Shocking story about my grade(should I give up?)

[Challenge]

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I just received first exam grade of my organic chemistry I. It was unbelievable.
Ok.. here's my background.
Undergrad GPA degree in Human Nutrition and Exercise Science with 2.8
Just started post-bacc program at a state university. I took organic I before and did not study the whole semester and got C.
I got B on Organic II though.
For the General Chemistry II, I got D because I have not touched the material.
However, I re-registered for the class this semester and this time I studied till my @SS off!!
I read the chapters did most(90%) of homework assignment. I spent so many hours studying this course in the hopes of getting A+. And the result was----------

got 8 out of 22 multiple choice question. Average was 60.
I asked the professor what happened and he didn't say much. He didn't know the answer either. I was shock and sooooo angry at myself and everything that was related to Organic. Even the letter F@#$%ing "O"!
I lost confidence and I do not want to study organic chem again. I mean, I am really pissed off.
I liked organic when I was doing homework assignment because I was getting right and understanding almost every questions.
I'm getting B's and A's on the other course but there's gotta be something wrong.
I don't know if I want to pursue medicine because i'm stupid.
This is my second opportunity because I didn't do well in college.
I never got below 50 on any of exam before though I did not study much!
Never was on 30's or 40's.
I was never highly motivated than this before.
I have to get almost 100 on almost all the course to get a B+. And I don't want to risk myself getting another C or even B-.
But I already told one of grad school(which I'm planning to apply for next fall) director that I'm gonna get straight A this semester in order to get admission in the grad school.
Should I drop this class?? Should I never even try to apply for medical school?
PLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEE HELP!!!!
I am so desperate and depressed right now...

 

[nmehta211]

I am sorry to hear of your bad turn of events. However, allow me to blunt with you. Only you can determine how strong your motivation is in pursuing medical school and a career as a physician. That will allow you to figure out whether you are willing to put in the extra work required to get where you need to be. I think you have presented the situation well, you will have to do very well to get a good grade for the semester. Are you willing to do the work that it will require? How bad do you want medicine? No one can tell you how to do it, and no one is going to do it for you, especially me, since I don't know you. But I can tell you that all of us have struggled at one point or another, whether it be organic (as it was for me) or MCATs, or even interviews. Yet, we all persevere and continue to move on, working hard, and pushing towards our goals. Whether you want to join us, well, that is your decision.

What should you do to improve your Organic scores? Well, have you thought about getting a tutor? Or maybe becoming close with your professor, so that you will be able to get extra help? This is what it takes sometimes. I feel confident that anyone who puts their mind to it, can accomplish anything.

"There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world. That is an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo

 

[Djanaba]

If you are serious and willing to work hard and be persistent, stay in the class, do your best, and retake if necessary -- ragardless of whether you drop it or keep it on paper -- attend the rest of the lectures and take the tests! This is material you need to work well with to score well on the MCAT. More exposure = material comes easier = you'll do better in the end. But like the previous poster said, only you can determine how hard you're willing to work.

 

[Besyonek]

A question:

Why are you applying to grad school if you want to study medicine? Your post-bacc grades will be given much more weight and attention than would grad school grades. Also, once you're in the grad program, you really *must* finish it before you can get into med school. Adcoms do not like to see applicants' starting and then not finishing other educational programs -- it suggests that the person cannot complete tasks. Moreover, many grad school faculty will be antipathetic to students who enter their program only with the intention to bail and enter a professional field like medicine. I've heard of applicants getting screwed by grad profs giving them bad rec letters because of this bias.

I too would suggest getting a tutor for the chem class. You cannot afford another bad grade.

 

[jimmybee]

I don't want to be the bad guy.....but depending on the number of tests left in the class, I would most likely drop the class. Where I go to school, our organic sylabus consisted of 2 tests worth 30% each and then a final worth 40%. Considering your grade, it will be an uphill battle to get a strong grade overall in the class. It is not impossible, however. You will just have to use your best judgement.

Good Luck

 

[Challenge]

Thanks for all your incentive words.
Well, answering to one of your question, I'm going to graduate school in biotech program (one year) because I am not only interested in it but also it will boost my status somewhat. It is in medical school.
AfterI get M.S., I'm planning to apply to medical school and work at the NIH or other biotech company while I wait for the interview or admission at medical school.

By the way, my first organic exam counts 18% of total grade. Which means I got around 7%.
But, the professor told us that total grade depend on the whole class grade average.
The first exam's average was 60/100.
Well, I got the grade way beyond the average.
This is soooooo bizarre because I've already gotten C on organic before and I am retaking it.

 

[pumpkinpies]

By all means do not give up! Organic is a very difficult subject and obvious the rest of your class thought so or the mean would not be that low. Does your teacher grade on a curve? Get extra help form the teacher get a tutor, hook up with some classmates for study sessions. Talk to the teacher about what you may be doing wrong in your study regiment. Talk to some students who are doing well about what they do, if they are willing to tell you. Buckle down and try even harder!!!!!! You will probably do much better on the next exam.. Then see if your teacher wil take that into consideration and weight the next few exams more heavily for you.

Keep trying!