What if you realize half way through...

<p>... that you may not be as smart as you want to be?</p>

<p>So I'm a quarter into my year of organic chemistry and I'm just about done with quantitative genetics this quarter. As I've been getting my midterms and lab reports back this quarter, I'm starting to realize my very best is only getting me a few points above average on everything, which is about say 60-70 for orgo and genetics. I don't mean to come off pretentious, but I guess I've always thought, no matter how hard a class is, I could at least score high enough to be above average and pull of something in the A range, but it looks like I'll be getting B+ at best for these classes. I'm not ranting about a B+, but I am a little concerned because I actually have given it my best in my opinion, and if my best is a B+, not a "slip" (a lot of people seem to ask questions about that on here, "I had personal issues this quarter and might end up with a B+, am I still competitive?!?" type of questions...), I'm not sure if I'll be able to do a whole lot better during the rest of the year of orgo, biochem, molecular and cell bio. It's not even so much that I don't like the material, I kind of enjoyed doing orgo problems, but the tests always seem to be leaps and bounds harder than what I understand, and I barely make average. I want to say I believe I'd make a good physician after I can just ace these subjects, but seeing as these classes are part of the process of becoming a doctor, I'm wondering if my struggling is an indication of anything. Maybe this is a question, I ought to figure out for myself, but do you think this is big enough a factor for me to reconsider if medicine is right, or a practical direction, for me?</p>

<p>You're asking all the right questions. </p>

<p>One key question, what is the relative rigor and competitiveness of the school you are attending. A lower GPA is required from the best LAC and top tier universities to get in to med school than from schools that are slightly less rigorous.</p>

<p>Great advice. Talk to your premed advisor. </p>

<p>I suspect they may say something like "We get lots of kids coming in rethinking there medical school plans after seeing their grades, but most do not have anything like a B+ average. If you want to be a doctor, nothing that has happened so far should viewed as dimming your prospects. On the other hand, the vast majority of our students do something else. The fact that you may have long planned on medicine does not mean you are obligated to do it. Keep doing well in your courses, and keep thinking about what you want to do with your career."</p>