Is It Over For Me?

[Jordan87657]

Im in second year and i feel like its over with my chance for med school. I dont have good study habits and my time management is terrible, and i dont see this ever changing. I know i shouldn't have this mind set but i don't see change coming. Maybe i just need motivation.

[canucks_14]

I've failed 11 university classes and I'm still pursuing med school. If I can do it so can you.

 

Think about your life in medicine and think about what it'd be without it.

[Sit]

Don't give up. If you're certain that this is the career for you, then work for it and make it happen.

 

The first step is acknowledging that there needs to be improvement. I had a rough first year, but I really pulled up my socks in second year. I tried all sorts of different studying strategies and worked for every percent. You need to find what works for you; for me it was attending office hours, sitting in front and connecting with other 'high-aiming' students. Best of luck!

[Harvey Specter]

Im in second year and i feel like its over with my chance for med school. I dont have good study habits and my time management is terrible, and i dont see this ever changing. I know i shouldn't have this mind set but i don't see change coming. Maybe i just need motivation.

You're in second year? You haven't even had 3 semesters of post-secondary education yet. Don't give up now! 

There's a long road ahead of you where you can learn to improve your study habits and such. 

[Jordan87657]

Don't give up. If you're certain that this is the career for you, then work for it and make it happen.

 

The first step is acknowledging that there needs to be improvement. I had a rough first year, but I really pulled up my socks in second year. I tried all sorts of different studying strategies and worked for every percent. You need to find what works for you; for me it was attending office hours, sitting in front and connecting with other 'high-aiming' students. Best of luck!

I'm 100% certain this is for me. But with all these distractions in life i feel it will be almost impossible to change. The only thing holding me back is my self. I feel like i will never know my potential.

 

I really appreciate your support guys. I'm half way through term 2A is it too late to turn things around for this term? Or should i just focus on next term?

[Sit]

The term's not over. Saying "Eh, I'll do better next time" is not good enough.

 

What sort of distractions are bothering you? If it's personal/family, then I can't really offer advice there, but if it's stuff like "I enjoy video games and chatting on Facebook too much.", then the solution is pretty simple. University is all about finding the balance between sacrifice and fulfillment. Use your frustration to fuel your motivation to improve.

[Organomegaly]

I'm 100% certain this is for me. But with all these distractions in life i feel it will be almost impossible to change. The only thing holding me back is my self. I feel like i will never know my potential.

 

I really appreciate your support guys. I'm half way through term 2A is it too late to turn things around for this term? Or should i just focus on next term?

 

I'm going to be a little forward.

 

If you don't have confidence that you can change your time management skills and set priorities, how could you say you're 100% certain medicine is for you?

 

It's a demanding profession and organizing yourself is a core competency. 

[Jordan87657]

I'm going to be a little forward.

 

If you don't have confidence that you can't change your time management skills and set priorities, how could you say you're 100% certain medicine is for you?

 

It's a demanding profession and organizing yourself is a core competency.

Sorry that may have been worded incorrectly. I do have confidence. It is just uncertainty for me and i agree with you. It is just the dilemma i am in. My thoughts going through my head are scrambled.

 

One day i have the utmost confidence and the next day it is not there.

[Sit]

I think we all struggle with that. The life of a pre-med is quite stressful, I doubt anyone would deny that. I've mentored a few first and second year students and I always tell them how my first two years of university were somewhat of a bliss because I did not want to pursue medicine at the time. I'm not saying you shouldn't have your goal in mind, just that it's totally rational to be wavering in your confidence.

 

If you truly want to power through to this dream, then my advice would be to take it one step at a time. Second year is early, there's plenty of time. Ask yourself "How can I improve my learning in this course? What do I need to boost this semester?" rather than "What do I need to do to get into med?" It's good to have the big picture and end goal in mind, but when it comes down to making improvements and becoming a better student, you need to focus on smaller goals. Don't let the weight of being a pre-med crush your ability to make small gains. Those gains add up.

