No More Options?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>I have read on SDN that DO schools will replace grades if a course is retaken. TS if you’re very serious, it might be an option to not only get good grades on future classes, but to retake the classes you did badly in during the first two years. If you can retake a few of those previous courses and get a higher grade. Your GPA might be able to go up to a decent level. I’d double check with a more experienced member to see if this is a possible avenue. </p>

<p>I have little experience as far as admissions but I wish you the best of luck.</p>

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<p>swimcatsmom, GPA is based upon credits. So if you take 50% more credits for the last 2 years, it’s possible (though, I must say, very unlikely - or rather, EXTREMELY difficult).</p>

<p>For most med schools a 3.4 would not be very competitive for admissions.
Agreed.</p>

<hr>

<p>Evicted, if you did hit that realization/epiphany, then I know exactly what you mean - and props to you. I didn’t mature, academically, until around the end of my junior/beginning of senior year in HS (mainly cause I enrolled in so many AP’s; I hated all the academic classes, I felt they were insulting) - I’m so thankful that I matured before entering college (and I’m so thankful I didn’t mature, academically, before 11th grade… I enjoyed my life :))</p>

<p>And if you’re serious about medicine, osteopathic medicine is actually a good and reasonable thing you should do a lot of research into.</p>

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<p>DO school is an option as well, but for now I am going to leave it just as an option but gear more towards MD. </p>

<p>JamesJr, I have been researching the acceptance criteria as well, and fully understand that my past puts my goals seemingly out of reach. However, I hope that my persistence and improvements will also be seen by the Medical schools. I could easily give up on my goal, like many others in my situation might have done , but I won’t. </p>

<p>Also, I might be able to put a positive spin on my dismissal in my application. The experience, the feelings and just the realization of what I truly want to pursue in life that came from it, and since med schools also have students who are dismissed, maybe that puts me back into perspective. (hopefully? but probably not, i know.) </p>

<p>If i don’t make it my first year of applying, i’ll try and try again. I have also learned about certain Caribbean schools that are accredited in the United States, so there may be hope for an M.D. even then. </p>

<p>I don’t expect to be welcomed into any medical school with open arms, but maybe with consistent high grades (from this point forward), a strong MCAT, and persistence, I can make this far off dream a reality.</p>

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<p>Here’s the thing, you screwed up and you took time off (forced) and you contend you have learned. That is great. BUT, no admissions people will believe it unless you essentially look perfect from here on out.</p>

<p>In order to prove to disinterested parties that you learned your lesson and that you were actually capable of far more than your showed in your first two years of UG, you must create your plan and stick to it and, most likely, get nothing less than a B+ (maybe one a term) and shadow and volunteer and maybe do research and especially connect with some profs who can write amazing LORs. Oh, and smoke the MCAT.</p>

<p>Yes, is it possible that 1/1,000,000 students who ask this type of question on SDN can successfully rehabilitate themselves and their transcript and get into med school. BUT, shoot, you are in CA, you have a very slim chance with the UCs, they seem to tend to be numbers driven and have high stats.</p>

<p>So, part of your plan might include taking a year off after UG and establish residency in a state with better stats or maybe MT/WY who have no med school and are allowed by many surrounding states to apply, even though those states don’t allow OOS students.</p>

<p>Maybe you can make this happen, maybe you cannot. It is similar to the cases I have read on SDN of kids who had drug issues and are strongly advised NOT to talk about it- it SEEMS that med school apps are not the place to show the character building process, they are the place to show you already have/had character ;)</p>

<p>Make a plan, graduate from UG with the very best GPA you can muster, whether you do MD/DO or something else, that will be a good thing for your life. </p>

<p>Make a plan to explore medicine with the objective of proving that you know what you are getting into- shadow a doc or two, volunteer in something that gives back to the community, volunteer in a hospital, find a way to explore as many aspects of medicine as you can. If you are interested in research pursue that too, but don’t let your grades drop.</p>

<p>This turn around in huge for you, but it is so very common to so many adults in the education world that they are not as impressed as they could be…but people will be more impressed once you have proven yourself.</p>

<p>There may be a way to become a doctor, there is nothing wrong with pursuing it.</p>

<p>I would recommend DO over non US MD though</p>

25

<p>can you take the math course over the summer at your current UC campus? (summer registration is rather laid back, and without restrictions). Assuming you ace the course, and you must ace it, you might then be able to make an appeal for taking additional science courses during the regular year.</p>

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<p>Go for it and good luck. Even if you don’t wind up in medical school with your new improved attitude you’ll end up somewhere good.</p>

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<p>Alright then. Well, if you get like 2 B’s in your first semester attempt at this goal. You probably should reconsider what most of us are saying on this thread because then it will probably be all over at that point.</p>

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<p>but maybe with consistent high grades (from this point forward), a strong MCAT, and persistence, I can make this far off dream a reality.</p>

<p>There is a problem with this statement, especially given your situation.</p>

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<p>I say go for it. You’ll never know unless you try.</p>

<p>My first thought, though–and I might just be interpreting this incorrectly, hard to judge from typed messages etc–is, why are you all of the sudden so eager to do medicine at all costs? I suppose what I’m wondering is, what is your motivation for this change/epiphany? Don’t bother answering that question on this thread–it’s nobody’s business out in the wormhole of the internet–but it would probably be a damn good idea to have a really strong/unique/incredible reason for wanting to do what you’re setting out to do. Sure it’s nice to shoot for the long odds, but oh boy…your odds seem extremely long. Better have some ridiculously strong personal motivation for wanting to do what you want to do, since chances are you’ll face some adversity along the way.</p>

