I don't mean any disrespect, but you always come off as an ass when discussing undergrad/medical school. (seriously, didn't mean any disrespect)
Finals sucks man... UT sure knows how to make smart people feel dumb. Giving people only 2 days for "dead week"... it's ridic considering the competition here
I took Ochem soph year and genetics freshman year. Cell bio I took randomly one summer to fill the pre-med requirement (I was an engineering major). Anyway there's still plenty of chances for you to get in. An awesome last two years of college and a monster MCAT, along with research can increase your chances into getting in. All my friends I've graduated with in college are now either interns in our respective specialties, or currently in medical school, but the key is to be with a group of like minded driven people that will all push each other to strive.
I know it will be difficult, but I'm looking for some miracle to happen in the next two years. I plan on taking a year off after I graduate to prepare for the MCATs though. I'm staying over the summers as well. I had Saxena for Genetics, and Williams for Ochem. Funny thing about when I took O Chem with Williams was that she was in her first semester of teaching. She was fired after that semester because so many students complained to the Dean.
Pizza, I remember your predicament surrounding selecting between Oregon and Texas -- did you end up deciding on UO? IIRC, they were very engaging and responded in a timely manner, whereas Texas got back to you very late in the process...
Long story. Short version: I played halo with that name. i enjoyed the reaction when i won. I adopted the persona. plus its funny.
First and foremost, do not listen to what most people say about medical school admission rates. The OVERALL average across the board falls into the 50% range (i.e., half the kids that apply every year get in). BUT, for any particular medical school, you are looking at about 150-200ish seats in a sea of anywhere from 5000-10000 applicants (the latter being a school like Drexel). Second, no one bad semester by no means kills your chances at medical school although it does make things significantly harder. I think taking a break from the pre-med based classes is a good idea and taking other courses until you get your head on straight. Then after you graduate, consider doing a post-bac program or SMP (if you can literally kill the MCATs and can be sure you can get As in the rest of your class). Also, wanting to do medicine because of an intrinsic need to help and care for others is total bull****. There are a million different ways you can do this and being a doctor, honestly, is one of the most brutal roads you can go down to do it. Think about what you really want to do and for what purpose and motivation becomes more straightforward, albeit still a struggle at times.
Never really saw this response, but I assume it was directed at what I asked (judging from the other poster's response to you). You are right in saying that Ochem is taken after gen chem and that the prereqs for Genetics and Cell Bio are Gen Biology. However, that doesn't mean you should take them all right after your freshmen year. I don't know how it is at UT but i remember the difference between the advanced and the general courses being pretty big. Beyond that, you have two more yrs to take Genetics and cell bio; no need to put more pressure on yourself while you are taking ochem (arguably the most difficult pre-med course). Also, I have never taken a community college course. And yes I am in Med School right now. Get off your high horse.
Thank you for the advice. I've been raised around the field of medicine my whole life. Days and nights, I've spent in the hospital with sick family members, but through all the struggle, I've learned to admire the profession. It is on the hospital bed that a person off the streets or a millionaire both become vulnerable. These patients put so much of their trust into a complete stranger. I feel as though half of medicine's effectiveness (the other being, prescription) is the doctor's interaction with the patient. This helps substantially in how the patient responds to treatment. I am not pleased to see so many doctors who are apathetic about their patients, but there are a few who still have the vitality to genuinely show interest and care in their patients. That quality is something I feel I can use, to those who have no hope. And I do admit, the career wears on you as a person, but I have something called hope and a desire to make an impact, and the opportunities I've been given as a child, teen, and an adult point me to the direction of medicine.
Finish your degree strong and kill the MCAT is what you really need to do. Research is a good decision especially if you can get published. Shadow some doctors and see if you can get involved in some organizations. Do everything in that order.
I definitely didn't mean to attack you or make you feel like you had to explain your reasonings to me - I was just saying that so that you could be sure of what you wanted. The road really is beyond grueling and just the motivation of wanting to help others or money or whatever else really does pull enough weight when you're sitting alone studying at all odd hours of the night. Just an fyi more than anything else. Keep your chin up!
There are a lot of careers in medicine besides being an MD. Many of them will put you in more direct and meaningful contact with patients. Look at some of the allied health professions if direct patient care is what you are looking for.
You are definitely going to need to master Genetics for the MCAT. I guarantee you there will always be 4-6 questions on Genetics. As one poster said, it's all about damage control now. Try your best to get your GPA up to atleast a 3.4 minimum. You should be fine. If you truly want to be a doctor you might want to start looking into some Caribbean schools as well, mainly St. Georges in Grenada. Good luck to you.
If you do well the rest of the way, you can use this situation to your advantage by talking about it in your personal statement. Learning from one's mistakes and correcting them can be viewed as a major strength by the adcoms. Trust me, I would know, my first semester at UT I got a 2.25 and everything turned out fine at the end.
Regardless of acceptance rate or not, I think one of the most important lessons out of college is to accept your situation and continue to mature. Many MANY students go to a nice high school, breeze through a little bit of college, then start to struggle once things get tough. I was definitely one of those students. High school was such a breeze that until things caught up to me, I never realized that I really did not know HOW to study and how to manage my time correctly. Making the pledge to go for it is the first step, but many people will say that they have to do something "because they have to." It takes more than just saying "I can do this" to actually do it. You will want to figure out where you are inefficient and find ways to correct it. It might not even be a bad idea to take some time to think about things. I do fully believe that if there is one thing school does well, is that they are understanding to people and could acknowledge that a person is turning himself/herself around. I'm not sure if medical is an option or not, but there are definitely options and opportunities to turn things around in the future if that's what it will take down the road. I would also strongly suggest that you schedule an appointment with a counselor. Express your concerns and what steps you are taking to do better. Get their opinions. Find out if it's worth your time to go down this road and then get their opinions on how to prepare yourself better. I can promise you that once you get to a point where you're lazy or inefficient, it's a really tough gutter to get out of. It's more than likely a gradual process than an instantaneous situation. Do whatever it takes to follow through with your promises and understand that most successes came from overcoming failure.
Anyone remember when OP's pompous high schooler ass had a signature that went "future ivy league valedictorian doctor" or something like that? Oh, and his obsession with slumdog millionaire? :grin:
no need to put me on blast. obviously i did not go down the path i had in mind; this path has been more humbling. maturing results when i endure trials, and honestly i have no regrets. thanks though. i get loads of crap from people on a daily basis.
