Hey guys I was just wondering about this. I am in my freshman year at college right now and I haven’t really taken any big pre-reqs. I took an intro bio and an intro chem this semester and did poorly on them due to some problems. What I was wondering is if I graduate with a poor UGPA for my science reqs and I take my requirements after I graduate will that affect me negatively? Should I try to get the reqs out of the way before I graduate, although I do prefer to concentrate on what I like in my Undergrad and worry about my reqs after? How do the Adcoms view this and will it affect me negatively in my GPA? What I am trying to say is if a graduate with a GPA 2.1 in science with and then take my all of my prereqs will my UGPA science show on my application or just my current science gpa?
One of the things I would ask myself is did I understand the information in the intro courses? Why would you wait to take your prereqs until after you graduate, didn’t you say that you are in your freshman year? Do you have other credits yet? To be honest to get into any medical school you need to get at a minimum 3.0 and to go into more competitive medical schools, much,much higher.
Kris
Chunky Monkey,
I wouldn’t take any science classes, until I was sure that I can do well! ‘Well’ meaning ‘A’. If things didn’t work out for you this past semester, figure out what went wrong and try to fix it. Rember that you’ll have to get few As to make up for one D, or even a C…that’s only if we’re talking about GPA. Even if you end up with OK GPA and end up applying, you might get asked during your interviews about your poor science grades.
That’s why I think it’s better to get good grades first time around, than spending all the money and time to make up for the poor grades.
Hope it helps.
Kasia
Chunky Monkey, I went back and read your previous posts. If I understand correctly, you’ve got a significant number of credits under your belt already (with a crummy GPA). I am not 100% sure if you already have one bachelor’s degree.
YOU CANNOT AFFORD ANY MORE SCREWUPS. Sorry to shout, I know it’s terrible internet etiquette, but right now you are posting questions that make me feel like I am watching a pinball machine. You know what you want to do but you do not give me the impression that you are focused on the many specifics and details that will get you to your goal. It is not enough to want it real bad. You have to show that you understand what that means by doing well in ALL your classes.
It is perfectly OK to major in “whatever” but that does not give you a pass from doing very well in that major, or in your other classes. I had classmates who majored in music, drama, Latin, history… you name it. But these young people, traditional college students, not only did well in those majors but also found the time to do all their prerequisites and ALSO do very well in them.
Please STOP bouncing around. You really need to sit down and think this through. Right now every class you take, you are digging your hole deeper and deeper.
Sorry for the bucket of cold water on the face! But it’s what I’d say to you in person.
Mary
Hello! Bear in mind that the prerequisites for medical school are your cornerstones, your foundation for higher level coursework, and an indicator of your ability to do the critical thinking necessary to become a good physician. The long road to and through medical school requires a great deal of dedication, soul-searching, self-discipline, and an aptitude in the sciences. Without a strong foundation in those prerequisites, you will not be able to get a good score on your MCAT.
The MCAT levels the playing field for medical school applicants and is a key part of the medical school application process. The MCAT is extremely comprehensive and hammers down on chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics, physiology, and the the ability to read and comprehend complex topics (such as what you might read in a medical journal); moreover, it will challenge your critical thinking and writing ability in a very short time.
If your college does a repeat/delete, it may be well worth going through biology and chemistry again to make sure that you have a strong foundation in these essential basics–it will help you to be more successful as many of the courses do build on each other.
These days medicine is very focused on the molecular aspect of biology. When I went through my medical school interview at RVUCOM, I was told by the committee that interviewed me how important biochemistry and molecular biology were for success in the medical school curriculum.