I did really bad with my freshman year prereqs: C's in both general chemistry (A's in lab), C+ in biology II, B in Calc I and B in bio 1 (B in lab). How can I recover from this? Will taking advanced courses such as genetics to make up for biology II and inorganic chemistry/biochemistry for general chemistry work? If I do extremely well on the rest of my prereqs (I know, longshot) will the upward trend and advanced courses mitigate some of the disaster of my freshman year?
Or should I keep going, retake these courses and just apply to DO and forget about ever getting an MD. Is using a gap year to study in an SMP or postbacc worthwhile with the grades I have?
Your weakest link seems to be general chemistry. Personally, I would consider repeating the lecture portions (at least the 2nd semester portion) if your school will allow you to. Repairing these grades will help you if you do end up needing to go DO. More importantly, though, you need to have a good foundation in general chemistry to do well in organic and also for the MCAT. Those 'Cs' tell me that you only mastered roughly 75% of the material. I would go learn the remaining 25% so that you can improve your chances for future success in the more advanced coursework. A good foundation in chemistry will also be helpful for you in your biology coursework. (A lack of such could be a reason for your 'C+/B' in biology, maybe.)
Regarding DO vs MD: It's too early to tell if you can get mostly As from here on out. It's also impossible to know how you will score on the MCAT. Try to reflect and identify your weaknesses. Did you take on too many units without having perfected your study habits? Did you have other weaknesses which resulted in not learning all the material? Is the sig. fig. goblin nibbling away at your points? Are you not using all of your available resources (e.g. tutoring, office hours, Khanacademy.org, workbooks, etc.)?? Are you overly reliant on memorizing, vs. understanding? Whatever the source of your 'okay-grades' problem is: Fix it! (Tip: When you're doing homework, make sure you understand every tiny detail. If the HW gets graded, go back and make sure you correct and understand any and all mistakes. Same goes for graded quizzes. Leave no open question unresolved.)
Lastly, you are just getting going (and at least you didn't get a bunch of 'Fs'!) If you need to, slow down!!! It's better to take one science class at a time and get straight As than get Cs!!! You can then scale up to two or more once you are certain that you have the source of your problems resolved. Good luck!
Ps. Biochemistry and Genetics (and Physiology) are all great additional courses to take....but wait until you figure out the above! (Also, forget about doing a smp. Fix your problems, improve your grades, get great shadowing/volunteering experiences, nail the MCAT, and go to med school. Poor grades in a smp will be nails in your coffin! Don't chance it!)
