Questioning future plans & low grades this semester

[Astro Student]

Hello Physics Forums members,

I've had a somewhat rough semester. My sister had a lot of medical issues pop up and I wasn't able to pay enough attention to my classes as I'd have liked. I'm actually pre-med, and was enrolled in organic chemistry. Flatly, the current best-case scenario for 6-credit hours of ochem is a C+. I'm feeling extremely frustrated with myself and questioning my future plans. I don't want to retake this class if I don't have to. I'm also not used to doing bad in school -- I was valedictorian in high school and had a 3.9 up until now. I'm just feeling very lost, and don't know if I can even continue with pre-med.

I guess I don't know what I'm really asking for. The modes of thinking that they employ in biochemistry courses just don't mesh well with my mind set. I much prefer physics, stats, and math, subjects that I've always been rather advanced with. My parents have always pressured me to go into medicine and I was adamantly against it until my senior year of high school. I'm somewhat panicked here now that I see it may not happen. Pre-med culture and sub 5% acceptance rates at nearly every respectable med school is driving me to a very unhealthy, neurotic mental state. I am not sure if I want to commit to physics for the rest of my life, either. I suppose I would just like some general advice and discussion.

Anyways, on the bright side, I did get As in my physics and astrophysics classes this semester... So hopefully my low o-chem grade doesn't make too large of a hit to my GPA.

I look forward to reading the responses,
Thank you.

 

[symbolipoint]

You easily have much hope. Counting on medical school is not the best gamble. A good possible goal but not so good as your only accepted focus.
Change direction into either some physical science, engineering, or computer science. Earn a degree in SOMETHING. "Pre-Medical" is not a real major field. It is a collection of common courses which are a possible qualification for entrance eligibility to medical school. An undergraduate degree in ANYTHING is also necessary. In case you later are either not accepted to a medical school, or change your mind about med school, at least you will have a degree in something (hopefully that you also like).

 

[Astro Student]

You easily have much hope. Counting on medical school is not the best gamble. A good possible goal but not so good as your only accepted focus.
Change direction into either some physical science, engineering, or computer science. Earn a degree in SOMETHING. "Pre-Medical" is not a real major field. It is a collection of common courses which are a possible qualification for entrance eligibility to medical school. An undergraduate degree in ANYTHING is also necessary. In case you later are either not accepted to a medical school, or change your mind about med school, at least you will have a degree in something (hopefully that you also like).

Thanks for your reply. I am hoping to get a B.S. in physics and astrophysics. I suppose, simply put, that I am at a crossroads between continuing onto physics grad school, medical school, or perhaps a mixture of the two (biophysics/bioinformatics).

 

[donpacino]

once you break a certain gpa, small differences won't matter. If you do well on all your future classes, then that 2.7 class will most likely not matter that much.

College and graduate admissions understand that mistakes happen and circumstances arise.