How Much Trouble Am I In?

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Richzz89

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So, I just finished my first quarter at a UC and received my fall quarter grades, not as good as I had hoped.

General Chemistry: A
Calculus: A
Spanish Literature: B+
English/Writing: C

I feel satisfied with most of my grades minus English/Writing. I had set my goal at the beginning of the quarter to get at least a cGPA of 3.5 and I don't feel too good about not meeting my goal.

This means my cGPA is 3.325 and my BCPM GPA is 4.0.

I know I will still have time to bring my GPA up and it could be that I'm still kind of disappointed in myself for my poor performance in English/Writing. But, what I really want to know is if this bad grade in English/Writing will bring me down in the future when I apply to medical schools.
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Since you have only finished your first quarter, this is hardly worth worrying about (if you do a quick search, you'll find a lot of threads that are similar to this one, and all of the posters receive the same advice). Moreover, a 3.325 GPA is quite decent for a first quarter; there are many on this board whose first quarter GPA's were below a 3.0, yet they were able to get into medical schools nonetheless.

My advice is to try to find out what aspect of your study habits/scheduling led you to receive the C. As long as you learn from your "mistakes" and try your best not to receive any poor grades again, you should be golden. Also, some schools do require English/Writing courses, so you might want to consider taking (and a acing) a few electives in that discipline between now and when you apply just to prove that you can handle writing-intensive coursework and not raise any red flags.
 
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Hurray! I can put an early stop to this one.

I think that there is a real issue on SDN in that a lot of people who lurk here see all the 4.0 or 3.9 people, and freak out from it.

For all of those people who are worried follow these simple rules before posting:
1) If you have nothing lower than a B-, it's not worth posting, as someone will just end up calling you a troll and saying you should go to the Caribbean.
2) If you have one C is a non-science class, do not post, as medical schools will not care, and you will again be sent to the Caribbean by SDN again.
3) If you have one C is an AMCAS science class, do not post, as one grade will NOT break your application. SDN people will again send you to the Caribbean.
4) If you have multiple C's in non-science classes, post if your cumulative GPA is lower than 3.5. Otherwise, you will again be sent to the Caribbean.
5) If you have multiple C's in an AMCAS science courses, do not post unless you have a cumulative GPA under 3.5 or a science GPA under 3.3. If you do, you will be directed to the Caribbean.
6) If you have grades lower than C in non-science courses, and your GPA is under 3.5, post - but only if you can give a valid reason for the grade.
7) If you have grades lower than C in AMCAS science courses, post regardless of GPA, and give reasons for the grade. Be prepared to be told to retake the course and then go to the Caribbean.
8) If you have one W, do not post, as no one cares about one of these.
9) If you have more than one W and a GPA under 3.5, post and include why you dropped the classes. Be prepared for SDNers to say that because you drop too many course you are not med school material.
10) If you have completed less than one full year of college, do not post unless you have received multiple F's in AMCAS science courses. If you do, someone will post their story on how they got to med school even with an F, and then someone else will say you have absolutely no chance at any American school ever.

All of this comes down to one fact. Grades are only a part of what goes into your application. Don't worry about them so much. If you are worried, feel free to post. However, be aware that the answer you are going to receive will most likely include the words "you" "Caribbean" and "terrible applicant".
 
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owned. it's cool man, not everyone becomes a doctor...

oh and cubssox2000, I think rule 10 should be "regardless of grades (unless you got a D/F), don't post if you've only finished one quarter/semester"
 
Richzz89 said:
So, I just finished my first quarter at a UC and received my fall quarter grades, not as good as I had hoped.

General Chemistry: A
Calculus: A
Spanish Literature: B+
English/Writing: C

I feel satisfied with most of my grades minus English/Writing. I had set my goal at the beginning of the quarter to get at least a cGPA of 3.5 and I don't feel too good about not meeting my goal.

This means my cGPA is 3.325 and my BCPM GPA is 4.0.

I know I will still have time to bring my GPA up and it could be that I'm still kind of disappointed in myself for my poor performance in English/Writing. But, what I really want to know is if this bad grade in English/Writing will bring me down in the future when I apply to medical schools.
Click to expand...

You are already out of the running at UC's, Stanford, Ivy's, UWash (never had a chance anyways tbh), WashU, etc. Applying to lots of DO's would be a good choice.



But seriously, you have a BCMP 4.0, why are you worrying after just one bad course?
 
junkct said:
owned. it's cool man, not everyone becomes a doctor...

oh and cubssox2000, I think rule 10 should be "regardless of grades (unless you got a D/F), don't post if you've only finished one quarter/semester"
Click to expand...

Interesting idea. I think I shall edit now and include that. Thanks.
 
wow people on here are mean. jeez the kid only had one semester and 2 people are already diminishing his hopes with flase statements.

Getting a C in english is nothing. it won't kill an applicant. just try improving your grades and show sign of GPA improvement, don't go down, and you should be fine.

Good luck!
 
I earned a C in one of my chemistry classes (I think it was biochem) and the first time I took physics II I earned an F. I retook it for an A. I am currently a first year student in a well-known MD program. I think its possible to overcome your C.
 
