If I get put on academic probation, can I later apply to med school?

[trueface]

I am a student currently on probation and at at the risk of being suspended for a year. If I become unfortunate enough to be suspended, would I have to give up applying to medical schools? I heard Queen's looks at your most recent 2 years' grade and UWO looks at your best 2 years' grade. But if there is a record on my transcript saying that I was suspended for a year, would they reject me without even looking at my most recent/best 2 years' grade?

 

Has anyone here who was put on probation/suspension but in the end got into medical schools?

 

Please please please please give me some advice.

[bioboy2007]

I'm assuming you are talking about academic probation. If this is the issue, I would begin to do some soul-searching regarding why you weren't able to keep up with your academic work - realize some of the issues that are affecting your ability to study and amend them. I don't think being on academic probation would affect your ability to attend medical school, but you will need to prove yourself by doing very well for the next few years (i.e. 3.7+ at least). I'd find it hard to believe that schools would simply reject an application because the applicant had been on academic probation for some time.

 

Before talking to med schools directly, I think it's really important for you to begin understanding the passion/dedication that one needs to commit to be successful in the whole application process of med school, as well as med school itself. Do you honestly feel you're up to the challenge? How are you going to change your study habits? What went wrong before and how are you a different person since then? These are just a few questions you need to ask yourself.

[Julie]

Assuming the probation is GPA-related:

 

I've never been on probation, but I had a really rough start in university... failed classes and everything. Many reasons could explain it, some which were family-related and temporary and some which I only understood years later. I did pull my act together, I dramatically improved my study methods and increased my class attendance (), my life circomstances became much easier to deal with and my marks changed from failures to A's in a single year (my profs couldn't believe it:) ). My GPA for my last 3 yrs of undergrad was fairly good (>3.7), and since it kept going up every year, I benefited from Ottawa's weighted GPA system. I couldn't apply to every school because of my first year. It does close many doors, but some remain

 

Last week, I got the news that I was accepted in med school, first time applying I took a somewhat longer path than most, though, as I'm now finishing a masters. It was a process. I asked myself the questions suggested by bioboy, along with a lot of others, many times until my answers satisfied me. That first year still shows on my stupid transcript and I did have to explain it. I really wish I hadn't made those mistakes as the consequences were much bigger than I somehow anticipated way back then. However, I did get in so I guess it doesn't matter much now.

 

As everyone already said, you don't have to give up, you can still get in med school, providing you really find all that's responsible for your marks (I think there's usually many things, not just the 1 or 2 obvious ones), fix it quickly and fix it completely. Use every ressource available to help you out and see if a dramatic change in your methods can make a dramatic change in your marks. If it doesn't work now, you can always do something else and try to come back when you think you're ready & can do it.

 

Best of luck!

[trueface]

If you can 'fix' the problem that is giving you low marks and if marks are the only thing keeping you from your med dream, I'd advise speaking to a school academic adviser - maybe there's some classes you're having trouble with and may benefit from getting a tutor. There are universities that don't weigh your GPA as heavily as your MCAT and your PAS, but you have to keep in mind that in order to do well on your MCAT, you still have to have a reasonable understanding of coursework (assuming you're having trouble with classwork that is MCAT related). Some universities will let you drop your 5-10 worst classes which may help you in the long run. Your average GPA has to meet a certain minimum at most universities too - check the one you want to apply to.

 

If you mean academic suspension as in you did something bad and may be suspended, I'd suggest that you stop doing that (cheating?)...

 

In brief: Being on academic suspension isn't going to kill your application as long as you manage to fix your problem and get a killer GPA in your following classes - and if you manage to get a good MCAT Good luck!

 

Oh no no no no no. I have NEVER EVER cheated on ANYTHING in my whole entire life. I'm just a student having trouble in studying more efficiently, not a person who cheats during the exam or anything.

 

Yes, by the way, I'm on an academic probation, not any other "type" of it.

[trueface]

Thank you. Thank you all. I appreciate your advises and comments. You guys just gave me the greatest encouragement. Yes, I'll try to find a solution to problem which is responsible for my bad academic performance.

 

Thank you all again. I really appreciate them.

[heathcliff]

I think schools (and OMSAS) also ask if you've ever been suspended or expelled from your studies, and I think they give you space to explain why. So if your transcript says "suspended" or something like that, it's not black and white; you're given the opportunity to explain the situation, (and it wouldn't hurt to include what you learned from it, I bet)

[schmitty]

I was on academic probation after my first year...took me longer than usual as well, but it worked out for me! You just need to make sure you change something drastically. I moved out of residence and into my own place, switched programs into something I was more interested in and actually started to attend some classes (crazy, I know...). went from around 1.2 GPA first year to 4.0 the next and >3.8 the rest of the years. I got into all 4 schools I interviewed at upon first application so it is definitely possible! Like I said though, change something drastically or else you may end up with more of the same.