I just got a D....

[AzAm34]

I can't believe this, I just got a D in one of my Chem labs (2 units). I'm a junior and was planning on applying to med school this year, but I think this has ended it for me. The next time this class is available is in the Summer; should I retake it then and apply next year or apply this year without retaking?

God I'm pissed

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[MWillie]

What's your over all gpa?

 

[AzAm34]

I have a 3.3; I got 2 C's in Calculus based Physics as well.

I think my dreams of being a doctor are over, sad thing is there really isn't anything else I can imagine myeslf doing.

 

[MWillie]

I have a 3.3; I got 2 C's in Calculus based Physics as well.

I think my dreams of being a doctor are over, sad thing is there really isn't anything else I can imagine myeslf doing.

I don't think your dreams are over, your chances of going to Harvard might be shot, but you can certainly still become a doctor. If you have a 3.3 that's perfectly acceptable as long as you make a good showing on the MCAT.

 

[tik-tik-clock]

I have a 3.3; I got 2 C's in Calculus based Physics as well.

I think my dreams of being a doctor are over, sad thing is there really isn't anything else I can imagine myeslf doing.

hey,

You can increase you GPA by acing the forthcoming classes. Don't be depressed seriously. good thing it was a lab and not a class. the adcom reaally wants to see the hike in your GPA . As far as you can improve it, you'll be fine.

PS: correct me if anyone else feels differently about adcoms just looking at the HIKE in the GPA ?

 

[AzAm34]

Well, how much can I hike it in one quarter, considering that I was planning on applying this year? Also, I can't take a full load of classes since I'll be studying for the MCATs for the next three months. Doesn't having a D on the transcript pretty much already rule me out of med school, even though it was just a lab? (oh, ironically I got an A in the lecture portion of the class)

I feel incredibly hopeless.

 

[cheapdate]

hey,

You can increase you GPA by acing the forthcoming classes. Don't be depressed seriously. good thing it was a lab and not a class. the adcom reaally wants to see the hike in your GPA . As far as you can improve it, you'll be fine.

PS: correct me if anyone else feels differently about adcoms just looking at the HIKE in the GPA ?

I think that's true too. They really want to see an improvements, but you also have to be real about it... A lot of people think they can just magic pull their grades up without a serious consideration of changing their study habits or reflecting on what's not right. Anyway review for the MCAT and make up for the low grades.

 

[MWillie]

Doesn't having a D on the transcript pretty much already rule me out of med school, even though it was just a lab?

No, you need to relax. People with F's get in.

 

[swifteagle43]

I can't believe this, I just got a D in one of my Chem labs (2 units). I'm a junior and was planning on applying to med school this year, but I think this has ended it for me. The next time this class is available is in the Summer; should I retake it then and apply next year or apply this year without retaking?

God I'm pissed

Chill out! My cousin got an F in Chem I the first time he took it and got into Columbia Med School.

 

[tik-tik-clock]

Chill out! My cousin got an F in Chem I the first time he took it and got into Columbia Med School.

omg wow what was his GPA when he applied, if I may ask ?

 

[Siggy]

Chill out! My cousin got an F in Chem I the first time he took it and got into Columbia Med School.

I guess the smart gene in your family is recessive and skipped you. Might I suggest that you lower your font size in your next post?
K?
Thx.

 

[MWillie]

And I thought Columbia Pen'S are numbers ******, he must have had an extreme mcat.

 

[swifteagle43]

Chill out! My cousin got an F in Chem I the first time he took it and got into Columbia Med School.

It was a circumstantial thing. He had a BCMP of a 3.91(He retook chem I and replaced the grade) and an MCAT of 38. There was a death in the family and he played a sports(tennis). He won some awards for tennis as well. He took off the next semester to recover and applied a year later than his peers to med school.

 

[calstudent]

i'm sorry to hear it, but at least it was only 2 units. one option may be to do a post-bac. and apply a year later if you aren't too bent on applying this upcoming year.
go out there and work hard, and get a good physical sciences MCAT to show medical schools that you still knew what you were doing. plenty of people aren't very good at physics (myself included), so i don't think that will hold you back.
like another poster mentioned, it is also good that you realize that your GPA won't suddenly jump up by .2 or .3, but you can show an upward trend before you apply, and that would be very positive. good luck.

