So our organic chemistry class has two midterms (worth 25% each) and a final (worth 50%). I did pretty good on the first midterm (B+/A-), and then probably got anywhere from a C- to a D on the second one. Definitely not so great for medical school admissions. What should I do? Should I stick it out and work my a** off for the final and hope I pull off a B overall in the class, or if I do bad have to retake it (to replace the original overall grade with the re-take but have a transcript mark noting I took the class twice). Should I drop it (and get a transcript mark noting that I did drop it past drop-period?) and then take it again? How will this impact my chances for getting in to med school?
2006-11-21 11:43:28 · 11 answers · asked by Owen 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
serious replies only please
2006-11-21 11:43:52 · update #1
for the first guy to respond: I did study, b*tch.
I think I can pull off a B overall, if i work incredibly hard.
2006-11-21 12:05:23 · update #2
This is definitely a hit on your chances for medical school, but possibly a minor one, depending on your next action. You still have the final, which is worth half the grade for the course. I say stick it out, kick a s s on the final, and try to score a save. Can you get a B or B+ overall? I think this is better than a bail-and-retake (of the course), just like you were thinking.
Yes, the competition to get into med school is tougher than ever. If you try and fail to get in on the first try, you can get a master's degree which will boost your chances for a second try. Or if you don't want to spend on a master's, get work experience with a bio-tech company. And if you really can't wait, there's osteopathic school (D.O., doctor of osteopathy degree, vs. M.D. from an allopathic school). The end result will be the same: a satisfying career serving humanity (yadda yadda) and making a good living at the same time.
2006-11-21 11:56:58 · answer #1 · answered by RolloverResistance 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everybody who has taken it or knows somebody who has taken it knows that O-Chem is hard. It seems to me that people either struggle with organic or inorganic, and sometimes both. At this point, I'd stick with it and see if you can pull the grade up. Go to the prof and anybody else available for help getting it up. Since your final is worth 50% of your grade, the odds of getting an acceptable grade are still in your favor. Yes, you don't want more than one or two Bs when you're going to apply to med school. However, I've had way too many pre-med and pre-vet-med friends to believe that having your transcript show that you took a class twice will keep you out. Good luck!
2006-11-21 12:03:48 · answer #2 · answered by pag2809 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I went through the same thing. My advice would be to drop the class and to try again. That is what I wish that I had done. A dropped class doesn't affect your GPA, and that is a major thing that schools look for. You should be aware of two things:
1. Medical schools usually calculate your math and science GPA separately and it is important for this to be very high.
2. Most medical schools do not drop a replaced grade. They will use the two grades that you took each time you took the class, so retaking it after you have already gotten a bad grade won't help you that much.
2006-11-21 11:58:25 · answer #3 · answered by peanut509 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should talk to an advisor on this. Before making a decision, be sure to check the school's policy on retaking the class. Some states, (like Florida) will not allow you to retake the class if you recieve C or better in the first attempt.
If you drop this class, your transcript will show that you droped the class at this point since you are way passed the add-drop period. Even if you retake the class, your transcript will show both the grades. Which one counts for your GPA depends on school's policy.
2006-11-21 11:55:35 · answer #4 · answered by tkquestion 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
O-Chem is a big killer for students.
I'm in favor of pushing as hard as you can, every chance you get. Stick to the class. If you need to take it again, take it again to make your transcript pretty (your MCAT scores will show the improvement).
If this is your only bad mark as an undergrad, you're in a long line of med school applicants. It's not uncommon to see O-Chem disasters on a transcript. But if this isn't the only science class you find difficult, or you've got a lot of other B- grades in your history, you need to understand that you might not have the talent to go to med school, and so you should consider other options that will lead you to great success. This is what they call "finding yourself".
2006-11-21 11:55:16 · answer #5 · answered by Polymath 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't despair! The first thing to do is to figure out where you went wrong. This is a class that has cumulative knowledge - failing to "get it" can have ever-worsening consequences. If I were in your shoes I would try to get some one-on-one office time with the instructor to identify exactly WHERE you aren't getting it. Be sure to thank them for their help. Most instructors want all their students to succeed - that's how they measure their own success. There are probably a few key items of knowledge you need to fill in. Once you've got all the stuff you should have known down, I bet you'll sail through the rest of the class. After all, you were doing great to begin with. Plus, you will have started a personal relationship with the instructor and demonstrated that you really care about success. Maybe you'll have to put in a few extra hours, but one bad grade doesn't mean failure!
2006-11-21 12:14:26 · answer #6 · answered by gordon B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My advice would be to talk to the teacher. Tell him what your goals are and ask what you need to do to achieve the necessary grade in your class. You don't want to drop a class this late in the term and then retake it again later. That is both time and money lost and it will hurt you later on regardless. The only way to really know where you are standing with things is to talk to the teacher and figure it out with his help.
2006-11-21 11:49:50 · answer #7 · answered by Just another 2D character online 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
all of us who has taken it or knows somebody who has taken it knows that O-Chem is stressful. it sort of feels to me that individuals the two conflict with organic and organic or inorganic, and on occasion the two. At this element, i might stick to it and notice in case you may pull the grade up. pass to the prof and each physique else attainable for help getting it up. when you consider that your very final is worth 50% of your grade, the percentages of having a suitable grade are nevertheless on your prefer. confident, you do no longer prefer greater desirable than one or 2 Bs once you are going to persist with to med college. even with the undeniable fact that, i've got had way too many pre-med and pre-vet-med friends to have faith that having your transcript practice which you took a classification two times will shop you out. stable success!
2016-10-04 05:36:24 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
study your butt off for the final exam (since you'll need to know o-chem for the mcats anyways) and see how things go. if you can pull off a b/b+, it should be good enough. it's more important that you do well in the mcats than a negligible difference in your overall gpa. however, keep in mind that your overall gpa should be more than 3.5...
2006-11-21 13:47:54 · answer #9 · answered by rosesky 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to the teacher. See if there is anything that you can do. Sometimes just talking to them and letting them know that youare a serious student and are concerned about your grades can help. I def. would not withdraw. It is a waste of time and money.
2006-11-21 11:55:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