Failed Organic Chemistry 2

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misslovely

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ADVICE NEEDED!

I just received my final grade for organic chemistry 2 and got an F. I took the class last spring and for medical reasons I had to take the final late and just now received my final grade. I got a C- in Orgo 1 and this is my second time taking Orgo 2 (the first time i withdrew from the class). I'm so upset and I feel like my dreams are over. This brought by gpa to a 3.10. I have two semesters of college left. I am a transfer student and my freshman year gpa was a 3.85 at that university. Does this mean that no medical school will accept me? I feel so crushed right now. I know I did not study well and I want to retake it this summer and hopefully get a good grade. I can get A's in physics, biology, and math classes, but I struggle so much with learning organic chemistry. I feel so diminished right now. I would really appreciate any advice/information you guys can provide. I feel like I won't get into med school or any graduate program.
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Umm, well you'll need to retake both orgo classes as a C- will not cut it. That being said if you outright failed organic chemistry 2 then going back an redoing orgo 1 may help facilitate the creation of a stronger organic foundation as it is obvious that your problem is almost likely due to an inadequate foundation of basic orgo 1.
But yes, can you try to explain why you think you failed the course? I mean it literally means that you had no clue what the teacher was talking about. Did you do sufficient amount of book problems? Did you spend enough time studying the material covered in class?
I mean it's not over yet, but you need to figure out why you're failing so badly in orgo and fix it or else it will be indeed over.
 
I want to take both organic chem 1 and 2 over the summer. I was studying but not every day. The highest I got on a test was a 60%. For that test I studied day and night for about two weeks before the test. I think I should have studied daily. I was doing the book problems a lot, but the information really wasn't sticking.

I'm considering going into biomedical engineering. It was my backup plan if medical school didn't go through. I'm just pretty down at this point.
 
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Hmm, if you were studying 2 weeks in advanced I'd expect nothing less than a B. With book problems you should have gotten an A. So I'm going to probably say you need a stronger organic foundation and that you need to not think you're going to fail, as I'm sure that cognitive component also can be attributed to the lowering of your grade.
 
serenade said:
Hmm, if you were studying 2 weeks in advanced I'd expect nothing less than a B. With book problems you should have gotten an A. So I'm going to probably say you need a stronger organic foundation and that you need to not think you're going to fail, as I'm sure that cognitive component also can be attributed to the lowering of your grade.
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Yeah that makes sense. Do you have any advice on how I should study this summer? It will be a ton of information in a short period of time so I'm nervous.

Also, do you think I would still have a chance at medical schools out of the country?
 
Well I would recommend reading the book before class, rereading your notes a few hours or a day after class, doing hwk problems, rewriting your noted except condensed and then practicing random synthesis or mechanism problems. I mean it's not too difficult, you pretty much just have to get comfortable with the electron dances, the resonance, and the actual attack or pasting the important ion on. In my opinion it makes very much sense after a while of looking at it and trying to understand the mechanism specifically. Oh and always try to remember what the end result will look like because if you see it's not getting there then you did something wrong.
Also don't go outside of the country for medical school unless you want to be a mcdonalds salesman with 200k in unbankruptable debt.
 
I would NOT take both Orgo 1 and 2 over the summer especially when u obviously have a hard time with the subject matter. In fact, my Orgo prof told me when I asked him his advice on taking Orgo 2 over the summer, and mind you I had an A in Orgo 1, was absolutely do not take it bc it is too much info crammed in that small amount of time.

Orgo is not hard it is just extremely time consuming to learn so make sure you have that kind of time to dedicate. I would also recommend talking to other students from your class who did well and ask their advice on how they studied successfully bc it sounds like you still need to figure out the best way to study for this class.
 
Don't screw around and just sit down with ochem problems and study. There is no other option for you.
 
serenade said:
Well I would recommend reading the book before class, rereading your notes a few hours or a day after class, doing hwk problems, rewriting your noted except condensed and then practicing random synthesis or mechanism problems. I mean it's not too difficult, you pretty much just have to get comfortable with the electron dances, the resonance, and the actual attack or pasting the important ion on. In my opinion it makes very much sense after a while of looking at it and trying to understand the mechanism specifically. Oh and always try to remember what the end result will look like because if you see it's not getting there then you did something wrong.
Also don't go outside of the country for medical school unless you want to be a mcdonalds salesman with 200k in unbankruptable debt.
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Thank you so much. It's by far my weakest subject but I'm going to work my hardest to conquer it. Thanks for the advice about going outside of the country. I was hearing mixed things about it and was not sure what to do.
 
