Drop Gen Chem II?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>I need to know what to do about Gen Chem II, which I am taking in summer school and failing. Here's the issue - because of a difficult personal situation (which I won't go into here) I took a W in Gen Chem I last fall. I'm taking Chem at the local college rather than my university to save money (made sure the credits would transfer). Got an A in Chem I but am failing Chem II. How much will two W's hurt me?</p>

<p>My overall GPA is 3.6, but math/science only 3.1, so I really need to do well. Should I stay in the class and risk an F, or take another W? (I found out from another student that the average grade on this test was a 58 - and the professor told the class he does not curve). </p>

<p>Should I give up on the dream of being a doctor because of chemistry? Right now I am devastated at the thought of losing my dream. </p>

<p>This is my first post here. Thank you for reading this.<br>
The deadline to drop with a grade of W is Thursday, so I'm desperate for an answer.</p>

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<p>Drop it. It’s not worth having it on your permanent record this early on. </p>

<p>I don’t know why your science is a bit on the low side, but make sure you think your dream through, as if it’s low because of bio/chem at all, you’ll be doing a lot more of the same in med school, and you don’t want to have that stress for the rest of undergrad+med school. :stuck_out_tongue: But as of right now, I don’t think you should give up. :slight_smile: Best of luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks, TitoMorito, for replying so quickly! The lowest test grade is replaced with the final, so there is still a chance I could do OK, but it’s very stressful. I’ll be starting junior year - dropping chem last year put me behind. </p>

<p>I’m also afraid that if I drop I might not be able to graduate on time, and I was hoping to get an internship or work next summer rather than go to summer school. </p>

<p>I got B’s in Gen Bio because the class curve was set so that half of the class got C’s, a quarter A’s and B’s, and the rest D’s and F’s - that professor fit everyone’s grades on a bell curve. All I had going in was 9th grade honors Bio and more than half the class had taken AP, so I think I did OK considering that. </p>

<p>Anyway, thanks again!</p>

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<p>If you are seriously failing the class, then you need to drop it before the course appears as WF (withdrawal-failing) or a F on your transcript.</p>

<p>Two W’s are not going to look good, but better to have 2 Ws than a F.</p>

<p>You need to identify why you have having so much trouble with Chem. Do you lack the math skills? Basic science knowledge? Good study skills? Aptitude for chemistry and/or science in general? </p>

<p>What have you done to improve your performance in the class? Have you sought tutoring? Gone to office hours? Participated in a study group? Are you reading the text {i]before* class and asking questions when you don’t understand something? Doing all the homework plus extra problems to make sure you’ve mastered the concepts?</p>

<p>(And please, don’t play the ‘it’s all the prof’s fault card’–it sounds like you’re making excuses.)</p>

<p>Med school is nothing but intensive science for the first 2 years. You don’t need to be a perfect A student to succeed in med school, but if you are having difficulty in passing Gen Chem after taking steps to remediate your academic shortcomings and have honestly given it your best effort, then maybe being a physician is not the best career choice for you and you need to re-think your goals.</p>

<p>BTW, curve fitting is pretty typical of how all lower level science classes are graded everywhere. It’s all part of the weeding out process.</p>

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<p>Thanks, WayOutWestMom. I wanted honest, open replies and that is what you gave me. BTW, ironically enough, now I wish this professor did the same curve fitting as my home school, in which case I’d have a C. Never thought I’d say this, but I’d be happy with a C at this point and ecstatic with a B. </p>

<p>To tell the truth there is more I could do - I have gone to the TA’s office hours, but not tutoring. (This professor is intimidating so I don’t want to go to his office hours - today I saw him literally throw his hands up and walk off when another student asked him for suggestions after class). When I don’t understand his lectures, I watch the videos on the textbook’s website, which are much clearer.</p>

<p>I have someone to study with, but they are not doing well either. </p>

<p>Math is my worst subject, but I don’t think that’s the issue, because I did fine in Chem I. A bigger issue is that I didn’t drop the lab for Chem I, so only had to take the lecture, which gave me more time to study. Plus I had time to read some of the text before classes started, and with only a few days off between I and II (and needing a break) I didn’t read ahead for II. Now I’m struggling to keep up.</p>

<p>I’m taking the lab too, and the lab reports are very difficult and time consuming (everyone says that) - so time management is harder. These are 5 week summer sessions, so the pace is pretty grueling.</p>

<p>I’m torn two ways. The lowest test grade is replaced with the final if that helps (we have four tests total and we’ve had two of them - I barely passed one and failed the other). I’m doing all the homework - it also counts for a small part of our grade.</p>

<p>Realistically, I think given the circumstances a C is the best I could do if I stay in the class. If I fail or drop the class, I’ll be setting myself up to take Orgo and physics together. </p>

<p>Thanks again. This is the most stressful academic situation I’ve faced, ever.</p>

