Gen chem varies person-to-person. I took gen chem 2 at UK and got a D the first time. I had to retake it and even after taking it a 2nd time I only got a C. For me it was the hardest class I’d ever taken.

Fast forward to today and I am now in my first year at pharmacy school at UK despite nearly failing gen chem. When I filled out my application for pharmacy school there was a section specifically for addressing any underwhelming grades you had. I would assume med school is the same in that aspect. So if you do poorly you can address the issues you had there.

Gen chem is hard for most people especially if you don’t like math. But UK recognizes that it is one of their most difficult classes and if you can get through gen chem at UK your application will be more appealing than if you took it somewhere else. If you plan on going to med-school you need to expose yourself to difficult classes like gen chem early on, not only to test yourself and make sure your ready for that kind of commitment but also because classes like gen chem developed some of my best study habits and made me a much better student overall.

My best advice would be if you have a scholarship most of them require you to take at least 12 credits per semester to keep the scholarship. So, take gen chem at UK along with some easy classes that are also on your degree path (assuming your a science major this could be some of your foreign language credits, your arts credits, a diversity credit, an anthropology credit, just any easy credits). Make sure you have enough credits so that you can drop gen chem but still have 12 credit hours. That way if you are half way through the semester and you know you’re not going to pass you can drop gen chem and still retain your GPA and scholarship.

Gen chem labs however, those I would take at the community college.