RecyclingBinh said:
wow people on here are mean. jeez the kid only had one semester and 2 people are already diminishing his hopes with flase statements.

Getting a C in english is nothing. it won't kill an applicant. just try improving your grades and show sign of GPA improvement, don't go down, and you should be fine.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Actually, most of the people here are not mean. But we have been around for a long time, and questions like this come up roughly 3 times a week. That means that the OP, instead of posting, could search the threads to find someone in a similar spot and see what happened in that thread. However, because most people do not do this, those of us who have been on the site for a cycle or more tend to dismiss these types of questions. That is why I have created my list. I have taken the time to look through the threads and have come up with the most common questions and their answers. I do plan on posting this every time someone says "I have one C! I'm doomed!" so as to prevent a lot of the people who would normally come in and just tell the person they are a terrible applicant and should consider DO or the Caribbean.
 
closer23 said:
Consider DO/the Caribbean. You'll never get into an MD program with even 1 C to your name. You can replace the class with a retake if you apply DO, and the Caribbean schools will take you simply if you can pay.

Edit: The 4.0 BCPM GPA is especially alarming.
Click to expand...

False. I'm currently in an MD program and I had a C to my name when I applied.
 
Valvool said:
I earned a C in one of my chemistry classes (I think it was biochem) and the first time I took physics II I earned an F. I retook it for an A. I am currently a first year student in a well-known MD program. I think its possible to overcome your C.
Click to expand...

This statement is only significant if you were from Out of state/region and were accepted to UWash or Hawaii
:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
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Valvool said:
I was accepted at Tulane.
Click to expand...

I was just kidding with you, no hard feelings. I have BC in Calc 4, two C's in biochem (I and II), and a C in physiology, and got into an above average med school and interviewed at great med schools.
 
I had a 2.3 GPA after my first quarter at UCLA. I finished with a 3.63 GPA.

Don't freak out, just buckle down and you will get the hang of it. You need to be open to new ways of learning and pushing yourself hard.

And don't pay attention to the dudes who burn you with their 3.8's and 3.9's around here. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me I wasn't going to be able to make it, I would have more than enough cash to pay for my first year's tuition.

When people do that to you, you just have to laugh in their face and move on.
 
yeah you'll be fine. just work harder and make sure that you have a lot of EC's to your name too. those always help out balance out your grades. good luck. :luck:
 
you are too early in your college career to worry about anything but Fs.

Relax and enjoy college. There are no do-overs for that part of your life. It should not be all about planning for the next part of your life.

and, frankly, i think premed machines have a "smell" to adcoms. when i meet applicants who visit my med school, those people are really unattractive to me.

SO GET OUT OF THE LAB!!!
 
Richzz89 said:
But, what I really want to know is if this bad grade in English/Writing will bring me down in the future when I apply to medical schools.
Click to expand...

You need to start taking regular MCAT assessment tests now. If you can't score at least 32 right now, you should probably look into another field.
 
Nah, just take the verbal section of the MCAT, buy EK 101 passages and do 7 passages a week, then get other practice verbal stuff and do them. Read stuff regularly. Verbal is a section where studying early actually helps, as opposed to BS/PS.
 
Richzz89 said:
So, I just finished my first quarter at a UC and received my fall quarter grades, not as good as I had hoped.

General Chemistry: A
Calculus: A
Spanish Literature: B+
English/Writing: C

I feel satisfied with most of my grades minus English/Writing. I had set my goal at the beginning of the quarter to get at least a cGPA of 3.5 and I don't feel too good about not meeting my goal.

This means my cGPA is 3.325 and my BCPM GPA is 4.0.

I know I will still have time to bring my GPA up and it could be that I'm still kind of disappointed in myself for my poor performance in English/Writing. But, what I really want to know is if this bad grade in English/Writing will bring me down in the future when I apply to medical schools.
Click to expand...

I hated composition class. You could write a great paper and if the teacher disagrees with your topic, magically, points are taken from your paper. In my opinion, I would retake the english calss. However, I don't think that adcom will doom you over that C epecially if you maintain a 3.5 GPA & score at least a 30 on mcat. i would just make sure I get a 10 on verbal section.
 
Well, let's put it this way.

OP, you'll have to take at least two more English courses to meet med school requirements, so do fine in those and you'll erase any doubts that you can write.

Moreover, schools don't care about English grades or they'd put more emphasis on MCAT verbal scores and the essay score. As navylabtech says, composition classes are a disgusting joke.

If your grades continue to be this good (minus that C), then you will have nothing to worry about. My only advice to you is to not have a downward trend or a trough. Don't ease up in future years/quarters.
 
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I like the sarcasm. Y'all bring me joy.
 
I havn't read any of the other posts but I dont think you should be freaking out. Just do your best in the rest of your college career. Do extra curriculars, sports, etc. and do well on you mcats. Don't listen to any of the ppl on this site that tell you that because you have one C, you'll be going to the Caribbean. I had two Cs on my transcript and I am currently DECIDING which of my accepted schools I'll be going to next year.

Medical school admissions is not as simple as ABC, they really do see the whole picture. The fact that you're worrying this early shows that you want to succeed, just do your best and you will be fine.
 
