Fix a "C" in Ochem? or "A" in Biochem good enough?

[JRRSEhope]

Hi all...I have a question: Spring quarter '06 I finished my prereqs. However, when I got final grades I had received a "C". My gpa stands at 3.5 (both cum and science), and I'm taking Biochem in the fall with the intention of doing well. So here's my question: Would it be beneficial to repeat the last quarter of Ochem next spring and ace it, or will the Biochem grade (assuming its an A) be enough to prove the point? The only explanation I can come up with for the C is that I was also studying for the MCAT (30S) and tanked a mid-term, and didn't do as well on the ACS final as anticipated, so now I really need a strategy to prove I can indeed handle the level of academics and do well.

Any ideas would be appreciated...has anyone else had to swim up from a C in a vital class?

Thanks!

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[bgtati]

Dude, I would not stress OCHEM that much. If you show a gradual upward imrovement than u shouldn't have a big problem. Biochem and Ochem are not entirely interconnected so getting an A in one doesn't mean you have mastered the other. I would personally not re-take OCHEM and make sure u kick as$ from here on out. A "C" will not kill you. Y&our MCAT score is descent enough to show that you are capable of attending med school. GL

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

As a general rule, if you only have one "C" in core prerequisites, I wouldn't worry too much about it. On the other hand, you'll hear a lot on SDN that your Orgo grades get particular scrutiny - and I suspect there is some small bit of truth to that. It's a tough call, especially since your MCAT is competitive, but on the lower end.

Personally, however, I don't think an "A" in biochem is going to make a "C" in orgo look like a fluke (although an "A" in biochem does look great). You need to understand basic concepts from orgo to move on to biochem, but biochem is focused on how chemistry underlies biological processes - with a pretty heavy emphasis on the biology part. For instance, in biochem you just assume A+B=C - you won't worry too much about precise reaction mechanisms, you'll worry a whole lot more about what product "C" does in a cell. Biochem was every bit as challenging as I'd heard it was, but it was a different kind of challenge than orgo - more memorization, less conceptual stuff. You might not be able to push electrons to save your life in orgo but that would never be an issue in biochem. Just my $.02...

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine - Class of 2010

 

[GoodDoctor]

Did you hate o-chem? Or did you just overload your schedule? I got a B+ in O-Chem II and hated it. I would die if I had to retake it. Biochem was so much more enjoyable.

Have you taken cellular bio and human physiology? Those help out with Biochem, and if you enjoyed those classes, you'll probably enjoy Biochem more than o-chem and do better in it. One C won't kill you, and getting an A in a subsequent chem class could show the upward trend.

If the C really bugs you, you might consider holding off for one semester, since many students fall into the trap of thinking they don't need to study or burning out on the material when they repeat a class directly the next semester.

 

[JRRSEhope]

Did you hate o-chem? Or did you just overload your schedule? I got a B+ in O-Chem II and hated it. I would die if I had to retake it. Biochem was so much more enjoyable.

Have you taken cellular bio and human physiology? Those help out with Biochem, and if you enjoyed those classes, you'll probably enjoy Biochem more than o-chem and do better in it. One C won't kill you, and getting an A in a subsequent chem class could show the upward trend.

If the C really bugs you, you might consider holding off for one semester, since many students fall into the trap of thinking they don't need to study or burning out on the material when they repeat a class directly the next semester.

Actually Ochem was my very favorite class ever - I ended up doing well except for the third quarter, and also took the 'chem major's' lab (two-credit) instead of the one credit requirement, just because I enjoyed it so much.

As far as the specifics of 'why' the C, I think it has more to do with partly overload on my part, and partly that the teaching style, while really good, focused on mechanisms and no electron pushing, and always and forever understanding WHY something happened in a certain way. For some reason I was unable to translate that knowledge into the multiple-choice mode of the ACS final.

As for Cell Bio (etc), yes I've taken those, done well, enjoyed them immensely. So hopefully the Biochem will be enjoyable as well. My strong suite is definitely NOT rote memorization, so I usually do better at conceptual vs straight facts, but at the same time I do exceptionally well at anything to do with Biology. It will be interesting to see what happens in Biochem - same teacher as Ochem, by the way, and the ACS final after winter quarter - yikes!

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm also scheduled to retake the MCAT in August - I know that technically my score isn't 'bad', but it bothers me; I figure if I could do that well part way through both Physics (which I despise) and Ochem, I'll do that much better after a whole summer of studying ten hour days

 

[jackieMD2007]

You know what? If you get a good score in Biological Sciences (10+) I would think you are okay. Under AMCAS, Biochemistry counts in BCPM as CHEM so it gets factored into that overall GPA.