Twist on the usual "drop or not"

[ClickityClack]

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Hi folks,

Haven't been here for a while.

My question this time: I'm stuck with 5 W's (didn't know it was bad as a freshmen, before I decided to try for med school). I also didn't take organic seriously enough, after getting A's in gChem 1 and 2. So, I've got a C in the lecture and a D in the lab 🙂bang🙂.


Decided to retake organic this summer, but the professor is absolutely horrible. I know I have a bad orgo track record, but this guy's amazing. The department secretary told me he's never given an A, and the remaining 6 out of 30 in his last semester left with only C's. He simply doesn't teach, but tests to mastery.
Thought I could stick it out and teach myself...really apply myself...
I'll be lucky to leave with a lower grade than the first time.

Sooooo, to drop or not to drop?
I'll have to take the class at another university (the other orgo professor has left).



I know it's gonna look bad, but is it a deal breaker? 6 W's? I've got a 3.50 currently (1 D in orgo lab, C in physics lab, C in Afr.American studies).
I wanna call the med schools I'm interested in, but I don't know yet what they are!

 

[Mattabet]

Wow. That sucks. When I taught, 'fail everyone' was not an option. This guy must have gotten way off the course coordinator's leash. Too bad though, if I had been able to fail everybody, it would have cut way back on the time spent grading.

If the choice is between taking another C and a W, I guess you have to go with the W. It's kind of a lesser of two evils situation. I'd try to talk with the professor too though, see what his idea of A work is, rather than base everything off the secretary's opinion.

 

[ClickityClack]

Oh, the secretary's spot-on.
Dude just listed all the alkene and alkyne reactions without giving their mechanisms on Friday, and he's testing on Monday. I've seen a old exam from a past student, and he skews the reagents. Basically, "here's what you need to know, now go teach yourself. I'll be testing for mastery in two days."

This is after mentioning hybridization only in passing.
I'm trying to take this class serious and really learn the material, but this guy's mentally unstable.

 

[ClickityClack]

I really didn't feel like I learned enough.


And, what's up with nearly everyone on MDApplicants.com having a flippin' 4.0?

 

[pietachok]

I would take the W.
Saying you weren't pre-med when you took your other W's and were getting an education for education's sake is good enough.

Schools understand that an individual prof can be incompetent. Is this a single C or 2 C's for Orgo? If it is only one C I would only retake the lab; even if it is 2 C's I still think you are probably ok. I would just say that you started to retake it and when the professor was visiting from another school, he turned out to not be "consistent with the curriculum or the mission of the course," such that you took the W.

For comparison:
I got a C when i took gChem 1 as a freshman engineer (there's a funny story as to how I went from an A to a C).
I got a B+ and A- in gChem as a post-bacc.
I got an A-in Orgo I, then took a W in Orgo II, and then got a C 🙁
I got B-'s in both semesters of Bio and an immunology course.
I got A's in the labs for everything.
Sooo...hopefully this makes you feel like you aren't screwed. My GPA is a 3.45, 3.21 sci (34T MCAT). And you can look at my MDApps profile. I got interviews and a good acceptance. You aren't doing as badly as people on this forum will lead you to believe.

 

[MossPoh]

I got in with a ton of W's. Most of mine were freshman year before I knew better as well. The other ones were ALL from the same professor. (3) They were in German, so they didn't really care too much.

Just have to be honest when explaining it. I was told that they don't normally interview people with as many W's as me, but hey...I got in, so meh.