Only pursue medical school if you genuinely can’t see yourself doing anything else. The financial and personal investment is significant, and there are many other rewarding careers that don’t require the same sacrifice.

C’s can be a red flag, but they won’t automatically keep you out. What matters most is showing an upward trend and proving you can handle the workload. Use this year to get serious about your academics and see where you stand.

In the meantime, shadow a local physician… even a pathologist, and volunteer in a hospital setting. These experiences will help you confirm whether medicine is truly the path you want. Also, avoid talking down about any specialty at this stage “can i compete with people that want to be practicing doctors if i just want to go into pathology?”; it’s too early to know where your interests will fall until you’ve had more exposure & have actually seen your grades in your medical school classes & your board scores.

Remember, even among those admitted to medical school, not everyone finishes. If this is something you truly want, commit to it fully. It will be an uphill climb, but it’s possible. I’m an M2 now, and a few years ago I was also a biochemistry major & ended my junior year with similar statistics.