Hello Everyone,
I'm currently a Freshman, soon to be Sophomore, in college and I'm in a bit of a pickle. I didn't so very well in my general chemistry course and I believe I failed it. I've wanted to be a Doctor/Psychiatrist for as long as I can remember since I was a little girl...I've never wanted something so badly in my life. So of course I'm devastated at this possibility of my failing this course. In my other courses: bio/ chem labs, Biology and psychology classes, I got A's in. So please don't think that I slacked off. I worked VERY hard for my first year in college and am devastated. How badly will this failed chemistry course affect me? Will Medical Schools even look at me 4 years from now because of this? If I fail this course, I will retake it, no matter what. I'm just very stressed out and could use some insight. Thank you for listening to me, any insight will be of great help .
-PsychicCookie
Psychiccookie,
I assume this was your first semester of chemistry. I am guessing that there are some people who managed to get into medical school having failed a science class early on in college. However, I think that is extremely rare. I think a lot depends on why you failed the class. If you were trying hard, it would be very unusual to fail the class and expect to do significantly better retaking it. Also, you still have second semester of chemistry as well as a year of organic chemistry, all of which will be very challenging classes. Most medical students get A's and B's in those classes and rarely even a C.
I'm trying not to be too negative, but realistically, unless there was some unusual circumstance that led to you failing the class, it is very possible that medical schools won't consider your application given the failed chemistry class. You have to remember that there will be plenty of applicants for those spots who didn't even get anything below a B in any science class, and those are the people you are competing with for those spots in medical school.