Importance of different courses...

[ponderinventing]

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hi all,

first off, this message board is amazing. it's really great to see this many people in one place helping each other achieve similar goals.

ok enough cheese 🙂 to the point...

i was a math undergrad major, 3.68 gpa, and the only science i took as an undergrad was physics i & ii (got a B and B+). i just got into the evening pmed program at drexel, and they told me that i am exempt from taking the physics course in the program. i was initially jazzed about the savings of money, but then i realized that taking physics again might offer me the chance to bring up my science gpa. the whole med school world is a bit new to me (i'm a 25 year old teacher, who has been teaching middle school for 3 years now).

any thoughts?

~bobby.

 

[twoandtwo]

You never want to re-take a course you got a grade of C or above in. It really doesn't prove anything, since you're already familiar with the material and would thus have a leg-up, and you won't be fooling the ADCOM people. Now taking classes that partially cover old material is a different story. If the class is "new" a.k.a. builds off of something you already took, but just happens to retread a little old ground---all the better, since it might be easier for you than other people, but it wouldn't have the attached stigma of just retaking an old class. In your case, I'm sure the Drexel Physics classes would be considered re-taking classes.

By the way, with a 3.68 GPA, all you have to do is finish up your science pre-reqs with A's, do half-way decent on the MCAT, and you're golden. No reason to sweat.

 

[chaeymaey]

Considering that both the Bs and the potential future As you would make in physics will be averaged, I don't think that it would affect your GPA very much. You should probably concentrate on doing well in the remaining courses. When you're taking lots of pre-reqs you'll be so glad that you have one less class to worry about.

 

[ponderinventing]

thanks so much! that's what i figured, but i just wanted to hear some feedback from people within the sphere. 🙂

 

[KrnFord920]

thanks so much! that's what i figured, but i just wanted to hear some feedback from people within the sphere. 🙂

also take into consideration that all your math courses are considered part of your "science GPA" (Biology Chemistry Physics Math). if you did well in your math major (which seems like you did), you also have a great start.

 

[aimsz88]

well i wish i knew earlier that most adcoms see it as pointless to retake courses. is that really completely frowned upon? i did mostly c and b grades in my prereqs and i was concerned about the big box in a lot of secondary applications that only wants your prereq grades on a big grid on the first page. that really worried me so i retook everything.

im finished molecular biology, and now onto cell biology, genetics, and advanced ochem in the summer and the fall semester but did i really waste my time then? i retook basic ochem and biology. it was at least four years in between the second time so i thought i might need it for the mcat.

ack!!


IM name:
aimsz88

 

[Law2Doc]

You never want to re-take a course you got a grade of C or above in.

Depends on how long ago you took it. Some postbacs recommend retaking prereqs older than a certain vintage (10 years?) regardless of the grade you got.