I just saw a question at studentdoctor.net that really struck home with me. Take a look:

“I know this has probably been asked a lot, but, I would appreciate your help with my anxiety.

So I did extremely well freshman year. Pulled off a 3.95GPA after my first year.
Then sophomore year got a C+ in orgo, total first semester GPA was a 3.6.

I wanted to make up for it second semester but I took a cell bio class that was with a very difficult teacher, along with orgo II and physics, so i had to drop that class. I ended up with a 2.85 GPA due to my low credits. And I finished with a C in orgo II and a B in physics. It’s no excuse, but I had a very rough semester b/ I dislike my school so much (have very little friends here).

My cum GPA is now a 3.68. I know that this isn’t horrible. But have I ruined my chances at medical school? I have good extracurriculars and have lots of hours shadowing.

Transferring is something that I have thought about but, I’ve already done so much and have many important positions in clubs and research. Plus I have a good scholarship. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

First off, If I were working with this student, the very first thing I would say is, “I feel your pain.” This is a real heartbreaker because she really feels like she may have ruined her chances of getting in to medical school.

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Two things I want to say about this:

Bad Grades Aren’t the End of the World

Getting a bad grade or two isn’t the end of the world, or the end of your chances at getting in to medical school, but it does mean that you may want to regroup, slow down your academic schedule, probably take a fifth year or at least apply after your fourth year. That way you’ll have an extra academic year to boost up your gpa and solve the problem of perception.

But that’s not the main thing I want to say about this.

Trust Your Instincts – Read This

In her question she gives two very important pieces of detail: 1) she took a very difficult teacher. In the age of the web tube, you gotta be using ratemyprofessors.com and other tools to figure out who the good instructors are before you get yourself into a pickle. But here’s the real kicker: “have very little friends here.” Oooch. So she’s at the wrong school, has already thought about transferring, but is choosing poorly because of clubs and research.

This case is about fit — the undergrad program you’re in is supposed to enrich your life, make you HAPPIER, challenge you and give you deep and wide resources so you can learn about as many subjects as your heart desires.

It. Is. NOT. About. Suffering.

It’s all about figuring out your chances of acceptance, then getting reassured that you’re doing the right things. Take my free self assessment now to see what your odds of acceptance are right now with your current GPA.

If you’re about to start college, or if you’re just in college, and you HATE it, don’t hesitate. Pull the trigger and regroup. Pick a school you love, and everything else will seem much easier.