Advice regarding my D in Ochem II

[DD214_DOC]

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I was pondering the grade I received in organic chemistry II last Spring, and was wondering what I should tell an adcom.

I took Organic II in the Spring of 2003. I made a C+ in Organic I (3 points from a B. The professor was a dick and wouldn't curve me the 3 points, even though he curved people who were 5 points off) without much effort, but ended up with a D in Organic II. Here's the story.

I took the first exam and failed it. I was unprepared. The professor made the mistake of telling us that he would take the higher average between our four yearly exams or our final exam. At first, I decided to save time and just take the final. I made a 40 something on the first exam without any studying.

After this, I decided I would just work during the semester and avoid the final exam. I had prepared to take the second exam, but the morning of I woke up around 3AM with a fever of 103. I felt like absolute ****: headache, nausea, fever, etc. I had two exams that morning: one in philosophy and another in organic. I went in to take them both, but after the philosophy exam I just couldn't take it and went home. Made a doctor's appointment and did all that.

I consulted with the professor and he agreed to let me take a makeup exam later in the year.

The third exam rolls along. I study, and make an 86 -- one of the highest grades in the class. My quiz average was a 100.

However, the professor scheduled my makeup exam the same week as our fourth and last exam in his class. I also had an exam in every class that week. I figured it up, and making a 50ish on the fourth exam I only needed a 25 on the makeup exam to get a C in the course. Rather than sacrifice my A's/B+'s in my other courses, I decided to just take the C in organic and make it up later with higher-level chemistry courses. I studied enough to guarantee a 25 on the makeup.

I took the makeup, and the next day took the final. So far, my 3 tests and quiz average added up to where I needed only a 24 on the makeup exam to get a C. With TA's giving partial credit, I had it in the bag.

On the last recitation, the TA hands me the makeup exam -- I got a 2. Yes, a 2. I asked him what happened. He said the professor came to him after I took the exam and asked for it to grade himself. The professor made clear that any exams he grades, he does NOT GIVE PARTIAL CREDIT. Since I half-assed it only needing 25 points, I got full credit on nothing. I missed my C by 22 points. I asked the TA afterwards why the professor demanded to grade my paper; he said he couldn't talk about it.

Now, I know I was slack during the semester, but I really honestly did not deserve this D. I am assuming the professor either assumed I cheated on the third exam and did this to serve justice, or assumed I wasn't really sick even though I had a doctor's excuse, which I told him I had but he never asked to see it.

This guy has a reputation for being a huge dick. Needless to say, he and I never really got along very well to begin with.

The problem, however, is what do I tell an adcom? If I told them I was lazy and didn't study, I would be sort-of lying. If I told them the professor didn't like me and did this for some unknown reason, I would look like a whiner who doesn't take responsibility for his actions.

My other grades for this semester: B, B+, B+, A

What would you guys do?

I am retaking the course with a different professor, btw.

 

[BklynWill]

Retake the course. Do not bring up the prior grade unless you feel you:
a) have a good enough excuse
b) feel the need to explain anything lacking in your file
or c) are asked to explain the unusual occurance

If you've made it to an interview, then the grade has already been overlooked, but it could always come back to haunt you. Get an excellent grade this time around.

Also, if you apply to DO schools, I think they never see your first grade.


Possible excuse:
A more condensed version of the truth written in your post.

 

[DORoe]

If you are retaking the class no big deal you probably won't have to talk about it. I had a D in a class and was never specifically asked about it because I had taken it again and recieved an A. I decided before the interviews that if one of them asked me about it i would tell them that I had difficulties in the class and didn't do as well as I would have liked because of these difficulties. I would take responsibility for my grade and own up to my mistakes. I honestly think that these people understand that these kinds of things do happen and if it isn't a pattern I don't see how they will hold it against you as long as you do well in it this time.

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

For MD schools...the AMCAS system AVERAGES the two grades...so if he got a D this time around...and retakes it and get an A...that'll average to something in between a C+ and a B-. The A is worth 4 points and the D is worth 1 point (obviously..units don't matter here because they're the same amount of units for both grades). (4+1)/2=2.5<---the GPA points he'll get from AMCAS for those 2 grades.

If it was me, I wouldn't explain it in the AMCAS essay or anything. It's just one grade and I don't think he's showing a series of poor grades. If he gets asked about it at an interview, he can explain the situation that he described above.

 

[The Engineer]

Retake the course. It will show dedication and determination to mastery of the material. I took calculus II three times.

 

[PublicHealth]

Originally posted by BklynWill
Retake the course. Do not bring up the prior grade unless you feel you:
a) have a good enough excuse
b) feel the need to explain anything lacking in your file
or c) are asked to explain the unusual occurance

If you've made it to an interview, then the grade has already been overlooked, but it could always come back to haunt you. Get an excellent grade this time around.

Also, if you apply to DO schools, I think they never see your first grade.


Possible excuse:
A more condensed version of the truth written in your post.

Correction: DO schools WILL see all of your grades, but only your most recent grade in a repeated course will count in calculating your GPA. This is directly from AACOMAS.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Originally posted by PublicHealth
Correction: DO schools WILL see all of your grades, but only your most recent grade in a repeated course will count in calculating your GPA. This is directly from AACOMAS.

I think that is a silly thing to do. ADCOMS will still see the grade and consider it as they review applications. I think it's a cheap way to get more people to apply.

 

[samenewme]

Retake, and knock it out of the park.

If you have to explain it in an interview, you need to sound like you're taking responsibility for what happened: what you did that led to the grade, and what you did differently the next time.

And leaving aside the professor is a dick and he misled you about how the grades are done, and you got sick, (though those were certainly big factors), what happened is that you focused on the minimum you needed to get the grade instead of mastering the material, and you miscalculated and got badly burned. And presumably what you'll do this time is kick o-chem's ass up and down the street. And if you wake up sick the morning of the exam, you'll call the professor BEFORE the exam to say you're sick and maybe even drop by the office and throw up on his desk so he really gets it.

If you master the material it's much harder for a bad instructor to rip you off when it's time to do grades. And if you go in there with an attitude of trying to master the material, it shows and the professor is more likely to shift the curve your way.

Good luck! You can turn this around and it can become a pretty cool interview story about how your whole attitude towards learning changed, if it happens that you have to explain it.