EMPAhopeful Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Hi all. So I'm taking my pre-reqs for PA school, and I just found out I got a D in Organic Chem I! Now, I plan to email the prof about it, since I just calculated my lecture exam grades, and it come out to a 77, which is definitely not in the D range, so I'm not sure what happened here. How badly will this hurt, since I plan on retaking it over the summer? The schools I'm applying to either do not ask for orgo I, or ask for either that or biochemistry, which I plan to take. Also, I've gotten all As in all the other sciences I've taken (Bio I, Bio II, Chem I, Chem II, Microbio, A&P I, Analytical Chem), and I have well over 2000 hrs of patient care experience as an EMT, ER Tech, and telemetry patient care associate (a tech basically) so I'm hoping that with the retake plus Orgo II, and my current grades, and my experience, I should be ok? Wow, I'm bummed about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulPA Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Ochem is one of those that you either get or you don't get. I just tired to simplify it. I kept thinking of H-O-N-C with hands. H has one hand, O-two hands etc.... The goal is to be holding all the hands. Silly I know but it worked for me. Everything thne involved in how to join or break the hands. .... If that is the grade then retake it. The rest of your stats sounded good. Honestly as a PA never use Ochem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMPAhopeful Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 thanks guys. Yeah, I did have some difficulty with orgo, it was definitely different from all of my other classes. I got a 106 on the second to last exam (had extra credit questions) and an 81 on the one before that, which balanced out the first two low grades (not sure how I did on the final...we had 5 exams, drop the lowest, so I calculated the 77 based on the first 4 exams, since the final wouldn't matter if it was lower than the other exams)...guess I'll wait to hear what he says, but I guess I should retake and take orgo II just to show I can handle it? Argh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 23, 2011 Administrator Share Posted December 23, 2011 Next time, I'd recommend talking to your professor about it BEFORE posting it on the Internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMPAhopeful Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 oh and if it means anything, I plan on applying to schools in the NYC area that are BS or BS/MS programs (SUNY Downstate, CUNY York, CUNY City College, Hofstra, maybe Touro). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMPAhopeful Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 Next time, I'd recommend talking to your professor about it BEFORE posting it on the Internet. If the grade is wrong/right, then it's wrong/right, whether or not I post about it on the Internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 23, 2011 Administrator Share Posted December 23, 2011 If the grade is wrong/right, then it's wrong/right, whether or not I post about it on the Internet. You lack the social awareness I would expect in a PA if you think this is actually a good answer. When you involve a third person in a dispute, you now have either a mediator or an audience. In the case where one party involves someone not familiar with or to the other party, you've invited an audience. That makes it less likely that the other party (the professor, in this case) will admit any possible mistake, because in doing so you will have caused them to lose face in the eyes of the audience. Now, this is probably not the case because of Internet pseudonymity and the professor not actively seeking for such comments, but the principle is best learned on something not terribly important. However, the belief that things are right/wrong and other people will do the right thing regardless of how the subject is approached can get you fired. Understanding the difference between an ideal and real outcome is very important for folks who must work as subordinates to fallible human beings who have not been selected for their position by virtue of their humility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akdEM Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 What you say is true, rev, but I don't think the OP was really seeking any of our opinions regarding how to handle the grade situation with the professor. The question, and understandably so, is how will this bad grade affect chances of getting into PA school. The OP is probably in a little bit of panic mode after getting a surprisingly low grade and wanted some reassurance that they have not destroyed their chances. Does this really need to be turned into an object lesson? Of course it is a bad idea to bring third parties into a personal conflict. No one would argue against that... To the OP, I would not be surprised if there was some type of mistake. Happens all the time. If not, you will probably have to seriously consider retaking it. It sucks, but it you wouldn't be the first to have to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMPAhopeful Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 You lack the social awareness I would expect in a PA if you think this is actually a good answer. When you involve a third person in a dispute, you now have either a mediator or an audience. In the case where one party involves someone not familiar with or to the other party, you've invited an audience. That makes it less likely that the other party (the professor, in this case) will admit any possible mistake, because in doing so you will have caused them to lose face in the eyes of the audience. Now, this is probably not the case because of Internet pseudonymity and the professor not actively seeking for such comments, but the principle is best learned on something not terribly important. However, the belief that things are right/wrong and other people will do the right thing regardless of how the subject is approached can get you fired. Understanding the difference between an ideal and real outcome is very important for folks who must work as subordinates to fallible human beings who have not been selected for their position by virtue of their humility. Thanks for the comments! