I have a 2.8 GPA from back in 1996 when I got my BA, but I didn’t take any of the required science courses to get into med school. This semester I am taking 3 courses: Principles of Bio 1, Prep for Chem, and Intermediate Algebra. I got sick with pneumonia in February and had to be out of school for 2 weeks. I failed 1 bio test and got a 73 on the first one. I also failed the 1st chem test and got a 79 on the second one. Rather than take the chance of getting a c grade or lower in these classes shoud I withdraw from these classes now, take them and be content with whatever the grade that I am able to bring them up to at this point and do better in all my classes from now on, or should I stick it out and if my grades are not I want them to be just take the classes over again duirng the summer and the fall semester and have my grades recomputed? My biology professor told me that I would have to get 100s in the next 2 tests, the final, and get As in my next paper, lab reports, post labs reports, and in the quizzes just to walk away with a B grade. My chem professor told me that he would let me know by next week if I should drop his class after her grades the 3rd test that I don’t think I did well at all in. I’ll be honest I didn’t give it my 100% study wise. It’s been since 1996 since I went to school and my study habits are very rusty to say the least. That’s why I don’t want to throw in the towel because I know if i study well and focus I can do very well in these classes and the rest of my classes.
Hey Eddie. This is a tough question and I don’t really have a good answer for it. There was a post with a very similar question a couple of weeks ago and you may want to search for that. Judy Colwell had given her opinion (which I would trust) but I don’t remember what that is.
There were a couple things you discussed that I thought I could offer some thoughts on. First, for med school application, D.O. schools will replace old grades with new ones, so, although you’d be out the $$, the grades would be replaced (assuming your school will allow you to retake). However, M.D. applications do NOT replace grades, and instead will only average the two grades together. In my opinion, there’s little benefit to retaking if a person is going to apply to only M.D. programs (unless there is a grade lower than C for a pre-req). Second, and I know you already know this, but I think being reminded is always a good thing–as an older applicant, you need to do everything in your power to have an absolutely remarkable application for the medical schools, especially given the past GPA. Adcomes won’t be too interested in the why of lower post-bacc grades–more often than not an applicant will simply not get the interview at all (I know that sounds real harsh, just trying to provide some honest perspective). IMHO, under NO circumstances should those of us with under 3.6-3.7 undergrad GPA’s be thinking that anything less than an A in any post-bacc class is acceptable (and yes, I fell into that category). You note that you didn’t give it your best effort on studying–the past is the past, but you own the present, so nail everything from here out.