Medical Should I retake a prereq in the summer after course failure?

[Mr.Smile12]

I am a premed. A few years ago, I failed a prereq. I was actually doing pretty well in the class (teeter-tottering between a high B and low A) until finals week. I had a medical emergency of a neurological nature suddenly on the morning of the final. I was really confused/out of it and am kicking myself for not asking for a note from the hospital to be able to get an incomplete or withdrawal. The hospital doesn't provide those things after the fact, either. My university had a policy where if you miss the final, you fail the class. So, I failed the class. 🙁 I was generally having a rough year in my personal life and this is part of a string of bad grades that semester/year. I very much have a V-shaped grade trend.

I am doing much better and feel ready to retake the class I failed. I want to do it this summer to get it over with. This situation is really embarrassing for me and I don't want to have to remember that bad experience for longer than I need to.

Would it look bad to retake this class in the 8-week summer semester? Say, I were to get an A in the class because this is my second pass-through. Would the fact that it was achieved during an 8-week summer semester "take away" from the way that A would be viewed?

Would it be better if I waited until the fall? Does it make a difference?

Thanks!

If you failed a prereq, you have to retake it. It doesn't really matter if it's in the summer or not as long as it doesn't look like you're dodging a class's rigor by taking it at a less rigorous institution (in other words, if you're taking it at a different school, the credit has to transfer back towards your degree requirements at your home institution.... make sure the home institution approves it before you begin taking the class at your other school [if applicable]).

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[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I am planning to take it over the summer at my home university.

As a follow-up question, do you think I can still get into medical school with having had a disaster sophomore year that included a failed prereq so long as I make near straight A's junior and senior years, a great MCAT score and the appropriate ECs? A post by an adcom on pre-allo describing admissions as an olympic level activity made me scared that I need to be perfect, which I am clearly not. I want to know if I ought to cut my losses now and do something else.

You don't need to be perfect, but you have to own your stumbles when they occur. Life happens. That said, everyone should understand getting into medical school is not defined by when you graduate. It is defined when you have best shown your preparation. I would still have a backup plan. There are plenty of strong students I have advised who didn't get into medical school and they're happy.

Medicine by the way is also a marathon in and of itself. It's hard now, but the pressure to pass boards, licensure, residency... it's always there. The habits you establish now sets you up for success later. But going into health care doesn't protect you from making mistakes, but it shouldn't completely petrify you from making them either.

 

[Goro]

OP, some schools allow for retroactive withdrawals in lieu of bad grades. See if your school will allow this. Ask the Registrar.

Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately, I looked into this when it happened and my school doesn't offer this, so I am stuck with the F. 🙁