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calad Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 When you involve a third person in a dispute, you now have either a mediator or an audience. In the case where one party involves someone not familiar with or to the other party, you've invited an audience. That makes it less likely that the other party (the professor, in this case) will admit any possible mistake, because in doing so you will have caused them to lose face in the eyes of the audience. You make the assumption that because he asked some of his peers about the situation, he will make it known to the professor that he asked, and further that he expects that to affect the decision. This is clearly wrong. He is asking for advice, not a lesson in "social awareness". Next time, i would suggest skipping over a thread like this if you don't want to add anything constructive to help the OP. Not everyone will inherently know all the right/wrong things to do, and even then the point at which something is "wrong" is completely arbitrary based on who is judging. As for the OP, if you don't get the grade changed you would probably want to retake it and get at least a B, so it becomes averaged out to a C and is accepted by PA schools. When they look at your record they see your entire transcript/body of work, if they see a bunch of As and a D(or a C) they will most likely consider it an anomaly, but if they see a bunch of As and a bunch of Cs and Ds, then you would probably have something to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Rev, are you judging somebody's character and professional worth based on your interpretation of one Internet post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 23, 2011 Moderator Share Posted December 23, 2011 o-chem isn't required for the vast majority of pa programs but a D certainly hurts the gpa.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 23, 2011 Administrator Share Posted December 23, 2011 Rev, are you judging somebody's character and professional worth based on your interpretation of one Internet post? Only to the extent that an internet post reflects their character and professional worth, which is almost never a 1:1 correspondence. Asking for advice in a public forum on a not-yet-resolved situation does not demonstrate particularly good judgment, but there are plenty of people I know who are not perfect, and do some things very well and others not so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMPAhopeful Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 Only to the extent that an internet post reflects their character and professional worth, which is almost never a 1:1 correspondence. Asking for advice in a public forum on a not-yet-resolved situation does not demonstrate particularly good judgment, but there are plenty of people I know who are not perfect, and do some things very well and others not so well. Thank you again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 If I am tracking Rev, let's change the situation to something that may be more applicable... here is a hypothetical fictional situation purely for the purpose of illustration/discussion: "I scored a very low yearly review at my job and I don't agree with it. I think I have done a very good job based on my patient surveys so I hope we can come to an agreement. I haven't discussed it yet with my boss, but do you think this will harm my chances of getting future jobs?"[/example] So here is the same situation, but just worded differently. If I am tracking Rev correctly, it is this sort of situation that is best to avoid. It corresponds with the theory that disputes or disagreements need to be settled at the lowest level possible, hopefully just between the two people directly involved. By involving more than just the two people involved, especially involving people who have no say in the eventual outcome, is akin to office gossip. The internet simply adds a layer of anonymity. The OP, in their original post, does not yet have the final answer to their situation. The whole thing may be resolved after a simple office visit with the prof and there will be no D grade, hence, no need for this post. By posting before the final decision has been delivered, it does little but to inflame an already concerning situation. If the OP needs to vent, I'd suggest something along the lines of "Oh man, I am worried that there is a mix up about my grade. My calculations and the professor's calculations don't agree. I meet with him on Tuesday and I sure hope we can work it out. Wish me luck!" This way, the OP can get the positive support they are looking for, and others have a window to offer supportive thoughts such as "one bad grade shouldn't sink you" I took Rev's post as a reminder that sometimes it's best to keep tenuous situations under your hat