I graduated with a B.S in biology 2015, with 3.1 cGPA. I took a few gap years, studied for MCAT in 2016 took the exam, and ended up voiding the score in fear of doing bad. Since then I haven’t retaken it. After this I decided to start a Master’s progam (which had a linkage with a medical school) in spring 2017, I had some academic struggles ( I had to repeat a course 3 times before being able to continue with any other courses, which held me back) along with a lack of academic support provided by the school. Due to this I ended up withdrawing from the program in spring 2020.
I felt despite my gpa I still wanted to pursue medicine and go to med school, so I decided to apply to carribean schools ( never applied to US schools). I got accepted fall 2020, and did not pass!
I also found out dishearten details about the carribean med school I’m attending which are major red flags that I just can’t ignore or forget.
Now I am trying to decide if I should
A. Continue at this school ( no academic support or resources for students) and repeat the semester
B. Transfer to a new carribean school (one with academic support for students who want or need it like me)
C. Take time off to work and strengthen my application, apply to Us schools
D. Discontinue my pursuit for becoming a doctor entirely.
If you want to be a doctor, you can become a doctor. However, with that being said, you really need to do some soul searching. You’ve failed a masters program already, you’ve failed med school courses already. What are the reasons? Why did you fail?
You need to fix that ‘why’ before you can continue on. You are fighting an uphill battle now, no excuses. Figure out why you are failing, fix it, then continue on with your plan.
If I were in your shoes, I’d find a career/degree that would be pragmatic and allow me to pay off all of the debt I’ve accumulated. Then, I would decide on if I want to continue that career or if I want to give it a try at medical school again.
I’m sorry to hear about your struggles and lack of support from your med schools. As someone with mental health and mild academic struggles, asking med schools about academic support and how they support their students’ mental health is essential.
If I were in your in your position, I’d go with options B and C. I know some med schools don’t accept transfer students so I’d check with the school to ensure they do. You didn’t mention any clinical or volunteer experiences, so if you don’t have a lot of those hours, getting those experiences before reapplying is a good idea. I personally wouldn’t want to return to a school that isn’t invested in academic success. Reflecting on the “why” questions in the previous post and what you can do to improve your academic record are important if medicine is truly what you want to do. I don’t want you to discontinue your pursuit if you have a plan for how to improve.
I have volunteered at a clinic for years, I have shadowed doctors, volunteered at soup kitchens, pre-med internships in undergraduate. I’m not sure if I schools are looking for more experience.
At this time I have decided to take time off this semester and work. The school has now developed a student learning center to help students with academic struggles but there is no guarantee this will be helpful. I likely won’t be returning to that school.
Of course, I’m glad my response was helpful I too have wondered how many hours of volunteer and clinical experience I need. While I’m sure more is better, my advisor said medical schools care more about the quality of experiences rather than a hard number. Taking time off this semester and working is a good idea so you can make money and figure out if you still want to go to med school. While the student learning center is a move in the right direction, I would still be wary about returning.
Hello,
I’m in the same boat. I got out of the Caribbean school I was accepted to after not doing well after 2 exams. I feel like the exams weren’t fair and much harder compared to the lectures and study guides provided from the school. I’m not sure what to do, if I should take the time off to prep since I have all the lectures in advance and practice quizzes or take the mcat and go DO : /
I too have wondered how many hours of volunteer and clinical experience I need. While I’m sure more is better, my advisor said medical schools care more about the quality of experiences rather than a hard number. Taking time off this semester and working is a good idea so you can make money and figure out if you still want to go to med school. While the student learning center is a move in the right direction, I would still be wary about returning.