Retake ochem or immunology?

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Dark Ace

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Hi, first time posting here.

I have a couple questions on grade replacement.

1. I took Gen Biochem 1 and Intro to Biochem at my previous institution. The intro course is more elementary and intended for non-majors mostly but there is a huge overlap with Gen Biochem 1. I did poorly in both. At my current different university, I am retaking Gen Biochem 1 and doing pretty well. I am also planning to take Gen Biochem 2 here. My question is will my Gen Biochem 1 course here replace only the Gen Biochem 1 or both the intro and GB1 since there was such a huge overlap?

2. I have the option of retaking either Orgo 2(3cr) or Immunology(4cr). I had a C in both. Which one is wiser to retake?

(this is for osteopathic medical schools)

Thanks so much!
 
1. Interesting that your school splits up biochem into 2 courses... but at any rate, the new grade will more than likely only replace the same course, not both.

2. Can you retake both? Organic 2 is a pre-requisite, so on the one hand it will be nice to increase your pre-requisite sGPA. On the other hand, immunology is a tough class so doing better will also look good. My vote is for retaking Organic 2 on the grounds of pre-req sGPA, although I can see how others would disagree and vote for retaking Immunology.

Either way, best of luck to you!
 
1. Interesting that your school splits up biochem into 2 courses... but at any rate, the new grade will more than likely only replace the same course, not both.

2. Can you retake both? Organic 2 is a pre-requisite, so on the one hand it will be nice to increase your pre-requisite sGPA. On the other hand, immunology is a tough class so doing better will also look good. My vote is for retaking Organic 2 on the grounds of pre-req sGPA, although I can see how others would disagree and vote for retaking Immunology.

Either way, best of luck to you!

I concur. the retake will only replace biochem 1. and retake ochem 2. i had an interviewer tell me that if the gpa is 3.5 or less, they look directly at the ochem grades. i think he told me this as ochem was a turning point for me so I made a bigger deal about my A and he brought it up.
 
I'd take Ochem 2. All of the mechanisms are a B****, but it is amazing what you can cram into your head if you try hard enough. Should be easier without the lab.😀
 
I concur. the retake will only replace biochem 1. and retake ochem 2. i had an interviewer tell me that if the gpa is 3.5 or less, they look directly at the ochem grades. i think he told me this as ochem was a turning point for me so I made a bigger deal about my A and he brought it up.

👍 I for the most part had an interviewer say the same thing to me... thank god I rocked ochem.
 
👍 I for the most part had an interviewer say the same thing to me... thank god I rocked ochem.

on that note... ill be taking ochem for the first time this upcoming fall semester. pretty nervous about it to say the least, but plan to work hard.

what advice do you guys have to do well in ochem? i need all the help i can get i think haha :laugh:


EDIT: and not to hijack your thread haha, just didn't see a point in making a new thread or anything. but i would definitely retake the ochem if i were you, many consider it a weed-out course, and it will help if you do very well your second time around.
 
on that note... ill be taking ochem for the first time this upcoming fall semester. pretty nervous about it to say the least, but plan to work hard.

what advice do you guys have to do well in ochem? i need all the help i can get i think haha :laugh:


EDIT: and not to hijack your thread haha, just didn't see a point in making a new thread or anything. but i would definitely retake the ochem if i were you, many consider it a weed-out course, and it will help if you do very well your second time around.
I just immersed myself in it for awhile, flashcards then book problems... It starts coming to you as you start understanding a little bit of it, its almost like learning a language.
 
I just immersed myself in it for awhile, flashcards then book problems... It starts coming to you as you start understanding a little bit of it, its almost like learning a language.

Strongly agree with book problems. Practice makes perfect so hit the books! I ended up LOVING organic chemistry. It also helped that my professor was awesome. He had us put together pharmaceuticals for extra credit!

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Ha that's funny my professor did the same. Yeah I loved organic, ended up doing some research with my professor, nothing published while I was there though.
 
Organic it is then. Thanks so much for the amazing advice everyone!!
 
👍 I for the most part had an interviewer say the same thing to me... thank god I rocked ochem.
What if someone had A- in organic 1...B in organic 2 and C in Biochem. Would that be a problem such in my case?
 
1. Interesting that your school splits up biochem into 2 courses... but at any rate, the new grade will more than likely only replace the same course, not both.
!
My school also splits biochemistry into biochem 1 and biochem 2. Does anyone know if you need to take the full sequence to satisfy a biochem prereq?
 
What if someone had A- in organic 1...B in organic 2 and C in Biochem. Would that be a problem such in my case?
The C in Biochem isn't the most attractive thing... but its not a killer. If you have some extra time you could always retake. But I would say that as long as you don't have any other GPA red flags you should be fine.
 
Reply function getting the best of you? Lolz
 
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ok, I've another question on the same subject. Turns out intro to biochem is also offered at my pb school. Of course it's a whole lot easier and less in depth. My question is would retaking it look bad after having retaken Gen Biochem 1? It would help my GPA a lot though. Thanks a lot!
 
ok, I've another question on the same subject. Turns out intro to biochem is also offered at my pb school. Of course it's a whole lot easier and less in depth. My question is would retaking it look bad after having retaken Gen Biochem 1? It would help my GPA a lot though. Thanks a lot!
No I don't think it will look bad, it will show up chronologically when they look through your app but they understand that you are working to better your coursework so I don't think anyone will really shun you.
 
