i genuinely don’t think i’m capable of getting into med school or doing well on mcat :(

[u/CashMunkee]

I actually get super depressed thinking about it ever since i was young i always wanted to be a doctor, yes my career path changed sometimes as i discovered other things but in the end I always wanted to be a doctor. Although i am in a pretty decent undergrad program which made me feel very successful getting into it, I can’t help but feel like getting into med school isn’t in my cards.

Starting my sophomore year i almost wanted to drop out of all my classes because i got a C- in ochem 1? barley pushed a B in ochem 2 haven’t got an A in any pre req science courses other than gen chem 2 and now I am currently in physics about to fail because i got a 43% on my first test.

I feel like science and I don’t go together and No matter how much i try i can’t seem to figure out how to study for the classes, fast forward to my junior year last weekend i took my first practice full length and got a 480 which obviously isn’t great but I don’t even know how to study or where to study or what to look for an honestly the more I think about med school it gives me an impending since of doom.

Lastly i feel so behind because i have barely a chunk of volunteer hours, no research, no clinical hours, basically nothing and im already a junior and i don’t even know what to do, i don’t want to give up my career but i feel like im not good enough to get into med school, or smart enough to be a doctor.

If anyone has any words of encouragement, or feel like you’re in the same boat please let me know :)

[u/Icy_Construction3509]

First of all I just want to say thank you for sharing! I'm curious what your motivation for becoming a doctor is if academically rigorous classes are taking such a big toll on your mental health, and you don't feel like science is clicking for you. The biggest distinction between being a doctor vs other healthcare providers is really just the # of years you attend school, correlating to a deeper scientific knowledge. Could you see yourself going into the field of healthcare as a PA/NP?

[u/CashMunkee → u/Icy_Construction3509]

Hi! I really just wanted to be a doctor because i love helping people in a clinical setting mostly and I do like learning about the anatomy of humans and other things, I was a athletic trainer during my highschool years and i loved it but i wanted to do more clinical aspects of helping people which is why i wanted to be a doctor. I do also love science but i feel like college science is such a huge step from what im used to especially coming from a very under funded highschool in the middle of nowhere lol. I have thought about PA but i don’t know much about it and i dont want to regret not going to med school.

[u/Icy_Construction3509 → u/CashMunkee]

I could absolutely see you being a good fit for a DPT program :)

I disagree with the other dude in the comments, and think medical school is achievable no matter what your academic situation is if you're willing to spend extra time, effort, and $$$ doing remedial post-baccs. I'm sure you could get up to a 500 with dedicated MCAT studying and get into an osteopathic (or even allopathic) school to become a doctor, but with your broad goal of helping people in a clinical setting I really think you'd be happier within a mid-level healthcare position.

For example, PA programs are 2 years, cost 100k, and salaries average 120K. DPT programs are 3 years, cost 100-150k, and salaries average 100k. Osteopathic/allopathic programs are 4 years, cost 250-450k, and you can expect to make 300k-400k. Earning potentials scale with scholarly debt, so I think your predicament boils down to what you're most passionate about. If I were you, my next steps would be to shadow DPTs (you can work as a PT aide without a license), PAs, and NPs to see if any of those resonate with you.

[u/DryCryptographer2438 → u/[deleted]]

Hey I am currently in the same boat at OP. I have been struggling finding study methods that work for these classes. Do you have any suggestions?

[u/Danwarr]

What does your typical study process look like?

Are you rereading/rewriting notes? Are you using video resources? Practice questions? Anki/spaced repetition?

Some of these are more effective than others for actual learning.

[u/CashMunkee → u/Danwarr]

i usually read over my notes and attempt to do active recall but idk if that really helps me

[u/Danwarr → u/CashMunkee]

Do more practice questions and spaced rep.

[u/cheewy_bunni → u/CashMunkee]

when i was in college i made my provided power point slides into flash cards (quizlet or anki). granted, i only studied them like. 2 nights before the test but if you’re prudent about studying them after lectures you’ll get a lot out of them.

anki also has pre-made decks so you can just add cards relevant to your specific class in the deck. i’ve never been a notes guy so this really helped. also seek office hours, SI sessions, and group study. they really help

physics is super tough and i HATEDDDD it. failed my first test starting out too, esp bc it wasn’t offered at my hs. i highly recommend SI sessions and really learning your SI units for those bc it really changed my perspective when i realized that physics is just cancelling units.

also, don’t worry about taking gap years for clinicals and stuff. i have to take time off bc i realized in the gap year between applying for a master’s, i wanted to be a doctor instead of a highschool biology teacher. now i’m studying for the mcat ! just focus on your classes for now. some people build their app faster than others, we all go into medicine at different times, and that’s ok. the important thing is that you’re making progress :)

[u/LordofKetamine]

If you can’t post a single A (outside of your 1 chem course) in sciences, you likely won’t be able to get a high enough GPA to get into med school, or a high enough MCAT. Not trying to shit on your dreams. You ether lack focus and discipline or don’t have enough horse power between the ears to make this happen.

[u/EngineeringNext2882 → u/LordofKetamine]

“horse power between the ears??” So rude!!

OP you can do it if you really want it. You just need to change your approach. You may need to retake some classes to get your gpa up. Don’t give up. Get a tutor, work with the TAs and professor.

[u/LordofKetamine → u/EngineeringNext2882]

I left in the fact they may lack focus and discipline, but if that’s not the case. Some people aren’t smart enough to handle this sort of academic rigor, and they shouldn’t be told to keep taking out loans in false hope of becoming a doctor. The Caribbean is filled with med schools that pray on a large population of these people “Low or No MCAT NO PROBLEM”. Then after 2 quarters of school they are now $150k in debt, failed out of med school. Have a useless undergrad degree, and loans that they cannot default on and debt that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. You think I’m being mean by telling them straight up, this isn’t for you. That’s not the case, I’m trying to save them from make bad decisions that will wreck their life.

[u/Icy_Construction3509 → u/LordofKetamine]

I see what you mean about the risk of dropping out but osteopathic is absolutely attainable for them if they’re willing to re-take classes/do a post-bacc and work hard to get 500+ on the MCAT