Should I apply to med school?

snewmard45
Tue, 15 Mar 2016 01:40:10 +0000

So I have been wanting to pursue a career in medicine since I was really young and now I’m not sure if that can still happen. I am in my second semester of my first year in college (a top ranked state school) and I had a pretty horrible first semester. I got a D in biology, chem, and intro psychology, but As in my other easy classes. I have always been a great student but the transition to college just really triggered my mental illness and made it very hard for me to focus on my classes. I feel like med schools may not care that much about my circumstances because mental illnesses are usually not seen in the same way as physical illness or other difficult life situations. Are they forgiving at all about these kinds of situations?

I have been doing a lot better this semester, however, and i have gotten much better grades on my tests in both biology and chemistry. I was always at the top of my high school class in a competitive IB program and I got straight As and a 2100 on my SAT, so I definitely have the work ethic and intelligence to do well. I am very motivated to do well throughout the rest of college now that I feel more stable in terms of my mental health, and I know I have the ability to do well but I just don’t know if I’ll be wasting my time. I know that even if I retake my classes and get As, med schools will still count my failing grades in my GPA so I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to bring it up.

Do you think that I should still pursue a medical career or try and focus on something else?

(Sorry this is so long!)