How bad is a C+ in general chem?

[UCLA111]

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[DermViser]

So I ended up getting a C+ in General Chemistry this quarter…are my chances for a good med school completely defeated?

No.

I'm sorry this is so long-but my question is are med schools going to be forgiving of my circumstance?

Yes.

 

[Boolean]

Wow, you've had a terrible past week. It isn't good to receive a C+, but it isn't absolutely terrible. Showing an upward trend in grades would be highly beneficial though, try to perform to the best of your capabilities in Gen Chem 2 and so on. That said, you really should not have pushed your hospitalization back. The school is legally required to accommodate for that, IIRC.

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

I had a C and retook despite my schools C- policy. Few years later here I am in medical school! I didn't even have a good reason. I earned that C haha

 

[Aerus]

I'm not terribly informed on this, but isn't there some school policy that requires classes to be lenient in the case of a medical emergency? What if someone showed up to class with pneumonia and started coughing everywhere, on everyone, and on the test?

 

[ronnicus]

hey man i got a C+ in gen chem as well ( C+ in lab too!) but I talked with my pre med advisor and he said it shouldn't really impact me a lot. i think they care more about your overall GPA

 

[Microglia]

A. No med school would care very much about this, especially given the background story. Very sorry to hear about your health problem and friend, but glad you are alright! Many of my friends are at top med schools with one or two C's, as long as the GPA is good it is completely fine.

B. Your chem teacher is a bad person. Who doesn't let a kid reschedule when they face a medical emergency? You could have contacted the dean and I'm positive they would have disciplined the teacher for such unbelievably poor judgment and unethical behavior (but don't do this because it's always best not to make waves). It literally makes me a little angry to think that a teacher would be that unreasonable to a student with a serious health matter.

 

[Boolean]

I'm not terribly informed on this, but isn't there some school policy that requires classes to be lenient in the case of a medical emergency? What if someone showed up to class with pneumonia and started coughing everywhere, on everyone, and on the test?

Mentioned this earlier, pretty sure there is one...

 

[moop]

That's it. It's over. Forget med school.
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers.html

 

[darklabel]

I got an F in a class and I still got into some MD schools and interviews at schools I couldn't even believe (such as Case Western). I also had a very good reason as to why I received the score and worked hard to overcome it.

So yeah, definitely possible, just start making sure to get A's here on out.

 

[Gregor Wiesmann]

That's it. It's over. Forget med school.
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers.html

I don't think this person was trolling man.

 

[Gregor Wiesmann]

OP, don't get anymore C's and you should probably be good. Keep that GPA above a 3.5 if you want to be competitive for MD granting schools.

 

[moisne]

So I ended up getting a C+ in General Chemistry this quarter…are my chances for a good med school completely defeated? Thing is, I have a good reason/excuse as to why I did so bad. A week before finals I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a massive blood clot and was told that I needed extensive hospitalization and surgery and I needed to go to the hospital right away to remove the blood clot. I emailed all my professors and asked if I could reschedule my finals, all of them except my chem professor were totally lenient and willing to reschedule. I pushed back my hospitalization against the words of my doctor to take the chem final…and all through the week I was unable to study since the medication that I was on made me extremely drowsy and nauseous. The day that I took the chemistry final, I also found out that a close family friend had committed suicide and that completely threw me off even more. Right after the final, I rushed straight to the ER and was hospitalized for another four nights. I would retake the class but the policy at my school is that you must receive a C- or less to be able to re-take. I'm sorry this is so long-but my question is are med schools going to be forgiving of my circumstance?

You are fine if you have good grades after that.

If this is truly exactly as you said, talk to the deans and explain your situation or even the school's counselor/psychology.... They may make some exception to it. If I were you, I wouldn't have taken it until receiving medical clearence. Most likely, they would have given you an incomplete until you recovered.

 

[mrh125]

C+s happen, I got Cs in two quarters of physics and getting a worse grade is totally understandable given your circumstances (be sure to explain your circumstances, especially if you feel the need to as admissions teams shouldn't take that lightly). You shouldn't feel stressed to be improve, but realize there is plenty that can be done so y0u can get into medical school, there are many other premed courses for you to leave your mark in, including the next quarter of gen chem (nothing shows more than a student who isn't phased by difficulties and pushes on to succeed), and I'm sure you're achieve your goals. Premed students need encouragement because we all can succeed .

 

[armybound]

I had like 20 something hours of Cs, including Cs in both chemistries.

Of course I was a re-app, but still. It's not over yet, just use it as motivation to work harder from here on out

 

[breakmon]

Don't worry about it too much, OP. What's done is done. All this means is that you need to work hard to make sure that your GPA recovers from this. It is entirely possible to make straight A's from here on out. Your GPA is a measure of work ethic more than anything. It only depends on how much you want it.

But, at the same time, I will give you a cold, hard dose of reality. What this person said is inaccurate:

OP, don't get anymore C's and you should probably be good. Keep that GPA above a 3.5 if you want to be competitive for MD granting schools.

