Admission Question--_Very Worried Studetnt

[seandubbers]

Hello Friends,


I am stuggling in 1 undergrad class. Would re-taking it eliminate my chances of admission? I know I can do better if I re-take it.

Please help

I'm freaking out!!!

[Moldovanits]

what class is it?

[seandubbers]

it is organic chem I

[supernareg]

no it wont

i had an F in calc.. retook n got A.. n accepted to sgu fall 08, 25O mcat, 3.1 overall n 3.3 bcpm

[multigrain23]

Hey dude... relax.

Ochem is one of those terrible subjects that many pre-meds don't do so hot on, and many choose to repeat.

The year that I took Ochem 1/2, I was taking 22/23 units per term (respectively) and working 30 hours per week... and then I had a relationship break up and my grandparents died. Needless to say I received 'C's in both classes, which totally freaked me out as until that time (4th year of undergrad) I hadn't received a single 'C' in college. So I understand the stress and thought my world was falling apart too. However, I was one of those crazy people who decided to repeat those courses the following year and received an 'A' and 'B' in both classes the second time around. It's no big deal... I'm sure that the adcom would look favorably upon me for my persistence in repeating the courses. Those few 'C's in undergrad never stopped me from going to grad school etc. Yes, the fact that I received my first 'C's in undergrad during my 4th year did impact my science GPA trend, which is why I don't think I'll be accepted to US schools.... but with a 3.5 GPA I think I'll be perfectly fine for most offshore or DO schools.

My sister on the other hand decided to just take her 'C's and move on, as she wasn't willing to repeat Ochem, as she found it overly painful. However, those 'C's on her transcripts didn't hurt her, as she was admitted to one of the top dental schools in the US (her overall GPA was around a 3.7).

So honestly, relax, and don't worry about it so much.... as long as the rest of your grades are pretty decent, you won't be penalized much. If you receive lower than a 'C' (like a 'D' or 'F') then I would suggest repeating it and doing better the second time around. This would especially hold true if you also apply to DO schools, since at present the AACOMAS application service takes the repeat grade (and drops the original grade) into consideration for the GPA calculation.

[seandubbers]

Originally Posted by multigrain23

Hey dude... relax.

Ochem is one of those terrible subjects that many pre-meds don't do so hot on, and many choose to repeat.

The year that I took Ochem 1/2, I was taking 22/23 units per term (respectively) and working 30 hours per week... and then I had a relationship break up and my grandparents died. Needless to say I received 'C's in both classes, which totally freaked me out as until that time (4th year of undergrad) I hadn't received a single 'C' in college. So I understand the stress and thought my world was falling apart too. However, I was one of those crazy people who decided to repeat those courses the following year and received an 'A' and 'B' in both classes the second time around. It's no big deal... I'm sure that the adcom would look favorably upon me for my persistence in repeating the courses. Those few 'C's in undergrad never stopped me from going to grad school etc. Yes, the fact that I received my first 'C's in undergrad during my 4th year did impact my science GPA trend, which is why I don't think I'll be accepted to US schools.... but with a 3.5 GPA I think I'll be perfectly fine for most offshore or DO schools.

My sister on the other hand decided to just take her 'C's and move on, as she wasn't willing to repeat Ochem, as she found it overly painful. However, those 'C's on her transcripts didn't hurt her, as she was admitted to one of the top dental schools in the US (her overall GPA was around a 3.7).

So honestly, relax, and don't worry about it so much.... as long as the rest of your grades are pretty decent, you won't be penalized much. If you receive lower than a 'C' (like a 'D' or 'F') then I would suggest repeating it and doing better the second time around. This would especially hold true if you also apply to DO schools, since at present the AACOMAS application service takes the repeat grade (and drops the original grade) into consideration for the GPA calculation.

hey thanks multigrain. your detailed response is very well appreciated =)

[1nicelady]

O chem is one of those weeding out steps. a lot of people give up during or after ochem because it's too hard. if you get c's in ochem or even fail. don't give up. a lot of people do at that point. being a great doctor is not only based on whether or not u do good in that subject. i got a
s and b's in ochem and went to sgu. my friend got cs and ds in ochem and goes to drexel....

[multigrain23]

Originally Posted by seandubbers

hey thanks multigrain. your detailed response is very well appreciated =)

No problem, glad to help.

Just do your best in the class and try to get a 'C' or better, as 'D's and 'F's still aren't looked upon too favorably... definitely not for US schools, and even best not for Caribbean schools either (although it still won't be the end of the world regardless). Although DO schools won't count a bad grade into your GPA if you repeat the course, it would still be nice not to have a 'D' or 'F' grade on your transcript regardless...as they'd still notice it there.

If you can get a 'C' in OChem, then you can decide whether to just keep that grade or retake it. If you get lower than a 'C', my personal recommendation would be to re-take it and do better the next time around... although definitely try your best not to get lower than a 'C' so you don't have to go through the trouble of doing it again.

I'm not suggesting that people should be casual about getting 'C's in their classes... as obviously having a cumulative GPA of 3.0+ for Caribbean schools (and over 3.5+ for US schools) is important. However, if you are getting nearly all A's and B's... then having a random 'C' in there (especially for a super hard class like OChem) won't kill you.

I'm guessing you only have a few weeks left until the end of the term... so hang in there! Good luck.

[drshoelaces]

more than 3/4 of the people I know in OChem, took it more than once.

good luck! you will be fine.