2C and a D from TU austin. Is this hopeles?

[panicking]

I am a junior at UT. I had an D in o-chem II.I took it again and got an B. I also had C in biochem and physics lab last semester because I was so sick and went to hospital numerous times,but I did not want to quit. Looking back, it was a big mistake.

My science GPA is 3.04 and overall is 3.48. Is my premed carreer is over?

I am planning on taking the MCAT on April. I always did well on standard tests. I scored in the 92%in the SAT II chemistry and 96% in English and over 1400 on SAT I without much preparation. I plan to work really hard on the MCAT.
Could a good MCAT save me?????

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[A. Caveman]

your premed career? umm, ok. as a junior you may not have much time to improve on the science gpa. but i suggest you do whatever you can to get it up. then just get that 92%ile on the mcat (which is probably high 30's, and you'll get into a very good school. now let go of my nipple, other people need milk too.

 

[Mystique]

Stop wasting time panicking and make productive use of your time. You still have time to "redeem" yourself. You can kick butt on the PS and BS sections of the MCAT and see where that gets you. Your premed career isn't over UNTIL you deem it over.

It seems like you're a good standardized test taker, so that works in your favor. BUT, the MCAT isn't like the SAT or ACT. My Orgo professor once said that your ACT score is a good indicator of your MCATs, but I think that's bologna.

But, to answer your question...YES, a good MCAT can save you. I'd love to say just get a over a certain score, but life/application process doesn't work that way.

Best of luck to ya!

 

[megkudos]

A good MCAT could definately help you. I would think if you did well your senior year and well on your MCAT and explained in your personal statement what happened you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck to you!

Also I would recommend--go to your school's academic services office (don't wait). There should be a way to put doctor notes and hospital records on file for when you apply in the future incase you need documentation about you medical problems. They may be able to pull some strings for you also like let you retake exams maybe too if you were interested in something like that--it's always worth it to check. If you wanted to retake a class you didn't do well in they can sometimes even withraw you after the semester is over (a.k.a now) if it's for medical reasons and if you bug them enough. But in your case it sounds like you wouldn't need to do that though with two C's. You should be ok if you do well your senior year...but you might want to ask an advisor...

Good luck

 

[brandonite]

I think that with a good MCAT, you shouldn't have much of a problem. Especially if you explain the circumstances surrounding the low grades. Shouldn't be much of a problem. Just make sure you have a nice set of EC's. Those are often just as important as the grades...

 

[Warren P. Cheswick]

Wow! Almost identical stats. Although I have added a third C to my report card. ALl my C's have been in the math sceince thing so that definitely will hurt me. However I had an interview at UT-Houston, and will soon have one at Nebraska. You're premed career is not over. Just do good on the MCAT (I got a 24...yucky). If you want answers or more specifics from an Aggie Private Message me.

 

[Medical123]

I would concentrate on doing well on the MCAT. So much emphasis is put on that thing and it seems like some of the schools view that as more important than one's GPA. However, if your grades bother you, you may want to consider taking some of your basic science classes over(either at your university or elsewhere)during the summer. If you show that you can do well in those courses, it will prove to the medical schools that you can do the work and potentially raise your GPA! Good luck! Also, I have heard the rumor that some of the medical schools tend to overlook one bad semester if everything else seems to be in order. They realize that things do go wrong in a person's life and that it may have an affect on their grades. I am sure other applicants have had the same problems. Good luck!

 

[A. Caveman]

ok man, i'm gonna give you some real solutions here. you may choose to do a postbac, but i don't know if you need one that badly. now your science gpa is very low. but your cum. gpa is ok. spend your senior year (esp. this spring semester) taking a good amount of science credits, and bring that sci gpa UP. even a 3.2 science is OK, if you have a ~3.5, 3.6 cum gpa with a high mcat. lets say, get a 35 on the mcat. if you do that, you'll get into a SH1T load of schools. nobody's gonna turn down a 35 mcat, they'd love to add it to their average mcat stats, so they'll take you even with a 3.2 sci (after all your cum is decent, so it won't bother them much). IN fact, if you apply to about 30 schools, I think with the gpa's above and a 33 mcat you should be money at at least a couple of schools (prob. mid-tier). there's some advice with numbers which is i think what you need. there's somethign to shoot for. of course, if you get a 38 on the mcat, you could get into some IVY's with ease if you talk the right game about your gpa. good luck todo

 

[megkudos]

To comment on Medical 123's post---
You probably don't want to take science courses over the summer--I have heard from my pre-med advisor and others that schools think af these courses as easier and they therefore don't carry as much weight as classes taken during the year.

 

[Amy B]

Do great on the MCAT, but also write a fantastic essay. And in a short, brief and to the point paragraph write about why you recieved those grades (ie:sickness and not wanting to quit) without sounding like you are whining.

I also had a horrible semester last spring. I got a C in Orgo II and Physics II. My grandmother died during my final exams, so I ended up really screwing up my finals. I should have taken Incompletes and the professors wanted me too as well, but I had things to attend to with her death and just wanted to focus on my family.

I wrote a brief paragraph explaining why I had this one horrible semester. It was briefly mentioned in my interview at VCU/MCV and was slightly questioned about at my interview at WVU.

So don't fret, just plug along as you are, take the MCAT and do great the rest of the semesters you have left. Good luck.

 

[lilycat]

Originally posted by megkudos:
•To comment on Medical 123's post---
You probably don't want to take science courses over the summer--I have heard from my pre-med advisor and others that schools think af these courses as easier and they therefore don't carry as much weight as classes taken during the year.•••

I have to respectfully disagree with the above post, which I think is poor advice at best. First off, classes taken during the summer quarter count exactly the same as the rest of your classes when calculating your GPA, and that's really the bottom-line here. Second, thousands of students end up taking classes over the summer quarter each year so as to graduate in a timely manner (ie, not take 5 years or more to finish their degree) -- I hardly think that thousands of students across the country are having their GPA's discounted because "they (gasp) took classes during the summer!!" Finally, for every premed advisor that recommends against taking classes in the summer, there are just as many that would advise doing it -- in order to save money, save time, etc. Take the advice you receive on here, and from "premed advisors" with a healthy grain of salt.

As for your predicament, it's really not that hopeless. There are LOTS of people who have gotten into med school with a couple of C's or worse. Try your best on the MCAT (a 30+ would be good), and you should be in good shape, especially for the Texas schools. Good luck.