Retake orgo??????

[redblueandgold]

Hey guys,

I'm currently going into my 3rd year of my undergraduate degree, and did horribly in organic chem I and II in my 2nd year. I scraped by with a 65 in orgo I and did much more poorly in orgo II with a 59. With the exception of these two marks, my lowest mark in university was a 72, so they really stick out. I'm really not sure if I should retake orgo (only orgo II or both parts?) this upcoming year since I will be taking biochem at the same time (which I hear is very difficult as well). Retaking the course during the summer is not an option. Does anyone know how med schools (Canadian/Australian/American/British/Irish) view retaken courses? As in, do they not look at the retaken mark at all, or do they average out the two? I'm in desperate need of some advice! Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[shan564]

I assume that you're already in Australia? If so, then the question will just be about what your GPA comes out to. If you have a 5.5 GPA, then you'll be able to apply to USyd and UQ; in that case, only your GAMSAT score and your interview will matter for admissions.

You don't really need orgo to learn medicine, but it'll be a little bit harder for you without orgo.

 

[gmacpac]

In my opinion, technically you don't need orgo to do medicine at all. Most schools do require Orgo as pre-med course requirement. But that doesn't mean that you need orgo as a basic course to understand medical sciences.
The only exception to the above statement can be if you want to become a basic science research physician. In which case you may end up using some orgo on a rare occasion. Even then the orgo that you may use might be too simple to justify an orgo course.

So to answer your question. I don't know how Canadian schools will look at your Orgo performance. In USA it varies with institution. Some may look over it if you repeat the course and get better grades at it, while others may factor in both courses. Eventually, the poor performance in Orgo (which I'm sure you are aware of) will effect your application negatively. It just depends on how much negative of an impact does it have, which will off course vary with each institution.

Regarding Irish/Australian schools......don't think it has a significant impact because I definitly know people who have gotten accepted to these programs with more than one poor math/science grade.

UK can be tricky......if you apply to top tier programs....yes it will affect your application. However, if you apply to any other 2nd tier and below program (keep in mind, that those programs are still very good) then your Orgo grade will not be that much of a detriment.

Hope my answer helped.

 

[redblueandgold]

Thanks for the info guys!

I'm actually in Canada and completing my undergrad at Queen's University, but am interested in going overseas to complete medical school (most likely Ireland-UCC, RCSI or Australia-Queensland, U of Syd). My course selection dates are coming up, so I'm trying to decide if I should retake the course this year. It would be one case if I had not passed the course, but since I've passed both portions, if med schools in Ireland or Australia don't even look at retaken courses, it would be a waste for me to retake orgo. That's my biggest concern. I was just wondering if anyone knew how Irish and Australian med schools generally view retaken courses and if they just take the higher of the two, or an average or don't look the the retaken mark at all?

 

[redblueandgold]

I just did some calculating, and I think I have around a 6.35 GPA (GAMSA) between my 1st and 2nd years, including the horrible orgo marks, and I have yet to take my MCATS. I hope this info helps!

 

[gmacpac]

I don't know how GPA's work in Canada. I would say definitly apply. You probably have a better chance at getting a spot in Australia than Ireland, not because of your grades, rather simply because Ireland probably gets a lot more applications than AU.

I was rejected at all 4 Irish schools, and then I applied to AU in the last month of application cycle and got accepted to UQ. This is not a rule, I may just be an exception because of my extensive clinical/volunteer work. So you definitely should apply as early as possible.

I will also encourage you to apply to UK as well, as that might not be a bad option. If you scored around 1450 on your SAT, you may be able to get a spot in University of Birmingham's 5 yr MBBS spot (they only accept EU residents into their 4 yr program). Most other UK schools require a UKCAT, which is a joke compared to MCAT but nonetheless is a hassle to take ($200 fee, and 5 hr exam).

Best of luck.