SMP Override C-

[inmyposhposh]

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Hey everyone! I've been browsing the forums for awhile now and this is my first post so I appreciate any help you can give me.

I am a recently graduated Bio Major with 3.3 cGPA, 3.2 sGPA, and 35 MCAT. I did well in most of my classes, including upper division but some of my prereqs weren't as good > Gen Chem C+/B-, O-Chem II C-, Physics B-/C+, Calc II C (major requirement). I'm planning on applying to SMP's for the fall of 2013 but am wondering if my C- will play a hindrance for me not only getting into SMP's but also when I apply to med school after completing an SMP as well. Do I need to retake the C- for med school's to look at my app? Or should I just apply to SMP's and keep moving forward? (FYI I'm pretty adamant about attending allo due to the specialty I'd like to pursue). Thanks!

 

[Hoya2011]

Hey everyone! I've been browsing the forums for awhile now and this is my first post so I appreciate any help you can give me.

I am a recently graduated Bio Major with 3.3 cGPA, 3.2 sGPA, and 35 MCAT. I did well in most of my classes, including upper division but some of my prereqs weren't as good > Gen Chem C+/B-, O-Chem II C-, Physics B-/C+, Calc II C (major requirement). I'm planning on applying to SMP's for the fall of 2013 but am wondering if my C- will play a hindrance for me not only getting into SMP's but also when I apply to med school after completing an SMP as well. Do I need to retake the C- for med school's to look at my app? Or should I just apply to SMP's and keep moving forward? (FYI I'm pretty adamant about attending allo due to the specialty I'd like to pursue). Thanks!

Your undergrad grades won't matter nearly as much as SMP performance. You're a classic SMP applicant (high MCAT, low GPA) so I would suggest applying broadly to SMP's (esp. ones w/ higher linkage rates - they seem more forgiving of undergrad GPAs altogether...e.g. Toledo/evms/cincinnati) and med schools. At this point, I wouldn't bother retaking that C-. A better use of your time might be spent figuring out why you did poorly in undergrad and addressing those weaknesses before the SMP begins.

 

[johnnyscans]

Your undergrad grades won't matter nearly as much as SMP performance. You're a classic SMP applicant (high MCAT, low GPA) so I would suggest applying broadly to SMP's (esp. ones w/ higher linkage rates - they seem more forgiving of undergrad GPAs altogether...e.g. Toledo/evms/cincinnati) and med schools. At this point, I wouldn't bother retaking that C-. A better use of your time might be spent figuring out why you did poorly in undergrad and addressing those weaknesses before the SMP begins.

Some schools require grades better than a C- in their pre-reqs.

 

[inmyposhposh]

Yeah, that's my issue. I don't want to go through the SMP and then find out I didn't get in anywhere because of that C- not being retaken. Do you happen to know the percentage of schools that have C- requirement? Or is it just different everywhere?

 

[inmyposhposh]

Your undergrad grades won't matter nearly as much as SMP performance. You're a classic SMP applicant (high MCAT, low GPA) so I would suggest applying broadly to SMP's (esp. ones w/ higher linkage rates - they seem more forgiving of undergrad GPAs altogether...e.g. Toledo/evms/cincinnati) and med schools. At this point, I wouldn't bother retaking that C-. A better use of your time might be spent figuring out why you did poorly in undergrad and addressing those weaknesses before the SMP begins.

I appreciate your advice, it's very relieving. I just want to make sure that if med schools do have that C- requirement that I take care of it before I start my SMP. Would you happen to know if SMP's have that C- requirement for applying as well?

 

[Tayne]

I appreciate your advice, it's very relieving. I just want to make sure that if med schools do have that C- requirement that I take care of it before I start my SMP. Would you happen to know if SMP's have that C- requirement for applying as well?

I called about 6 schools in the NY area to ask if a C-minus is considered passing, because I got a C- in one of the core pre-requisites. They all said it was acceptable. Obviously these are only a few out of the 120+ M.D. programs in the country, but at least it appears based on this small sample that a better-than-C-minus requirement may not be the norm.

I tried a search on SDN a while back, and while this C-minus question has been asked a few times, I wasn't able to find a general answer or a comprehensive list of schools and their policies. You might be best served finding out yourself by calling the admissions offices of schools you're interested in and asking (most school websites don't explicitly state their policies.)

Based on the language of the EVMS SMP website, a C- is NOT considered acceptable for the core pre-med requirements, and I'd imagine this would carry over to their medical school but I don't know that for a fact (I'm sure an EVMS student around here can clear that up.)

