A 2nd year slump...

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>hey all,</p>

<pre><code> Just finished my sophomore year of undergrad. so first year, at my first school, i did extremely well academically (3.99 gpa, 4.0 science). i transferred into a second, much more rigorous school that's known for having a competitive pre-med program. i learned a lot at this second school (in addition to just academic content), most importantly, how to learn/study better. this came at a big cost though - i got a 3.43 avg this past year, and kinda bombed orgo (B- and B, fall and spring semesters, respectively). I do have legitimate reasons for the drop in grades, in addition to adjusting, but it's mostly just some loss in focus.

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<p>i've done some thinking since the school year ended, and obviously my grades need to go up. i've got lab experience in 2 places (one at my old school, one at the one i'mi at now). i'm working at the lab in my old school this summer, continuing the project i was working on last summer, and we've got enough data for a publication, which is good news. I've got a fair amount of community service hours, and i'm planning on shadowing at a hospital this fall.<br>
I"m also taking the MCAT this aug 15th. </p>

<p>So the thing that has me most worried is how much this past year has damaged my application. If I bring my grades back up this next year, my gpa should be around a 3.7-3.8 by the time i apply next summer, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in my position, and whether or not a 1 year slump affected their chances at competitive medical schools. just to get an idea of my top choices, I'm a california resident, and would like to stay in-state for med school. any help/suggestions you guys can give would be great. thanks.</p>

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<p>bump (10 chars)</p>

3

<p>I think most people have had a bad semester or two, there's certainly nothing there that should cripple your chances, just make sure you bring your grades up next semester, though you may be expecting too much if you think they'll return to your freshman year heights given the step up in difficulty.</p>

4

<p>Like BDM says, there's no one single thing that can kill your chances. Mess one thing up and everything else will be held to a slightly higher standard. Your chances for medical school aren't over, but your margin of error is now slimmer.</p>

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<p>thanks a lot for the input guys. i guess my really big concern is; do i need to rule out CA med schools because of this 1 year (i only ask because i know how difficult they are to get into)?</p>

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<p>NCG or BDM can answer this better, but I'd say it's impossible to say without an MCAT score, though would air on the side of certainly not. It's far too early to tell, and you'll end up applying to the CA schools anyway, so don't worry about that now. Just do the best you can in your forthcoming courses.</p>