those courses & ask yourself if you can make a hugh improvement.

If you have no doubt you can do much better, by all means go for it! THe poor grades will make it almost impossible to get entry into a US school but you can try the foreign & carribean schools.