General Bio vs. Upper Level Bio

<p>I received a B in my Biological Principles class both semesters this year, but I should have gotten a B+ except my teacher grades A/B/C/D/F without +/-. This somewhat hurt my science GPA but it is the only class I received a B in. If I get A's in my upper level biology classes such as Parasitology and Anatomy, etc., will med schools look at that and like how I did better in these upper level courses?</p>

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<p>no, they’ll hate that you did better.</p>

<p>your sarcasm is very inconspicuous. I was just asking the question because I know that some people like to see that you did well in your intro classes</p>

<p>There is a belief (with some justification) that upper level coursework is more likely to yield A’s than intro level coursework. More A’s are awarded in upper level classes because: 1) intro classes have already weeded out weaker students; and 2) the grading curve is often more generous (and there is a smaller spread in the grade distribution).</p>

<p>Will med school like to see you got A’s in upper level classes?
Yes, adcomms like to see you did A work in your upper level classes. </p>

<p>Will it disguise/make up for a B in an intro level class?
Not really.</p>

<p>Will a single B keep you out of med school?
Extremely unlikely.</p>

<p>Grades also tend to be higher in upper division courses because:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>The students in upper division courses are most likely majoring in the subject, while the students who got the lower grades in lower division courses are less likely to be majoring in the subject.</p></li>
<li><p>The students who got the worst grades (D/F) in lower division courses may have flunked out or dropped out of the school entirely before reaching any upper division courses.</p></li>
</ul>