I’m a first semester freshman, so this question may be a little early. Basically, my dad died this semester very suddenly. I missed a ton of classes, was behind in everything, and have ultimately not done as well as I planned. Although I do not yet have my final grades, I can’t see my GPA being more than a 3.5 this semester. Is this detrimental? Can I come back from this if my volunteering and MCATs turn out to be good?
Absolutely, if you get high grades from now on you still have a chance.
The data you want is in these tables: https://www.aamc.org/download/321518/data/factstable25-4.pdf
The factor that isn’t mentioned but is important is your state of residence. If you are a resident of a state that has a high number of medical schoolseats that are open only to in-state residents relative to the number of in-state applicants, you are in better shape than if you are a resident of a state that has few in-state seats relative to the number of in-state applicants and/or allows out-of-state applicants to apply. (Private schools are open to everyone, though many have a regional bias.)
Sorry about your dad.
S finished first year with GPAs under 3.2. He’s a resident now. So yes you’re still in the game. But stop missing tons of classes, being behind in everything, etc.