So I’ve noticed on my blog and most of the other medblrs I follow that there have been a metric crapton (units= kg/crapⁿ, n=number of craps) of asks from concerned pre-meds about their grades. It’s the end of the year. You’re getting your grades. Activate freakout mode.

I understand your concern you guys, I really do. I remember what it was like, and, back in my day, (like before 2010) there was only SDN to turn to for questions such as these. It was a dark, dark time.



But, I’ve got to unleash a little tough love on you all because y'all are going to drive me, everyone else, and yourselves flipping crazy.



Ok. So. If you are:

+ in high school or below

+ anything less than a junior in undergrad



Calm. The. Fuck. Down.

Getting a B or even a C or getting a several B’s is not the end of the world. Your hopes of getting into medical school are not crushed forever. This does not mean that you are dumb or won’t make a fantastic doctor.



Here is a brief list of things I got a B in: Intro to biology (by one stinkin point), Organic Chem II, Physics I, Physics II, Physiology. I got a C in Ochem I. Ask any other medblr, I promise, and you will hear similar tales involving some B’s and some C’s.



Obviously, I am not saying “Oh, get B’s, whatever.” You should try as hard as you fucking can. But, sometimes things happen. Maybe there was a family or personal crisis or a host of other very legitimate reasons that you didn’t do as well as you hoped in the class. That’s ok. A B is not ideal, but it’s also not necessarily the end of the world and your hopes and dreams.



You (and your application) are more than your GPA.



Say it aloud with me:



You (and your application) are more than your GPA.

Medical school admission committees are going to look at your whole kajillion page application: your MCAT, your letters of recommendation, your volunteer/work experience, your extracurriculars, your personal statement (for the love of holy french fries do not put the words ‘I want to help people’ in there- of course you do, that is why most people become doctors- say it another way.).



No one is going to say, “Shucks about Suzy Q Pre-Med; she has such an awesome MCAT score, and loads of volunteer work that you can tell she really cares about, and she’s been in the hospital environment, and she plays tennis, and loves to paint birdhouses… but those two B’s from her freshmen year are really just killing her application.” (Disclaimer: Does not apply to ultra competitive/Ivy-League type places, sorry, those B’s might matter there)



OK, so maybe you aren’t in high school or just wrapping up your first year of college. Maybe you are a junior and you only need 24 more credits to graduate and your GPA isn’t super.

You don’t get to despair either, sorry.



Here is my advice to you:

+ kick ass in your remaining classes, retake any relevant pre-reqs that you got low grades in if possible

+ kick ass on the MCAT. Not to put any pressure on you, but yeah.

+ you should have already had some volunteer/research/work experience by now. Beef that up.

+ explain any weak spots in your transcript on your AMCAS application- there is a spot for that, and it does get read.

+ wait and see



If you get in, HOORAY!! If you don’t, call your choice schools and ask why. That’s totally ok, no one keeps a record of people who call and ask questions I promise. Was it your GPA? Your MCAT score? Your interview?



Then, fix it. If it’s your GPA, consider getting a Master’s in something health-related to beef that up. Apply again. There are several people in my class who applied two or three times before they got in. Because if it’s your life dream to be a doctor and you can’t imagine doing anything else with yourself, don’t let anything stop you.

Love,



AspDocs



ERmedicine enters, quite dramatically.

From the perspective of a pre-med and someone who has been in all of your anxiety ridden shoes, I can 100% relate to your worries. I don’t have an amazing GPA and I had a lot of anxiety about medical school. BUT, there comes a point where you’re worrying too much. I’ve been there. Before finding the medblr community, I was stuck reading SDN, which as we all know MAKES EVERYTHING WORSE AND YOU SHOULD NEVER EVER SEEK ADVICE ON THAT WEBSITE UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE THINGS WORSE.

I’m also going to pull the example of someone I know who had a 3.7 science and a 3.8 cumulative, did well on the MCAT, AND still didn’t get into medical school. Why? Because they were nothing but their GPA. Your GPA is like a pie crust. It holds everything together, and it’s important, but it’s nothing without the filling (which is YOU). You can have an okay tasting pie crust and still have an amazing apple pie. Without any pie filling all you have some bland ass bread.

But y’all just need to slow down. The more you worry, the more you’ll put yourself in a bad situation. If you’re a freshman- hell, even a sophomore- you have room to improve. Don’t let grades stop you from pursing medicine if it’s what you’re serious about. There are so many ways to improve your application as AspDocs mentioned earlier. It’s the road I chose when I realized I was lacking in the grades department. I have a wonderful job that gives me a such an amazing experience and it honestly showed me that if you’re determined to get into medical school and you take the right steps, you will eventually get in. And even though I’m not applying this cycle, I’m not worried one bit. (Yes I’ve had worries about applying, but not about getting in). I’m determined to get in and I know it’s what I want to do with my life, and I’m not going to roll over on my goals because of my GPA. I have so many options available to me and they’re all going to get me into medical school.

In most cases, your GPA is not going to permanently bar you from getting into medical school (I put this disclaimer here because if you’ve failed every single pre-req then maybe this isn’t the right field for you, and there’s no shame in that).

Here’s some statistics for you (it’s time for a come to Jesus circle, y'all):

+ The average age of medical students at matriculation: 24

+ The average age at undergraduate graduation: 22

In case you forgot how to math, that’s a two year difference. Not everyone gets into medical school their first time. No one is going to think less of you as a physician because you applied more than once to medical school. Your title isn’t going to be “Dr. Paul M.D./D.O (Applied more than once to medical school)”. No one is going to care.

You really just need to calm your tits. No other way to say it. Your B(s) in freshman year aren’t going to kill your chances of medical school. Your C in Ochem isn’t going to make your application look bad. AND FOR THE LAST TIME SUMMER COURSES DON’T MAKE YOU LOOK BAD YOU SHOULD TRY TAKING AN ENTIRE SEMESTER OF OCHEM IN A 5 WEEK PERIOD AND THEN EXPLAIN HOW IT’S GOING TO LOOK BAD.

Just chill out, and, instead of spending all of your energy worrying, spend it actually changing the situation you’re in.

And really… don’t forget to have some fun (no I don’t mean go one a crazy week long crack/cocaine binge). Actually realize what it’s like to be in college. Plan out some free time and learn to relax. You’re going to kill yourself if you spend all of your time pent up in your dorm studying and not enjoying your college experience.

Love,

ERmedicine

