bad grade in organic chem but still got into med school??

[pb0108]

Is there anyone in here that got not-so-great grades (Cs or Ds) in Organic Chemistry but still got into medical school? What do you think helped you application other than your grades? More activities? volunteer? etc?

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[bluesTank]

An amazing MCAT, in my opinion, will probably make up for anything.

 

[Law2Doc]

An amazing MCAT, in my opinion, will probably make up for anything.

MCAT does not negate grades. The ideal applicant does well in both, and there are plenty of people in the applicant pool who will have done so. However just one bad grade won't usually keep someone out of med school. If you get a D in a prereq, you really need to retake it.

 

[pb0108]

MCAT does not negate grades. The ideal applicant does well in both, and there are plenty of people in the applicant pool who will have done so. However just one bad grade won't usually keep someone out of med school. If you get a D in a prereq, you really need to retake it.

I have to retake it anyway for my major. But I'm just freaking out right now because everyone says Organic is an indication of how you'll do in medical school and right now it says I'm a failure at life. haha

 

[deleted103730]

organic is generally one of the first weed-out classes when a lot of people do bad and give up on being premed. or at least that's how it works at my college. a lot of people that I knew as premeds were no longer after they tried taking organic. obviously a good grade in any class will help, but since there's a stigma associated with ochem, perhaps a good grade in this class goes a bit further.

but anyways, i'd suggest retaking it. i had a friend that got a C in organic, but retook it and got an A. he's now at duke. so, the moral of the story is: get an A in organic and you get into duke

 

[Law2Doc]

I have to retake it anyway for my major. But I'm just freaking out right now because everyone says Organic is an indication of how you'll do in medical school and right now it says I'm a failure at life. haha

Just fix it and move on. Orgo is a better indication of med school than a lot of college courses because you have to memorize a lot more (fewer calculations, more remembering reactions and structures). But if you can master it the next time around, and get through the MCAT, I wouldn't worry. Med schools do a decent job of accepting people who will make it through.

 

[Doctormo24]

I took organic chem last semester and had to drop...this semester I finished Ochem with an A-

How would that be viewed?

 

[Biscuit799]

I got a C in Ochem 1, B in 2, A in the Lab.

 

[emaj1n]

I'm not an adcom, but I would naturally think organic is the only class where one C could pass for one semester. If you did well in lab that semester, and then the following semester did much better in lecture and stayed solid in lab, I'd think you'd be fine as long as your targets weren't a top ten.

 

[HristosKaran]

I'm not an adcom, but I would naturally think organic is the only class where one C could pass for one semester. If you did well in lab that semester, and then the following semester did much better in lecture and stayed solid in lab, I'd think you'd be fine as long as your targets weren't a top ten.

Ehhh...I semi-agree, but I think Organic is one of the classes in which your grades are really looked at. It shows you can handle a class with higher difficulity as well as a harder workload...I'm not an adcom either, but I think a C in something like art will fly much better then a C in orgo...

 

[emaj1n]

Ehhh...I semi-agree, but I think Organic is one of the classes in which your grades are really looked at. It shows you can handle a class with higher difficulity as well as a harder workload...I'm not an adcom either, but I think a C in something like art will fly much better then a C in orgo...

I agree. I envisioned C, A, A, A for lecture, lab, lecture, lab. You might be able to get away with that until the interview.

 

[SuperSlacker]

-I get the feeling that some adcoms never look at the grades of individual classes closely (most interviewers never asked me about them)
-some may care more about total BCPM gpa, overall gpa, more than just a bad grade (as long as it's not C's across the board, or a negative trend you are usually OK)
-However, for very competitive programs, it could make/break your application

Better MCAT score do help, but be prepared to explain the grade and show that it was just a fluke...

Obviously, if you didn't pass or have an opportunity to repeat, do so. Just make sure you kick butt.

 

[fido]

i should advice every body here to come to my school (xxxxxxx) which has a professor of O chem. gives A just for attending the lab with no report and curve all the test to make the weakest student catch a B+

I got A in both lecture and lab and was easy. I have registered to take Org 2 with him during summer 1 (5 weeks class)

Good luck

 

[TheGreatHunt]

i should advice every body here to come to my school (xxxxxxx) which has a professor of O chem. gives A just for attending the lab with no report and curve all the test to make the weakest student catch a B+

I got A in both lecture and lab and was easy. I have registered to take Org 2 with him during summer 1 (5 weeks class)

Good luck

That's sad... I had to work damn hard for my A's in Ochem 1 and 2.

