Admissions Question

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Hedwig

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Do you think that a science class called "Introductory Biology for Nonscience Majors," which I took as a freshman and got a C, D+ in over two semesters, will keep me from being accepted even though, after transfering after freshman year to another college, my stats were pretty much flawless? Assuming that I'll do equally well in post-bacc and do well in the MCAT, what do you think? Help!!

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One bad grade from freshman year should not keep you from getting into a med school. Just be prepared to answer questins about it at interviews. Good luck!
 
So to paraphrase... A long time ago you did badly in a class that doesn't really matter all that much, and although you've taken many more classes, done well, haven't even taken your prereqs or the MCAT, you're worried that it may end your life-long dream of becoming a doctor. <img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" />

Hoping to spread perspective wherever I go,

Nanon
 
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Hi Hedwig: Don't worry about those freshman year C and D+. Make sure you're ready to explain in case they ask you at the interview. But med schools want to see the progression of grade improvements, and it looks like you've done that. MCAT, extracurics and essays aside, you'll be okay as far as grades are concerned, if you can do the following:

1). I assume that you've retaken the intro bio courses. If not, you should and get at least B's on them.
2). Get at least a B- on all your courses in the last two undergrad years.
3). Make sure that, including the C and the D+, your final GPAs are in the 3.4~3.6 range.
4). If you're doing a postbac program, you should really aim for 3.5 postbac gpa or above.
 
If everything else is flawless...why are you doing anything after the bachelor's? I don't understand that.
 
I got a C in Freshman Chemistry.

I made up for it on the MCAT and in later classes.

If you shoot yourself in the foot Freshman year, you can still figure out a way to walk into medical school.
 
I got a C in freshman cell bio. It was an unimportantly long time ago and made up for by other grades, work experience, extracurricular activities, MCAT, research, life experience, etc.

If you did well afterwards and you are an interesting person, a freshman C or even D will not bar you from being a doctor.

Seriously, do you think that all these people who are deciding our fates have never had a bad grade?

Fear not! And good luck!

mma
 
One of my interviewers (who happened to go to the same undergrad as me) told me that he got a D+ in orgo and our pre-med advisor told him that he would never be a doctor. Now he is a chief resident in internal medicine. So there is always hope...
 
Thanks for your help. I'm much more confident now.

In answer to a previous question, I'm taking the science classes as a non-matric student now because my BA is in English literature and I don't have any basic science.
 
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