I am just a freshman in college, so who knows if I will still be pre med at the end of the next four years. However, I do have a quick question regarding labs. So I am doing well in Intro Chem (very likely to finish semester with A-); however, I am doing poorly in chem lab. Unfortunately I turned in a few assignments late and the prof won’t give me any credit at all for them. However, I do well in everything else; I will probably finish the semester with a C- in chem lab. I have to take Chem Lab again next semester (chem is year-round here), and my TA said that as long as I get stuff in on time I should get an A without an issue. Will med school adcoms ever care about this freshman year first semester C- in chem lab if I get a much higher grade next semester? Even top schools? Thanks in advance.
Although not ideal, one (or even a couple of) C grades will not be fatal by themselves to your med school chances. But I’m not sure if med schools will accept a C-. It may necessitate a retake of the lab with the two grades being factored into your GPA. Hopefully @WayOutWestMom can chime in.
There’s a lot of sameness to all US med school education, getting into one is quite the feat. Don’t get too obsessed with getting into a top school. Good luck.
@Gumbymom It’s a separate grade, 3 credits of Chem Lecture and 1 credit of Chem Lab (each semester).
@Jugulator20 Thanks! Chem Lab is year-round so I also have to take it again in the spring as another 1-credit course, would getting in A in Chem Lab then make up for the C- from first semester?
As @Jugulator20 said, a C is not fatal to your medical school ambitions. (Heck, even a F isn’t necessarily fatal to med school ambitions.) However, very nearly every med school in the country requires a C or better in a pre-req to fulfill admission requirements. And chem labs are required for admission. You have no choice but to retake this chem lab again for a better grade.
You must retake the same lab. You cannot simply take the second half of a full year’s lab requirement and call it done. IOW, if you have a C- in gen chem1 lab, then you must retake gen chem1 lab. You can’t use an A in the gen chem2 lab averaged together with the C- from gen chem1 to fulfill admission requirements. Since each semester of lab is listed on your transcript separately, you need to have a transcript that shows all Cs or better for every pre-req–even for labs.
When it comes to AMCAS calculating your GPA and sGPA for med school admission, both gen chem1 lab grades will be reported and included–even if your college allows you to replace the earlier grade.
Med school adcomms will not care about your freshman chem lab grade (assuming you retake it and earn a better grade so you have fulfilled admission requirements) beyond the impact it has on your GPA/sGPA. One C- in lab will not keep you out of med school–not even top programs.
@WayOutWestMom Thank you very much for the insight!!! I will talk to my professor about the likelihood of me getting a C; if I get a C- or lower I will retake it next year.
(Not helpful to OP at all but “BACK IN MY DAY” getting a “bad grade” mostly stemmed from literally blowing up the lab and clearing the room due to noxious fumes and possible fire). Not me–that was two rows over. Great sight though.
I personally only burned acid chemical holes in my text–that stuff really eats through paper!
Then there was this guy who sneaked into the lab at night and got the big chunk of sodium metal out of the [locked] storage cupboard and thought it was funny to toss small bits out the window onto the wet parking lot below to see them explode. When it got cold enough outside to freeze the rain into ice and snow , the sodium stopped exploding --until a faculty member drove over a piece of it the next morning and it blew a hole in his tire.
Believe it or not, the student didn’t get expelled. Only got a “talking to” by the Dean of Students. He was even allowed to remain in the class–which he passed.
@WayOutWestMom --did our class(es) spoil it for everyone? Or is there no sense of humor left?
My 95 year old dad had his own hilarious set of wild stories which helped me when I thought all was doomed.
Seriously– @seaotter17 —Take some very deep breaths. You’ll be fine. It’s a done deal. Move on.
This is not the first “hoop” you’ll have to jump through in your academic career. They just keep coming.
Live and learn but give yourself credit for all you DO achieve.
A freshman chem lab grade is not “life and death” in anybody’s book as far as I know.
BUT in the future do NOT turn in assignments late–that may kill you faster than “less than stellar work”.
Listen to your TA.
^^ Speaking of Sodium metal, I bought a lot of them when I was in middle school and use them as fire crackers. Its very dangerous to cut those into pieces. I just throw the whole stick into the rain and watch them explode. Another thing is to make black gun powders to stuff fire crackers. Fortunately, I did not blow my house up. :))
Update: I was able to raise my chem lab final grade to a C+ for the semester so it looks like I won’t have to retake the lab again. Thank you all for your help and insight!
^Great work. Given it’s only 1 credit it won’t impact your GPA too much so let alone not hurt you, it may even go unnoticed. If all it takes to get an A is turn your stuff in on time make sure to stay on top of your work. No point in giving away free points.
