MedMaybe3563 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Medicine is a field that has only started to interest me over the past couple months. But I kind of feel like I may have already put myself at a disadvantage. First off, let me say this. I come from an extremely dysfunctional family. I won't go into details but largely because of this, I have struggled with extreme depression. I never graduated from high school. Despite this, I was eligible to attend a local college through a program called "the adult graduation program" which only requires you to be 19 years old. So as soon as I turned 19 I signed up, wrote a placement test which I scored well on, and started my education. My first year was less than impressive. I was living at home, still struggling with extreme depression and finished the year with a 3.3 GPA (I was a B+/B student mostly). I withdrew from 3 courses, and that is on my transcript. I should also mention that I withdrew from the same chemistry course twice. I don't know why I even bothered to take it a second time to be honest. Chemistry interests me, but I wasn't in a proper state to take any courses like that. I often went home after class to drink until I passed out or just do anything to take my mind off my problems. Medicine was the last thing on my mind, so I didn't really care much about my grades as long as I wasn't failing and got enough credits to transfer to UBC, which I did. So I'm currently 20 years old, and in second year at UBC. I have moved out, and my GPA this year is about 3.8. I am doing a BA in cognitive systems, feeling a lot better and I am growing more interested in medicine daily. I volunteer at a hospital and interviewed a couple physicians(1 psychiatrist, 1 family practitioner) and I honestly think that I would like a career where I am directly involved in treating and managing those with illnesses, be it physical or mental. I know that medicine is not a walk in the park, that things can be very stressful, straining and tiring, but it still appeals to me. In terms of financing my education, I am in a very lucky position where I have just enough to go to UBC med or some other med schools without having to take out loans. If I could get into a medical school it would be a massive opportunity for me and I would do everything I could to succeed in it. But as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I fear that I may have already damaged my chances. My education so far, at least compared to those I know, really has been pretty non traditional. I'd just love some advice from people here. Be harsh if you want, it's fine. I'd just really love some truthful answers. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MD2015 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 It is quite simple. Take a full course load toward a degree in whatever interests you. Forget the past. You need a strong GPA from this point forward. Have a strong work ethic, keep up with lectures and assignments, learn how to best learn for you, if need be, ask counselling for help when need be, and hopefully, you are motivated - so that when feeling discouraged, you will keep your eye on the goal. We all learn differently and you need to tap into yourself. During undergrad, I became a self-reflective independent learner, which allowed me to learn on my own, use my time efficiently, and I knew when to skip lectures so as to learn more efficiently on my own. This skill was invaluable in med school. You have NOT damaged your chances. Life is full of challenges. Live with no regrets and try your very best. When you have your GPA under control, then look to ECs, volunteering that will demonstrate CanMEDS competencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedMaybe3563 Posted June 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 It is quite simple. Take a full course load toward a degree in whatever interests you. Forget the past. You need a strong GPA from this point forward. Have a strong work ethic, keep up with lectures and assignments, learn how to best learn for you, if need be, ask counselling for help when need be, and hopefully, you are motivated - so that when feeling discouraged, you will keep your eye on the goal. We all learn differently and you need to tap into yourself. During undergrad, I became a self-reflective independent learner, which allowed me to learn on my own, use my time efficiently, and I knew when to skip lectures so as to learn more efficiently on my own. This skill was invaluable in med school. You have NOT damaged your chances. Life is full of challenges. Live with no regrets and try your very best. When you have your GPA under control, then look to ECs, volunteering that will demonstrate CanMEDS competencies. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_ _ Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 check out all the GPA weighting schemes from different schools, you'd be surprised how many forgive a bad first year you're going to be fine Int fact, based on that 3.8, you're well on your way already also, you are pretty awesome if you still pulled a 3.3 despite everything else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedMaybe3563 Posted June 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 check out all the GPA weighting schemes from different schools, you'd be surprised how many forgive a bad first year you're going to be fine Int fact, based on that 3.8, you're well on your way already also, you are pretty awesome if you still pulled a 3.3 despite everything else Thank you, that means a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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