<p>I'm about to start my sophomore year at U Minnesota at Twin Cities and I'm studying pre-med. My GPA is an anemic 2.3. This summer I took general chemistry two, and at one point I was doing fairly well and had a very manageable pathway to receive an A for the semester. However, in the last two weeks, I bombed my tests and my grade went from a middle B to a D+ by the end. I previously went through some difficult times, and was actually going to jump off the bridge. I told myself it'll get better. I was planning on retaking another course that I had gotten a D in and it looked like I might actually be able to pull through and raise my GPA until this chemistry course. Should I retake both of the courses? Please do not tell me that I have extremely low chances for medical school and I should consider something else because I already know that and I know my chances. I've wanted to become a doctor my whole life and I know the statistics and the details of medical schools. I'm also going to volunteer at the university hospital and tryout for the club tennis team this semester if that makes any difference. </p>
<p>Thanks for any help; all is appreciated.</p>
<p>Medical schools will not accept any grade lower than a C in a pre-req. You have no choice but to retake chemistry. </p>
<p>You need to be aware that when AMCAS (allopathic medical programs) computes your GPA, all grades get counted-- both the original grade and the retake. </p>
<p>Since academics are an issue for you, I would suggest concentrating on your coursework first. You may need to delay volunteering and sports until your academics are on stronger footing.</p>
<p>And, please, please, please, if you ever have any thoughts about doing self-harm again in the future–ask for help either thru your college’s counseling center or by calling a suicide/crisis hotline.</p>
<p>I know that they take all grades into consideration. I was just hoping the admission officers would be a little impressed if they saw a higher grade from a D, which shouldn’t have even happened. </p>
<p>The volunteering and tennis won’t take up too much of my time: 9 hours in total. I also do better when I have something to look forward to.</p>
<p>No, medical school adcomms will not be impress with a retake that earns a better grade. </p>
<p>(I mean, think about it–most successful applicants pass the course, many with As, the first time.)</p>
<p>A better grade (read: an A) is expected in any retaken class. In fact, if your retake earns less than an A, it will likely reflect negatively on your applicaiton.</p>
<p>When I stated a higher grade I implied an A.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help, btw.</p>
<p>What was implicit in WOWMom’s post but just want to make sure you got is that DO schools do have grade replacement so when you get a better grade the 2nd time around, the D disappears from your GPA (I assume they can still see that it occurred but your reported GPA won’t reflect its presence like it would for MD)</p>