Would almost dying be a good excuse for going from an A student to a A/B student?

[cryhavoc]

So I went from being a 4.00 student in my freshman year, to a 3.75 in my junior, to a 3.7 in my junior year, and I really think it was because I almost died. I know you are supposed to show grade improvement, but I find it impossible to fear a B grade anymore. The difference between an A and a B is hours I could better spend experiencing life or helping someone.I volunteer at a lot of places, and go visit/do cultural things/do club events a lot on a weekly basis.

My worst fear in life used to be getting an A minus. Ever since I almost died, my worst fear is not living a fulfilled life. Becoming a doctor is part of that, but it just seems impossible for me to be so neurotic anymore, I know I know the material well, but I'm not going to memorize every random detail in a margin for the curve ball questions a professor throws. I'm satisfied with knowing how everything works and applying it.

So if they ask why my grades went down, should I just make something up or go with the truth?

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[Bottle]

P chem?

 

[Boolean]

No. You must die and then be brought back to life at minimum to make up for it.

OP: Relax.

 

[lnvictus]

This forum is too neurotic for me, I'm done.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

If you keep your GPA around a 3.7 they won't ask you about it but I wouldn't risk dropping below a 3.6 if I were you. They want to see improvement as you progress in your college career, or at least stability. A consistent drop in GPA might not be viewed in the best light. In my opinion you are walking a fine line with your explanation, it might be perceived as a lack of passion, even if it's because of your new found perspective. If you can no longer put forth the effort in undergrad, how will you be able to motivate yourself in medical school with your perspective?

 

[cryhavoc]

No, just I

No. You must die and then be brought back to life at minimum to make up for it.

OP: Relax.

I just have a few pre-med friends who are flawlessly devoted to acing the most difficult science classes. And the old me was like that. Now, I just want to study adequately ahead of time, know the material well, then go do something fun or meaningful, and shrug if I get a B.

Sometimes I feel like medical schools only want perfect robots, and I'm scared my refusal to be neurotic over my grades is going to hurt me.

If you keep your GPA around a 3.7 they won't ask you about it but I wouldn't risk dropping below a 3.6 if I were you. They want to see improvement as you progress in your college career, or at least stability. A consistent drop in GPA might not be viewed in the best light. In my opinion you are walking a fine line with your explanation, it might be perceived as a lack of passion, even if it's because of your new found perspective. If you can no longer put forth the effort in undergrad, how will you be able to motivate yourself in medical school with your perspective?

Because learning medicine makes me a doctor, and as a doctor I can help people with that knowledge. I know people claim "thinking processes" and all that jazz, but there is no way other than some stuff with blood pressure, that more than a quarter of the physics I learn will ever help me with a patient. I have over 60 hours of ER observations, and over 100 hours of observation in other medical settings and see first hand how much I'm learning in undergraduate is useless.

Life is too short to master useless knowledge when you could be living life. Only medicine falls under my interests so only medicine is truly important to me. It isn't like I'm failing college with this mindset, I just stopped being a straight A student.

 

[Boolean]

No, just I


I just have a few pre-med friends who are flawlessly devoted to acing the most difficult science classes. And the old me was like that. Now, I just want to study adequately ahead of time, know the material well, then go do something fun or meaningful, and shrug if I get a B.

Sometimes I feel like medical schools only want perfect robots, and I'm scared my refusal to be neurotic over my grades is going to hurt me.

They may want perfect robots, but they do not want robots who will burn out the second they get into medical school. Find a balance between the two. Study hard, but recognize that sometimes taking a break is important, and good for your mental health.

 

[cryhavoc]

They may want perfect robots, but they do not want robots who will burn out the second they get into medical school. Find a balance between the two. Study hard, but recognize that sometimes taking a break is important, and good for your mental health.

I think I am finding that balance as an A/B student. I mostly get 3 A's for every 1 B I get. Not going to beat myself up over it anymore and I really hope it doesn't hurt my chances of becoming a doctor, even if I have a B in pre-med pre-reqs like physics.

 

[Lamel]

So you have like a 3.8? What's the problem...

 

[Afford]

Your grades are fine.

 

[cryhavoc]

So you have like a 3.8? What's the problem...

Your grades are fine.

Yeah, but that's just my regular GPA. My science GPA is a 3.5. That means half of my science/math grades are A's, half are B's. I only have such a high regular GPA from all the non-science classes. I'm sure they'll bring that up and I'm not sure they'll find, "I almost died so I have a hard time caring abut physics enough to get an A when I could be doing something else more meaningful" adequate.