But in response to the OP, no one gets into Medical School without all A's. If you get a B, you better just apply to a PA position, and if you ever get anything lower than a B, then you should go to a nursing program. That's just how it's done.

 

[eugoogley]

This may make you feel better:

I got a C+ in the first semester of O Chem at Berkeley and a B in the second semester. I still got into 2 med schools this cycle, so no worries. I think they realize that people mess up freshman year and that as long as your later grades show vast improvement they are willingly to forgive you

But when I say vast improvement, I will tell you that at the end of my college career I went two semesters with all A's (no minuses), followed by a semester with an A and 2 A-'s. So you'd really have to pick it up, but it is definitely NOT unheard of

 

[DMBdoc]

Is there anyone in here that got not-so-great grades (Cs or Ds) in Organic Chemistry but still got into medical school? What do you think helped you application other than your grades? More activities? volunteer? etc?

Got a B in Ochem1, D in Ochem 2 (retook and got B), and A in the labs--was asked about this in 2 of my interviews, gave them an answer regarding persistence and learning to approach things from a new angle which was one reason for not doing well in 2nd semester, and they both said 'good answer'. i was accepted to those schools as well as others, and I didn't 'dominate' my mcat either. PEOPLE are human and aren't perfect robots, med school admin committees know this and are looking for 'balanced' people so do your best and don't fret over small bumps along the way...

 

[g3pro]

Organic chemistry has little to no bearing on how you will do in medical school. Case in point: the decline in percentage of MCAT questions relating to organic chemistry as a whole and more of an emphasis in the biochemistry relative to organic chemistry I topics; the increasing rates of substitution of biochemistry for organic chemistry II; the decreasing emphasis on reactions in favor of pathology of biochemical systems.

Don't freak out. The stigma of organic chemistry is due more to pre-med pricks who justify their pseudo-intelligence in medicine with a good grade in one class than to pre-meds who fall out due to a bad grade in one class.

 

[ericana_83]

I got a D in o-chem the first time, and retook it and got an A. Of course I am not an expert, but it seems to me that if you can't take the pace and intensity of o-chem, medical school is going to rock your world. Why not take it again, and if they ask just tell them that you were willing to go through that hell AGAIn just to prove to them that you wanted to be a doc so bad....

 

[Critical Mass]

I got an F in Organic I the first time I took it. The retake a year later was an A or B (not sure which).

No problem getting admitted in my region where I just needed an MCAT score.

Higher tier schools? No shot for me.

 

[Bacchus]

organic is generally one of the first weed-out classes when a lot of people do bad and give up on being premed. or at least that's how it works at my college. a lot of people that I knew as premeds were no longer after they tried taking organic. obviously a good grade in any class will help, but since there's a stigma associated with ochem, perhaps a good grade in this class goes a bit further.

but anyways, i'd suggest retaking it. i had a friend that got a C in organic, but retook it and got an A. he's now at duke. so, the moral of the story is: get an A in organic and you get into duke

My school does it first semester in Bio I. Its a horrible class and probably the most difficult first year class. Oh well, it made us that got through it stronger.

 

[45408]

-I get the feeling that some adcoms never look at the grades of individual classes closely (most interviewers never asked me about them)

At a lot of schools, your interviewer isn't the person that closely analyzed your file and decided to offer you an interview. Some of them got your file about shortly before your interview, and some of them are closed-file interviews, so they won't even know. But somebody probably looked at your o-chem grade.

 

[Bengalswillwin]

Just fix it and move on. Orgo is a better indication of med school than a lot of college courses because you have to memorize a lot more (fewer calculations, more remembering reactions and structures). But if you can master it the next time around, and get through the MCAT, I wouldn't worry. Med schools do a decent job of accepting people who will make it through.

How about Anatomy and Physiology?
These require some extensive memorizing, esp Anatomy.
How about Biochem courses that involve citric acid cycle, fatty acid breakdown/synthesis, amino acid break down/sythesis - some pathways are only for bacteria and some are exclusive to mammals?
I am sure other classes do get looked at.
I think they compare ochem since not everyone take other classes.
it is because there are so many "not-so-bright" individuals that want easy way out by majoring in ENGLISH or ANTHROPOLOGY while taking pre-req courses - hence, they never take A & P, Biochem, etc.

