Undergraduate Advice

[Diamante]

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Hello all,


I am a 19 year old undergraduate student and to say that my time in high school/1st semester of community college has been unsatisfactory would be an understatement. I held a C average in high school and after 1 semester of community college my GPA is sitting somewhere around 2.8. Recently however, reality has set in and I know that my future is on the line. I am determined to get into med school, yet I can't help but feel like I'm already too far behind and am preparing myself for failure.

I know less about biology/chemistry than your typical high school senior, and I haven't taken a math class since Algebra II during my junior year. I've heard that the requirements to get into med-school are harsh and that the courses are even worse, but my dream is to become a clinical psychiatrist. What I would like to know is

- Has med-school already become an unimaginable goal (considering my GPA and the fact that I'm attending community college?)



I've always had a hard time reaching out and asking for help, so any form of tips or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[erg923]

No, but alot of this depends on you. Your GPA needs to come up significantly so you can get into a college/university where you can take the premed requirements. I am actually in grad school for psych, but was premed in undergrad and took the MCAT and all that fun stuff. The courses are not easy, especially org chem and the like, but this is subjective I suppose. You need to maintain a high GPA from this point forward. However, most importantly, you really need to do well in the premed courses, enjoy science, and have a true interest in medicine. If not, you will find the path to med school quite difficult and discouraging. I also would not be married to psych to early. If you do make it to med school, enjoy the experience and see what interests develop. If you know for certain that psych is your only interest, I would also recommend looking at other nonmedical careers such as clinical psychology as alternate options. Either of these paths however, will require a significant change in your academic performance however.

 

[Diamante]

Well the only wage I would be comfortable with as a psychologist would be in industrial-organizational psychology. I'd love to do some volunteering/shadowing and put myself out there so I could get a better understanding of everything but I have no clue who to seek or where to look. And as far as academia goes, I'm ashamed of how poorly I've done so far but I'm fairly confident that I can bring my GPA up. I love science, however I'm not the strongest math student and would like to avoid whatever math-related science courses possible.

 

[erg923]

Well you can make a good living in clinical psych if you have a good practice, and you wont have any debt, as ph.d programs are fully funded an include a stipend. As far as shadowing, shadowing is difficult in psych due to patient confidentiality laws/HIPPA and the fact that you don't learn much except maybe what the typical day is like for that professional. A good way to get exposure to psych and med is to work as a tech at a psychiatric hospital, or any tertiary med center with a psych floor. (sometimes called a Mental Health Technician). When you transfer to a university, you will also have the opportunity to get involved in research with your professors. I am not a big math fan either, but you should be aware that org chem and the MCAT require alot of math. Its a necessary evil that you will not be able to avoid I'm afraid.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Well the only wage I would be comfortable with as a psychologist would be in industrial-organizational psychology. I'd love to do some volunteering/shadowing and put myself out there so I could get a better understanding of everything but I have no clue who to seek or where to look. And as far as academia goes, I'm ashamed of how poorly I've done so far but I'm fairly confident that I can bring my GPA up. I love science, however I'm not the strongest math student and would like to avoid whatever math-related science courses possible.

You'll need at least a 3.5-3.6 to have a shot at mid-level Clinical programs, which accept far fewer people. You also have to 'match' well to a faculty member, so even if you have a 4.0...you still may not get in.