 

[blackroses]

Yeah, but that's just my regular GPA. My science GPA is a 3.5. That means half of my science/math grades are A's, half are B's. I only have such a high regular GPA from all the non-science classes. I'm sure they'll bring that up and I'm not sure they'll find, "I almost died so I have a hard time caring abut physics enough to get an A when I could be doing something else more meaningful" adequate.

I can't claim to speak for an admissions committee, but my personal response would be: "so are you only going to apply yourself to the parts of medicine (and medical school) that seem relevant and ignore the rest? What if you don't find anatomy to be relevant? What if you don't find pharmacology to be relevant?"

Regardless of what you say you know about how your motivation will be different, that's a pretty valid concern IMHO.

 

[D4C]

.

 

[D4C]

Learn to relax first, my word.

 

[feeling-dizzy]

SDN has just become so neurotic that getting one "B" is the end of the world. Enough said.

 

[Ismet]

Yeah, but that's just my regular GPA. My science GPA is a 3.5. That means half of my science/math grades are A's, half are B's. I only have such a high regular GPA from all the non-science classes. I'm sure they'll bring that up and I'm not sure they'll find, "I almost died so I have a hard time caring abut physics enough to get an A when I could be doing something else more meaningful" adequate.

FYI, there's physics in medicine.

 

[Spinach Dip]

 

[efle]

Pretty sure you have to actually die and get brought back for them to excuse a single A-

but really this is a joke thread right? nobody is actually this neurotic it's gotta be satire

 

[tantacles]

FYI, there's physics in medicine.

Not much!

 

[Ismet]

Not much!

I wish there was more!

 

[kesdjmarouse]

They want to see improvement as you progress in your college career

 

[Catalystik]

I'm not going to memorize every random detail

In medicine, it's all about the details.

 

[tantacles]

I wish there was more!

Gross.

 

[Catalystik]

FYI, there's physics in medicine.

I wish there was more!

Gross.

Math majors rock.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

WTF is almost died? First of all, your gpa is fine. Not sure why you are worring because you are probably also taking upper level courses and your gpa will go down. I had 4.0 freshman year and 3.7 by senior year. Secondly, stop making excuses for your grades. You are trying to find a justification where there isn't one. Accept that your grades went down and move on with your life. Bringing attention to this ridiculous thing will honestly annoy schools as it is annoying me because it shows me how paranoid you are about an A. If they ask you just be honest and tell them the reasons such as getting more involved in acitvities, higher level courses, etc.

 

[Ismet]

Math majors rock.

I was almost a physics major, and my best friend was a math major.

I got VERY excited when we got to cardio, renal, and pulm and there was MATH!

 

[Hospitalized]

They won't ask why your GPA went from a 4.0 to a 3.8. And no, you should never lie about what happened. Being straightforward with what happened to your grades is respectable. Understanding what you could have done different is progress. Ultimately, considering your GPA, you are probably aware of how you can perform to the best of your ability.

A 4.0 doesn't get accepted into medical school, a future physician does. Grades are only a precursor.

 

[nOchemallday]

So I went from being a 4.00 student in my freshman year, to a 3.75 in my junior, to a 3.7 in my junior year, and I really think it was because I almost died. I know you are supposed to show grade improvement, but I find it impossible to fear a B grade anymore. The difference between an A and a B is hours I could better spend experiencing life or helping someone.I volunteer at a lot of places, and go visit/do cultural things/do club events a lot on a weekly basis.

My worst fear in life used to be getting an A minus. Ever since I almost died, my worst fear is not living a fulfilled life. Becoming a doctor is part of that, but it just seems impossible for me to be so neurotic anymore, I know I know the material well, but I'm not going to memorize every random detail in a margin for the curve ball questions a professor throws. I'm satisfied with knowing how everything works and applying it.

So if they ask why my grades went down, should I just make something up or go with the truth?

Don't worry you're still plenty neurotic.

 

[CrimsonKing]

"Man, I'm so cool since I almost died. My understanding of life and the universe is so far beyond what other pre-meds or ad-coms could ever understand. I don't need physics when I've seen death, all that matters is making sick dough as a doctor."- OP, probably

 

[lazyindy]

So I went from being a 4.00 student in my freshman year, to a 3.75 in my junior, to a 3.7 in my junior year, and I really think it was because I almost died. I know you are supposed to show grade improvement, but I find it impossible to fear a B grade anymore. The difference between an A and a B is hours I could better spend experiencing life or helping someone.I volunteer at a lot of places, and go visit/do cultural things/do club events a lot on a weekly basis.