 

[45408]

it is because there are so many "not-so-bright" individuals that want easy way out by majoring in ENGLISH or ANTHROPOLOGY while taking pre-req courses - hence, they never take A & P, Biochem, etc.

Oh, shut up.

 

[vincikai]

That's sad... I had to work damn hard for my A's in Ochem 1 and 2.

But in response to the OP, no one gets into Medical School without all A's. If you get a B, you better just apply to a PA position, and if you ever get anything lower than a B, then you should go to a nursing program. That's just how it's done.

i second that lol

 

[KardiacKiehl]

I got a C in Orgo II and did just fine. Seriously, don't stress about just one class. It's not going to keep you out of medical school.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

How about Anatomy and Physiology?
These require some extensive memorizing, esp Anatomy.
How about Biochem courses that involve citric acid cycle, fatty acid breakdown/synthesis, amino acid break down/sythesis - some pathways are only for bacteria and some are exclusive to mammals?
I am sure other classes do get looked at.
I think they compare ochem since not everyone take other classes.
it is because there are so many "not-so-bright" individuals that want easy way out by majoring in ENGLISH or ANTHROPOLOGY while taking pre-req courses - hence, they never take A & P, Biochem, etc.

You really shouldn't make generalizations. I know plenty of English majors who are smarter than the science majors I know. I also know plenty of English, Art, Theater, etc. majors who aced A&P and Biochem, including myself. Next excuse please?

 

[TheGreatHunt]

I think English majors might be at a disadvantage come Medical School, but I highly doubt that they would make less capable Doctors. They may have to try harder to catch up on some principles, but it's doubtful that the majority of SELF SELECTED medical students would even apply if they thought they couldn't do it.

 

[brianmartin]

Here is a conversation I had with an EM Attending at OHSU who is on the admissions committee:

Me: "So how important are grades?"

Doc: "Past a certain point, they don't matter. What really matters is your passion and drive."

Me: "But it seems like so much emphasis is placed on grades..."

Doc: "Well, we look at O-chem."


O-chem is considered a difficult course and your performance in it is a good indication of how well you work under pressure. Intricate knowledge of organic chemistry may not make you a better doctor, but it IS an indication of how hard you are willing to work, and how well you can digest large amounts of information and synthesize it quickly.

Most of the people I know who did poorly in O-chem just weren't willing to put in the time. They are smart, but they refuse to just sit down and do problems.

 

[thewarehouse]

I'm glad you asked this- I remember asking everyone I could find the same question 3 years ago when I took O-chem and ended up with a grade that wasn't all that great.

People gave me mixed answers then about the importance of organic chem, but having personally gone through the app cycle now, I'm confident in saying that if you get solid grades in other classes and a good score on the MCAT your organic chem scores will be pretty unimportant. You'll still be able to get acceptances and merit scholarships from top-10 schools if you do everything else fairly well (and that's not to say I didn't get any other B's) so repeat it if you need to, move on, and focus your energy on doing well in every other area you can. You'll be fine!

 

[SeaBreeze12]

I HATED orgo. I had to drop orgo 1 the first time and then I got a B the 2nd time and then a B in orgo 2. I know they say that it is suppose to judge how you well you will do in med school, but I think studying for organic is NOTHING like studying in medical school. Even the worst lectures I have had in med school are 100 times better than a 'good' day in organic.....

*shudder* I break out into a cold sweat everytime I think about organic, esp the lab, that is the one part of undergrad I do not miss!

 

[wont]

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[Dr2Bee]

Is there anyone in here that got not-so-great grades (Cs or Ds) in Organic Chemistry but still got into medical school? What do you think helped you application other than your grades? More activities? volunteer? etc?

Ochem has always been known as the class that weeds out pre-meds. But if youre really determined to do medicine, your chances arent over yet. Personally, I've received a C in Ochem before and I got into several med schools.

A few bad grades wont keep you out of med school. You'll just have to find ways to improve other parts of your application... excellent MCAT score, advance degrees, research, more volunteering experience. All these things will matter. But keep in mind that if you are very deficient in one area, it will raise red flags. Focus on presenting yourself well in these other areas and bringing up/ or maintaining a good gpa.

 

[ICCONFETTI]

i got a C in o chem 1. B in o chem 2.

Got multiple acceptances/interviews/waitlists.


so yes, it's possible.