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<p>Get thee to the Center for Academic Success (or whatever it’s called at your local college) pronto! **Get some tutoring now! ** Do NOT wait another day. </p>

<p>(Also might help to find a stronger study partner instead someone who’s also failing.)</p>

<p>If you barely passed one exam and failed a second, your grasp of the foundational material needed for the rest of the term is shaky at best. The odds of you doing significantly better on the remaining 2 exams does not look promising.</p>

<p>Given those odds, I’d recommend dropping this class. With 3.1 sGPA, you cannot afford a C.</p>

<p>Let me make one more suggestion: consider taking a partial 5th year to complete your pre-reqs or even consider taking one or two after you’ve graduated. Right now you have 3.1–which is low for MD schools. (DO schools too for that matter.) You need excellent grades to raise that sGPA. Don’t overload yourself.</p>

<p>Yes, you’ll be starting med school a year or two later than some of your peers, but the average age of a MS1 is now 24.8 years. Even top med schools are recommending students take a year or two off after graduation to mature and recharge before diving into the craziness that med school.</p>

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<p>There’s the two more tests and the American Chemical Society final (for Chem I it was significantly easier than the class tests - I did well on it before and that would replace the lowest grade, but it’s taking a chance). Ironically enough, with the bell curve at my home school I’d be in the C range. I’ll try the tutoring, but there’s not much time because between lecture and lab I’m in class from 9 to 4 with only a short break and they close at 5 - there is online tutoring I could check out, though. </p>

<p>I need to graduate in four years because I’m on a merit scholarship and can’t afford a 5th year - but I was thinking of doing applying to a one year masters in exercise physiology program - you take some grad classes senior year and then one year for the masters. </p>

<p>Probably can’t apply to med schools in my senior year anyway because I’ll be in physics, and that will be on the MCAT. I didn’t know that about ages at matriculation - and is it true that the adcoms go a little easier on students who have worked for a few years?</p>

<p>Of course I could do an extra year at the local college, but the science curves are actually more unforgiving than at my (top 50) home school.</p>

<p>If I do the masters or take an extra semester for prereqs or both, that will mean more debt, but if I get in med school I’ll have a ton of debt anyway. You’re right about not overloading - just the thought of organic, physics, and calc together is overwhelming.</p>

<p>I’m not sure if that would play to my strengths (I’ve made A’s in every social science, English, and psychology course so far). I graduate in 2014 so this could be something to think about too.</p>

<p>Thanks again. It’s good to have you here.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I understand the merit issue. Both my kids had 4 years merit awards. D1 (who only decided to go to med school only as senior and had none of her chem or bio pre-reqs) paid for her own coursework at the local U with loans and part-time jobs. Took her 3 years to get her pre-reqs done. She has UG loans now on top of her med school loans. Not ideal, but can’t be helped. </p>

<p>Some adcoms are more forgiving of academic oopsies in non-trads than others. It will depend on the school and the individuals on the committee the year you apply. ( An adcom isn’t a monolithic entity–it’s a group of people with their own ideas and pre-judgments.) You may get some slack, esp if your master’s coursework is flawless and your MCAT score is higher than average.</p>

<p>The important thing is that after graduation to keep up your volunteering in both community service and medically related ECs. Adcoms want to see that continuing dedication to medicine.</p>

<p>One last word–and you’re not going to like it. Do NOT put yourself in position where you put yourself into significant debt in order to get your MS. Why? Getting into med school is not a given, esp if you have flaws in your applicaton (and you will with the low sGPA). Do not set yourself up for a lifetime of paying back debt for a dream that may not happen.</p>

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<p>Thanks. I’ll have to think about which masters to get (have been looking at medical masters programs, but they are expensive) vs just taking some classes at a local college after graduation. Fortunately I won’t have any debt from UG. </p>

<p>I’ll just have to do my best and apply to many schools, including ones in areas that aren’t exactly my first choice - I’d be happy to get in anywhere. I’m also looking at D.O. since they are somewhat less competitive and I’m interested in primary care anyway. </p>

<p>What do you think of medical masters’ programs? I just looked at one that has an 85% acceptance rate to med school (students take classes alongside the med students) but it’s $40,000 a year. I wouldn’t go into debt for that because there will be money left in my college fund after graduation, but if I got in med school, it would mean more debt in the long term.</p>

<p>I’m already trolling the internet to find out what happens after rejection from med school. I might go through a second cycle of applications but probably not a third.</p>

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<p>SMPs can be a good deal IF you’re competitive enough to get into one. But, as you’ve already discovered, they’re expensive. </p>

<p>You might consider applying to a range of options: MD, DO and SMPs at the same time and see what bites. If your only acceptance is into a SMP, then that’s what you do.</p>

<p>If you do get nothing but rejections, and do decide to go the re-applicant route, make good and sure your CV is improved over your previous application cycle. Take the time to strengthen whatever your weaknesses are from the previous cycle. </p>

<p>Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.</p>

<p>Don’t be insane (or stupid).</p>