disheartened at my grades..

[oOo]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

 

[TexasFool]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

My overall GPA is 3.26 and I have two interviews so far, trust me they also consider the difficulty of the school

 

[baylormed]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

Duke has nothing to do with it, so don't even try to blame them.

My labs are a lot of work too (and I haven't heard of any school that counts them as extra credit 🙄 ). Everybody complains, everybody is overwhelmed at some point.

You probably just have to figure out better time management and study skills. 😍

 

[Law2Doc]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

Ignore the numbers you see on SDN -- those who post their grades are a self selecting group. The average of all matriculants, according to MSAR is about a 3.5 and average MCAT of matriculants is about a 30. Plenty of folks still get in with numbers shy of that. But bear in mind that numbers are not the whole determinative portion of the application. The other stuff can make or break you too.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

i graduated from duke in may. duke gives no credits for labs at all, thats what the OP is saying. the OP doesnt want extra credit, just credit since its true that classes like orgo with lab (that are 3 1.5hr sessions, + 1 4hr lab / wk) are weighted the same as american history 1900 - present. i feel for ya, but hey, duke has i believe the second highest premed success rate in the nation. greater than 90% of applicants with a duke degree get in somewhere. and the avg duke applicant has around a 3.50 34 mcat. so you're within one standard dev of avg duke, so i wouldnt be too worried. best of luck.

 

[Missterious1]

Yes, at some schools the lab is separate from the lecture (ie: if the lecture is 1 credit, then the lab might be 0.5 credits). I think it's better that way, so you're not forced to take the lab at the same time as the class and makes your schedule a little more flexible.

EDIT: Stolenspatulas, are you serious?? orgo+lab is worth the same # of credits as any other class? wow, that's rough. I can't believe they don't weigh classes by the number of hrs per week! Ah well, it's Duke, I don't think the OP has to worry too much about that 3.4... I went to a similar kind of school and eventually you learn how to beat the curve.

 

[juice55]

The people on this site can make you feel bad about yourself with all their 3.8's and whatnots, but in all honesty, a 3.4 is nothing to worrying about. Give me a break...

 

[Chuckwalla]

I agree people with high GPAs are just inflating their ego. If you have a 3.8 you probably have an ego about it and post it. No one is going to go around talking about a 3.2. Also keep in mind the average is 3.5 meaning half of people are below that.

I also agree with Texas Fool that they certainly do take the difficulty of the school into account.

 

[solitude]

Yeah, the credit system here blows if you're a science major. What courses in particular are you taking right now, or is this more of a general concern? Maybe we could help you out on what is more important to study for particular professors, etc. My experience (I'm now a junior) has been that the high scorers in the sciences are predominantly those that study the most. So you may have to sacrifice some social time, sleep, or other activities for your grades, if you decide that it is more important to you than said things.

 

[Dr.Acula]

wow, that sucks. At my school lab is usually one credit hour and three credit hours for lecture. Some are combined (i.e 4 hour class) others aren't (3 hour lectrue + 1 hour lab) but in my opinion most people probably put in more time for lab than lecture

 

[somemaybedoc]

My UG did the same thing as Duke, nothing extra for the lab classes, exactly the same amount of credit as a no lab class. So it's not super uncommon.

 

[tch001]

At my school, every class is 4 credits, whether it includes a lab or not. Soooo orgo with 3 hrs/week of class, 1 hr/week lab lecture, and 4 hrs/week of lab (at least, usually more) was the same # of credits of 3hrs/week of English 101. Grrrrrr 😡

Anyways, to the OP, yea sometimes it sucks but you will get through it. And, as my teachers always ask me, is it a bad thing that we're getting more bang for our buck per credit hour?

 

[solitude]

At my school, every class is 4 credits, whether it includes a lab or not. Soooo orgo with 3 hrs/week of class, 1 hr/week lab lecture, and 4 hrs/week of lab (at least, usually more) was the same # of credits of 3hrs/week of English 101. Grrrrrr 😡

Anyways, to the OP, yea sometimes it sucks but you will get through it. And, as my teachers always ask me, is it a bad thing that we're getting more bang for our buck per credit hour?

Well, it's a flat rate no matter how many credits you take. So actually you are getting less bang for your buck because fewer credits are recorded on your transcript 🙁

 

[desout777]

Duke has nothing to do with it, so don't even try to blame them.

