Bad semester...advice?

[pjradzi]

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I'm going to college on an academic scholarship, and I usually get As and Bs in my science and elective courses, but this past fall semester was terrible. I was dealing with some personal problems at the time and taking some very difficult prereqs, so I ended up with a C+ in Physics Lab II, a C in Organic Chemistry I, and a C in an elective course. My overall GPA tanked to a 3.32 and my sGPA down to a 3.27. (Thank goodness that I got a B in Physics II Lecture and an A- in Chinese, otherwise I would have a much worse GPA and sGPA values)

I'm taking 13 credits this semester (I took 16 last semester) so I can recover my GPA. I'm planning to retake Organic Chemistry I next fall and Physics Lab II subsequently after that (when the TA I took it with is gone; he was just terrible). Looking back, I should have used the Pass/Fail or Withdrawal options on those classes so I could have somewhat saved my GPA and sGPA.

I was wondering how a bad semester would hurt my chances into medical school, especially around the Boston area. Any advice on what should I do? 🙁

 

[kcin]

Don't cross post, punk.

 

[pjradzi]

The first post was an honest mistake. 😛

 

[Silverfalcon]

I was wondering how a bad semester would hurt my chances into medical school, especially around the Boston area. Any advice on what should I do? 🙁

What's done is done. You can try to re-take Physics Lab II and Organic Chemistry, but your "C"s won't disappear unless you apply to DO schools. And yes, it will hurt you to medical school because that directly affects your sGPA and cGPA.

 

[Nymphicus]

You're not done for. Improve in ochem II and then if possible, biochem.

 

[Iapyx]

You will be fine. You need to buckle down, clearly define your goals, and do whatever it takes to get there. I believe that unless you had a significant other or close family member tragically die, it is wise to not blame personal problems for you grade drop in the future. Not that its not the cause, its just that 99/100 people who come on this board with a bad semester attribute it to personal problems. I don't think it will get you much sympathy when applying. Again, learn from your mistake, improve your study habits, and get into medical school. You will be fine. Good Luck!

 

[pjradzi]

Thank you for such helpful advice! I'll definitely buckle down this semester. 😀

 

[phnerd1105]

As long as you improve from here on out and show an upward trend, you should be okay. Also, explain the reasons for your performance that semester on your application. It may also come up in interviews, so genuinely explain why it happened.

 

[Iapyx]

Thank you for such helpful advice! I'll definitely buckle down this semester. 😀

That's the spirit. Good luck!