GlimmerGlass said:
I would NOT take both Orgo 1 and 2 over the summer especially when u obviously have a hard time with the subject matter. In fact, my Orgo prof told me when I asked him his advice on taking Orgo 2 over the summer, and mind you I had an A in Orgo 1, was absolutely do not take it bc it is too much info crammed in that small amount of time.

Orgo is not hard it is just extremely time consuming to learn so make sure you have that kind of time to dedicate. I would also recommend talking to other students from your class who did well and ask their advice on how they studied successfully bc it sounds like you still need to figure out the best way to study for this class.
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Wow. See this is my problem, I was supposed to graduate this spring but I had to take a semester off for medical reasons. So now I'm planning on finishing a semester late, but if I don't take Orgo 1 and 2 over summer, then I will end up graduating a year late. I was planning on dedicating all of my time to Orgo this summer. What do you think?

The professor is great but he is known for giving killer tests, but that is what I would expect from any upper level science class. I just freak out during the tests because he combines so many reactions in a single question. The people I know that do well study religiously after class. That's what I should have done.
 
Watch some free-lance teacher videos on ochem, he really help getting some basic foundation that helped me all the way through ochem 1 and 2
 
Although I think it's important to learn Organic Chemistry for the MCAT, it's not really important in med school (I haven't seen an ounce of it during my first or second years). Therefore, I think it's best to find the easiest professor (there are online professors reviews ala ratemyprofessors and take the easiest class). You need to make up for that F with an A. If it's insufficient for the MCAT, you'll learn what you need in the MCAT review books / courses.
 
OrthoDO said:
Although I think it's important to learn Organic Chemistry for the MCAT, it's not really important in med school (I haven't seen an ounce of it during my first or second years). Therefore, I think it's best to find the easiest professor (there are online professors reviews ala ratemyprofessors and take the easiest class). You need to make up for that F with an A. If it's insufficient for the MCAT, you'll learn what you need in the MCAT review books / courses.
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Do you think I still have a chance at medical school though? (Assuming I get A's in both of the classes I retake.)
 
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misslovely said:
Do you think I still have a chance at medical school though? (Assuming I get A's in both of the classes I retake.)
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A's are a must. I don't know how some adcoms will like a retake, some on SDN will probably chime in that they retook and were fine. Yet while in some of my interviews I was told that me doing well in Organic helped because that was one class that they looked at for admissions.
 
misslovely said:
Do you think I still have a chance at medical school though? (Assuming I get A's in both of the classes I retake.)
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Yes, for sure. Just make SURE you take a professor that makes that A easier to get AND be prepared to explain what happened those semesters that you failed. I assume they might ask you during your interview since it'll be relatively recent. You can chalk it up to something legitimate. It won't be the first or last time they've seen that and accepted a student. Just make sure the other parts of your app are strong (LOR, volunteer, etc)
 
I did what you want to do along with a full time job and it was the worst summer of my life hah. I took physics 1 and ochem 2 during summer 1 and worked as a lab tech at night. I think the max hours of sleep I got during the day was 5. Lol my fiance said I would talk in my sleep about random ochem and lab stuff. Luckily, I got A's, but I would not wish it on anyone else....even those silly premed gunners.
 
i think your forgetting that any any student that is going into a life sciences or biological needs o chem, and yes it is very time consuming, it is also hard because concepts are very detailed and specific. O chem is not to be screwed around with.
 
this thread is from february lol...
 
One of my buddies made a D in Orgo 2 and he refused to retake the course..and he is applying to med schools this cycle...is it possible to get in a DO or a MD school with a D in Orgo 2? Just curious... I thought Orgo 2 was fun! especially the NMR spectroscopy.
 