 

[flash]

I guess the smart gene in your family is recessive and skipped you. Might I suggest that you lower your font size in your next post?
K?
Thx.

Agree

 

[QofQuimica]

I can't believe this, I just got a D in one of my Chem labs (2 units). I'm a junior and was planning on applying to med school this year, but I think this has ended it for me. The next time this class is available is in the Summer; should I retake it then and apply next year or apply this year without retaking?

God I'm pissed

If you really want to go to medical school and this is your lifelong dream, then now is not the time to throw your hands in the air and just give up. Instead, you need to give some serious consideration to the work and effort that is required of you to make it to (and through!) med school, and make some changes. I agree with the posters who suggested taking a look at your study habits and also with considering a post-bac. I'd also add that you might contact your lab instructor and ask him/her to give you some advice on how you could do better the next time you take the class. Did you work hard for the class, or did you kind of blow it off (not turn in lab reports, show up late for labs, etc.)? I'm guessing the latter was the case since you said you got an A in the lecture.

Overall, if you try to see this as a learning experience (which it is, albeit an unpleasant one), then hopefully you can gain something positive out of it. Try to keep things in perspective and realize that one D doesn't guarantee med school admissions doom, and you can retake the class. Pick yourself up and kick butt next time!

 

[goheel]

I have a 3.3; I got 2 C's in Calculus based Physics as well.

I think my dreams of being a doctor are over, sad thing is there really isn't anything else I can imagine myeslf doing.

Tough luck man!! There's always dental school.

J/K

 

[Doc Ivy]

My advice, don't rush, you had planned to apply this year but you might have to revise that.

Get into a research situation (something you're interested in preferably) after you graduate-- work hard try and get an abstract written and present a poster or something, and do a post bac (you must rock this gradewise). Those are the two things you can do to to REALLY get adcoms to "overlook" a D. Unless like the tennis star who got an F in Chem, you have a lot of other unique stuff going on.

It's not over, but the truth is you're going to have to take some extra time to remediate your application. Good Luck!

 

[Will Ferrell]

I can't believe this, I just got a D in one of my Chem labs (2 units). I'm a junior and was planning on applying to med school this year, but I think this has ended it for me. The next time this class is available is in the Summer; should I retake it then and apply next year or apply this year without retaking?

God I'm pissed

relax. You'll be applying to med school with 90+ credits. Suppose you got an A in those two credits - it would have barely changed your GPA. That's not going to bring you down. Other things will.

 

[45408]

I guess the smart gene in your family is recessive and skipped you. Might I suggest that you lower your font size in your next post?
K?
Thx.

omgyou'resofunny

 

[DubZteR]

No, you need to relax. People with F's get in.

like me

 

[DubZteR]

(He retook chem I and replaced the grade)

If he retook and the grade was replaced .... then how do the med schools know he got an F in the first place?

 

[Aero047]

Are you serious? People with F's can get into med school?

 

[MWillie]

If he retook and the grade was replaced .... then how do the med schools know he got an F in the first place?

You can't replace a grade on AMCAS, you can dilute an F into two C's by getting an A on the retake.

 

[Will Ferrell]

You can't replace a grade on AMCAS, you can dilute an F into two C's by getting an A on the retake.

Suppose someone gets an F in a course. Wouldn't that not be incorporated into the person's GPA since credits weren't awarded - and the 2nd time around would be the only one that counts?

 

[MWillie]

Suppose someone gets an F in a course. Wouldn't that not be incorporated into the person's GPA since credits weren't awarded - and the 2nd time around would be the only one that counts?

So no F's would ever count? Unlikely, most likely they look at units attempted.

 

[Ypo.]

If he retook and the grade was replaced .... then how do the med schools know he got an F in the first place?

Schools don't ever erase the grade off your transcript just for retaking. Hence, it shows up and the AMCAS incorporates it into your GPA.

