C's

[WestCoastNative]

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How bad do a couple of C's look if you have a good overall GPA? Are you automatically rejected from top schools? Let's say you have everything else covered, great research experience, valuable clinical experience, decent shadowing, etc..

 

[Soulstice]

How bad do a couple of C's look if you have a good overall GPA? Are you automatically rejected from top schools? Let's say you have everything else covered, great research experience, valuable clinical experience, decent shadowing, etc..

Look at school websites, some specifically ask that you have a C or higher in prerequisite classes.

 

[Microglia]

How bad do a couple of C's look if you have a good overall GPA? Are you automatically rejected from top schools? Let's say you have everything else covered, great research experience, valuable clinical experience, decent shadowing, etc..

Not auto-rejected as long as your GPA is good overall for that school. It might knock you down a few spots on their admissions rankings of applicants, but plenty of people get in every year with a couple C's.

As far as top tier goes, I'm at a top 10 and know 2 of my classmates with at least 1 in college (and I'm sure there's more I don't know of). However, they are also pretty amazing people.. It'll hurt you more than it would at a mid tier, because they tend to get the flawless applicants. Doesn't mean it can't happen though.

 

[WestCoastNative]

So would it be better to retake those classes? I came into college as a freshman straight from home school and I guess that my study habits and expectations of school were slightly skewed. Obviously, its much different. In two of my classes, I have no doubts that I'll receive A's since that's what I've got on all of my assignments. In two other classes though, I've been getting constant C's and a few B's. Should I just retake them next semester and get my stuff together, or just move on and focus on getting all A's? I feel like those two C's will prevent me from getting into good schools.

 

[Slowpoke]

If your overall grade is good, I don't think you need to worry.

 

[theseeker4]

So would it be better to retake those classes? I came into college as a freshman straight from home school and I guess that my study habits and expectations of school were slightly skewed. Obviously, its much different. In two of my classes, I have no doubts that I'll receive A's since that's what I've got on all of my assignments. In two other classes though, I've been getting constant C's and a few B's. Should I just retake them next semester and get my stuff together, or just move on and focus on getting all A's? I feel like those two C's will prevent me from getting into good schools.

Retaking for MD schools is pointless if you met the minimum grade and you have a good overall GPA. It is not impressive to anyone that you got an A on the SECOND attempt at a course. If you need to prove you can do the work, getting A's in upper-level science courses is much more impressive than retaking for an A.

Your overall GPA is more important for all schools than specific grades in specific classes. There is probably the occasional Adcom who will focus on specific pre-reqs to see how you did, but they will see the initial poor grade along with the new A, and if they screen out over the C, retaking for an A is not likely to help at all for the reasons I mentioned above.

 

[occams_razor]

So would it be better to retake those classes? I came into college as a freshman straight from home school and I guess that my study habits and expectations of school were slightly skewed. Obviously, its much different. In two of my classes, I have no doubts that I'll receive A's since that's what I've got on all of my assignments. In two other classes though, I've been getting constant C's and a few B's. Should I just retake them next semester and get my stuff together, or just move on and focus on getting all A's? I feel like those two C's will prevent me from getting into good schools.

As theseeker4 said there is no point in retaking C's for MD schools since they do not do grade replacement.
It is more impressive to take upper level courses in the same subject and get A's in those new, harder courses.

2 C's will NOT prevent you from getting into a good med school as long as the rest of your application is strong - overall GPA and BCPM GPA, MCAT, extracurriculars, letters of Rec, etc.
In fact there are people who get into med school every year who have even more than 2 C's on their transcripts.

 

[mynamehere]

i think the bigger thing is that you show that you understand the material by either taking harder classes in the same subject (C in orgo I, A in orgo II) and/or doing stellar on mcats.

in my case, i got a handful of C's in the premed classes (gen chem, orgo, mol bio), but i took higher level classes of that subject and managed A's.. i also did an SMP and got better grades.

i'm from a state school, did SMP at a private, both middle tier. and i managed to get some interviews

 

[Goro]

It will be OK. You'll just be asked about them on interviews.

How bad do a couple of C's look if you have a good overall GPA? Are you automatically rejected from top schools?

 

[WestCoastNative]

Thanks for all the information. By the way, not sure if it makes a difference, but the classes are some general education courses that have nothing to do with my major or medical school in general.

 

[tantacles]

Thanks for all the information. By the way, not sure if it makes a difference, but the classes are some general education courses that have nothing to do with my major or medical school in general.

This doesn't particularly matter. A C is a C. It shouldn't sink you, and be prepared to explain it if it comes up. I had two C's on my transcript, and it was not brought up at any interviews.

 

[WestCoastNative]

This doesn't particularly matter. A C is a C. It shouldn't sink you, and be prepared to explain it if it comes up. I had two C's on my transcript, and it was not brought up at any interviews.

What kind of explanation should you be ready to give?...

 

[SN12357]

What kind of explanation should you be ready to give?...

I was young and foolish and I fixed the problem (phrased nicer).

This is the explanation I have given when asked about my spottier earlier academic record compared to my final years of college and my post-bacc. I have a C and lots of Bs on my transcript and 10+ interviews, half of which are top 20s.

Schools don't care about Cs for their own sake. They're looking for proof you can handle the rigor of medical school. Make sure your transcript shows that and a few early Cs make no difference.

 

[occams_razor]

What kind of explanation should you be ready to give?...

You could say you struggled with the course but then learned from your mistakes and did well in ____ upper level course(s)

Example - "I struggled with organic chemistry 1 and earned a C, but I figured out what my weaknesses were, got help and improved such that I earned an A in organic 2 and biochemistry"