I'll be applying for DO schools in May and I was wondering if I should drop one of my classes (it is still early enough to drop w/o a grade). I am considering either dropping spectroscopic identification of organic compounds or genetics. By taking an extra 3 hours, assuming I got an A, it would at most increase my GPA by 0.02 with an extra class. I would also be taking 20 hours if I stick with both classes. Is it worth it?
Is an extra class worth it?
- Thread starter skl450
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I wouldn't drop genetics if you feel you can get an 'A' in it. It is material covered in the first year of medical school and if you can show that you are competent and capable of handling the material, it will only help you. That being said, I think you are crazy to keep 20 hours right before you apply. If you slip up, you'll be offering some weakness right before you turn in your application. I'd want my app. to be as sound as possible when I hand it to them, particularly the most recent portions of my app. That's just my $0.02 though.
I'm also retaking gen chem 1 lab and taking an english class credit/no credit. So I feel like I could pull straight A's, but I have a history of making things hard for myself (i.e., deciding to take on a econ/chem/microbio triple major).
My first half of my undergrad career was dismal in terms of GPA. So at this point, I feel the need to compensate for this. This will also be my last semester and my last chance to prove myself before graduating and applying to med school. Here are my stats at this point in time:
MCAT:34M aacomas cgpa: 3.20 aacomas sci gpa:3.17
So I guess my main question is how much more adcoms will care if I got an A in 3, rather than 2, upper level science classes in one semester?
My first half of my undergrad career was dismal in terms of GPA. So at this point, I feel the need to compensate for this. This will also be my last semester and my last chance to prove myself before graduating and applying to med school. Here are my stats at this point in time:
MCAT:34M aacomas cgpa: 3.20 aacomas sci gpa:3.17
So I guess my main question is how much more adcoms will care if I got an A in 3, rather than 2, upper level science classes in one semester?
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Heh. As far as I'm concerned, only the first two numbers count. Trying to raise the third if kind of silly. You're going to put in a assload of work for a very minimal result that most likely will not get noticed. 😉
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Yuck. Drop that organic class. 20 hours for a 0.02 increase is so not worth it, especially considering A's are much more difficult to come by when you're so loaded. Plus, genetics will be WAY more beneficial to you in medicine.
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Drop the spectroscopic identification of organic compounds class, and keep the genetics. Thats my opinion!
I am wondering abt the same thing too! I got B's and lower on many of my prereqs, and now I've been getting A's in upper div classes. Will adcoms think highly of these A's in upper divs, or would they still try to grill me about my ****ty prereq gpa?
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They will grill you but with your high MCAT and grades that are somewhat lower than normal but not obscenely lower, I doubt it would really turn them off of you as a candidate. Bs are fine, C, C+, B-, I would debate retaking, below a C and you should retake.
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I think retaking B-'s is kinda of silly. I had several of them and was never asked about any of them...
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I would only retake them if they were in a pre-req and I thought I could get an A. As I said it's debatable and depends on numerous variables.
that's a lot of retakes! wouldn't that be a huge red flag?