[Borborygmi]

I suggest you take a very pragmatic look at your situation if there are are underlying issues that are preventing you from devoting adequate time to your studies so that you can have an outcome that is realistic for medical school application success. If you feel that you can't deal with the issues you're faced with and your current gpa isn't adequate for med admissions, sometimes taking time away from academia to put your life into a stable place that facilitates success is a good option to consider. You're young, and take it from someone that had a rough first run through undergrad, doing poorly in post secondary--ie: low gpa--is very difficult to recover from. You really need to figure out what the issue is and address it completely and early. The road ahead of you is very long and requires a lot of focus. If you don't have that sort of diligence now, how do you know you will later? Furthermore, I have to question your statement about being 100% certain that medicine is for you. Have you had very much exposure to the medical field? Good luck! I hope you sort out your situation .

[not my real name]

Sorry that may have been worded incorrectly. I do have confidence. It is just uncertainty for me and i agree with you. It is just the dilemma i am in. My thoughts going through my head are scrambled.

 

One day i have the utmost confidence and the next day it is not there.

 

You seem to be saying conflicting things, and acknowledge yourself that your thoughts are scrambled.  Having ambivalence is perfectly normal. The more place that takes up in your life, the more difficult it will be to focus on your goal and study appropriately.

 

How exactly are your thoughts "scrambled"? About what? I'm asking these questions, but I don't think a forum is the context to address these concerns. Honestly, find some to talk to.Universities have counseling services, career centers, advisers, etc., that are made exactly for this. I really think you need to talk through what you are conflicted about. Nobody on here can really tell you how to resolve this problem, because we are all coming from our own perspectives and interpretations on your question.

 

I'll repeat... Go talk to someone! It could make the world of difference.

[lokiki]

Go talk to someone, and you might want to consider NOT doing second term. I know you may not have considered that option, so I'm putting it out there. If you don't have money, work. Find a job that lets you talk to people all day. If you have money, travel or volunteer. Figure out why you want it, and you may decide you don't want med, and that's OK, or you may decide you REALLY want it, and that's awesome too.

[youngdad]

Im in second year and i feel like its over with my chance for med school. I dont have good study habits and my time management is terrible, and i dont see this ever changing. I know i shouldn't have this mind set but i don't see change coming. Maybe i just need motivation.

I had a terrible year in second year.  It was a slap in the face.  I responded well.  I said to myself "well, medicine is probably out of reach now.  Ive got two choices.  1. Turtle and go for something else even though I know medicine is my dream.  2. Go for it balls out and probably not make it anyway."

I decided I could live with scenario number 2 but would hate myself forever if I went with scenario 1.

I got in.  Now I'm an R2 in family practice looking at job opportunities for next summer.  I loved med school and I love my work.  It has all been worth it and I am so glad I decided to go for it even when it looked hopeless.

 

Bro, listen to me.  You are here now.  You are where you are.  Take responsibility for it but it doesn't really matter how you got here.  Time to get over it and fast.  Pretend it wasn't your fault.  Pretend you just suddenly came to exist and you have this background and poor grades you inherited and your mission is now to get in to medical school.  Use it as fuel.  You have some making up to do.  You say you have poor time management and study skills.  I did too, in fact I still do.  Fake it till you make it.  Ditch your friends.  Skip the parties.  Move in with your parents or some old folks or some really studious exchange students.  Get focused, eliminate distractions.  You can change yourself overnight.  You can completely reinvent yourself if you want.  

 

If you go as hard as you possibly can and come up short.  Apply again.  You will get in.  If you try for 3 application cycles and don't get in then maybe you might want to let it go.  But if you try that hard and don't get in I promise you will not regret it.  But if you give up on your dream when it isn't necessarily gone you will have regrets.  

[StriveP]

Im in second year and i feel like its over with my chance for med school. I dont have good study habits and my time management is terrible, and i dont see this ever changing. I know i shouldn't have this mind set but i don't see change coming. Maybe i just need motivation.

It's not over until you think its over. I know people who outright failed all their classes in their 1st degree and did a new degree. And now their in medical school. My advice for you is to put ALL your effort into the courses you are taking right now and if you have to, drop the ones you are getting below an A. If you don't drop the courses you are doing poorly, you'll dig yourself in deeper hole. I think this will probably take you down the furthest path in my opinion.