Potentially screwing up my post-bacc experience

[scarsdale92]

I have a 2.9 cumulative gpa and looking to apply to dental school come June. I started my post-bacc journey in the summer for 2017 to finish my pre-requisites.

So far, I have an:
B+ in Organic Chem I
A in Physics I
B- in Ochem Lab I

This semester however, I'm off to a really bad start. Potential grades for this semester:
Physics I: A
Orgo II: possibly a B or B+ - I got a 55 on the first exam.
Orgo Lab II: Possibly another B or perhaps B-

I am so stressed because I messed up so bad in Organic Chem Lab today and also bombed my first quiz. Super stressed.

Much advice and support needed!

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[deleted740991]

Sounds like this journey might not be for you, if you’re still scoring those grades in prerequisites. Figure out ASAP what you have to do right now to correct your actions and get better grades. Potential grades mean nothing... everyone potentially is striving for an A or B+.

 

[WaveRace]

It looks like it's organic that is tripping you up. Those classes can absolutely be very difficult. You probably realize that you need to be getting A's in your situation with the low GPA. My advice is to talk to your professor and to other students who have taken the course. See what can be done to better grasp the material and perform on exams. Are you taking advantage of all available resources, like office hours, study groups, etc? This is the time to go to bat and pull out all stops. Those 'A' grades are possible. It's really up to you to attain them.

The book "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" has been reported to be very helpful by several people that I know struggled in Organic Chem. That's a resource you could potentially look into.

 

[DocDoom]

are you only taking 3 classes per semester? If so, that really looks bad and adcom will think u wont be able to survive in dental school. Keep in mind that in dental school you will be taking many classes at once (>3 classes for sure).

 

[Blueshirts]

Is this a formal post-bacc? Usually you are advised to keep a 3.5 or above for post-bacc..not sure why that one guy is telling you it is over

 

[scarsdale92]

Is this a formal post-bacc? Usually you are advised to keep a 3.5 or above for post-bacc..not sure why that one guy is telling you it is over

It's a DIY post-bacc. I'm pursuing a second bachelor's in biology.

 

[Arthur Jeffries]

if you're not pulling a 3.5+ in a DIY post bac without a full course credit load you need to evaluate if this path is for you. if you can turn it around and finish strong with a 22+ DAT then you have a good chance assuming everything else checks out

 

[knewstance]

Get some help in Organic Chemistry! There are tons of resources online, but even better there are tons of resources available with your school.

Make flash cards, write things out on white boards repeatedly, ect. There are plenty of people who get As in O-chem and not all of them are pure geniuses. You just need to figure out exactly what you need to do to master the subject.

 

[Blueshirts]

if you're not pulling a 3.5+ in a DIY post bac without a full course credit load you need to evaluate if this path is for you. if you can turn it around and finish strong with a 22+ DAT then you have a good chance assuming everything else checks out

Hey, just wondering, when you did your masters program was it full time over 1 year?

 

[Arthur Jeffries]

Hey, just wondering, when you did your masters program was it full time over 1 year?

yes

Edit: my previous comment is more geared towards what your finishing gpa should be and less of how many credits you take. i know people who finish masters programs in 3 or 4 semesters and adcoms could care less as long as the grades are there

 

[Blackca3]

OP, I would try to ignore all the negativity in this thread. It doesn't seem like any of these people work in admissions so they really can't tell what is or isn't a disqualifier other than pulling info from school's site which you can do yourself. I had a lower undergrad GPA in business. I took post bach classes for all of the science prereqs and I never exceeded a course load of 3 classes. Some people have to work or have other commitments on top of classes. I had no issues getting interviews. It's a holistic process. I'm no expert but your grades look good to me. Keep working hard and try to do well on the DAT.

 

[sobertiger]

Why are you so worried? The lowest grade you got was a B-. It's not great, but it's not nearly as bad as some SDNers make it out to be.

Honestly, just keep your postbac GPA around 3.5 or above and do well on the DAT (an even 21+) then you will be fine even with a C (gasp) or two here and there. You would need As to counterbalance them in order to keep the GPA up, though.

In the eyes of the adcoms, a couple of B-'s or Cs on the prereqs don't look that bad when you do well on the upper division electives like Biochem, Physiology, Anatomy, etc. because those are the types of classes you'll be taking in dental school. That's the better way to redeem yourself than to retake any classes so I advise against retakes unless you failed the course.

Good luck and hang in there.

 

[scarsdale92]

OP, I would try to ignore all the negativity in this thread. It doesn't seem like any of these people work in admissions so they really can't tell what is or isn't a disqualifier other than pulling info from school's site which you can do yourself. I had a lower undergrad GPA in business. I took post bach classes for all of the science prereqs and I never exceeded a course load of 3 classes. Some people have to work or have other commitments on top of classes. I had no issues getting interviews. It's a holistic process. I'm no expert but your grades look good to me. Keep working hard and try to do well on the DAT.

Thanks for the positivity. I take the negative comments as just constructive criticism and fuel to this fire.

I need to get it together - I'm honestly just mad at myself. I know I could've done so much better had I studied a bit more. The exam wasn't even that difficult. Enough of my rant though and back to studying.

Much thanks btw!

 

[Blueshirts]

yes

Edit: my previous comment is more geared towards what your finishing gpa should be and less of how many credits you take. i know people who finish masters programs in 3 or 4 semesters and adcoms could care less as long as the grades are there

Hey man, i appreciate the info that is incredibly helpful to know for a lot of people who are on these boards

 

[Blueshirts]

Thanks for the positivity. I take the negative comments as just constructive criticism and fuel to this fire.

I need to get it together - I'm honestly just mad at myself. I know I could've done so much better had I studied a bit more. The exam wasn't even that difficult. Enough of my rant though and back to studying.

Much thanks btw!

Orgo is a lot like math class in terms of strategy. Just pounding out practice questions is a great way to see your grade go up, assuming you have grasped the material conceptually. Good luck.