How badly did I screw up?

Let’s say I got a F in my freshman year in a pre req along with several C’s but work hard towards an upward trend of only A’s and B’s after a rough first semester. Should I say goodbye to MD schools (maybe not DO) and try to be a technician of some sort instead?

You’ve only completed one semester of college? Right?

If so it’s too soon to give up hope (esp if you’re willing to consider osteopathic med schools), but you’re in a deep, deep, deep hole you may not be able to get out of. You need to figure PDQ what you’re doing wrong w/r/t how you approach studying in college and fix it. If you can turn things around and earn only or mostly As (Sorry, Bs won’t cut it for med school…) from here on out, you have a chance.

But what are the odds that you’ll completely turn things around?

That I can’t answer. I don’t know you, what your work ethic is like, why you’re doing so poorly, what your pre-college prep is like, what your native aptitude for math/science is like…

It’s really easy to say, “I’ll do better” but surprisingly hard to actually do better.

Maybe it would be a good thing to step back and take some non-science courses and see how things go next semester. Maybe you’ll find a subject are where you’ll shine. If you still feel the call to medicine after a couple of semesters, if you’re confident you understand how to be successful in college, then pick one or two science retakes and see how it goes.

What are the chances of being a clinical lab technician if I get a 3.0 cum at the end of college?

It depends on whether you can pass the national certification exam and get licensed.

I’m not expert on med school admissions and what they are looking for… but what I would tell a friend in this same situation is to ask yourself a couple questions. Do you think you would actually enjoy the science pre-reqs you would have to be taking the rest of college? Is med school your dream? I’ve seen people drop pre-med after one semester because the classes are making them miserable, they had a chance of heart about what their passions are, etc… and that is totally valid and nothing to be ashamed of. However, if you do have the passion and think you could still have a good college experience as a pre-med, I would say don’t give up this soon! It’s SO early your college experience… you have no idea what the future might hold. I would recommend (unless the classes are making you miserable or you had a change of heart) sticking with it and just doing your best. I know this is a clique but it’s really all about the journey, not the end result of med school. Focus on what makes you happy and what you are passionate about, do your best, and the rest will fall into place. Best of luck :).