How will retaking Biochem II as a biochem major affect my chances?

[TragicalDrFaust]

I'm a 2nd semester senior already planning on applying to mainly lower-tier and DO schools, pending my MCAT scores. I'm an ORM. I have a 3.67 as it stands. I'll have 600+ clinical hours as well as 200+ hospital and other volunteering by the time I apply. I'm currently looking for undergraduate level research.

However this semester there's a real possibility I'll get less than a C in biochem II, meaning I can't graduate and will have to retake the class. I've learned from my mistakes and I believe I could explain it tactfully, but the damage was already done by the end of my first exam. I didn't want to drop because I thought I could pull through and I didn't want to lose my scholarship.

Am I dead in the water if I don't pass? How about if I get a C?

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[DubbiDoctor]

One poor grade or even non-passing grade won't ruin your chances, particularly if you're applying DO. However, one poor exam should not ensure a grade lower than a C. Speak to your professor right away about what you can do to guarantee at least a C, explaining that you're dedicated to the class and need to pass to graduate. If you're doing fine in your other classes, you need to prioritize studying for biochem. Minimize your ECs to give yourself more time to study for and do excellently on the final.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

If you need to retake for your major (or planned major even if you change majors later) you have a really good explanation for retaking a class.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

One poor grade or even non-passing grade won't ruin your chances, particularly if you're applying DO. However, one poor exam should not ensure a grade lower than a C. Speak to your professor right away about what you can do to guarantee at least a C, explaining that you're dedicated to the class and need to pass to graduate. If you're doing fine in your other classes, you need to prioritize studying for biochem. Minimize your ECs to give yourself more time to study for and do excellently on the final.

I did speak to the professor before the class even began to ask if he had any suggestions for succeeding in his class. He has a reputation for being "old school" and failing a high number of students every year. He was vague. After my first exam (scored a 22%. I passed biochem I with a 95%) I spoke with him again, trying to emphasize that the class was important to me, I'd gotten off on the wrong foot and I was overscheduled at my jobs before I realized the volume of work this class would involve. His suggestion was to "memorize everything I write on the board". He spends the entire class writing mechanisms on the board. I asked a few of my classmates who are doing well and they said they do try to memorize everything, and shared a few techniques. One bought two extra notebooks and copies everything twice over. One spends 30hrs/wk studying for biochem. I'm taking a full schedule and my "extracurriculars" right now are two jobs, which have never created problems before. It's clear I didn't set enough time aside to study for this class. I'm also taking 2 other 400-level chem classes and physics 2 which is a weed out for engineers at my school. So I will do my best and I've requested off at my jobs for the weeks leading up to finals, but things aren't looking great for me right now.

 

[DubbiDoctor]

I did speak to the professor before the class even began to ask if he had any suggestions for succeeding in his class. He has a reputation for being "old school" and failing a high number of students every year. He was vague. After my first exam (scored a 22%. I passed biochem I with a 95%) I spoke with him again, trying to emphasize that the class was important to me, I'd gotten off on the wrong foot and I was overscheduled at my jobs before I realized the volume of work this class would involve. His suggestion was to "memorize everything I write on the board". He spends the entire class writing mechanisms on the board. I asked a few of my classmates who are doing well and they said they do try to memorize everything, and shared a few techniques. One bought two extra notebooks and copies everything twice over. One spends 30hrs/wk studying for biochem. I'm taking a full schedule and my "extracurriculars" right now are two jobs, which have never created problems before. It's clear I didn't set enough time aside to study for this class. I'm also taking 2 other 400-level chem classes and physics 2 which is a weed out for engineers at my school. So I will do my best and I've requested off at my jobs for the weeks leading up to finals, but things aren't looking great for me right now.

Worst comes to worst, see if you can retake it over the summer. All that biochem prep will help you tremendously on the MCAT, though!