My worst fear in life used to be getting an A minus. Ever since I almost died, my worst fear is not living a fulfilled life. Becoming a doctor is part of that, but it just seems impossible for me to be so neurotic anymore, I know I know the material well, but I'm not going to memorize every random detail in a margin for the curve ball questions a professor throws. I'm satisfied with knowing how everything works and applying it.

So if they ask why my grades went down, should I just make something up or go with the truth?

 

[cryhavoc]

Don't worry you're still plenty neurotic.

Do you have the time
To listen to me whine
About nothing and everything
All at once
I am one of those
Melodramatic fools
Neurotic to the bone
No doubt about it

 

[efle]

Do you have the time
To listen to me whine
About nothing and everything
All at once
I am one of those
Melodramatic fools
Neurotic to the bone
No doubt about it

Quoting 90's green day? Kid you must be 17 and strung out on confusion

 

[cryhavoc]

Quoting 90's green day? Kid you must be 17 and strung out on confusion

Trapped inside a world of disillusion.

If my MCAT was based on 90's song lyrics, I'd get a 45.

 

[pandadawn]

I still want to know how you almost died.

 

[cryhavoc]

I still want to know how you almost died.

I might use it for an essay and I want to be anonymous so I'll be somewhat vague. Let's just say I completed accepted my death, there was little to no chance I was going to survive the situation. My life didn't literally flash before my eyes, but time got really slow. I was thinking about all the stuff I'd never get to do, how I spent so much of my life doing nothing but studying and if I died now, it was all for nothing. How I wished I did more tangible things to help others than plan for a future where I might help people. Thought about my mom and prayed she wouldn't let me dying ruin her life, that she'd stay strong for the rest of my family's sake. Then I finally accepted my death, felt whatever chemicals your body gives you as you die to feel wonderful and realized dying was the most peaceful thing I ever felt, ran out of air, and blacked out. I got very, very lucky that I survived without brain damage, probably because of how cold the water was.

 

[efle]

tldr he tripped and hit his head passed out face first in a cold puddle

 

[cryhavoc]

tldr he tripped and hit his head passed out face first in a cold puddle

This made me laugh for a full minute. Completely serious.

 

[TactFR44]

So I went from being a 4.00 student in my freshman year, to a 3.75 in my junior, to a 3.7 in my junior year, and I really think it was because I almost died. I know you are supposed to show grade improvement, but I find it impossible to fear a B grade anymore. The difference between an A and a B is hours I could better spend experiencing life or helping someone.I volunteer at a lot of places, and go visit/do cultural things/do club events a lot on a weekly basis.

My worst fear in life used to be getting an A minus. Ever since I almost died, my worst fear is not living a fulfilled life. Becoming a doctor is part of that, but it just seems impossible for me to be so neurotic anymore, I know I know the material well, but I'm not going to memorize every random detail in a margin for the curve ball questions a professor throws. I'm satisfied with knowing how everything works and applying it.

So if they ask why my grades went down, should I just make something up or go with the truth?

Take it from someone who was similar to you and graduated with a 3.98. NOT worth it. Relax, chill and make the most of your undergrad!

 

[Avicenna]

You should actually know every answer to every question on a test. When you're in the operating room and someone has some obscure health problem, what are you supposed to do - say "Idk, I need to live a fulfilled life so I just need to understand the basic stuff"? You don't have what it takes. Might as well go Carribean, where excuses like "I almost died" will fly.

 

[TactFR44]

You should actually know every answer to every question on a test. When you're in the operating room and someone has some obscure health problem, what are you supposed to do - say "Idk, I need to live a fulfilled life so I just need to understand the basic stuff"? You don't have what it takes. Might as well go Carribean, where excuses like "I almost died" will fly.

What a gunner, bravo *ensues slow clap*

 

[cryhavoc]

You should actually know every answer to every question on a test. When you're in the operating room and someone has some obscure health problem, what are you supposed to do - say "Idk, I need to live a fulfilled life so I just need to understand the basic stuff"? You don't have what it takes. Might as well go Carribean, where excuses like "I almost died" will fly.

"Obscure medical problem." Probably should have memorized my physics or organic chemistry better, right? An "obscure" medical problem would be something I actually have an interest in, I fail to see how memorizing the obscurities of things unrelated to medicine would relate to that.