My labs are a lot of work too (and I haven't heard of any school that counts them as extra credit 🙄 ). Everybody complains, everybody is overwhelmed at some point.

You probably just have to figure out better time management and study skills. 😍

First of all, it isn't abnormal for a 3.4 from Duke to get into a good med school. Rather than giving arbitrary opinions, please look at this data from Cornell, another school with some clout, albeit not as much as Duke:

http://www.career.cornell.edu/HealthCareers/acceptedApplied.html

BaylorMed's way out of line with what she said. Schools like Duke are hard to get into and are filled with bright people - and kids who go there deserve the credit they get. This isn't to say that kids who went to less prestigious schools aren't as smart, because you all often are.

Anyway, what i'm trying to say, baylormed, is that just because you were the quarterback in high school, doesn't mean you can compete in the NFL.

 

[solitude]

First of all, it isn't abnormal for a 3.4 from Duke to get into a good med school. Rather than giving arbitrary opinions, please look at this data from Cornell, another school with some clout, albeit not as much as Duke:

http://www.career.cornell.edu/HealthCareers/acceptedApplied.html

BaylorMed's way out of line with what she said. Schools like Duke are hard to get into and are filled with bright people - and kids who go there deserve the credit they get. This isn't to say that kids who went to less prestigious schools aren't as smart, because you all often are.

Anyway, what i'm trying to say, baylormed, is that just because you were the quarterback in high school, doesn't mean you can compete in the NFL.

I think Cornell has the same amount of clout as Duke. Here are the numbers for Duke, which are comparable:

http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/prehealth/success/

 

[chaldobruin]

Duke has nothing to do with it, so don't even try to blame them.

My labs are a lot of work too (and I haven't heard of any school that counts them as extra credit 🙄 ). Everybody complains, everybody is overwhelmed at some point.

You probably just have to figure out better time management and study skills. 😍

I disagree, the school matters, Duke has a lot to do with it. If this guy was at Long Beach State he would have much higher than a 3.4 I can guarantee you. Quality and competitiveness of the student body matter much more than you think in getting a good GPA.

 

[geogil]

i graduated from duke in may. duke gives no credits for labs at all, thats what the OP is saying. the OP doesnt want extra credit, just credit since its true that classes like orgo with lab (that are 3 1.5hr sessions, + 1 4hr lab / wk) are weighted the same as american history 1900 - present. .

As a history major and premed, I can atttest that orgo lab is less work than a upper division history class. You might have more weekly assignments/lab writeups in the lab, but the history class far outstrips orgo for workload. Back me up here Miesvandermom🙂 sorry to hijack the thread, but I gotta stand up for the liberal arts folks around here.

 

[juice55]

yeah liberal arts!.. I'm an English major and I'd like to see some of these other pre-meds write papers/read novels every week. I've read some med school essays and they didn't... show solid technical (grammar) skills. They also weren't structured very well.

 

[Dr. Gun-ner]

My overall GPA is 3.26 and I have two interviews so far, trust me they also consider the difficulty of the school

says the person who is mexican and has a 37 MCAT! im sure that had nothing to do with your interview invites!

ps. nice score!😴

 

[abcxyz0123]

Duke has nothing to do with it, so don't even try to blame them.

My labs are a lot of work too (and I haven't heard of any school that counts them as extra credit 🙄 ). Everybody complains, everybody is overwhelmed at some point.

You probably just have to figure out better time management and study skills. 😍

you couldn't be more wrong.

 

[sunmoon6689]

As an individual who currently has both a BS in Microbiology and Medical Technology and a BA in Humanities with a minor in Chemistry, I thought I would weigh in on this topic. Although liberal arts courses may require more assignments, they are certainly easier. I found my science courses to be much more difficult, but I enjoyed my liberal arts courses more thoroughly. I am not trying to offend anybody out there. I just know that my GPA would be insanely high if I had focused solely on liberal arts courses. Even with the large workload, the course material is simply easier. I hope that is taken into account when applicants are being evaluated. While liberal arts majors have taken the necessary science courses, it is not the same as pursuing a science degree. Once again, I do not intend to offend anyone. I just thought it was worth pointing out that laboratories are both long and difficult and credit should be given as it is rightfully earned.