Anyone that is struggling in Ochem just needs to seek out someone that got a 97+ in the class and ask/pay them to spend an hour or two explaining the subject. Organic is not hard it is very very very easy once you realize that there are really only 4 or 5 reactions you are responsible for. They are all dressed up in different ways, but it's pretty much the same reaction over and over and over again. Someone that killed organic in all likelihood understood that and should be able to explain it. I was a TA and the group of students I was responsible for all dominated the class because I didn't let them try and memorize, but instead I made them see that every problem could be reasoned through. Synthesis can be a little different though. Things like OsO4 just needs to be memorized, but most reactions in synthesis are still reactions a student can reason through.
 
ECU Pirate said:
One of my buddies made a D in Orgo 2 and he refused to retake the course..and he is applying to med schools this cycle...is it possible to get in a DO or a MD school with a D in Orgo 2? Just curious... I thought Orgo 2 was fun! especially the NMR spectroscopy.
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Impossible. No DO school will accept it without a retake.
Furthermore organic chem was pretty easy. My school made it a bit more complicated, but overall it was very manageable.
 
serenade said:
Impossible. No DO school will accept it without a retake.
Furthermore organic chem was pretty easy. My school made it a bit more complicated, but overall it was very manageable.
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Ahhh that's good to know, I kinda felt bad for him because he is about to finish MPH...and he didn't know most of his credits aren't considered as science credits..
 
Going from a 3.8+ to a 3.1 isn't going to look pretty. You've got some 'splainen to do.

Obviously retake both O-chems. You'll have to. Most schools want better than a C- on pre-req's. Then, just kill biochem afterwards or make sure you get *At least* a 10 on the Bio section of the MCAT.

I got a B orgo 1, D Orgo 2 followed by a C Orgo 2. I have no chance but to beast mode the MCAT, and neither do you. It doesn't matter that the C retake was the 4th highest grade out of 150. Lol.
 
gatorfann14 said:
Anyone that is struggling in Ochem just needs to seek out someone that got a 97+ in the class and ask/pay them to spend an hour or two explaining the subject. Organic is not hard it is very very very easy once you realize that there are really only 4 or 5 reactions you are responsible for. They are all dressed up in different ways, but it's pretty much the same reaction over and over and over again. Someone that killed organic in all likelihood understood that and should be able to explain it. I was a TA and the group of students I was responsible for all dominated the class because I didn't let them try and memorize, but instead I made them see that every problem could be reasoned through. Synthesis can be a little different though. Things like OsO4 just needs to be memorized, but most reactions in synthesis are still reactions a student can reason through.
Click to expand...

+1 study with smart people. My buddy was the guy everyone hated bc he would get 100 on the test and ruin the curve. I studied with him and would get As in Ochem 1+2. In gen chem before i met him i was c+ to b- student. Its not just their explanations you get, its great way to build a proper study and work ethic by seeing how they study as well.

Sent from my Galaxy S2 via tapatalk
 
ECU Pirate said:
Ahhh that's good to know, I kinda felt bad for him because he is about to finish MPH...and he didn't know most of his credits aren't considered as science credits..
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Even if they counted straight across with his undergrad sciences, Orgo 2 is a pre-req at most schools and thus at those schools, a D will keep him out.
 
just FYI, this thread is 8 months old.
 
While it doesn't look good right now, if you re-take and then get a good grade, then only that one will count' and the F will be history.

However, going from a 3.85 to a 3.1 shows a downward trend, and that's NOT good. It would tell us you'd melt in medical school, which is way harder than any undergrad program.

Just to be prudent, you should entertain other career options.

misslovely said:
ADVICE NEEDED!

I just received my final grade for organic chemistry 2 and got an F. I took the class last spring and for medical reasons I had to take the final late and just now received my final grade. I got a C- in Orgo 1 and this is my second time taking Orgo 2 (the first time i withdrew from the class). I'm so upset and I feel like my dreams are over. This brought by gpa to a 3.10. I have two semesters of college left. I am a transfer student and my freshman year gpa was a 3.85 at that university. Does this mean that no medical school will accept me? I feel so crushed right now. I know I did not study well and I want to retake it this summer and hopefully get a good grade. I can get A's in physics, biology, and math classes, but I struggle so much with learning organic chemistry. I feel so diminished right now. I would really appreciate any advice/information you guys can provide. I feel like I won't get into med school or any graduate program.
Click to expand...
 
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