until all the facts are in, then seek counsel on what the next step should be. By jumping the gun it could skew the situation, especially if the second party becomes aware of the newly acquired audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Or we could make it even more applicable: "I scored really low on the last PANRE. I think there is an error in the grading. This isn't resolved yet, but I am really worried about how this will affect my employment and the cost of possibly retaking it. (paraphrasing) Why doesn't rev go over to THAT thread and trash those posters as well. We all know that rev took the OPs comments out of context because the post was never about the possible error of the grade. It was about how to deal with the accepted low grade and how to move forward. The OP did not reveal the school, the professor, or own identity. To think that the professor is lurking on these boards waiting for a comment about an error in grading is so ridiculous I just don't see how this carries any weight with anybody. And it is hardly gossip when nobody knows the identity of any of the people in this scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calad Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Or we could make it even more applicable: "I scored really low on the last PANRE. I think there is an error in the grading. This isn't resolved yet, but I am really worried about how this will affect my employment and the cost of possibly retaking it. (paraphrasing) Why doesn't rev go over to THAT thread and trash those posters as well. We all know that rev took the OPs comments out of context because the post was never about the possible error of the grade. It was about how to deal with the accepted low grade and how to move forward. The OP did not reveal the school, the professor, or own identity. To think that the professor is lurking on these boards waiting for a comment about an error in grading is so ridiculous I just don't see how this carries any weight with anybody. And it is hardly gossip when nobody knows the identity of any of the people in this scenario. Most definitely. That is not the kind of attitude we need at these boards, where people come here looking for advice from other people who have gone through it already or are in the process of doing it. That being said, OP is handling it about as well as you can handle a situation like that, kudos to you sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 24, 2011 Administrator Share Posted December 24, 2011 Most definitely. That is not the kind of attitude we need at these boards, where people come here looking for advice from other people who have gone through it already or are in the process of doing it. That being said, OP is handling it about as well as you can handle a situation like that, kudos to you sir. Actually, the attitude is one of helpfulness: I pointed out sub-optimal conduct (going to the Internet with an unresolved dispute) that could get the poster unwelcome outcomes. If I'd wanted to give just him the feedback, it would have been better addressed in a private message. The reason I did not choose to do that is because the topic is appropriate for a wider audience--it's not a mistake unique to him. While I realize I was on the Internet before some posters on this forum were born, the fact is that proper dispute resolution and online posting etiquette escapes many, many people. Just Steve has my motivation pegged correctly. While still a student until August, I've 25 years of email/Internet experience, and 20 years of full-time work experience. I've made just about every possible online blunder, though before there were Blogs or Facebook, there was USENET. For those of you who are not yet PA's, you are going into a subordinate role, where learning to appropriately disagree with and influence someone who holds a disproportionate amount of power in any relationship is not just a "nice to have", but a critical job skill where its absence can lead to unemployment. I hope that some of those reading this thread have gotten that message out of it. And I think that's all I'll say on the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akdEM Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Whether intentional or not, you come off as a colossal blowhard, rev. That's all I'll say on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotaox1 Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 dude... rev did you have a bad day and feel the need to barf it out on this guy? I hope it made you feel better. But really, take that crap over to SDN, you will fit right in acting like that. You act like the guy talked **** about his boss on facebook when he was "friends" with his boss. op just mentioned a prof might have made a mistake, mostly as an aside to his legitimate question. Not to mention thinking that a orgo prof would EVER see this or know who OP was is tinfoil hat thinking in full swing. OPs response to you was lightyears more professional than your self-satisfied and arrogant rant. to OP- I apologize, most of us are kind helpful people that don't belittle people on PA forums to make themselves feel important. I hope you stick around. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 25, 2011 Moderator Share Posted December 25, 2011 Lets all chill, and be excellent to each other. most excellent in the words of bill and ted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Strange things are afoot at the PA Forum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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