Glaring C on transcript in Calculus

[lightheat]

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Hey all. I have a C in calculus from when I was a stupid sophomore which I have been aching to retake since I graduated two years ago, but my advisor has been advising against it, citing that it would look bad to medical schools-- that it would be backpedalling or "GPA padding". If I retook it, though, I'd be able to show that I'm not an idiot with Calc, the grades could average out to a B, and schools that require calculus would give me a better look. This course is currently dragging my BCPM quite a bit. Is it really that unadvised to retake a course, especially when I'd be taking it in tandem with upper-level bio courses?

I'd really appreciate an answer from a glide year pre-med student or a medical student-- someone who has already gone through this, and not just conjecture. Thank you.

 

[MiniMoo]

It's really up to you if you want to retake. Leaving one C on your transcript isn't going to kill your application. I had a C in O-Chem and received plenty of interviews and acceptances. I considered retaking, but didn't want to relive O-Chem hell so I took other upper division biochem classes to boost my GPA. However, if you really want to retake, I would advise you to do so only if you're absolutely positive you can get an A the second time around. Nothing looks worse than retaking and getting another poor grade.

 

[lightheat]

...I would advise you to do so only if you're positive you can get an A the second time around. Nothing looks worse than retaking and getting another poor grade.

Very good advice. That's the thing that scares me. Thanks.

 

[QofQuimica]

Was it Calc I? If so, why not just take Calc II, which would solve both problems (i.e., show that you could handle a higher level math class and not repeat what you have already taken.) If you mean that you took a whole year of calc and you want to repeat both classes, I agree with MiniMoo that it's not necessary, although I don't agree with your advisor that it will look bad to med schools....well, unless you get another C.

It sounds like your real concern is that you have a low BCMP GPA that you want to bring up. In that case, I would suggest taking upper level science classes like genetics or biochem, which are both highly recommended by many med schools (and even required by a few). These classes are more relevant for med school than calculus is anyway. If you feel like you must take a math class, probably the most helpful course you could take if you haven't already is biostats.

Hope this helps, and best of luck. 🙂

 

[lightheat]

Thanks for the reply. I got a 5 on AP Calc, so I skipped to Calc 2 which earned me the C. My current BCPM is a 3.78 if I include the CS course I took (A) and the AP Calc for the year of math, or 3.64 if I include Calc 2. It would go up to 3.71 if I got an A in it this fall (when I retake it, assuming it averages to a B).

I've already taken all the science pre-reqs, as well as biochem and physio. I have not taken genetics or biostats yet, although I'm thinking of doing so this fall. I do have psych stats (B+) on my transcript.

Thanks, I'll probably end up dropping the Calc 2 I had registered for this fall and taking something like an ethics course or biostats, per your suggestion, instead. I am also registered for genetics and neurobio.

 

[eablackwell]

Do CS courses count in BCPM? I'm pretty sure they don't.

Also, AP Calc goes in as a Pass/Fail credit (mine did at least), which does not contribute to gpa. The Calc 2 will go on your AMCAS gpa whether you take it over or not. It will not look bad to med schools if you take it over and get an A. However, I would seriously take some time to evaluate whether it's worth it to take it over. Are you sure you can get an A? Do you hate calculus with every fiber of your being? Do you feel it will seriously help your sgpa? Taking any other 4 credit BCPM course and getting an A would help you just as much and not be a mathematical pita. These are things to look at while deciding. 😉

DO is the one with forgiveness btw, but MD has none.

 

[QofQuimica]

Thanks, I'll probably end up dropping the Calc 2 I had registered for this fall and taking something like an ethics course or biostats, per your suggestion, instead. I am also registered for genetics and neurobio.

Your plan sounds reasonable to me. Also, a 3.6 GPA is around the average for matriculated allopathic medical students, so you are not in a position of needing major GPA damage control.

Assuming CS means computer science, whether it counts as BCMP may depend on which department offered it. The same is true for stats--a course offered through the biology or math departments should end up classified as BCMP, but I'm not sure how AMCAS will classify a psych stats course. You may want to check the most current AMCAS instructions for information on how they will classify those two courses.

 

[lightheat]

Also, a 3.6 GPA is around the average for matriculated allopathic medical students, so you are not in a position of needing major GPA damage control.

That's just my BCPM. I know that 3.6 is average for the science GPA for matriculated students, but my cGPA to-date is about 3.36. My post-bac GPA is 3.74. I'm a non-trad student. I graduated English with a 3.2. In other words, I'm fairly dependent on my sGPA.

Assuming CS means computer science, whether it counts as BCMP may depend on which department offered it. The same is true for stats--a course offered through the biology or math departments should end up classified as BCMP, but I'm not sure how AMCAS will classify a psych stats course. You may want to check the most current AMCAS instructions for information on how they will classify those two courses.

I'm surprised my advisor has yet to suggest I check out AMCAS for this information. I will do so tonight. Thank you!

 

[MiniMoo]

I took a psych stats course. AMCAS did not count it as part of my BCPM.

 

[kia ora]

I took two stats classes through the political science department. on my amcas, I listed them under "math/statistics" (or whatever the category for math classes is called). amcas did not changes this and the grades were included in my bcpm. my suggestion is to characterize your stats classes as "math" on amcas, regardless of what department offered them