<p>Another thing you might want to ask yourself is how realistic you’re being with the academic progress you hope to make. You say that you realize you messed up, partied too much, etc for your first two years and have since reformed. What have you done to change your ways? Doing well and getting As in two classes is a phenomenal start, but taking two classes over the summer at a community college is NOT the same as taking a full courseload at a university. If science wasn’t your thing in the past, what has happened to make you believe beyond any reasonable doubt that now you will not only understand and enjoy science but also excel in it more than you ever have before? Another question that does not require an answer on this thread. Just for your head.</p>

<p>I also wonder if you have a reasonable grasp of how much time and effort overhauling your academic practices is going to require. I am a rising senior premed whose been on track to graduate on time for the whole time I’ve been here, and I’m definitely overwhelmed with this process (and I’m not the type to get overwhelmed easily). I literally cannot imagine how much more personally challening, academically difficult, and time consuming my course of study would be if I were in your shoes. On the bright side, you’ll probably have a helluva personal statement. </p>

<p>You say that you have all these new reasons for wanting to go into a medical field. I would challenge you to expand that more than you think is possible if we were friends. Say, for example, that you recently had some kind of personal medical accident and, through the grace of God and some phenomenal doctors, you survived–thus, now you want to practice medicine to repay those greater beings for saving you. That would be a wonderful motivation for wanting to go into medicine. Developing that is what could be your ticket. Continuing with that example, maybe you would start volunteering with local survivors of similar accidents; shadowing the physician who saved your life; researching with a team to prevent accidents from occurring in the future; serving on a mission trip to continue exploring your faith; etc. Don’t do one of those, do ALL of them. Do all of them very well and very thoroughly. In doing so, you’ll find that deeper drive and desire that you need to keep you going during all this crazy academic stuff. </p>

<p>It’s going to be a very long journey, but I wish you the best of luck and hope you have a great semester!</p>

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<p>Surprised that no one else has pointed this out. This is exactly the wrong way to study for the MCAT. The people who spend years studying for the MCAT see very little for their efforts. Even if you’re still taking your science pre-reqs, it doesn’t take more than 1 semester to prepare.</p>

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<p>Shades, I have a feeling no one pointed that out because that kinda seems like the least of the OPs worries. You’re definitely right though–that a semester of prep should be plenty and studying for years hasn’t been shown to help. OP has a lot on OPs plate already, which is at least why I didn’t point out the mcat thing.</p>

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<p>taking two classes over the summer at a community college is NOT the same as taking a full courseload at a university.
Great point.</p>

<p>And for those who didn’t catch, the problem with that statement is that it lacks one goal: a very important goal for all pre-meds, and an even MORE important goal for all applicants with low GPA. OP, I hope you realize how important this problem is, because this problem MUST become the highlight(s) to your application, since your GPA obviously won’t.</p>

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<p>Point taken. If you ask me, though, the OP has a lot to tackle right now - thinking that the MCAT is one of them is going to be unhelpful. Better not to spend time on that and spend it doing things that will actually make a positive difference.</p>

34

<p>kristin, I was always interested in becoming a Physician, but that’s all it was, an interest. I wasn’t really worried much about how I can pursue it, i was more worried about what was happening later on that night. Once I was dismissed from my school, (btw i could have returned the next quarter, but i chose not to) I took sometime to just reevaluate myself, and figure out what my goals in life were. It was then that my interest grew into a passion, and I realized that i was willing to dedicate the rest of my life to getting there, no matter how hard or impossible my odds may be. </p>

<p>Also, I didn’t take those two classes at a community college, i took them at a higher ranked UC school, then the one i had attended. (I do understand your point though, two classes is nothing compared to the amount i’m going to have to take) I know community college courses can not really compare to a UC school’s education. </p>

<p>Thank you for everyone’s input as I am taking everything into consideration. I need to prioritize among the things that I can tackle right now and things that I can tackle once I finish my UG. </p>

<p>Any advice regarding the MCAT, would be greatly appreciated, I’m going to be searching the forums for advice also. </p>

<p>I have heard from various sources that some caribbean schools like SGU, offer MD’s that are accredited, and that many of their graduates find good residencies in the US, especially CA. This is only an option, but in my position an option like this, is HUGE.</p>

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<p><so i=“” can=“” convince=“” everybody=“” i’m=“” really=“” the=“” old=“” codger=“” play=“” on=“” cc,=“” some=“” crusty=“” man=“” advice=“”></so></p>

<p>You know where you are. You know where you want to go. Hopefully now you understand how far those two places are apart. </p>

<p>How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Good luck, OP.</p>

36

<p>I do not know if it is possible at all, but one option is to forget about 2 years and enter college as freshman with HS diploma and no college credits. Could it be done? I have no idea.</p>

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<p>Nope. The grades are there forever as is the duty to report all previous college work.</p>

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<p>

I really apologize for the skepticism, but I’m wondering whether this was completely of your choosing. Were you forced into doing this, whether forced by your stress or by your parents or whatever. </p>

<p>And as EH pointed out, you have little to no background in research or other ECs. Research/EC is even a necessity to supplement all pre-meds with great stats, but you don’t/won’t have great stats so you need that much better of a background in ECs - something that you have not started on yet.</p>

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<p>There was no given time frame for me to return. I had to choose a different major and take 2 additional courses through extension. But I did not want to attend extension, and rather take my classes over the summer, so it was not completely of my discretion, you do have a point.</p>

<p>Furthermore, I do have background in research, I volunteered at my relatives lab (Molecular biology and Immunology lab also at a UC) , and I also worked for a Physics lab during my freshman year at my own school. I could get back into volunteering at my relatives lab during my breaks. I estimate that I currently have about 1 year of lab experience.</p>