ThePotato Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 I messed up really badly and I don't know how I can get into PA school anymore and I'm slowly losing my confidence. I'm standing on a F right now for General Chemistry I , a C- , D , for General Biology I, and a D for math. What do I do? I don't know where to go from here on out. How can I get into PA school anymore? What should I do? Any advice..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj1994 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Your best chances are to retake those classes and get higher grades to show improvement and hard work. That would be the first place to start, maybe take classes at an easier institution to start off or to find better teachers? Spend more time studying. Keep working hard. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePotato Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 Your best chances are to retake those classes and get higher grades to show improvement and hard work. That would be the first place to start, maybe take classes at an easier institution to start off or to find better teachers? Spend more time studying. Keep working hard. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Should I stick with the F or try to at least get a W or UW? I'm not sure how bad each of them will affect my application when I'm applying for PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj1994 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Should I stick with the F or try to at least get a W or UW? I'm not sure how bad each of them will affect my application when I'm applying for PA. I'm not an expert, but I think a withdrawal would look better than an F because you could withdraw for any number of reasons and but an F is always an F. Unless you think you have a chance to bring the F up to a C? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePotato Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 I'm not an expert, but I think a withdrawal would look better than an F because you could withdraw for any number of reasons and but an F is always an F. Unless you think you have a chance to bring the F up to a C? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I just don't know how I can get into PA school anymore with an F let alone a W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj1994 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 You can definitely get in with a W. They would rather see improvement and you work hard to achieve your goals. It's not out of the question, you can still get in! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max PA17 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Ws are okay if not tot too many. However, best if no Fs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePotato Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 Ws are okay if not tot too many. However, best if no Fs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Say I received 1 F, do you think it'd affect me badly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max PA17 Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 It's not the end but you need to improve. C or D average will never get you an interview. That's just the reality of it. Do what you can to improve. That's all you can do. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 You're worried about getting into school, which I get is the first step, but if you can't pass a general chemistry class, you won't be passing in PA school, either, at this point. You need to seriously evaluate your study habits, test taking skills, and motivation. Seek whatever help your school may offer. Overcoming a few bad grades isn't impossible, but surviving PA school with flawed study skills could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hills93 Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 What is the reason your grades are so poor in those courses? Science isn't for everyone, and it won't get any easier from here. I got into PA school with at least 2 W's so that really is the less of your worries. If you're serious about this you WILL need to retake those courses and figure out what's causing your grades to be so poor in those subject areas and fix it. Getting into PA school is becoming more and more competitive every year, with a typical B+ applicant having no more than a 3-7% chance of getting in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaepora Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 I'm not an expert, but I think a withdrawal would look better than an F because you could withdraw for any number of reasons and but an F is always an F. Unless you think you have a chance to bring the F up to a C? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Definitely take the W over the F, but you need to do it before it becomes a WF. You can explain away a W but not an F or WF. The next thing you need to do is figure out why you're grades are so poor. Are you not putting in the time or effort? If you're not getting good grades in undergraduate core science classes you are certainly not going to have better luck in graduate level PA programs. You would have a heck of a time even gaining acceptance to a RN program with those grades. Retake those classes. Get an A+ in them and then cross your fingers and hope for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 19, 2016 Administrator Share Posted December 19, 2016 The one thing I want to add to the excellent advice given above: Have yourself evaluated for learning disabilities! Even if you think you understand why you are not doing well in undergraduate, you may still have an underlying condition that is contributing to the issues. If you have an invisible albatross around your neck, your chances of success are dim, so you have nothing to lose by getting evaluated now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDCtoPA Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 I will add that you can certainly recover from an F, it just takes time and effort. If this is your first year of undergrad then you have time to recover. The important thing is to figure out why you are not doing well as mentioned above. I have been to a lot of different schools over the years and everyone of them has a counseling office that would help figure out what you are doing wrong. Be it poor study habits, learning disability, etc.. As mentioned above science is not for everyone. If you have never done well in science then you may need to re-evaluate your goal. Medicine is science. But, if you previously got good grades in math and science then it is probably something you can correct if you seek out the help you need. I am proof that you can recover from Fs. But, only if you are willing to work very hard and not give up. It may take you longer than you expected but you can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePotato Posted December 19, 2016 Author Share Posted December 19, 2016 What is the reason your grades are so poor in those courses? Science isn't for everyone, and it won't get any easier from here. I got into PA school with at least 2 W's so that really is the less of your worries. If you're serious about this you WILL need to retake those courses and figure out what's causing your grades to be so poor in those subject areas and fix it. Getting into PA school is becoming more and more competitive every year, with a typical B+ applicant having no more than a 3-7% chance of getting in. I actually have anxiety so it takes a toll on my grades but I am getting treatment for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePotato Posted December 20, 2016 Author Share Posted December 20, 2016 I will add that you can certainly recover from an F, it just takes time and effort. If this is your first year of undergrad then you have time to recover. The important thing is to figure out why you are not doing well as mentioned above. I have been to a lot of different schools over the years and everyone of them has a counseling office that would help figure out what you are doing wrong. Be it poor study habits, learning disability, etc.. As mentioned above science is not for everyone. If you have never done well in science then you may need to re-evaluate your goal. Medicine is science. But, if you previously got good grades in math and science then it is probably something you can correct if you seek out the help you need. I am proof that you can recover from Fs. But, only if you are willing to work very hard and not give up. It may take you longer than you expected but you can do it. I'm just curious, how did you recover from F's? What changes did you make and how did you go about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1ke10191 Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I had 1 W on my transcript with a couple retakes here and there and I had several interviews. Just don't make a habit of it and be ready to explain them at interviews. I was asked about the W for 2 of them and grades in general at probably half to 2/3 of them. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 I had a scattering of Ws on my transcript, IIRC. No one cared. But my actual grades were good. Here's the thing... you really need to figure out what it will take to make you successful as an undergrad. I appreciate that you have anxiety and are seeking treatment. Right now you need to focus less on PA school and more on SCHOOL. Figure out what it takes to be a good undergraduate student and you will have so many opportunities open for you. If that means you take a semester off to get your anxiety under control, for heaven's sake DO IT. It's very hard to recover a GPA filled with early F's, so get your shit together before you try these classes again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDCtoPA Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I repeated every class and got A's. In my personal statement I discussed my academic difficulties and how I had corrected the deficiencies I had early in my academic career. Finally I got a LOR from a professor who had two semesters of experience teaching me. She attested to my improved study habits, my dedication and my performance in class. (It was my A&P Professor). When I actually submitted my application I had a perfect 4.0 on all my prereqs as well as my last 40 hours or college work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegro Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Just a word of advice on the F vs. a W - some schools, if you withdraw because you are failing, will not award you a W, but instead a WF (withdrawn failing). While a W will not count against you on CASPA, a WF counts the same as a regular F in your GPA calculation and does not look better. Something to find out before making your decision. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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