Taking a higher level Orgo class

[HuckleberryEven]

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[Mr.Smile12]

What did you get in biochemistry?

All grades count in your application, and one should not repeat courses where one passed, so I would not repeat off a C.

 

[HuckleberryEven]

What did you get in biochemistry?

All grades count in your application, and one should not repeat courses where one passed, so I would not repeat off a C.

Hi! So this wouldn't be a repeat, we have an advanced organic chemistry class option that we could take after Orgo II. I got an A- in biochem, A in neurochemistry, and A in Drug Discovery (uses some organic chemistry concepts but mostly focuses on biochem and physiological effects of drugs). I'm also taking Advanced Biochemistry next semester.

 

[gyngyn]

Hi! So this wouldn't be a repeat, we have an advanced organic chemistry class option that we could take after Orgo II.

Don't do this for us.

 

[HuckleberryEven]

Don't do this for us.

I meant we as in students at my school lmaoooooo

 

[gonnif]

Hey guys just wondering about your thoughts. I took both of my Orgo classes in 2020 which was pretty much a disastrous year for me. I had to p/ f Orgo 1 and bio 2 in spring of 2020 (optional and I had to p/f the entire semester ) and I got a big fat c in Orgo 2 the following semester. A lot of it is on me but I also lost many family members throughout the year and was stuck in a toxic household with little support and help. My grades jumped significantly the following year and I’ve been holding strong ever since (all A’s except for three b’s). Should I take an advanced Orgo class to show that I can excel with the material or just move on? Most of the med schools I’m looking at say they will accept p/f for prereqs but I’m worried that unlike bio I haven’t really had the chance to prove myself as a good Orgo student. I did take higher level chem classes that I did very well in but they’re not Orgo related.

Doing this will not help you. If you took Orgo 1 p/f you are limiting yourself to those few schools that will take. What you should damn well do is repeat Orgo 1 and make damn sure you get an A. That way you can broaden the array of schools you can apply to. Dont be a dang fool taking an advanced and much harder Orgo course that can crush easily under the weight of chem majors

 

[HuckleberryEven]

Doing this will not help you. If you took Orgo 1 p/f you are limiting yourself to those few schools that will take. What you should damn well do is repeat Orgo 1 and make damn sure you get an A. That way you can broaden the array of schools you can apply to. Dont be a dang fool taking an advanced and much harder Orgo course that can crush easily under the weight of chem majors

My school doesn't allow retakes on classes you got a P in and as far as I know because it was during the spring 2020 semester most med schools said they will accept p/f towards pre-reqs.

 

[Emperor Napoleon]

Doing this will not help you. If you took Orgo 1 p/f you are limiting yourself to those few schools that will take. What you should damn well do is repeat Orgo 1 and make damn sure you get an A. That way you can broaden the array of schools you can apply to. Dont be a dang fool taking an advanced and much harder Orgo course that can crush easily under the weight of chem majors

They did say they took Orgo 1 during Spring 2020 and most (I think almost all maybe?) schools did say they would take P/F for pre-reqs during that semester. It's an unfortunate situation and don't expect med schools not to be a bit unhappy with it but @HuckleberryEven I definitely would not recommend taking Advanced Organic Chemistry to make up for that. That's like taking an engineering class to make up a bad grade in Calculus: that class definitely looks like it's for chem majors and not just the average premed. You did well in your other chem classes so just move on.

 

[Emperor Napoleon]

Just explain on your application what happened. I don't know much but I think your trend and your better grades in other chem classes should show that you were going through something major. Sometimes we have slip ups along the way and not everyone/every application is going to be perfect. Hope everything is good now.

 

[based_tuskenraider]

I"m in a pretty similar situation and this is what my premed advisor told me (not exactly but just the gist of it): it's good that you see that med schools aren't just going to take that P/F, no questions asked, and everyone will dance kumbaya and be happy. You will be scrutinized more but that being said, it seems like you had a very real and very good reason for why you didn't do well and you proved that your poor performance was because of that since your other grades are very good. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think one bad semester is going to torpedo your application or necessarily make it more difficult for you to get in especially if it was during the start of a pandemic. DO NOT fall into the trap of taking a higher level organic chemistry class to "prove" that you know the material. That ****'s tough af and it's gonna be wayyy harder. Take the P and the C on the chin: don't take a class you aren't ready for, get another C, and tank your GPA and throw away the hard work you've done after 2020.

All in all, don't worry! Medical schools know that 2020 was a tough year for many people. As long as you did well afterwards that's what matters.

 

[Emperor Napoleon]

Doing this will not help you. If you took Orgo 1 p/f you are limiting yourself to those few schools that will take. What you should damn well do is repeat Orgo 1 and make damn sure you get an A. That way you can broaden the array of schools you can apply to. Dont be a dang fool taking an advanced and much harder Orgo course that can crush easily under the weight of chem majors

Also no need to call him a "dang fool" jesus christ.

 

[HuckleberryEven]

Also no need to call him a "dang fool" jesus christ.

It's fine, I don't mind it. He was right about that part I was being neurotic af.

 

[gonnif]

Also no need to call him a "dang fool" jesus christ.

why you think A-hole was deserved? I that would have been harsh. OP is a dang fool for being neurotic as well as self-limiting his options by only looking at the schools that supposedly take p/f. If OP cant repeat at their own school go find a CC that you can. Anyone who self-limits the med schools they apply with something under their control is indeed a dang fool. Frankly that term is as gentle as i get, being from New York City where F**K YOU is considered a term of endearment

 

[Emperor Napoleon]

why you think A-hole was deserved? I that would have been harsh. OP is a dang fool for being neurotic as well as self-limiting his options by only looking at the schools that supposedly take p/f. If OP cant repeat at their own school go find a CC that you can. Anyone who self-limits the med schools they apply with something under their control is indeed a dang fool. Frankly that term is as gentle as i get, being from New York City where F**K YOU is considered a term of endearment

Any quick search of most medical school's prerequisite pages would show that they're taking P/F for prerequisites in Spring of 2020. Obviously it's not the most ideal thing but it is what it is. You don't have to be mean to get that point across. Stop thinking your the best thing since sliced bread

 

[based_tuskenraider]

Also I wanna add that there are plenty of medical schools that allow you to do one semester of Orgo and one semester Biochemistry (with lab though be careful!) if that's something you did @HuckleberryEven then that's another way to meet pre-reqs without the one year of Orgo. But be careful not all med schools do this so do your research!

 

[gonnif]

Also I wanna add that there are plenty of medical schools that allow you to do one semester of Orgo and one semester Biochemistry (with lab though be careful!) if that's something you did @HuckleberryEven then that's another way to meet pre-reqs without the one year of Orgo. But be careful not all med schools do this so do your research!

Be careful with that. There is a difference between one term of Orgo OR requiring Orgo I and Biochem. I stand by my former statement, Anything that is a self-limiting to an applicant, reducing the number of schools they can apply to is a risk that does not need to be taken

 

[based_tuskenraider]

Be careful with that. There is a difference between one term of Orgo OR requiring Orgo I and Biochem. I stand by my former statement, Anything that is a self-limiting to an applicant, reducing the number of schools they can apply to is a risk that does not need to be taken

I've yet to seen a school specifically requiring Orgo I. It's usually one year or one semester of organic chemistry and for that one year, one semester can be substitute with biochem and lab. While I agree that P/F a pre-req normally would severely limit a school list (pretty sure it would be nonexistent). The fact is that most if not all schools said they will accept it for spring 2020 and some went as far as to say without prejudice. Brown has a pretty handy tracker showing schools and their statements on P/F during the pandemic.