Hello!!
I’m currently a sophomore pre-med at a small private school in a city in Texas looking to transfer. I currently have a 3.61 cumulative GPA.
I’ve been unhappy at my school since freshman year, but I wanted to give myself time to really settle in and see how everything pans out before being quick to transfer. This semester has just gotten even worse than last, and I don’t think I want to be at my school anymore.
I struggled a lot with friends even though I really did put myself out there and talk to people, they just end up excluding me (they even made plans without me in the gc that I’m in) or treating me like I’m stupid by talking down to me. I even joined a sorority, but I don’t really enjoy being a part of it anymore.
Additionally, I feel like I’ve gotten no support from my advisors and professors. When I went to them to talk about how I was struggling, they discouraged me and basically told be to find a career path other than medicine. All of my professors but one have been not very understanding or accommodating this semester, especially my organic chemistry professor. He made my class section completely online meaning we don’t have lectures and he doesn’t even upload lecture videos to canvas; we basically have to teach ourselves the entire course.
I’m struggling so much, and I think I might end up dropping the class.
I want to transfer so bad, but I’m not really sure how to find a school that is going to be a good fit for me. I’d prefer to stay in Texas, but I don’t really like any of the schools that much. I’m considering University of Houston since it’s where I’m from, but I’m not sure about the students or how good the professors are at preparing you for medical school. I considered applying to the Honors College, but I’ve heard it’s extremely hard. I’ve also considered UT but I couldn’t finish my application in time and I don’t think I want to wait until next semester to apply.
I’m thinking of going out of state, but I don’t know any schools, and I’m also very scared of having to leave my family and be states away from them especially since I’ve had a bad experience being away from home so far.
I feel really lost and don’t know what to do :(( Any suggestions are appreciated!!
Hello Gemini!
Take a breath and breathe deeply.
You’ve been through a lot and I’m so sorry you’ve had an unpleasant experience. It doesn’t sound like you have gotten the academic and social support you need. That’s not okay, but it is okay for you to transfer. Make sure that you are comfortable with leaving and moving on.
The first step is to get an “unofficial” copy of your transcript from your current college so that you can quickly refer to your list of courses, (plus, you’ll want to see what’s on your record). You should be able to do that online. Also, download a copy of the course catalog that describes what each course involves so that you can forward that information.
Then, locate a local university that is within your home range, if that’s where you want to attend.
Next, contact a transfer counselor at the new university and find out what you need to do to transfer there.
Ask about free tutoring services. Most universities hire grad students, or upper division students, to tutor other students-it should be free for the common courses. It doesn’t mean that you are a poor student, it just means that you want to get a leg up on the work. My daughters’ both went to daily tutoring sessions at their colleges. Our eldest was hired as an engineering tutor because the tutoring center staff were very familiar with her and they knew that they could offer upper division tutoring if she were hired.
My middle daughter was told by several med students (at her lab job) that the only way to keep her “A’s” and stay ahead of the courses was to attend daily tutoring. She was later admitted into her med school program.
Take advantage of the health specific clubs on campus; if one doesn’t work for you, move on. The med schools will want to see volunteer work in a low-income neighborhood. These clubs should be able to give your some contacts about those volunteering opportunities.
Also, you should be able to transition to your onsite sorority at the new school.
Have some faith in yourself and find your crowd. It will happen!
Good Luck!
Rice University might be an attractive option. Consider Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee for pre-med.
“I’m considering University of Houston since it’s where I’m from, but I’m not sure about the students or how good the professors are at preparing you for medical school.”
Apply there. See if you are admitted. Then decide.
U of Houston gets plenty of students into medical school. Don’t worry about that! Focus on finding a place where you can be happy so that you are able to focus on your studies.
U of Houston had 243 students apply for med school in 19-29. That is more than Stanford. I don’t know how their admission rate compares to others, but that is a lot of applications.