Need Advice Please Help

[AEM3334]

I am a sophomore (by transfer credit a senior due to an early college high school program) at UT Austin. I have only been here one semester and did poorly in my science courses (two Cs for general bio and chem 1). I am currently doing well in bio 2, chem lab, and although I am struggling quite a bit in chem 2, I am sure I will turn that grade around, but the most I think I will realistically get is a B.

See, I struggle in science, but I know in my heart of hearts that I want to be a doctor, so I will work as hard as I have to.

The thing is, I retook my biology courses and the first semester of chemistry from the classes that transferred while I was at an early college high school. Now, I want to take physics, but in order to not have an overwhelming course load (I am also an English major) I want to take it over the summer in my hometown. However, I took physics while in high school, and I am afraid this may turn off medical school committees when they see that I retook to many courses. To be fair, I took those courses before even graduating, but I just don't know if it will look bad on my transcript. Also, I know I have a better chance of getting an A in both (I had a B and a C in the separate semesters of physics).

*Note: Forgot to mention the courses I took were at a UT institution, so everything transfers.

Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks, have a nice day.

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[TravelingRunner]

You might want to consider posting this in the general allopathic pre-med forum. They may have more information for you.

It seems you have two choices here:
Option 1: Stick with your B and C in physics. Focus on your current chemistry and biology courses, and try to improve your study methods or whatever to really ace those courses and all future courses. Use the summer to work on your study methods (usually different from high school study methods) and focus in on improving your GPA from here on out. Maybe consider a sophomore-level bio or chem course over the summer, like A&P or Organic Chem 1; if you do this, make sure you absolutely ace that course. Be aware that summer courses aren't necessarily easier; I've found they can be harder because of the shortened schedule.

Option 2: Retake your physics courses. This won't erase your previous grades, but hopefully you'll gain mastery over the material. Again, really work on your study habits. Science comes effortlessly for very few people, and most people find their old high school study habits don't work as well in college. There are resources at your university for students to hone their study abilities. Don't underestimate this: your study skills will become more critical to your success the more you study advanced science.

Honestly, nothing you do will erase your previous grades. Allopathic schools look at every grade; I believe osteopathic schools may do a form of grade replacement when calculating your GPA, but I'm not sure of the details on that. All you can do from here on out is improve your overall GPA, improve your BCPM GPA, and show adcoms that you can handle advanced science coursework. You can do this by taking higher-level science courses and doing well in them. It's not uncommon for students to struggle to adjust to college in the freshman year. What you can do to overcome the past is demonstrate mastery over all future classes and really make sure you are an outstanding candidate in all other ways (volunteering, shadowing, extracurriculars, healthcare experience, etc.). Have a ready answer for why you struggled so much with physics, Bio 1, and Chem 1 - maybe you didn't know how to study, maybe you had an adjustment period to living on your own, maybe you lost focus and partied too much, etc. Whatever the reason, you need to be able to demonstrate that you figured out the problem and addressed it, which will show the adcoms that you can learn from your mistakes. Don't try to blame a professor or anyone else; just take responsibility for it and show how you've improved because of it.

I highly recommend you consult your pre-med advisor for more help. He/she will be able to more thoroughly advise you on the appropriate course of action.

Best of luck to you!