To be honest, unless you are a URM, 3.5 isn't competitve at all.

The median GPA for most med school matriculants, according to MSAR, is in the 3.7's. So you're going to want to get it as high as possible.

Also, make sure that you learn from this experience. In your post, you made it seem like your grade was bad because a myriad of circumstances beyond your control. Things happen. That's life. I'm not trying to put the blame on you, but I do think you should think about what it was that you yourself could have done so that you wouldn't have to be in this position.

 

[are102]

My dad failed Ochem the first time around and he is currently an OB/GYN.
That being said, I would go to the chemistry department head with documentation of your medical problems and the prescriptions you were on. I would also print out all correspondence you have had with your chemistry teacher. I would also print out all previous grades you have earned in this class on tests/quizzes in this class. If these show a much higher grade trend, you may have a chance.

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

To be honest, unless you are a URM, 3.5 isn't competitve at all.

It's not ideal, but certainly not a deal breaker.

 

[breakmon]

It's not ideal, but certainly not a deal breaker.

Oh... I took competitive to mean "better than the typical applicant."

 

[moop]

I don't think this person was trolling man.

I know. He's a scared freshman. Thus he especially could use a laugh and lighten up.

 

[sourdoughllama]

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[moop]

I got a C+ in an immunology class and I never retook it and I've had a great cycle. I got that grade because the class was horribly boring and I slept every class. This is what I told my interviewers and they thought it was funny and it worked

Being honest is always the best. I am going to tell of the professor who had really bad BO that even people like me who LIKE sitting in the front never did......

 

[sourdoughllama]

Being honest is always the best. I am going to tell of the professor who had really bad BO that even people like me who LIKE sitting in the front never did......

I never sit in the front haha. Can't fall sleep or bolt out the room once lecture is over

 

[Being]

A week before finals I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a massive blood clot and was told that I needed extensive hospitalization and surgery and I needed to go to the hospital right away to remove the blood clot....I pushed back my hospitalization against the words of my doctor to take the chem final

Frankly, I wonder if medical schools would rather have seen an incomplete or a D or something, given that story! This sounds like extremely risky behavior.

 

[Goro]

It's not lethal. Neither are hangnails.

So I ended up getting a C+ in General Chemistry this quarter…are my chances for a good med school completely defeated? Thing is, I have a good reason/excuse as to why I did so bad. A week before finals I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a massive blood clot and was told that I needed extensive hospitalization and surgery and I needed to go to the hospital right away to remove the blood clot. I emailed all my professors and asked if I could reschedule my finals, all of them except my chem professor were totally lenient and willing to reschedule. I pushed back my hospitalization against the words of my doctor to take the chem final…and all through the week I was unable to study since the medication that I was on made me extremely drowsy and nauseous. The day that I took the chemistry final, I also found out that a close family friend had committed suicide and that completely threw me off even more. Right after the final, I rushed straight to the ER and was hospitalized for another four nights. I would retake the class but the policy at my school is that you must receive a C- or less to be able to re-take. I'm sorry this is so long-but my question is are med schools going to be forgiving of my circumstance?

 

[Jennyfishy]

I had like 2 C+s on my transcript and got in .

Keep your GPA up, perfect the rest of your application, and it'll be nothing more than a smudge on your packet. Also, most schools will probably not even ask about the blemish if it was a one time thing.

 

[chemhead123]

You're not done...but you are going to have to make up for it and prove that it is not reflective of your abilities, but of XYZ (fill in the narrative.) For instance, I dropped out of a summer Physics II course, because it was right around my wedding and I just had too much going on. I came back and took it the next fall and got an A, so I have a reason and a narrative for why I have a "W" on my transcript....you just need to have a brief story to tell about the C+ and then have the transcript and MCAT scores to make them move past it.

 

[Gregor Wiesmann]

Don't worry about it too much, OP. What's done is done. All this means is that you need to work hard to make sure that your GPA recovers from this. It is entirely possible to make straight A's from here on out. Your GPA is a measure of work ethic more than anything. It only depends on how much you want it.

But, at the same time, I will give you a cold, hard dose of reality. What this person said is inaccurate:


To be honest, unless you are a URM, 3.5 isn't competitve at all.

The median GPA for most med school matriculants, according to MSAR, is in the 3.7's. So you're going to want to get it as high as possible.

Also, make sure that you learn from this experience. In your post, you made it seem like your grade was bad because a myriad of circumstances beyond your control. Things happen. That's life. I'm not trying to put the blame on you, but I do think you should think about what it was that you yourself could have done so that you wouldn't have to be in this position.

I said above 3.5. And then there are Osteopathic Schools too.

 

[Dr. Bob Doe]

I have a C+ in general chemistry 1. It is my only C+ I don't lose sleep over it and neither should you.

