Hello,
I graduated with my BSc in Biology in 2016 with a 3.2 GPA. I took 5 years to do this. Looking at my transcript, you can see where I went from full time to part time studying, taking less major science courses at once, earning Cs in Physics and Biochem, but still volunteering with 2 organizations.
When explaining my grades and decreased course load, should I be honest about what was happening at the later stage of my bachelors degree? I had untreated anxiety that developed into exercise bulimia, of which I didn’t start seeking treatment until later in 2016 when I was no longer able to exercise as much and became depressed. With the help of a Psychiatrist and CBT, I’ve been recovering for these past 4.5 years, finding a healthy balance of nutrition and exercise. I haven’t been able to scrape my dream of being a Physician and while working as a Medical Assistant, I was inspired to re-start my path by pursuing a MS degree in Microbiology, which I completed earlier this 2021 with a 3.55 GPA.
Should I be honest about my struggle with mental illness in my applications since it impacted the course of my BSc degree so much? I don’t know how else to address my less than perfect course load and grades. Does this even matter because of my Master’s degree?
I use to have concerns about medical school being so strenuous but if I fear failure, then how will I know that I can succeed?
Thank you for your time,
Dreaming4MD (she/her)