Unusual Health Circumstance and bad grade.

[gradeobsessed]

Hi All,
This is my first post on this site, however, I've been reading SDN for a while.

I just received my first C+, and it was in general chemistry I. Prior to this, I had earned A's in both of my biology courses, and was invited to start studying at the graduate level my second semester of my freshman year. I will be taking multiple graduate level biology courses in the fall of this year.

I also have a rare disease, which forced me to miss twelve weeks of the last school year, and many days of this summer session, as I spent many days in the ER. In context, I know that I'm very lucky to have passed - but this most recent grade is still soul crushing. However, I was also attempting to navigate the class and lab in a non-ADA environment - and, given that I also have CP on top of this rare disease, this was impossible. Again, in context, this grade is not at all surprising - I take full responsibility, as I should have fought harder to have gotten what I needed to succeed, like, I don't know, a wheelchair accessible classroom - but I digress.

I know if I were responsible, I would have dropped the class, considering all the above, and taken it at a university that was ADA compliant, instead of at my home university (which I absolutely love.)However, I'm now feeling stuck - should I retake general chemistry I, or go straight on to general chemistry II?

Will this C+ kill my chances at medical school?

(Current sGPA is 3.22, current uGPA is 3.38. Currently, I'm a rising sophomore, with 32 credit hours. Top 30 university, no grade inflation.)

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[smukke]

Hi All,
This is my first post on this site, however, I've been reading SDN for a while.

I just received my first C+, and it was in general chemistry I. Prior to this, I had earned A's in both of my biology courses, and was invited to start studying at the graduate level my second semester of my freshman year. I will be taking multiple graduate level biology courses in the fall of this year.

I also have a rare disease, which forced me to miss twelve weeks of the last school year, and many days of this summer session, as I spent many days in the ER. In context, I know that I'm very lucky to have passed - but this most recent grade is still soul crushing. However, I was also attempting to navigate the class and lab in a non-ADA environment - and, given that I also have CP on top of this rare disease, this was impossible. Again, in context, this grade is not at all surprising - I take full responsibility, as I should have fought harder to have gotten what I needed to succeed, like, I don't know, a wheelchair accessible classroom - but I digress.

I know if I were responsible, I would have dropped the class, considering all the above, and taken it at a university that was ADA compliant, instead of at my home university (which I absolutely love.)However, I'm now feeling stuck - should I retake general chemistry I, or go straight on to general chemistry II?

Will this C+ kill my chances at medical school?

(Current sGPA is 3.22, current uGPA is 3.38. Currently, I'm a rising sophomore, with 32 credit hours. Top 30 university, no grade inflation.)

Don't retake a C+, go on to Chem 2

 

[LizzyM]

Never mind the grades... it will contribute less and less to your GPA as you advance and have more graded coursework which will dilute the influence of that single C+. However, be sure you have mastered the concepts in the course as they will reappear in other courses as time goes on.

What has me more concerned is the non-ADA compliant comment. Do you know your rights? Have you requested accommodation and been denied? You may have a case to bring against the school with the Department of Education, the Justice Department or in US District Court. This might be helpful. The Americans with Disabilities Act and Your Rights as a College Student

 

[gradeobsessed]

Yes, I do. Unfortunately, I am the first student with CP to ever be on this campus, (and perhaps the first student with a impactful physical disability in the science program,) so the university is reluctant to make the necessary adaptations. I completely understand their logic - it's highly unlikely that someone like me would have entered their program, and then decide to stay in it, with all the difficulties, so there's very little finical incentive to get adaptive equipment - like an adjustable lab desk, or even fix their elevators. I have many inside jokes with my professors about this, as I am currently also living in non-ADA housing. They've recently ordered the required tools to allow me to participate in lab - three weeks after I dropped, and scheduled to take it at another university. However, the university tends to be stellar at academic accommodations (Ignoring this class, which was taught by a clueless adjunct,) - it'll just take a huge culture shift to develop the motivation for the university become physically accessible.

Would this insanity be worth bringing up in my application?

 

[gyngyn]

Would this insanity be worth bringing up in my application?

I don't recommend bringing it up in your application if you don't bring it up at your school.