Hey. I have been doing fairly well every semester and have a 3.7 GPA. However, this semester has been really difficult and I think that I will end up having some bad grades that will screw up my GPA. My question is will this one semester cost me the chance to get into medical school since I am a Junior?
Bad like what? Failing grades? B grades? D grades? GPA of 3.0? GPA of 2.0?
Bad grades in what classes?
Even a D or F in a science class isn’t a deal breaker. (Though it may require some remediation.)
1 Like
Right now, it looks like I will get a B- in Genetics, C in Biochemistry, and a B in Physical Chemistry. So my GPA this semester would be around a 3.11.
You’re passing everything–so that’s good.
Your grades are not a good look if you’re planning to apply to medical school in the 2021-2022 cycle. Adcomms don’t like to see downward GPA trends.
I strongly suggest you wait to apply until after graduation to give yourself another few semesters to show that you can do better.
Verdict–not ideal, but not lethal either.
Important that you balance out your science classes next semester. Two chem courses in one semester sounds stressful…
I agree with applying the summer after you finish college. Try to balance your classes so that you can improve your GPA through the rest of college. And I would suggest that you wait to take the MCAT until the summer after your senior year. If you can, plan to spend all summer, from right after you finish school in May, through the testing date that is the latest one that summer, studying for the MCAT. No job, nothing else. I recall having finished my academic requirements in early May, and having signed up for Kaplan, I think, (I don’t know what’s best these days), and lived off of a credit card that summer. I approached prep for the MCAT as a full-time job, spent all day in the testing center, and all evening practicing. I did very well on the MCAT, and it helped to make up for my bad freshman year. The extremely high MCAT score I got in chemistry made up for the C in Organic Chem. I got into every med school I applied to (all mid-level ones). I got a job in a medical field (biomedical information science) in September, so that helped with the application, too, I guess, but more importantly, it paid the bills, and helped to pay off the credit card balance!
You can plead Covid if it’s a one semester dip, so finish strong and try not to get so buried in the future.
I agree with @WayOutWestMom . And other posters who say…try to do better next term.
Re: Covid. Please, please don’t think you will be able to “plead Covid” about any grades. There will be thousands upon thousands of students applying to medical school when you do, and all will have experienced Covid. I can’t imagine any medical school listening to “well I had trouble because of Covid”. Because they don’t need to. They will have plenty of applicants who did fine anyway.
Making excuses for lower grades just isn’t a good idea. A legitimate reason like you were hospitalized for part of the term, or some catastrophic thing happened…maybe.
Your grades this term are not deal breakers for medical school applications IF this is a one off semester.
Thank ya’ll for the advice. I was able to pull my GPA up to a 3.75 this semester, so I think that I am back on track!
Hi,
I know reaching out like this is kind of weird but, I am in need of guidance. I’ve loved how in post regarding premed students you’ve given great information and have been a great help. Especially to students as myself being first generation in college and oldest of my family. I am currently at my first semester in UCSD as a freshman. I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I can remember. I am currently struggling especially general honors chemistry, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get an F. Which is hard to wrap my head around since I’ve never failed a class. I guess there is a first time for everything. I hope med school is still an option. My other classes are going pretty okay so far, but not the best. Can I still get into med school? What can I do to make myself a competitive candidate. Also I plan on retaking chem but just taking regular chem.
Medical schools don’t allow grade replacement so your F is going to stay in your GPA even if you retake the class. If it’s possible, you should withdraw from the class instead of taking the F. (It’s probably be too late in the semester, but contact your academic advisor or the Registrar’s office and check.)
College coursework is much harder than high school classes so it takes a whole different set of study skills to be successful. Have you used all the resources available to you? Did you go to your TA’s or professor’s office hours? Did you get tutoring? (BTW, tutoring is free through the Academic Support Center at your uni.) Did you work with other students in a study group? Did you seek out additional resources–like other textbooks or instructional YouTube videos? Did you pre-read the material and develop your own topic outlines before attending class lecture?
You need to make plan for success going forward.
