B+ in intro to chem

[amherstguy]

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is a B+ in intro to chem bad, i mean will med schools look down upon it. i feel that if i cant get an A in an intro class, how will i get an A in the other premed classes.
please help

 

[bella_dottoressa]

Hi! I'm in a similiar situation. I'm taking Chem 121 (general chem, a med requirement) and I think I'm going to get a B. It's my first quarter of college though so I'm trying to rationalize it by the "adjusting to college" mentality. Which is very valid! I'm not one to advise anyone since I'm just a freshman, but I think a B would be ok your freshmen year, especially so early in it, and especially if I would get A's in Chem 122, 123 and the organic series. Am I right?

 

[lalee]

Chemistry was concocted by the devil!!!😡
I would probably say that the adcoms will not look at the intro class, just as long as you do well in the required ones. I would just try as hard as you can! Read ahead before class and do problem after problem AFTER PROBLEM to better prepare yourself for the tests. You never know, you might surprise yourself!!
Good luck! 🙂

 

[gogiants]

first of all, one B+ (or B for that matter) is not going to wreck your chances for med school, particularly in your freshman year. in my experience, many of the lower division pre-med courses are actually more difficult to ace than upper division. its due to the fact that many of these classes are "weeders" with so many die-hard pre-meds in them. the material also often seems more dense just because you have had so little exposure to it. so, try not to worry too much. all you can do is do your best, and particularly if everything is curved it is difficult to predict your grade until you actually receive it. good luck.

 

[jbsnapple]

I got a C- in first semester intro chem, and a B- the next semester. So far I've gotten 4 interviews and no rejections, so it is possible to get in with scores like that I'd say. I do go to Cornell, which they may take into account, and I've been on an upward grade trend virtually every semester, so there are other factors that play into it. MCAT scores play a part too.

 

[sistermike]

Chemistry is not an easy subject because there are so many concepts you have to understand. But that is why they call chemstry a "weeder" class. It is so it weeds out some of those pre-med students who just can't cut it. But try as hard as you can, and do problem after problem after problem, and soon or later, you should understand it and do kickass on the tests.. 🙂

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by sistermike
Chemistry is not an easy subject because there are so many concepts you have to understand. But that is why they call chemstry a "weeder" class. It is so it weeds out some of those pre-med students who just can't cut it.

Hmmm...I'm not convinced that's why those guys in the back row called it a "weeder" class, but what do I know. 😎

 

[AegisZero]

A B+ isnt bad, and if you get an A in Organic and/or Biochem later on admissions will surely look upon your improvement with approval.

I wouldnt worry about it. You can definitely bring your science GPA up with upper-division classes, and doing better in those will prove to med schools you're ready.

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by amherstguy
is a B+ in intro to chem bad, i mean will med schools look down upon it. i feel that if i cant get an A in an intro class, how will i get an A in the other premed classes.
please help

I got a C in Gen Chem I, a B in II, and a C in the lab. I only got Bs in orgo. I also got a B in Intro Bio I. This was mostly thanks to the cheaper beers of the US. I also got a C in freshman English. Heh. The rest of my classes (molecular bio, physiology, physics, calc) I got As in. My overall GPA ended up being around a 3.5 both cumm/science. My MCAT scores were in the low 30s.

I got into a top-20 school in the middle of October and have done pretty well---graduate in May.

mike

 

[katem]

hi amherstguy,

i'm an amherstgal, and my pre-med course grades were all over the place. i did far better in chem 15 than chem 12, and far better in physics that orgo. prof. george says keep a 3.5+ overall if you want a chance at the half dozen most selective schools, and a 3.1+ if you just want to get in. also, doing well on a science-related senior thesis has pumped up a number of science gpas that i know of.

don't stress it.

katem

 

[Cerberus]

Oh please, a B? dear god NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DW]

you have no hope. drop out of college right now and join the circus.

 

[siempre595]

A B+ is hardly bad. The overall matters more. Even all B+'s isn't that bad. I have flat B's in my freshman sciences, I got a Vanderbilt interview today. Other stuff matters a lot more than one freshman class.

 

[Woots32]

I got B's in both intro chems, and a C+ in calculus. So far I have 10 interviews and no rejections, 2 acceptances and 1 waitlist. So to answer your question - there is no hope for you. 😛 😉

 

[CD]

I'm a bit puzzled. I didn't think CH 121 satisfied the med school requirement. It is my belief that the required sequence is the CH 221 series. Besides that, I wouldn't want to jump into organic without CH 221 etc. There IS a big difference between the two in the scope of what they cover. Last year I was a TA for the CH 221 series and currently I'm a TA for the CH 121 series and although they cover the same material, they do NOT cover it to the same depth. I would recommend that you follow your 121 with the 221 series. CH 121 is geared for those who have never seen any chemistry before and is therefore an "intro" class while CH221 assumes some basic knowledge of chemistry and delves deeper.

As for your struggle, you are NOT alone. Of the 60 students in my recitation the average on the last test was 20.4/28. This was significantly higher than the average of ALL the 950 students though. Their average was somewhere around 17-18/28. The best advice I can give is to BUG THE HECK out of your TA. Most of us don't mind and in fact enjoy the material and students!!! Make sure you understand EVERY concept and work MANY problems!!!!!

 

[clittle1981]

I got a B in first semester chem; squeaked by with low B's in both semesters of orgo, and got a D the first time I took Calc I (B the second time). I have had 8 interviews, with 1 more scheduled in December, and got a 28 on my MCAT. I received my first acceptance today! and, I'm not a URM.. don't worry about it..