What I want to be when I grow up

[Focused]

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Hi, I am hoping some kind folks on here can give me some advice and a helping hand - but most importantly, I am hoping they will give me the honest truth. It is a very long post - but I feel I need to share my background to help you better understand the situation. I apologize for the length.

First, a little background information about myself. My name is Doyle and I am a 23 year old attending Nicholls State University in Houma, Louisiana. I graduated from High School in 2001 and have been attending Nicholls State since then. My father pushed me to go to college for a bachelors degree in business administration. However, since I was 17 I have worked in retail and the "business world" is not for me. I can handle it, but I don't like it. I am aware that retail isn't all there is to business, but it gives a good idea of the nature of the beast and its just not my thing. So I switched to history. I have always loved history - I find it fascinating and its something I enjoy greatly. However, the prospects for a graduate in History is either A. Teaching or B. Law school. Now I realize there are other options out there, but none of them are what I am looking for in my life. Also, History was another degree that my dad pushed me to if I didn't want to do business admin. He had an influence over my decisions because he was paying for my school at that time.

Now I am the one paying for the school - through loans and through my own paychecks when I can. Over the last year, I have realized that while I am obtaining a degree, its not the type of degree that I want. Its just a degree. Its just "going to college to get anything that I can and to get it over with" degree. I don't want that. I want something that I can be proud of and feel special about. I also want something that I will actually be able to use. I had looked at Biology before, and thought that I would love to do medicine, but never saw myself capable of doing that. Not because of lack of brains, but just because I didn't see myself capable of making it. No confidence, I guess. I love learning. Absolutely love it. I have no problem with going to school for the rest of my life. I have always told my loved ones and friends that after I get a History degree, I'd probably go back for something else. I just haven't been that worried about being an A student. I have had semesters where I made straight Bs, but I never really made it a point to make those grades all the time. Also, I have dropped classes because I wasn't interesed in the material and because I wasn't doing well in the class and I was told that a W is better than an F. So I've dropped a few classes, which I now realize was a bad idea. Btw, I have no Fs on my transcript. I have 1 D. The rest are As, Bs, and Cs.

I want to change everything. Now. I want to major in Biology (Pre-Medicine) and I want to go to Med School. Its all I can think about. I feel great because for the first time I have something that I know I want to be "when I go up". I want to dedicate myself to this and I am preparing myself mentally and physically for just that... But I am also worried. I did not do well during the last few years in college because I really didn't care about the degree that I was going for. It wasn't going to land me a job anyway, right? Not much of one...

But now that has changed. Here's my academic condition. Its grave. I have a 2.4. I maintained above a 3.0 during my first few years but when I stopped caring and Cs became OK for me, it went down hill. I have spoken to an advisor in the Biology department and he says that I have two years worth of classes to take to graduate with a Biology degree in Pre-Med. That's great, but what I need to know is if its even possible to bring that GPA up to a respectable level (above 3.2). What are my options? What do I need to look at doing in the next few years? I haven't been a member of a single organization, I haven't done volunteer work, etc. But I want to change all of that. I am looking in to doing Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life in the near future and I have friends who can get me in to a elderly home as a volunteer. I am also looking in to joining Pre-Med organizations at my college as well as the Biology Association. I really want to do this, but I want to know what exactly I'm dealing with.

Btw, I am not against applying to DO schools in the future when I'm in a position to do so. They actually look like what I'd be interested in learning.

So please....is it possible? What do I need to do? What are some things I need to make sure that I have to be eligible for med-school? I need serious advice and guidance.


Thanks in advance,
Doyle.

 

[Focused]

That bad huh... well at least in silence you guys are being rather honest with me.

 

[RxnMan]

For one, be patient - sometimes it takes days for my postings to get answered.

I was/am in a similar situation to yourself. I was young when I entered college. At the same time, my family was dealing with cancer. Being isolated and immature, I didn't know how to deal with the stress. I eventually failed out and got a job at UCDHSC as a bench chemist for a doc. The doc was an inspiration to me and I decided to pursue medicine.

I went back to school and changed things overnight, going from academic suspension to honors in months. But it was too late: I graduated college with a 2.35 GPA. You can check my profile on MDApps to see what I've done to make up for my ugrad GPA. Here's what I would say to myself, if I could, in order of priority, back when I first started on my path:

- Do all of the prerequisites over again, and get A's in every one.
- Do well (30, 33+) on the MCAT.
- Apply to 20, 25+ schools of all types and rankings.
- Do some light clinical work (~6 hrs./wk.), or maybe get a job working with patients.
- Do some research, again, maybe at the same time/place you do the clinical work.

Those are the essentials. If at that point I had time, maybe I'd get a master's degree and take the pre-req's (or higher-level classes) for my electives. This takes 2-3 years, and it's very doable.

 

[Law2Doc]

That bad huh... well at least in silence you guys are being rather honest with me.

