MD & DO Advice on retaking Calc 2?

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Hi! I am currently a freshman in undergrad hoping to go pre-med. My first semester went very well, I had a 3.7 overall GPA and my math and science GPA was a 3.6 (with an A in calc 1).

This semester with Calc 2 on the other hand was a living nightmare. As much as I tried I just could not understand what was going on in that class. I ended up with a C- (gpa value of 1.67) as my final grade, which scares me because I never received a C- in any class in my life.

I am debating if I should retake this class or not. I know my school offers grade replacement where if I retake it, they will use the better GPA, but schools will see that I retook it. But I really hated this class since it made no sense to me at all. Would it be in my best interest to retake the class? Will it affect me in the long run? I just don't want my chances of getting into med school to be ruined by this one class.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by sweetgirl964

Hi! I am currently a freshman in undergrad hoping to go pre-med. My first semester went very well, I had a 3.7 overall GPA and my math and science GPA was a 3.6 (with an A in calc 1).

This semester with Calc 2 on the other hand was a living nightmare. As much as I tried I just could not understand what was going on in that class. I ended up with a C- (gpa value of 1.67) as my final grade, which scares me because I never received a C- in any class in my life.

I am debating if I should retake this class or not. I know my school offers grade replacement where if I retake it, they will use the better GPA, but schools will see that I retook it. But I really hated this class since it made no sense to me at all. Would it be in my best interest to retake the class? Will it affect me in the long run? I just don't want my chances of getting into med school to be ruined by this one class.

Thanks!

AMCAS and Texas schools include all grades earned when you retake, regardless of how your school calculates your GPA. DO med schools only include the most recent grade if you retake.

Last time I counted, only 5 MD schools required two semesters of Calculus. It isn't essential that you retake it as you could just drown out the negative GPA effect with a sea of As in upper-level Bio instead. But I understand that for you it may be an "honor" thing, to prove you can master this beast. If you do decide to take it again, don't use the same teacher. Check out the grading policy (maybe using that rate the professor site) and assure yourself that more than two students get As.

Or you can decide to just move on. That C- will soon become a distant memory. It won't keep you out of med school if your overall GPAs are competitive.