If you have an F on your transcript and re-take how does that look?

[Tofurkey]

Hello,

I am a post-bacc who is very worried about getting a D or F in bio this semester due to an awful professor. If I did get one of these terrible grades, and then re-took this course next semester with a better prof (my prof is known to be really hard) would that erase the first bad grade on the application to DO schools?

How does this sort of thing work, exactly?

Are my dreams of being a doctor ruined? I'd be so devastated if that were the case. I study really hard and have a 3.6 post-bacc science, 3.4 ugpa so far. It's just this one professor that may do me in.

Thanks,

Tofurkey

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[raptor5]

I think you are sweating it way too much. Retake the class and do really well. I got a D in calculus 1 retook it and got an A, took Calc 2 and got a B. If the adcom looks at your grades they can see what happened without explanation. One bad grade does not make you a failure just as one good grade does not make you a success. Its the trend, the avg that matters.

raptor5
PCOM class of 2008

 

[Idiopathic]

I got an F in Bio 2, due to reasons that dont really matter now. I finished strong, retook the class (got a B+ actually) and put together three solid years of 3.6+ GPA. I understand that you dont have that kind of time, but I will tell you that it probably only matters that you complete the course, recover your self-esteem and this should not hiinder you too much.

 

[mamitch4]

When AACOMAS averages your grades, a repeated class grade replaces the original, so it shouldn't negatively impact your GPA. The only concern would be when a school sees the poor grade on your transcript... but as discussed above, it's probably not that big of a deal.

 

[docbon]

I wouldn't sweat one bad grade, just don't let it become a trend. Make sure the rest of your application will be very strong, study hard for the MCAT, lots of experience, ect. I got a F in Calc and really struggled with it the second time. When I interviewed two of my interviewers shrugged off the bad grade and joked about it, but of course some made me explain... so be prepared! But hopefully you won't have to worry about that! Good Luck!!!

 

[that dr. jack]

just like everyone else said, as long as its isolated, it shouldn't matter. i got an F in general chem 1, re-took it two years later for a B. i've had one interview, and they didn't mention it. hopefully my next interview won't either.

 

[The Engineer]

I took calc 2 three times (C,D,B). A friend of mine who is currently attending KCOM told me that it shows determination on your part and the admissions committee will understand that.

I too have paid the price for the errors of my youth. You have to make the best of it and go on.

 

[KUMC_MD]

hey, Engineer, i went to rolla myself... how is it going down there?? i wish that i knew what i was doing while i was down there... all i did was attend a few classes, do some job interviews and graduate... boring... now here 2 yrs later... im trying to goto med school... you already got 2 up on me...

l8rs...

 

[TexPre-Med]

Of course it NEVER looks good to have a D or F on your transcript whether you take it or not. Med school is rigorous and students need to be able to learn vast amounts of information really quickly. An emotional disturbance like say your wife dies or something would be a good excuse for doing badly. I'm not saying you can't get into med school after having to retake a failed class, but honestly how do you think it looks? If you had to choose between 2 students with equal g.p.a.'s but one had to retake three courses or so, who would you accept? Study harder!

 

[KUMC_MD]

Originally posted by TexPre-Med
Of course it NEVER looks good to have a D or F on your transcript whether you take it or not. Med school is rigorous and students need to be able to learn vast amounts of information really quickly. An emotional disturbance like say your wife dies or something would be a good excuse for doing badly. I'm not saying you can't get into med school after having to retake a failed class, but honestly how do you think it looks? If you had to choose between 2 students with equal g.p.a.'s but one had to retake three courses or so, who would you accept? Study harder!

med school is not that hard. dont let this fool scare ya. the person who grads from med school in the very last of the class is still called a doctor.

about anyone can do it with enough perseverence. there have also been many people who went to and graduated from med school with D's and F's... so it can be done... just try to bump up the other parts of your application to make yourself look good on paper.

and remember its all about selling yourself to them. make it clear to them that you WANT to go to that school.

good luck, and God Bless.

 

[TexPre-Med]

Excuse me if I was misunderstood, "fool". Who uses this word anyway? I never said he wouldn't do well in medical school. That wasn't even part of his question. I simply gave the advice that if med school was really something he wanted to achieve, he should study harder. When things are important, do not waste time partying or screwing around, especially when you have a D in a class. Same as in surgery. If you are failing to revive a patient, you don't immediately give up. You try that much harder. If the classes are too difficult for you, take a lighter load. Bottom line: You should not receive anything below a C ever! C=average. Strive for at least a C if not an A. As the above post implies, "When you get into medical school, you can slack off. After all as long as you perform with minimum effectiveness = M.D./D.O." This may be true, but if this truly is your attitude in medicine, I have no respect for you. Babying this guy will only make matters worse. If it is OK to make a C-D-F, he may only do it again. I don't want the kid to give up, but he needs to realize that with every low grade he receives, he diminishes his chance of the career of his dreams.

 

[KUMC_MD]

HA that a little bit nicer than ur previous post...

 

[Pooh Chong]

If a bad grade comes up in an interview make sure you don't try to just blame it on the professor. I think bad grades or "failures" in life are okay if you have learned from it and take responsibility for what happened....and show them that if you run into the same problem at medical school you won't have the same result.

Just me 2 cents.