Trust me, I know from personal experience. I goofed off my freshman year in a math class and thought "eh-I can just retake it and get the grade erased" (I did this twice in a row) and ended up getting two Fs incorporated into my GPA, lowering my BCPM from a 3.9 to a 3.5.

But to the OP, I got into med school with two Fs and an average MCAT, so don't worry and just concentrate on getting your GPA up to a suitable level. And yes, if you do really badly in science classes, you should consider retaking them, as adcoms look more closely at these subject grades.

 

[Ypo.]

Are you serious? People with F's can get into med school?

Are you joking?

 

[icecream4me]

I can't believe this, I just got a D in one of my Chem labs (2 units). I'm a junior and was planning on applying to med school this year, but I think this has ended it for me. The next time this class is available is in the Summer; should I retake it then and apply next year or apply this year without retaking?

God I'm pissed

Do not fret, all is not lost! There are so many options for you out there. First of all, you could retake the class and (hopefully) do much better. But then again, you could also take a course that is upper level Chem lab and ace that one, proving that you are obvioulsy competent in a harder Chem lab setting. In addition, if you kick butt on the MCAT PS section, med schools will obviously know that you know your basic chem pretty well.

As for applying senior year, I'm a bit biased on this issue because I truly advocate that people take a year or two off after undergrad before applying. (I took two years off to do a masters.) I'm not saying that some undergraduate students aren't stellar, but I've realized that oftentimes in an interview setting, the two years of extra experience can make a HUGE difference in maturity and world outlook, especially if you've done a lot of medically related work/research. Plus, it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate next semester; there's nothing wrong with spreading stuff out and giving yourself a little bit of time to breathe!

All this is from personal experience; I don't know HOW many C's I've gotten in undergrad in my science classes - in some cases, I had a C in something, retook it, and got a C again! A lot of factors contributed to my "demise," but I also got my act together. Currently I'm standing with 10+ interviews and three acceptances. Don't lose hope; I talk to a lot of undergrads in the classes that I TA, and some of them are in your situation - I know that things can seem difficult right now, but if you really want it bad enough and you work hard, one D is not going to stop your dreams!

PM me if you have any questions!

 

[mwhou]

Well, how much can I hike it in one quarter, considering that I was planning on applying this year? Also, I can't take a full load of classes since I'll be studying for the MCATs for the next three months. Doesn't having a D on the transcript pretty much already rule me out of med school, even though it was just a lab? (oh, ironically I got an A in the lecture portion of the class)

I feel incredibly hopeless.

Right now I think you need to be careful to avoid a common pre-med pitfall. you are obviously worried about your GPA, (GPA is the issue, the D wont kill you) and you are planning to take the MCAT this April.

Every year many premeds in similar situations decide to both do well on the MCAT and bring up their GPA -and in trying to do too much they end up with a below average MCAT ,and a mediocre GPA for the semester.

Don't Fall For This TRAP!

Decide to take a very light and easy semester and study 40 hours per week for 10+ weeks, and ace the MCAT.

If the D still bothers you, finish your application early, but don't submit it until you retake the class in the summer. Write your secondaries and have them ready to go as well. If you submit your App at the end of summer, and have your secondaries ready - you will still be in good shape time wise.

a good MCAT and your GPA will likely get you in somewhere, if the rest of your app is good. If you are lacking LOR's , clinical experience or volunteer /leadership activities - then you should probably delay the MCAT for a year, ace another 32+ hours of courses. ( giving you a respectable 3.5 assuming your have 90 hours now.) you well then have a 3.5, have time to ace the MCAT and have a better overall app. On the other hand, trying to do too much could lead to a low MCAT and a <2.8 GPA - a much worse position!
Just my advice,
Good luck!

 

[kalix]

You can't replace a grade on AMCAS, you can dilute an F into two C's by getting an A on the retake.

ummm last time i checked, A + F = C , not 2 C's ???

 

[Siggy]

The A gives up 2 grade points to become a C (first C). The F takes the 2 grade points to raise itself up to a C (second C).

 

[superso]

whoever said that he heard someone got a grade replaced is mistaken. it might get replaced on the school transcript but your supposed to write down every grade you ever got, even if it got replaced on amcas.