I am currently a freshman at Johns Hopkins University. I am a bio and anthro major on a pre-med track. I am also minoring in WGS. I have had a lot of significant family emergencies this semester and my grades have suffered because of it. I am now only enrolled in 10 credits and have a W on my report for Gen Chem. I am finishing the semester with a 3.66 and am worried that my rough first semester will hinder my ability to go to med school. I am highly involved on campus and am even doing research. If I am able to do well for the rest of my undergraduate career will my ability to go to med school still be hindered?
You can always look at osteopathic medical schools, which require a lower GPA and MCAT score if you need to.
Just keep marching forward.
https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-om
Right now the OD degreed doctors have access to many of the same residency programs so there is less and less difference between an OD and an MD degree.
You can become a doctor either way.
One problem though with JHU, is those kids you go to school with will frown on ODs. Simply ignore your classmates.
My dream is to become an OBGYN and while it doesn’t really matter to me where I go to med school as long as I get to go, I would love to go to a school like Duke or Baylor.
You may want to stop dreaming and start studying. It makes absolutely no sense to dream about medical school as a freshman at JHU. You need to develop study skills. Sorry to be so blunt, but if you cannot learn to study hard, medical school may not be a good plan. If you are sure you want to be in a healthcare profession-- You can also consider getting a masters degree in physical therapy, transferring to a nursing degree, or getting a masters in public health. Johns Hopkins is your time to explore majors. Use your time wisely by taking a variety of undergraduate classes. If you don’t like chemistry, do you really want to take organic chemistry? Do you like physics and do you plan to take that? Use your time at JHU to assess your skills and interests for a good two years, and then and only then, make a graduate school plan. You could easily become an attorney, for instance, if you prefer reading and writing. What do you like about women’s studies? If you like that, it may mean you should become an attorney, rather than a doctor. Its OK, take your time and don’t rush into a medical career. Just take it step by step. There is no point in picking medical schools now. You should be exploring “What is public health, and should I study that?” What is the difference between a nurse and a doctor and what suits me best? Nurses need a little chemistry but less than it takes to pass the MCAT.
The MCAT is a killer test. If you struggle with chemistry, you need to get onto Khan Academy and study your brains out starting today. Get a tutor, and learn chemistry. If you withdrew from basic chemistry, it may just not be a good plan to keep this up, but see how you feel next year.
I understood my courses. It’s not that I am not smart enough to do the work. I have had family emergencies that have effected this semester. I know what I want to do with my life. I have done lots of research into it. My courses have gotten better since my family emergency. My question is just regarding first semester. I fully plan on doing perfectly well in the future. Just with my given circumstances, I was not able to properly concentrate on my coursework. Your response assumes that I am doing poorly because I am not studying and that I will continue to do poorly, but my question just takes the first semester into account. Mainly my lower amount of credits.
A 3.66 GPA first semester at Hopkins as a freshman is nothing to be ashamed of. Especially for a pre-med.
Do you think the low number of credits (10) and the W on chem will hinder my ability to get into med-school?
Just take GenChem during the summer. And if Hopkins GenChem is the same as my son’s school, the focus first semester is on atomic structure (baby quantum physics).
And Organic Chemistry is the make or break class for premeds.
They told us at the PreMed orientation that 80% of students with 3.6 or better get into med school. Maybe not JHU or Yale, but a US med school. That GPA is the 4 year GPA, so you can have a much higher GPA. Just keep working. By the way, I am not sure how you can know your GPA this semester since exams start today, but good luck. I am sorry you had family emergencies. Hopefully, all is okay now.
So, you’re in your first semester in college and basically got two As, one A-, and a B (that’s what a 3.66 is…) and you’re worried that you’re doomed for med school? Relax…
Having said that, a med school like Duke is EXTREMELY competitive and you shouldn’t anticipate getting in, no matter how solid of an applicant you are. The average GPA is something like 3.85 with a 36 MCAT (old scale), 516 MCAT (new scale). Frankly, the goal should be to get into any med school within the U.S. - they’re all good as there aren’t that many. Many pre-meds from Duke end up going to their in-state one.
One rough semester is not going to keep you out of medical school.
Thank you so much! I was just worried about the number of credits and getting a B+ in Bio and B in chem lab which are my science courses.
I already have 3 of my grades posted. I just don’t know my bio grade, but worst case scenario I get a B which would leave me with a 3.6 something. Everything is Okay now and I have been working with faculty on campus. Thank you so much.
Just as FYI. OD= Doctor of Optometry (eye doctor)
You mean DO = Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
OD and DO are not the same thing.
Osteopathic doctors have always been eligible to apply to allopathic residency programs, but DOs need to take the USMLE to qualify for them. They still will even after impending residency merger in 2020.
If you are discussing your first semester in college, it is probably not the best time to be worried about medical school. It is important that you do well in school, not get a C- etc, but it is too early to determine which medical school you can get into.
Don’t let fear of not getting into medical school destroy your college experience. Be happy and positive.