Grades

Remember, pre-health paths don't define who you are. They are just potential professions you are interested in. Sometimes you find things that are more interesting to you or that you find are a better fit. Sometimes you realize you really hate studying science. Sometimes your interests change. That's ok! The world needs all sorts of people serving in all sorts of professions!

What If I Got Bad Grades in My First Year?

Poor grades during your first year do not necessarily close the door to a professional health program. It may mean that you take a slightly longer timeline (plan for a gap year) so that you can present yourself as the strongest applicant you can be when the time comes to apply. If your grades were not what you wanted them to be, take some time to figure out what happened and make a plan for improvement!

Utilize your resources and do what it takes to earn better grades moving forward. This could include tutoring, academic coaching, and talking with your professors about what went wrong and what could improve. Ideally, you want to have an upward grade trend with at least four "clean" semesters (B's and above) leading up to your application.

Opportunity for Discernment

Grades of “C” or below in math/science courses can sometimes be a sign. You should reflect on your decision to pursue a profession requiring high performance in these classes. Sometimes, your discernment is a matter of considering other professions. Sometimes, it is a matter of realizing that you may need to add extra time to your plan - time to demonstrate significant improvement in multiple upper-level science courses before attempting an application.

Reflect on how you feel about studying for these classes:

- - - - Do you hate picking up that chemistry book?
        
        Does molecular biology make you cringe?
        
        Do you resent the hours of study time you need to spend on these classes?

Paying attention to how you feel about these classes can sometimes allow you to explore other possibilities. Be open and willing to explore many options that may be a better fit for your particular strengths, talents and abilities!

Withdrawing From Classes

If you are struggling in a class, you may be wondering how withdrawing from the course will impact your application to a professional health program. One or two withdrawals in science courses is not automatically a problem or red flag in your application. More than two withdrawals in sciences, or a pattern of starting and withdrawing from courses, can be concerning.

What Should I Consider Before Withdrawing?

- - - - Meet with your professor to discuss the course.
        
        What grades are left and what chances do you have of improving your grade?
        
        How can you be more strategic in studying and preparing for exams.
      - Meet with your Academic Advisor.
        
        Make them aware of your situation.
        
        If a withdrawal might put you at less than full-time status (less than 12 hours), be sure you are aware of anything that may be impacted by that (insurance, financial aid, scholarships, etc.).

How Do I Know If I Should Withdraw?

- - - - If it is highly likely that you will earn a "D" or an "F" in any course, but especially in a math or science course, it is probably better to withdraw.
      - If staying in a course where you might, at best, receive a "C" AND it will cause you an undue amount of stress, and/or negatively impact your ability to do well in other courses, a withdrawal may be wise.
      - If it is likely that you can earn a "C" or better without negatively impacting your other grades or your health, it is wise to complete the course.
      - If you complete a course with a "C", take action to find out what you need to do to improve your grades moving forward.

Retaking Classes

Generally, professional programs require that all pre-requisite courses be completed with grades of "C" or better. If you earn a grade of "C-" or lower in a pre-requisite course, you likely need to retake it.

Can I Retake a Course if I Earned a "C"?

In most cases, if you earned a "C" in a pre-requisite course, your time may be better spent successfully taking more advanced courses in that subject and earning an "A" or "B+" grade to demonstrate mastery of the material. If you earned a "C" or higher in a Creighton course, you may not retake that course at Creighton.

Can I Retake a Magis Core Courses I Didn't Do Well In?

Typically, you can receive a “D” in a class and get credit for meeting a Magis Core requirement. So, for purposes of fulfilling a requirement only, sometimes a student will opt not to re-take the class. But for students planning on a competitive application, it is more about the overall GPA, and the math/science GPA, that is of concern and impacts the decision to re-take a course.

If the particular course is a major requirement or a pre-requisite for a major, check in with a major advisor from that department to ask about grade requirements for the course.

Do I Have to Retake the Class at Creighton?

The centralized application service used by professional programs will include both the original class grade and the retake grade in your application GPA. Thus, if the only consideration for a retake is how it impacts your application GPA, you can make the choice to retake he class at a different institution.

- - - - I got an "F" in Abnormal Psychology. I don't need it for my Math major, I don't need the credits to graduate from Creighton, and it doesn't count toward the Magis Core. It is a pre-requisite for the PA program I want to apply to. I can choose to retake it at a different institution and not transfer the credit to Creighton.

Students must submit a transient study form before taking classes elsewhere so that they are assured of how the credit will transfer. Your assigned Academic Advisor can go over that form with you. You can also contact the Academic Dean's office in your undergraduate college if you have questions about transient study.

Here are some reasons you might need to retake a class at Creighton:

- - - - You need to improve your Creighton GPA
        
        Scholarships
        
        If your GPA has fallen under 2.0 and you are on academic probation
        
        If it is a course in your major and you need your major GPA raised. Creighton requires students to have a 2.0 average in their required major courses in order to graduate with that major.
        
        It is a course in your major and the major department would not approve the course you propose to take away from Creighton.
        
        If it is a course that you need to pass with a “C” or better in order to go into another course, you would just want to double check with the department on that prerequisite. For example – if you cannot go into Organic I with a “D” in General Chemistry II, you would want to be sure that taking the class away from Creighton and earning a “C” or better would enable you to enroll in Organic Chemistry I here at Creighton.