<p>Hello everybody,</p>
<p>I took community college courses at a CC, with a very high transfer rate, during high school. I am a senior in high school now and I am taking Calculus III. My issue is that I may want to pursue medical school, but I fear my past performance is going to put me at a disadvantage. </p>
<p>Course History (No Plus or Minuses)
PreCalc (5 Units) B
Calc II (5 Units) B
Astro I (3 Units) A
Astro II (3 Units) A
MacroEcon (3 Units) B</p>
<p>I know that when I apply to medical school, I will have to report these grades. I am now getting a high B in my calc class but I am pretty sure I will not get an A. Because of the fear of having another B show up on my grades and subsequently lowering my med school GPA, do you think it is worth it to get a W instead? Have I ruined my chances of getting into a top notch medical school? I got accepted to USC and will be enrolling in the Fall, what if I do very well my next 6 semesters? I was accepted to the Thematic Option Honors Program and the Freshman Honors Science Program. I plan to be very focused in my studies! Will I still be at a huge disadvantage if I take another B? Won't I have to retake Calc anyway due to the requirements of medical school?</p>
<p>Do I still have a shot at Dartmouth/Harvard/Stanford Medical School?</p>
<p>I am sorry I am asking so many question, it's just the deadline to withdraw from a class is this Friday and I really need some insight. </p>
<p>Thank you for your time.</p>
<p>It is very premature question. Go thru couple years in UG, then ask yourself about Med. School in general, not specifically about Dartmouth/Harvard/Stanford Medical Schools. Right now, just enjoy your time, do not worry too much, it will not change anything as much more challenges are ahead, it will be more clear couple years down the road. I am not sure about purpose of Calc III anyway if Med. School is a plan.</p>
<p>Anyone else have any advice? I know it’s a very premature question and that’s mainly because I am a premature student, but would it be really bad to get the W? I’d have to probably take it at USC anyway.</p>
<p>Having 4 Bs on your transcript is not really a big deal. Your GPA still has the potential to be very high. </p>
<p>What’s the point of taking the class now if you’ll just have to retake it at USC? I’ve never heard of a med school that requires beyond calc 1, with the exception of a few that recommend calc 2. </p>
<p>As far as the whole “top notch med school” thing goes, there are a few things to realize:
- all allopathic med schools in the United States are great med schools. I imagine the same is true for osteopathic schools but I don’t know much about them.
- most med students go to med school at their state’s state med school because it saves them tens of thousands of dollars and the end result (Your Name MD) is the same.
- the competition for a spot in medical school is unreal. As a high school student I would be SHOCKED if you have encountered anything similar up to this point. More than half the people who apply to med school–meaning they take the classes, prep for the MCAT, take the MCAT, fill out the apps, attend interviews, etc–are rejected from every single school they apply to. Going into undergrad with the idea that Dartmouth/Harvard/Stanford med schools are readily attainable is probably not in your best interest. For the most part, students who are admitted to the elite medical schools have a hell of a lot more going on for them than good scores and grades. If elite schools are your goal, then you have quite a road ahead of you in terms of distinguishing yourself. </p>
<p>Check out the threads about GPA and about applying early (by curmudgeon). Read through this year’s 2011-2012 applicants thread and last year’s 2010-2011 applicants thread. I think you’ll get a much better idea about what med school apps (and med school) is all about. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>*Note I called them “elite” and not “top.” From the (few) people I know at various (4-6) med schools, and from docs I know that attended various med schools, I have yet to be convinced there’s a relationship between attending an elite med school and being a fantastic doctor. (Note: the link between elite schools and great careers might hold true for researchers.)</p>