I'm pre-med, and my dream is to go to Johns Hopkins. But my depression is affecting my grades...?

Question

I love medicine--I've volunteered in a clinic, and I loved every minute of it. I've had almost all A's in my college classes up until this semester, but this semester I've failed o chem and probably will get a C in another pre-med class because I've been too depressed and anxious to concentrate. I am getting treatment. I know I'm intelligent--I'm a National Merit scholar, and I got a great score on my SAT's. But I'm afraid my depression this semester is going to ruin my chances to get into a great med school like Johns Hopkins. If I get a great score on my MCAT, bring up my grades, and interview well, do you think I still have a chance? When I think about giving up my dream, I just get more depressed.

Do you think I can still fulfill my goal? What can I do to get my self-confidence back after this bad semester? Thanks.

Answer 1

Don't give up! You'll look back at this time and marvel at how well you did.
My last year as an undergrad was a (relative) disaster because of depression. But I was able to talk to one of my professors and an adviser from the Counseling Center. They helped me to get my applications together and in. Now I'm almost finished with my MA and looking for a PhD program.
Don't worry about what you could've done or what your grades should be. Just do what you can, if that's not perfection it's okay. And if a school can't understand what you've been through and what you've tried to accomplish, do you really want to go there?
Best of Luck

Answer 2

You can certainly bounce back. You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, because it will stress you out even more. Even though you want to go to Johns Hopkins, do keep a little voice in the back of your mind that it won't be the end of the world if it doesn't happen for you. There are a lot of good medical programs and I personally believe that when things are right they come to us. However, do begin to talk to Johns Hopkins now. Establish yourself; tell them you are highly interested in attending and want to know if you are on track, and would like to know of anything extra you can do to make your resume more appealing to them.

If I were you, I would personally choose a less restrictive major. Pre-med is wonderful, but it is so broad with the classes you have to take yet at the same time very restrictive in your career choices. I would choose a science that you most enjoy and/or excel at the most - like biology or chemistry, etc. You can technically major in anything you want as long as you take the prereq's for med school and take the MCATs, but it leaves your options more open incase you decide you want to go to grad school for biomedical engineering or even becoming a physician's assistant instead.

I know it's probably too late, but try anything you can to get that O.chem grade from showing up. If you do fail, you're not going to get credit anyways and you'll have to take it again, so it would be best if you could petition (or even beg) your dean to allow you to change this class to pass/fail on the basis of mental illness (your depression).

Don't worry about next semester before it has started. Just keep your hopes up, keep your treatment up, and relax as best you can during the winter break to restore yourself.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I used to suffer from depression too. but then I got a good friend that I could talk to and everything was a ok. So my advice is to talk with some friends tell someone how you feel you will be surpised at how many friends will help. O I forgot do not on any circumstances keep how you are felling in side it will only get worse.

Answer 4

I suffer from depression too. Why dont you talk to a close friend or your school counsellor abt it? Dont worry gurl.....you can do it! One bad grade wont affect your overall result.