Here are some suggestions to consider:
-
Most universities offer a study skills seminar at the academic support center. I definitely recommend you check to see if your college offers one and enroll in the class.
-
Lighten your schedule. Many freshmen overload themselves and try to take a too ambitious schedule while adjusting to college-- two science and math classes/quarter is too much. So is two different lab classes. For the next quarter take no more than 1 science w/ lab class or 1 math class. Fill the rest of schedule with GE requirements (like writing skills, psychology or sociology-- all of which are also pre-med requirements.) Maybe even consider sitting out of all science classes for a quarter or two until you learn how to earn As in college class.
-
Don’t over load yourself. Find out what the minimum number of credits is to be considered enrolled full time. Only take that many credits. You need to learn how to be successful in college first before you try to pile on extra classes.
-
Get tutoring from Day 1 in any class you don’t feel confident about. Don’t wait until you’re in academic trouble before seeking help.
UCSD is offering remote tutoring – learn about it here: For Students
I know it’s disheartening to start on your path and have things not go as planned. But hang in there. This isn’t the end. One F is not going to keep you out of medical school–especially one earned during your freshman year.
You need to think of getting into medical school as a marathon, not a sprint. Think and plan long term. Learn to be successful in college first, then worry about being a pre-med.
Good luck on your journey.
2 Likes
Thank you. I appreciate it, you’re right I should focus on how to be successful in college first. Have a wonderful day.
One more thing, @Yulisxa.
See if you can find old gen chem exams posted online. They are useful for practice and to see what type of questions are likely to be asked.
In college science & math classes, you need to do as many of the problem sets in the textbook as possible, not just the ones assigned. If you find additional problem sets from other texts similar to the one used in your class, do those too. You need to practice, practice, practice until you can do the problems in your sleep.
1 Like
When S as premed attended UCSD, he ended up first year with GPAs below 3.2. So I have some empathy for your situation although S never had a grade below C in the years he attended. Take @WayOutWestMom’s advice to heart.
Also realize that applying to med school is a year long process, meaning, if say you were thinking about starting med school right after you graduate, you would have to apply in summer after junior year, or in 8 quarters (not counting summers). Considering your start, you may want to seriously consider waiting until you graduate before applying as you would then have 11 quarters of courses (not counting summers) to minimize the effect of this F. You’re in a hole, but upward trends in GPAs are viewed favorably by med schools. It certainly would help if you were a science major (e.g. bio, chem, etc) as you would still have many not only premed reqs left to complete, but also the UD science reqs of your major to boost your GPAs to help convince med schools you can handle med school academics. The extra year would also give you more time to participate in ECs, prep and do well on MCAT, and take some pressure off. Good luck.
Definitely got some tips for next semester. Thank you. It’s just difficult because I’m still trying to find the way I learn. I don’t think knowing how to do it cuts it anymore to get an A. I will definitely spend more time practicing. I heard some news that there going to allow students to turn some general classes from a letter grade into NP/P because apparently a lot of people are struggling. I wonder if that help with my GPA.
Thank you for the insight of medical school application. Along with understanding what I’m going through, well somewhat of my situation, my situation is worse lol. I do know it’s a long process when wanting to apply to medical school it’s like applying to universities again except, there’s more preparation to apply. Along with less acceptance rates. Although I’m hoping since I did attend community college while in high school. I’m hoping my gpa from there gives me a bit of coverage, so I’m hoping it won’t go to that extent of staying another year. I will certainly consider it though if things decide to go downhill again. Hopefully not though, because I did learn from my mistakes this semester. As long as I prepare myself better, practice, and dedicate all my time from the beginning especially for the science courses. I will learn and grow from this terrible semester. Thank you.
A P/NP is GPA neutral. It won’t help or hurt your GPA. The class will be reported under supplemental hours on AMCAS.
Medical schools, however, will not accept classes w/ P/NP grades as fulfilling medical school admission requirements. Pre-reqs need to have a grade. Also P/NP classes usually cannot be counted toward fulfilling your major’s requirements for graduation. (But be sure to check with your departmental advisor about that, as policies vary.)
1 Like
Okay I will thank you for everything.