 

[inmyposhposh]

I called about 6 schools in the NY area to ask if a C-minus is considered passing, because I got a C- in one of the core pre-requisites. They all said it was acceptable. Obviously these are only a few out of the 120+ M.D. programs in the country, but at least it appears based on this small sample that a better-than-C-minus requirement may not be the norm.

I tried a search on SDN a while back, and while this C-minus question has been asked a few times, I wasn't able to find a general answer or a comprehensive list of schools and their policies. You might be best served finding out yourself by calling the admissions offices of schools you're interested in and asking (most school websites don't explicitly state their policies.)

Based on the language of the EVMS SMP website, a C- is NOT considered acceptable for the core pre-med requirements, and I'd imagine this would carry over to their medical school but I don't know that for a fact (I'm sure an EVMS student around here can clear that up.)

yeah, I've tried searching around the forums regarding the issue and responses to it are pretty limited. I agree with you about calling up different schools and finding out for myself. Thanks for your help.

 

[deleted248403]

Call the admissions offices and ask.

The 35 MCAT helps offset any concerns they might have about you knowing the material (as long as you didn't get a 15, 15, 5....) but you want to make sure you know what their policy is.

 

[plumhill]

Surprisingly, some DO schools are strict about the C- rule (from what I've heard from the adcoms there). If I were you I would just retake it before doing your SMP. You could maybe look into retaking Ochem II over the summer and focus ALL of your attention on at least cracking a C. Since you're already planning on doing an SMP, I think doing it over the summer (even if you don't get an A) is acceptable and will save you time.

 

[pre med 2014]

Hmmm, I would talk to an admissions office. It might make more sense to do a post bacc to retake pre reqs rather than taking an SMP with upper level classes since you have already demonstrated proficiency in that

 

[Tayne]

For what it's worth, I wound up calling several more schools just to get a general feel for how schools treat C-minuses. I called ~15-20 medical schools, and the majority of them said C-minuses were acceptable. Something like 3 or 4 of those schools informed me that C-minuses aren't acceptable. Keep in mind, though, that I focused on calling schools that I feel I have a realistic shot at (I didn't call Harvard or Johns Hopkins); more prestigious schools might have stricter policies. I have an actual list that I wrote out somewhere on a piece of paper at home, if you want to know any specifics.

I had a few admissions people tell me, "While a C- is accepted, you should keep in mind that these classes are important, and C-minuses don't look good." If you can do it, you should try to re-take any C-minuses. But if you can't, I think there are plenty of medical schools that will still consider you regardless.

Just to mention it again, EVMS and its SMP program do NOT accept C-minus grades in these classes, if you are considering that school.

 

[Oooogamy]

I know RFU-BMS doesn't accept C-'s in pre-req courses. They don't mind if you're re-taking the class while you apply to the program (or even after you apply), as long as the C-'s have been replaced when SMP classes start. Make sure to call around to the one's you're interested in... I vaguely remember a few others that didn't consider a C- as a passing grade for a pre-req.

 

[Tayne]

I know RFU-BMS doesn't accept C-'s in pre-req courses. They don't mind if you're re-taking the class while you apply to the program (or even after you apply), as long as the C-'s have been replaced when SMP classes start. Make sure to call around to the one's you're interested in... I vaguely remember a few others that didn't consider a C- as a passing grade for a pre-req.

I just corresponded with a recruiter for the RFU BMS program and they informed me that they don't look at the - or + in grades, and therefore a C- would be treated just the same as a C (i.e. passing.) Perhaps their policy has changed since you last dealt with them.

 

[Oooogamy]

@Steven... Interesting. I spoke to someone at the admissions office last week who told me that a C- was not passing. She seemed a little uncertain, so I reiterated that I really needed to know because I'd have to retake a course. She said it was definitely not passing. I will give a call back to double-check and let ya'll know.

 

[Tayne]

This is the e-mail I received:

"Thank you for contacting us about the Master's of Biomedical Sciences at Rosalind Franklin University. The admissions committee does not considered the plus of minus with a grade, so your C- would be a C in the review process. Please contact us if you have any further questions."

I will say that a number of offices I've called have seemed a little unsure and slightly confused on this issue. If anything, I'd recommend (if possible) to retake C-'s to avoid the hassle of "I don't think it's acceptable ... wait yes it is." that I've gotten in some instances.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk 2

 

[Oooogamy]

"Thank you for contacting us about the Master's of Biomedical Sciences at Rosalind Franklin University. The admissions committee does not considered the plus of minus with a grade, so your C- would be a C in the review process. Please contact us if you have any further questions."

Steven... you are correct. I called today an spoke with someone new and they reiterated what was said in the email above. A C- DOES count as passing for their pre-req courses.

Thanks for the heads-up!