Re-Take Orgo I?

[holesinthinair]

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Hey all,

I have the following conundrum:

Before I was sure I wanted to be a doctor, I took Orgo I and got a C- in the lecture portion (!!!) and and A- in the lab portion.

This was a big wake-up call to me, as it was the lowest grade I'd gotten in a course ever. Basically the grade was due to laziness, and my work ethic has changed considerably since then.

The next semester (Spring) I took orgo II and got an A- (B+ in lab)
Now I'm a tutor for orgo II and I'm in a 400 level orgo class

Because of the C- (and a B in biology my freshman year) my BCPM is a 3.23. I still have a year of undergrad (I'm a senior) and if things go the way that I expect them to (A- average), I should have a 3.44 BCPM at the end of the year.

Do I really need to re-take Orgo I?
Is that Orgo grade going to keep me out of the running at MD schools?

Also, there's a psych class I want to take (I'm a biopsych major) that's 500 level and is cross-listed in the anatomy, physiology, and biology departments. I've heard that grad school classes won't factor into your BCPM. Is that true? Should I not bother with it?

Thanks!

 

[Omashu]

Yes, you need to retake because many schools do not accept anything lower than a C.

 

[HeatherMD]

re-taking a first-year class when you're in a 400-level of the subject is.. profoundly immoral.

 

[chutzpah]

I agree, I think if you can demonstrate that you're capable of handling an upper level orgo class, you don't necessarily have to retake orgo I. They'll just average the grades anyway, so if you get an A in advanced orgo, it'll be more impressive than an A in orgo 1.

 

[katarina90]

I think its a tough call, because a C- is on the brink of failing...at our school, a C is an acceptable grade but a C- must be retaken. If I were in your position, I'd probably retake it. I don't know if it would keep you out of any schools if you didn't retake it, so I would check the guidelines of the schools you're planning to apply to.

 

[Mobius1985]

Also, there's a psych class I want to take (I'm a biopsych major) that's 500 level and is cross-listed in the anatomy, physiology, and biology departments. I've heard that grad school classes won't factor into your BCPM. Is that true? Should I not bother with it?

If you have not been admitted to a graduate school program, a grad level class is figured into your undergrad GPA.

Also, I think either the A- in Orgo II, or taking an upper-level Orgo class and getting an A would redeem the Orgo I grade.

 

[tfa2007]

I don't think you necessarily have to retake it. I would email the schools you're applying to directly to ask the director of admissions what they recommend you do (explain your situation). The same exact thing happened to me (C- in Orgo I) and the woman at jefferson recommended I take an upper level chemistry class instead of re-taking that class, so I took biochem and got an A. It must have been good enough, because I was accepted! Overall, they just want to see that you have a high level of mastery in chemistry, however you ultimately show it.