The C in Biochem isn't the most attractive thing... but its not a killer. If you have some extra time you could always retake. But I would say that as long as you don't have any other GPA red flags you should be fine.
This C in biochem is putting me in a big hole. I only took two upper science classes, which I got a B- (genetics) and that C (biochem). I am graduating this spring ...not planning to take anymore classes unless I have to. In that case I might take microbiology and Immunology in fall this year. Do you think I still have shot if I have a 28+ mcat even with that C in biochem. cGPA 3.15, sGPA 3.28....
 
This C in biochem is putting me in a big hole. I only took two upper science classes, which I got a B- (genetics) and that C (biochem). I am graduating this spring ...not planning to take anymore classes unless I have to. In that case I might take microbiology and Immunology in fall this year. Do you think I still have shot if I have a 28+ mcat even with that C in biochem. cGPA 3.15, sGPA 3.28....
Do you have a shot? Yes. Will it be an easy shot? No. You should probably take micro and immuno, you need more upper level sciences.
 
on that note... ill be taking ochem for the first time this upcoming fall semester. pretty nervous about it to say the least, but plan to work hard.

what advice do you guys have to do well in ochem? i need all the help i can get i think haha :laugh:


EDIT: and not to hijack your thread haha, just didn't see a point in making a new thread or anything. but i would definitely retake the ochem if i were you, many consider it a weed-out course, and it will help if you do very well your second time around.

I suggest understanding and constantly reviewing concepts your first quarter and throughout the rest of the course. They are requisite to your understanding of carbonyl chemistry, etc. I'm in my last quarter of O Chem at UC Irvine and everything I learned my first quarter is coming back with full force. O Chem is like playing chess -you have a set of rules and there are certain ways to apply those rules in a creative manner. When you start learning about reagents I suggest making flashcards with starting materials and products made with those reagents. Rifle through them everyday as a quick review and you'll know them cold. The main thing to do is problem sets. I cannot stress this enough. Doing one or two problems is merely not enough. Just like Calculus you need to go through the thought process of how to get to the solution. Another suggestion is to not look at your solutions manual until you've made the commitment to sincerely answer a problem. O Chem takes time, effort and practice. There will be times where you'll want to bang your head through the wall, haha, but strap your gnar boots on and just keep truckin' away.
 
Hey guys, I'm wondering what my chances would be for DO. Take a peek at my MD Apps. My original MCAT was 230, sGPA 3.80, cGPA 3.82. I have all As in my sciences taken at my institution so far and have a B- in Organic I at a top 20 school with an A in the lab. But I'm likely going to pull at least one, if not two, C+s this semester (Organic Chemistry II & Cellular Bio). This semester I applied to med school, lost a family member, separated from my wife, and found out my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I thought schools were understanding, since I had extenuating circumstances surrounding my MCAT, but after this cycle, have become far more cynical. Any DO advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and good luck to all. (I'm thinking PCOM, MUACOM, and CCOM are my top choices.)
 
Hey guys, I'm wondering what my chances would be for DO. Take a peek at my MD Apps. My original MCAT was 230, sGPA 3.80, cGPA 3.82. I have all As in my sciences taken at my institution so far and have a B- in Organic I at a top 20 school with an A in the lab. But I'm likely going to pull at least one, if not two, C+s this semester (Organic Chemistry II & Cellular Bio). This semester I applied to med school, lost a family member, separated from my wife, and found out my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I thought schools were understanding, since I had extenuating circumstances surrounding my MCAT, but after this cycle, have become far more cynical. Any DO advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and good luck to all. (I'm thinking PCOM, MUACOM, and CCOM are my top choices.)
My .02 on your response from programs is that you might be received quite well. Be careful of the MCAT scores for each program and possibly try to get a second go at the MCAT imo. Having 2 Cs isn't a deal breaker for DO programs or MD programs with your GPA, as long as they are not C-s or Ds (in which case you'll need to retake but they will consider you but you'll be retaking prior to matriculation). Good luck with this cycle!
 
If your GPA is high enough to survive the initial screening (e.g you aren't getting thrown into the reject pile because of your GPA) I say take biochem (and get an A). If you are getting thrown out because of a low GPA, then retaking is definitely the better option.
 
Thank you both for your advice. I made an A- in biochem and an A- in precalc. I have 2 Bs in intro maths that brought down my sGPA along with that B- in Orgo (that was AMCAS's doing). So the DO app system should be kind to me by not including math in my sGPA. This is very relieving, thank you. I'll stick around to receive more advice should anyone have any.

Cheers.
 
I suggest understanding and constantly reviewing concepts your first quarter and throughout the rest of the course. They are requisite to your understanding of carbonyl chemistry, etc. I'm in my last quarter of O Chem at UC Irvine and everything I learned my first quarter is coming back with full force. O Chem is like playing chess -you have a set of rules and there are certain ways to apply those rules in a creative manner. When you start learning about reagents I suggest making flashcards with starting materials and products made with those reagents. Rifle through them everyday as a quick review and you'll know them cold. The main thing to do is problem sets. I cannot stress this enough. Doing one or two problems is merely not enough. Just like Calculus you need to go through the thought process of how to get to the solution. Another suggestion is to not look at your solutions manual until you've made the commitment to sincerely answer a problem. O Chem takes time, effort and practice. There will be times where you'll want to bang your head through the wall, haha, but strap your gnar boots on and just keep truckin' away.

Great advice, thank you! Seems like making flash cards is the way to go to memorize reagents. Any books anyone recommends for practice problems, besides the assigned textbook?
 
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