Hi guys! I finished up my first semester of undergrad last month and I ended up not doing so well. I received a B- in general biology and ended with a cGPA of 3.48. I never received a grade below a B+ in high school so I’m kinda freaking out over this. I’ve talked to a lot of people about how I will/need to improve my grades the next few semesters in order for me to be a competitive applicant for med schools. I wanted to know if it was worth retaking this class over the summer or if I should just work hard to bring my GPA up and show the upward trend? I also wanted to know if my dream of going to a T20 med school(specifically Columbia and USF) is unrealistic after doing so poorly. All help/criticism is appreciated! Oh btw I go to a state school and was part of a bs/md program but I’m pretty sure I’m gonna get kicked out bc of the B- 
I am sorry that the biology class did not turn out better. I would not retake general biology to raise your GPA, as you would need to report grades from all undergraduate classes in your med school application. Retaking biology would not erase the B-, and the new grade would just be the average of the two.
You are doing the right thing by asking others to help identify what kept you from doing better in biology and to re-chart your studying strategy. In addition, you will need to understand the material in this general biology course thoroughly for the subsequent classes in the sequence.
I doubt that you will be “kicked out” because of one B-. Get some exercise (preferably outdoor); the endorphins will help to clear your mind and cheer up.
no, don’t retake.
Up your GPA in all science courses would be fine.
Curious, why did you want/need to enroll BS/MD program if you planned to go to T20 med school like UCSF?
One B wont make or break you.
However, T20 in general will not invite you for an interview without a 3.8 GPA and 518-520 MCAT. So it is not the B that will be an issue but the overall GPA when you apply that will matter.
Don’t retake the course. MD schools do not allow for grade replacement anyway. Both grades will be submitted. Just figure out how to better study and prepare for the remainder of your courses.
Why top 20 med schools? Please understand, should you get accepted at ANY medical school, any…you will be called “doctor” when you graduate from medical school.
Check with your advisor about your BS/MD status at your current school.
The B- will be more easily forgiven if you are from a target group (URM, low-income, first gen, etc). But if you are from an overrepresented group, then having a B- could sink you, especially for T20. You will definitely need to start an upward trend to have a decent chance.
But there are many other options apart from T20. Many MD schools, and even DO schools would consider you. Don’t lose hope, and keep working hard.
I agree with the above comments, and would encourage you to not categorize med schools as you are, prestige is really a misnomer when speaking of med schools.
Most med school applicants do not get any acceptances, and of those who are accepted, the majority only get one acceptance and are happy to have that one.
You still have a chance for t-20 schools if you do well from now on. Especially if you get straight A with high mcat, good rec and diversed ECs
Don’t be discouraged about the one B-; concentrate on your high aims as they are reacheable.
And don’t just concentrate on your grades. Make sure you do the other things that will make you a favorable applicant.