A second opinion

[Jebus_Christ]

<p>

I’m going to be starting my Junior year this fall. I received my semester grades recently, and I was truly disappointed and a bit shocked. I got a C+ in Organic
Chemistry II. My GPA for the semester was a 3.4 bringing my overall GPA to
a 3.45.</p>

<p>My grades so far look like this:</p>

<p>BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE I BSC2010 B+
BIOLOGICAL SCI I LAB BSC2010L B
GEN CHEMISTRY I CHM1045 C
PRECALCULUS ALGEBRA MAC1140 C-
GEN PSYCHOLOGY PSY2012 A</p>

<p>BIOLOGICAL SCI II BSC2011 A
GEN CHEMISTRY II CHM1046 A-
GEN CHEMISTRY II LAB CHM1046L A
FRESHMEN TOPIC COMPOS ENC1145 A
ANALYTIC TRIGONOMETRY MAC1114 A</p>

<p>ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I CHM2210 B
ANCIENT MYTH E&W CLT3378 A
ELEMENTARY FRENCH II FRE1121 A-
CALC W/ANLYT GEOM I MAC2311 A</p>

<p>ANIMAL DIVERSITY LAB BSC2011L B
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II CHM2211 C+
INTERMEDIATE FRENCH FRE2211 A
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY SOP3004 A</p>

<p>If they are, my current math/science GPA is 3.15.</p>

<p>Next semester I am taking:
College Physics A with Lab, Genetics, Statistics for Bio, Bio Calc
computer lab, and Race/ethnicity in the US</p>

<p>If I manage to get all A’s next semester my science/math GPA will only
be 3.38 with my overall GPA being 3.59</p>

<p>Should I even continue forward or should I change my major now and look
for something outside of medicine. Are there any options short of going
to a school outside of the United States? Should I retake Organic II
and Gen Chem I and attempt to get A’s in them? Am I allowed to re-take
Gen Chem I? Would a good enough MCAT score make up for the sub-par GPA?
Are there medical schools I can still into with these types of grades?</p>

<p>Please be brutally honest with anything you need to say. I would rather
be told the truth instead of receive false hope.

</p>

<p>This is the message I sent to my pre-med adviser, he responded with this:</p>

<p>

Your major and your career choice could be two different things, so you
could change your pre med plans but remain in your current major.
Osteopathic med schools and podiatry schools generally accept students
with slightly lower GPA’s and MCAT scores than MD schools.
I would not retake CHM 1045 or 2210 but rather concentrate on good
grades in CHM 2211L and BCH4624. Obviously good grades in physics and
the remainder of your upper division biology classes is very important
as they come right before you are applying to med school.
An MCAT of >=30 should be your aim.
I think it would premature to call off your pre med plans. This is still
salvageable but you performance from here on out is crucial. Begin
preparing for the MCAT early. Purchase a prep book and sample exams to
see how the test is constructed and how the material from classes yet to
be taken (physics) will be put into questions. Consider applications to
DO as well as MD schools a real possibility, therefore look for a DO
physician to either shadow or talk to.

</p>

<p>Do you guys agree with this?</p>

<p>Also this summer in addition to studying for the MCAT I need to start checking off other things. I need to shadow a physician(s) and volunteer where possible.</p>

<p>When it comes to shadowing, do I simply call up physician’s office’s/hospitals and ask if I can shadow?</p>

<p>I know many of you will read this and think/say negative things and that’s ok. Say what you must be if possible please give advise.</p>

[embroglio]

<p>Adviser is correct in my opinion.</p>

<p>What I believe to be best:

1. practice for the MCAT in the summer, awesome mcat helps out bad ochem grade
2. don’t retake anything lower than a C
3. just relax and focus :)</p>

[Colleges00701]

<p>^^^^ what kind of school do you go to??? Is it a rigourous top 20 school or is it a state school?</p>

[Jebus_Christ]

<p>I see myself staying in Florida(though I would love a school in a true metropolitan area. I was born and raised in NYC). I currently go to FSU. If I had to pick something specific to target, I would pick USF.</p>

[RileyJon]

<p>what is your major?</p>

[Jebus_Christ]

<p>Biology, currently attending Florida State University</p>

[grayfalcon89]

<p>Your adviser is correct. Focus on your MCAT most. If you don’t think you’re going to have stellar GPA, why not go for stellar MCAT? Medical admission is game of numbers…</p>