 

[dirigo]

Like everyone else already said--it's not a deal breaker. But if that C is an eye sore to you (or your GPA is not high to begin with) and you want to retake it then contact your Dean of Student office and ask if you can 'drop' the class pass the drop-date. Every school has a different policy but yours may allow an appeal.

(source: i've done this before)

 

[funtertaining15]

So I ended up getting a C+ in General Chemistry this quarter…are my chances for a good med school completely defeated? Thing is, I have a good reason/excuse as to why I did so bad. A week before finals I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a massive blood clot and was told that I needed extensive hospitalization and surgery and I needed to go to the hospital right away to remove the blood clot. I emailed all my professors and asked if I could reschedule my finals, all of them except my chem professor were totally lenient and willing to reschedule. I pushed back my hospitalization against the words of my doctor to take the chem final…and all through the week I was unable to study since the medication that I was on made me extremely drowsy and nauseous. The day that I took the chemistry final, I also found out that a close family friend had committed suicide and that completely threw me off even more. Right after the final, I rushed straight to the ER and was hospitalized for another four nights. I would retake the class but the policy at my school is that you must receive a C- or less to be able to re-take. I'm sorry this is so long-but my question is are med schools going to be forgiving of my circumstance?

It def. won't kill your chances. Just show an upward trend and do well in your upper level science classes... that's what I've been doing^_^

 

[NorCalPremed]

14B is the tougher of the 2 gen chem classes. As long as you have Hardinger for 14C/D you'll get A's in both if you can put in the time and effort.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

If I heard a pre-med postponed treatment against medical advice, I'd be more concerned about that than the C+.

 

[moisne]

I never sit in the front haha. Can't fall sleep or bolt out the room once lecture is over

Ochem lecture. 209 students. I was the only student who sat in the front row (with a TA a few seats away). The class was right after lunch - (I'm Chinese, and in my childhood, we took naps right after lunch). 90% of the days, I slept in that class.

A week before the final, he had announced if any of us had a 95% or above, we were exempt from the final. I didn't know my grade, since I slept through class. Asked him during office hours if he can confirm if I needed to take the final or not -

he looked at me and said "oh, the girl who thinks she can learn ochem via osmosis."

I said, "actually it would be diffusion or quantum tunneling, since osmosis is the movement of water".

he then told me not to waste his time and just show up for the final - haha.

 

[breakmon]

(I'm Chinese, and in my childhood, we took naps right after lunch).

I totally can relate to this! I'm Taiwanese and I get really tired sometime between 1-2 pm every day. It's pretty inconvenient, actually.

 

[iniquus]

But, at the same time, I will give you a cold, hard dose of reality. What this person said is inaccurate:

To be honest, unless you are a URM, 3.5 isn't competitve at all.

The median GPA for most med school matriculants, according to MSAR, is in the 3.7's. So you're going to want to get it as high as possible.

Also, make sure that you learn from this experience. In your post, you made it seem like your grade was bad because a myriad of circumstances beyond your control. Things happen. That's life. I'm not trying to put the blame on you, but I do think you should think about what it was that you yourself could have done so that you wouldn't have to be in this position.

A 3.5 may be slightly below average, but things like the trend of your grades, the rigor of your courseload, and the reputation of your undergraduate school are all dressings for your GPA. I'm an example of someone with a strong upward trend who was successful during the application cycle.

I also would not draw attention to your grade unless someone asks about it...meaning it's not something I would make conspicuous excuses for in my personal statement. On the other hand, your experience seems like a heavy one and probably one most applicants don't go through (blood clot, suicide of friend), so you can talk about that and mention in a few words how it affected various aspects of your life (including academics).

 

[pterygoideus]

I had a C and retook despite my schools C- policy. Few years later here I am in medical school! I didn't even have a good reason. I earned that C haha

Same here, but even worse: in the same quarter I got a C- in organic II lecture and a C+ in organic I lab, mainly out of my own overachieving naivete stupidity deciding to take take far too many classes. (I am also simply not very talented in chemistry.) My GPA went down like the Hindenburg. I retook the lecture to an A-, but I never had the time or inclination to retake the lab. I "salvaged" my grades by maintaining a straight B average in the rest of my chem courses. You probably should be aiming a little higher than B's though, I'm just pants at chem.

I did deliberately draw attention to my bad chemistry grades on my med school apps, which was a calculated risk that I thought very hard about. I explained quite clearly that I ended up minoring in chemistry in spite of being crap at it because I wanted to prove to myself that I could master it. That's not something that I recommend doing for most people, but #thestruggle was a recurring theme in my application due to personal reasons. ...and I got accepted by one of my dream schools, so it can be done. Don't sweat it OP - salvage what you can, but then move on. As several people have said, maintain an upward trend and be awesome in other places to make up for it, but don't let one grade from one semester consume you. *hugs* good luck!

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

The best way to rectify it is by doing well in orgo and in biochem. If you get A's in those classes nobody is gonna care about how you did in gen chem.