 

[Vvandenn]

Yeah at my school most science lectures are worth 3 credits and the lab is worth 1 credit. Sometimes the grade of the lab is included with the lecture but sometimes lecture and lab are totally separate entities. For example part of my bio lecture grade is based on my lab grade. But for chem lecture...it's just the lecture, it has nothing to do with the lab.

 

[Merissa87]

I'm a Bio major but I do have to stand up for the liberal arts majors. My best friend is an english major and it is rediculous how much reading is required. She reads and reads and reads and the reading is never over, she's reading her life away. More than 100 pages a night. And not only does she have to read the material, she has to critique it as well. How Boring...

 

[Stolenspatulas]

same argument that keeps every class worth the same at duke: liberal arts majors have more out of class work...which may or may not be true. (i think its true in general with all the reading, but science courses require a buttload better studying skills).... i think the system is fair bc at duke the number system for courses states how hard your coursesload is. so usually people take 4 courses a semester. if you take 2 courses with a course number in the tens, and two in the 100s, then your just plain wasting your money. but if you take 200 level courses, those are grad level. our premed advisor told us that med schools know how duke ugrad courses work in terms of numbering, and that they can feel the difficulty of your courseloads over 4 years by looking at the cake courses through grad courses you took. so since they have a feel for the difficulty of your courseload, they can read into your gpa and respect it or not.

 

[stiffany]

Yes, at some schools the lab is separate from the lecture (ie: if the lecture is 1 credit, then the lab might be 0.5 credits). I think it's better that way, so you're not forced to take the lab at the same time as the class and makes your schedule a little more flexible.

EDIT: Stolenspatulas, are you serious?? orgo+lab is worth the same # of credits as any other class? wow, that's rough. I can't believe they don't weigh classes by the number of hrs per week! Ah well, it's Duke, I don't think the OP has to worry too much about that 3.4... I went to a similar kind of school and eventually you learn how to beat the curve.

At my school a class with lab is 1.5 credits (versus 1.0 for just the lecture). However, orgo lab, which is 9 hours per week, is a completely separate course giving you 1 credit (the same amt you'd get from a 3 hr/week seminar). Yea, it sucks but that's just the way the system works...Thus, the 13 hrs worth of orgo per week (3 hrs worth of lecture, 1 hour of recitation, 9 hours of lab) is only 2 credits. 4 seminars however (12 hours per week so not even as many class hours as orgo) would get you 4 credits.

 

[riceman04]

My overall GPA is 3.26 and I have two interviews so far, trust me they also consider the difficulty of the school

yeah but your science gpa is 3.6 and you are an engineering major

 

[riceman04]

I disagree, the school matters, Duke has a lot to do with it. If this guy was at Long Beach State he would have much higher than a 3.4 I can guarantee you. Quality and competitiveness of the student body matter much more than you think in getting a good GPA.

Oh....I definitely agree with this post.

No offense, but CSULB is a joke compared to the Duke's of the university world (including some public schools by the way)

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Boo hoo!

I have 3 four hour labs every week, and they are all part of a 4 credit class, no extra credit. You're not the first one to come on here and complain about Duke. I don't know what they're feeding you guys over there, but there are other schools that have labs, lab assignments, quizes, etc. We all feel a little overwhelmed sometimes.

And yes, Duke is much harder than any state school, as with most big universities.

 

[MEG@COOL]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

Most people on this forum go to easier schools than duke.

 

[riceman04]

hey it's meg cool
Wher have u been?

 

[crazy_cavalier]

Most people on this forum go to easier schools than duke.

yeah also don't forget some majors are just plain harder than others (e.g. engineering vs. econ)

 

[MaiPenRai]

Princeton classes were 4 credits regardless. Orgo + lab + problem sessions + lectures was the same number of credits as a seminar that met 2 hours a week. I am actually surprised to hear that it is done otherwise! I feel your frustration, but you are definitely NOT alone. And the science classes were curved to a B- or C+ (class dependent) when I was there, so I feel you on the grading as well.

