Low First Year Average good enough to go into medical school?

[garfield10]

Hello guys!

 

I just finished my 1st year and sad to say, my average is LOW. After taking all the lower level sciences, I ended up with a 71.9%. I'm starting to lose hope to get into medical school since my average is not competitive!

 

Be honest guys, is there a chance for me to get into medical school (Canada)? How did you guys get so much high marks! I studied my ass off during the year but ended up depressed especially after the finals because no matter how much I study, my marks are always in the 70sh range.

 

Thank you guys.

[Cowbell]

You're in your first year, man. You still have plenty of time to recover. Stop whining over nothing and try harder next time.

[robinre]

To be honest those marks just aren't high enough and it will weigh very heavily on your transcript. I worked 3 years to get rid of my 75 average first year, with my 4th year getting all 4.0's and my average still wasn't competitive. Luckily I had a great mcat and good references/extracurriculars.

 

You're not done for but you gotta get your a** in gear. Don't get below an 80 from now on. It seems like you haven't figured out a method of studying that works for you yet, which does take time. You need to put effort into studying all year not just when exams come and should talk to a counsellor or successful friends about some techniques. Also, it's unspoken but seriously just take easy courses. Find your niche and take every class. Mine was psychology electives.

[simtim]

I second everything robinre said above.

 

OP, I had a similar GPA in first year but I will be starting med school in Canada this fall, so yes it is still possible for you but you have to work very hard in the next 3 years to make sure your GPA is in the high 80s-90s. Like robinre mentioned, you should change your study methods. You mentioned you're studying hard, but make sure you are studying smart.

 

Take courses you find easy and that you enjoy, this will make it all the more easier for you to do well. Also, I highly recommend speaking to upper year students at your university about their experience with specific courses and professors, and select your courses based on their advice because their advice is usually gold!

 

In terms of how to study, there are a few previous threads on this forum on study methods, try searching them, you might find them helpful. For me, I stopped studying like I did in high school. For instance, I stopped writing study notes but instead I read lecture notes and textbook (if necessary) and ensured I completely understood the material and asked questions. I also tailored my study methods based on the types of questions that were going to be asked on tests/exams. Some courses require you to only memorize details others require you to really understand it in order to answer more conceptual questions, and some are a combination of both. Also allocate your time wisely - if there is a subject you find particularly difficult, spend more time on it. But at the same time, if you are taking "bird courses", don't neglect it completely. A lot of people take bird courses and do poorly because they study very little for it. And be prepared to make sacrifices when necessary so you can study.

 

Remember the next 3 years are critical for you OP, you need to get a high GPA to offset the low first year GPA, but if many other people have done it, I am certain you can do it too And don't worry, many med schools are forgiving of low first year GPA, because they either drop your lowest courses or lowest year, so your first year shouldn't hold you back too much if you improve significantly. But be prepared to explain your poor first year grades in an interview, if you explain it well and show what you learn from it and demonstrate an increasing trend in grades this will cast you in a positive light