I'll say this once. If you have a C+ or lower, give up. /quit
 
Don't worry about the C. Figure out why you got it and then just try not to let it happen again. Isn't that all you can do?

Btw, english classes in general suck. Way too much reading for undergrad life. My guess is your a science person anyway. If that's true, then just steer clear.. some people aren't wired for reading/writing.
 
Your BCPM is 4.0. You need at least a 4.5 to get into medical school. Quit now.
 
Cs don't kill dreams, giving up kills dreams. Well, maybe Cs kill allopathic dreams...
 
Funny thread and yes, I agree the same sarcasm gets old after awhile.

Cubsox is onto the right idea. We need a standard answer to all these types of threads. :thumbup:
 
cubssox2000 said:
Hurray! I can put an early stop to this one.

I think that there is a real issue on SDN in that a lot of people who lurk here see all the 4.0 or 3.9 people, and freak out from it.

For all of those people who are worried follow these simple rules before posting:
1) If you have nothing lower than a B-, it's not worth posting, as someone will just end up calling you a troll and saying you should go to the Caribbean.
2) If you have one C is a non-science class, do not post, as medical schools will not care, and you will again be sent to the Caribbean by SDN again.
3) If you have one C is an AMCAS science class, do not post, as one grade will NOT break your application. SDN people will again send you to the Caribbean.
4) If you have multiple C's in non-science classes, post if your cumulative GPA is lower than 3.5. Otherwise, you will again be sent to the Caribbean.
5) If you have multiple C's in an AMCAS science courses, do not post unless you have a cumulative GPA under 3.5 or a science GPA under 3.3. If you do, you will be directed to the Caribbean.
6) If you have grades lower than C in non-science courses, and your GPA is under 3.5, post - but only if you can give a valid reason for the grade.
7) If you have grades lower than C in AMCAS science courses, post regardless of GPA, and give reasons for the grade. Be prepared to be told to retake the course and then go to the Caribbean.
8) If you have one W, do not post, as no one cares about one of these.
9) If you have more than one W and a GPA under 3.5, post and include why you dropped the classes. Be prepared for SDNers to say that because you drop too many course you are not med school material.
10) If you have completed less than one full year of college, do not post unless you have received multiple F's in AMCAS science courses. If you do, someone will post their story on how they got to med school even with an F, and then someone else will say you have absolutely no chance at any American school ever.

All of this comes down to one fact. Grades are only a part of what goes into your application. Don't worry about them so much. If you are worried, feel free to post. However, be aware that the answer you are going to receive will most likely include the words "you" "Caribbean" and "terrible applicant".
Click to expand...

This is brilliant. It's dead on accruate haha.

I've never posted too many specifics about my grades in the past for fear of making it blatantly easy for someone to identify me, but hey, I've gotten my wish so let me add +1 to the anecdotal evidence pot.
I have an F, a D, a C, 2 C+s, a J and countless B-s.
You get your act together, you prove that you are more capable than your academic record might indicate and that you are committed to this field, and then you'll probably be OK.
http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=10089
 
Vihsadas said:
This is brilliant. It's dead on accruate haha.

I've never posted too many specifics about my grades in the past for fear of making it blatantly easy for someone to identify me, but hey, I've gotten my wish so let me add +1 to the anecdotal evidence pot.
I have an F, a D, a C, 2 C+s, a J and countless B-s.
You get your act together, you prove that you are more capable than your academic record might indicate and that you are committed to this field, and then you'll probably be OK.
http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=10089
Click to expand...
Your app will forever rank as one of the most outrageous that I've seen on SDN.
 
Vihsadas said:
This is brilliant. It's dead on accruate haha.

I've never posted too many specifics about my grades in the past for fear of making it blatantly easy for someone to identify me, but hey, I've gotten my wish so let me add +1 to the anecdotal evidence pot.
I have an F, a D, a C, 2 C+s, a J and countless B-s.
You get your act together, you prove that you are more capable than your academic record might indicate and that you are committed to this field, and then you'll probably be OK.
http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=10089
Click to expand...

a J??
 
The class was strictly a writing course 90% of our grade was based on 3 papers. The course was taught by T.A's and the thing is there is no uniformity between the various T.A's that taught the course, each T.A. wants something different; some T.A's are easier while others are harder, I unfortunately got stuck with one of the hardest T.A's. The thing that bothers me most is that I put in twice as much effort as a fellow student who had a different T.A. and we both ended up with a C in the class.
 
This is your first quarter ever of college? Barely any trouble at all. Stop freaking out. Just make sure you don't get any C's next time.
 
Thanks to those who gave me constructive solutions. I took the next English/Writing Course the following quarter and ended up getting an A- and I also ended up taking a History course, which required more writing then I thought, in which I earned A.

Re-reading this post made me realize how foolish and naive I was at the time. And I can definitely see how so many users who have been here for a significant amount of time get annoyed with the "Am I screwed?" threads. Thanks to all of those who gave me sound advice and you may be happy to know that I've still been able to maintain a BCPM GPA of 4.0 and my Overall GPA has gone up to a 3.7+.
 
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