withdraw from orgo or just take the bad grade

[prayerstomd]

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I've been doing fine in orgo I until the last test, which will bring down my grades to a B-/C+. I really don't want the possibility of venturing into the Cs. So is it better to drop the course with a W and retake the course next year (Junior), or take the B-/C+ this semester and work harder in Orgo II? Any insight would help, thank you!

 

[Rachapkis]

If you believe (i) the bad test was a fluke, and does not indicate how you would likely perform if you took the course again; (ii) you are not simply being neurotic--i.e., you really might venture into the Cs; and (iii) you have the funds, mental fortitude and time to retake orgo, I would probably take the W and try again. If you post a decent grade when retaking the class, I suspect med schools would overlook the W. Caveat: I am not on any admissions committees, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[AliBabaMD]

W is better, unless you have more than 2 on your record. Take the W. Let me know if you would like to know more or need other advice.

 

[MyOdyssey]

I've been doing fine in orgo I until the last test, which will bring down my grades to a B-/C+. I really don't want the possibility of venturing into the Cs. So is it better to drop the course with a W and retake the course next year (Junior), or take the B-/C+ this semester and work harder in Orgo II? Any insight would help, thank you!

What are your chances of acing the final?

What was your orgo average prior to this most recent exam grade?

 

[AliBabaMD]

What are your chances of acing the final?

What was your orgo average prior to this most recent exam grade?

B- or C+ doesn't matter. This is not a mathematical calc. If the student is getting a B- and has no or 1 W, better take a W than B- at best.

 

[878956]

Take the W and try again.

 

[Shammyguy3]

From what I've seen from admins on here, taking a W could be seen as grade protection and viewed in a negative light (specifically in a semester where orgo is the only class you drop, a class that's known to give students trouble).

Play it out. One B- or even C wont matter if everything else is up to snuff

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Do adcoms really have time to go thru each transcript and look at Ws?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Can you drop this late?

If I were you, i’d take the W, and then spend the time between now and next semester studying your text so that you ace it after the new year.

 

[ciestar]

Do adcoms really have time to go thru each transcript and look at Ws?

I literally got asked in an interview why I dropped organic chemistry. So, yes.

 

[prayerstomd]

What are your chances of acing the final?

What was your orgo average prior to this most recent exam grade?

My chances of acing the final is not great at all, ever since I got my last test back I've become increasingly unmotivated to study further for the class. My orgo average was around A-/B+, around 5-10 points above class average on the first 2 tests, but my recent test score was 30 points below average, so a pretty steep drop. 🙁

 

[prayerstomd]

I literally got asked in an interview why I dropped organic chemistry. So, yes.

Since you dropped organic chemistry, do you think it had any noticeable negative effect on your application?

 

[MyOdyssey]

My chances of acing the final is not great at all, ever since I got my last test back I've become increasingly unmotivated to study further for the class. My orgo average was around A-/B+, around 5-10 points above class average on the first 2 tests, but my recent test score was 30 points below average, so a pretty steep drop. 🙁

Are you allowed to take Orgo I in the spring if you drop now? Or would you have to wait until fall 2019 to try again? At my school Orgo I is offered only in the fall semester.

You may be overestimating your previous Orgo grade. At my school, 10 points above class average is a B/B+. 5 points above class average in Orgo I is a B/B-.

Given these new facts, I suggest dropping with the understanding that Ad Coms might have higher expectations for you on the next go around.

You’ll also end up taking Orgo with upper level bio or physics, which makes your life more difficult. You will be delayed in taking biochem, which may impose a gap year on you that you wouldn’t otherwise need because taking the MCAT without first taking biochem is foolish.

 

[ciestar]

Since you dropped organic chemistry, do you think it had any noticeable negative effect on your application?

No, I received plenty of II. It was one blip on my application, but probably because it was a pre-req. I had several other W’s in bs classes nobody really cared at all about.

 

[prayerstomd]

Are you allowed to take Orgo I in the spring if you drop now? Or would you have to wait until fall 2019 to try again? At my school Orgo I is offered only in the fall semester.

You may be overestimating your previous Orgo grade. At my school, 10 points above class average is a B/B+. 5 points above class average in Orgo I is a B/B-.

Given these new facts, I suggest dropping with the understanding that Ad Coms might have higher expectations for you on the next go around.

You’ll also end up taking Orgo with upper level bio or physics, which makes your life more difficult. You will be delayed in taking biochem, which may impose a gap year on you that you wouldn’t otherwise need because taking the MCAT without first taking biochem is foolish.

Yeah Orgo I is only offered in Fall for me as well, so I'll have to wait to retake it my Junior year, which I heard it's not that uncommon.

You're probably right, I have heard that the professor try to keep the class avg at B, that's why I thought being above avg would get me at least a B+. But there's no point thinking about that now.

Yeah, that was the reason I hesitated dropping because I had initially planned to not take a gap year, but I guess a gap year wouldn't hurt. It really would suck trying to fit all my higher level science classes in my senior year. The consequence of dropping orgo is not just a W on my transcript, it really messed up my plans quite a bit. Who knew one test would have such an effect...

 

[pmcojm]

What's your overall GPA? If it's very strong otherwise, I would not withdraw from that class. The assumption will be that you were failing it. And you would have to be sure to make an A next time to show that the withdrawal was just a fluke. A B- or a C is not the end of the world if you have mostly As in everything else.

 

[jarednogeek]

why is everyone saying to drop a B-? if you can get a B- dont drop, even the C I wouldnt drop... 1 C wont hurt

 

[gavam08]

I literally got asked in an interview why I dropped organic chemistry. So, yes.

when you dropped orgo do you mean orgo II so you just took orgo I and biochem?

 

[ciestar]

when you dropped orgo do you mean orgo II so you just took orgo I and biochem?

No, i had to drop ochem I. I needed ochem I and II to graduate, not biochem, so I didn’t take it.

 

[OrgoWizard]

W

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[gavam08]

No, i had to drop ochem I. I needed ochem I and II to graduate, not biochem, so I didn’t take it.

okay gotcha, cuz i ended up having to drop orgo ii and so just took orgo i and biochem which is fine for most schools (at least thats what they say i hope thats true lol)