 

[SoCuteMD]

At my school a class with lab is 1.5 credits (versus 1.0 for just the lecture). However, orgo lab, which is 9 hours per week, is a completely separate course giving you 1 credit (the same amt you'd get from a 3 hr/week seminar). Yea, it sucks but that's just the way the system works...Thus, the 13 hrs worth of orgo per week (3 hrs worth of lecture, 1 hour of recitation, 9 hours of lab) is only 2 credits. 4 seminars however (12 hours per week so not even as many class hours as orgo) would get you 4 credits.

Wah wah.

3 1.5 hr meetings a week
2 labs/wk (10-15 hours were the minimum requirement for part of the semester)
Same as Psych 101 or any other class.
At least you got SOME extra credit.

 

[floatingsponge]

<<Most people on this forum go to easier schools than duke.>>

Isn't DUKE just a men basketball school? 😉

 

[riceman04]

Wah wah.

3 1.5 hr meetings a week
2 labs/wk (10-15 hours were the minimum requirement for part of the semester)
Same as Psych 101 or any other class.
At least you got SOME extra credit.

good for you

you get a thumbs up 🙂thumbup: 👍 ) and a happy face sticker 🙂) ) for playing the "my pene is bigger than yours game"

 

[solitude]

And yes, Duke is much harder than any state school, as with most big universities.

😴 get over yourself

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work!

Yeah, I've always felt that these labs should be at least 2 credits. When you're writing 10-page Ochem lab reports with drawings and 15 page physics reports with tables and accompanying figures, it starts to seem a little ridiculous that you're losing whole days perfecting these things for a 1 credit lab. A in the 1-credit lab, B in the 3-credit class? Prioritize, prioritize. 👍

My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

😀
You apparently haven't visited the very-popular sub-3.0 threads.

 

[Rafa]

good for you

you get a thumbs up 🙂thumbup: 👍 ) and a happy face sticker 🙂) ) for playing the "my pene is bigger than yours game"

Hahaha...

 

[MarzMD]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

Go to the HPAC website or talk to Dean Singer and look at the stats on what Duke graduates are getting into med schools with. With a 3.4 from Duke, you are fine so stop worrying. If you make it to your senior year without failing a class, you have a really high chance of getting into med school from Duke....just look at the rate of acceptance, it is pretty high.

What year are you anyway at Duke? Seems like of your questions should have already been answered by the HPAC if you are even close to applying to med school.

 

[shantster]

Duke has nothing to do with it, so don't even try to blame them.

My labs are a lot of work too (and I haven't heard of any school that counts them as extra credit 🙄 ). Everybody complains, everybody is overwhelmed at some point.

You probably just have to figure out better time management and study skills. 😍

Right, some of the labs are counted in the class itself and others are optional and added on, so I guess it could look like extra credit. Usually the setup by us is either a 4 credit science course with the lab included, or a 3 hour lecture portion and 1 credit course. It still comes out the same.

 

[PerpetualBurn]

Also keep in mind the average is 3.5 meaning half of people are below that.

That is not what average means.

 

[Rafa]

That is not what average means.

True - so does anyone know the median accepted GPA and MCAT for allopathic?

 

[nervousivy]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

I went to a very competitve school as well and I also took two four hour labs a week for one semester. Although the labs are only worth 0.5 credits at my school, they were definitely not considered "extra credit" and they were a LOT of work, too. Not trying to be a bitch, but suck it up and do what you have to do.

 

[MEG@COOL]

hey it's meg cool
Wher have u been?

Didnt post much last spring or summer. Im applying now. If you do a search for my name there is a post made by me asking about amcas essays that says more.

 

[WitchDoctor]

I currently attend Duke and I feel like it is almost impossible to break the average. Our school overworks us! i have two four hours labs a week.. i heard at other schools labs count as extra credit (0.5) but here it's just part of taking the class.. and labs are a lot of work! My GPA is standing at about 3.4ish.. and i'm a little worried about applying to med school because my science gpa should be much lower than that. and it seems like a lot of the people in this forum have like 3.8 gpas.

stay positive. if your science grades are that bad, it's not too late to consider doing a post-bacc program to strengthen your academic record. i had a 2.81 science GPA but did a postbacc program and got a 3.9 science GPA so it's not impossible. I say this with confidence because i have 6 interview at med schools so far. also, there are lots of schools that are very accepting of non-traditional applicants (ie: people who take a year off, complete postbacc, travel after college, have worked other professions) so don't think all schools will not accept you only because of your weaker science gpa.

good luck!