I'll take a stab, although your post is a bit difficult to follow.
First, you need to realize that this could end up being a really long journey even until you are ready to apply. It's unclear from your post how many credits make up your 2.4, but it's safe to say that it will take quite a few years of A's to bring your GPA up to a competitive level. Second, there is no reason to be "premed" to go to med school. Med schools take folks form all majors, and there is no real reason to switch to biology for this purpose. If you love history, then take history, and get that GPA up. There are many history majors in med school.
At the same time, take the basic prereqs for med school (2 semesters plus labs of each of Chem, Bio, Phys, Orgo and a year of math and of english), and ace them (easier said than done, but it certainly would help your cause). Finish up your undergrad as strongly as you can and see what the ultimate damage is. If your GPA is too low, it may mean you might want to continue to take upper level sciences as an informal postbac, or as some folks on this board have done, take a second bachelors to get the undergrad cum up. Once your GPA is at a competitive level, you'll want to do as well as you can on the MCAT. While all this is going on, try to get some clinical experience, and line up folks to give you good LORs.
Hope that helps.

 

[Focused]

Sorry for my post being difficult to follow and thank you both for your reply. I went and spoke with an adviser and he told me that I had most of my general college requirements out of the way and that I could focus on the sciences now. He calculated that I have about 69 hours that I need to be able to major in Biology and he placed me as majoring in General Biology with my core focus undetermined.

Based on what he saw in my transcript, he basically said I need to make 3 As to every B that I make from now on... and that he believes I have a chance as long as I present myself as having the light coming on at this point in my life. He said its more important from this point on that I show a dramatic increase in my grades and a focus on the classes that apply to Medical School - as well as getting involved outside of the classroom - and that with these things (and a good MCAT score), I would stand a decent chance at being accepted in to a Med school.

I was instructed not to worry about retaking classes until the end, when I see what I end up with. Based on that result, I would know what I needed to do as far as retaking classes.

Now I am curious about a few things. I read that D.O. schools allow grades to be replaced by retaking the class and M.D. schools average the grades? What does this mean?

Also, what options are there as far as financing? Right now I am using my own personal funds and student loans to get through school. Later on things will become far more expensive...what are some good resources for me to look at regarding this?

Thanks guys. This forum has been instrumental in educating me on my future possibilities.

Doyle.

 

[Law2Doc]

Now I am curious about a few things. I read that D.O. schools allow grades to be replaced by retaking the class and M.D. schools average the grades? What does this mean?

This means: Assume you have taken a class and received a C, and then retook it and got an A. When you fill out your primary application, if you are applying to DO school your grade in this course will be an A -- just the latter grade is used. If you are applying to MD school both grades are counted. So it's effectively the equivalent of a double weighted B. Obviously the former approach lets you pull up your GPA faster as you not only would be averaging in new grades but would be eliminating old ones.
Others should correct me if I misstated this.

 

[trustwomen]

First, you need to realize that this could end up being a really long journey even until you are ready to apply. It's unclear from your post how many credits make up your 2.4, but it's safe to say that it will take quite a few years of A's to bring your GPA up to a competitive level. Second, there is no reason to be "premed" to go to med school. Med schools take folks form all majors, and there is no real reason to switch to biology for this purpose. If you love history, then take history, and get that GPA up. There are many history majors in med school.
At the same time, take the basic prereqs for med school (2 semesters plus labs of each of Chem, Bio, Phys, Orgo and a year of math and of english), and ace them (easier said than done, but it certainly would help your cause). Finish up your undergrad as strongly as you can and see what the ultimate damage is. If your GPA is too low, it may mean you might want to continue to take upper level sciences as an informal postbac, or as some folks on this board have done, take a second bachelors to get the undergrad cum up. Once your GPA is at a competitive level, you'll want to do as well as you can on the MCAT. While all this is going on, try to get some clinical experience, and line up folks to give you good LORs.
Hope that helps.

I second this. 👍

By the time I finish my recent degree I will have accumulated a total of undergrad credits equivalent to more than seven years of full-time study. (Yeesh.) And the first half of them (1st two degrees) sucked (2.5ish GPA) but the recent half (last degree), including all the sciences, rocked (3.7-3.8). Some schools only look at the last X number of years or credits, so don't stress (what they call a "strong upward trend"). Do what Law2Doc said and only start worrying if it turns out that you can't do well in sciences.

I worked my way through school, but my tuition was much lower than yours, so I would recommend loans, loans, loans. As a doctor you can pay them off. And you're still very young.

Congratulations on discovering your passion. Now make damn sure you follow it. 😀 (Although you may want to confirm that it is what you want by working in the medical field or otherwise really learning everything about what doctors do).

 

[Focused]

well that makes me feel a lot better. I've been in college for a while - I took longer than most to feel out what I wanted to be, and I kind of held myself back - but we will see. I have scheduled Pre-med science classes next semester. Someone mentioned that you do not need to take pre-med classes in order to get in to medical school - I knew that, but it made me wonder...isn't it a good idea to take Pre-Med classes so that you are better prepared for what you'll be faced with in med school?

Thanks. 🙂
Doyle.

 

[trustwomen]

Someone mentioned that you do not need to take pre-med classes in order to get in to medical school - I knew that, but it made me wonder...isn't it a good idea to take Pre-Med classes so that you are better prepared for what you'll be faced with in med school?

Taking science classes is very important and a good thing. What they said is you don't have to be in a premed program. One can take science classes in the context of a history degree (or any other major).

Best of luck Doyle.

 

[r0b0tafflicti0n]

By the time I finish my recent degree I will have accumulated a total of undergrad credits equivalent to more than seven years of full-time study. (Yeesh.)

This makes me feel a lot better too!