Current UCLA student going back to Community College

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I'm currently working on my premed courses and my major. I can't finish my premed courses during undergrad. I'm thinking about taking couple premed courses during summer but it's going to cost me 4k at UCLA..!! I want to take it at CC because it's much cheaper. Heard this could look terrible to med school. I can't pay 4k at UCLA.. advice please...!!

Maybe do some gen-eds at the CC? You should try to take your pre-reqs at a 4-year, but if you can't CRUSH all your upper-level sciences at UCLA.

Best Wishes.

Originally Posted by CeeEstee0

Maybe do some gen-eds at the CC? You should try to take your pre-reqs at a 4-year, but if you can't CRUSH all your upper-level sciences at UCLA.

Best Wishes.

Adcoms frown on the completion of pre-requisites at community colleges or other two year institutions. If you really can't afford the classes at UCLA your best chance is explaining your circumstances in your application and proving your academic prowess with an exceptional MCAT. Study hard and don't settle for anything but As if you do resort to taking your pre-requisites at the community college.

Thank you! I'm a transfer student and I finished most premed courses except Organic chemistry part II and Physics. I took Ochem part I in CC. Finishing at my Uni is a bit more complicated (splits to 3 courses!)

I would not take Orgo II, Orgo II lab, and all of Physics at a CC. Take out a student loan if you have to.

why is that??

Originally Posted by sayamd

why is that??

Those are 5 different courses at UCLA. Why won't you be able to complete most of them before you graduate? Are you a non-science major?

I'm a nursing undergrad. My class schedule is filled with clinicals and nursing courses (usually 15-18 units). I can't take those premed courses at all..

Originally Posted by sayamd

I'm a nursing undergrad. My class schedule is filled with clinicals and nursing courses (usually 15-18 units). I can't take those premed courses at all..

That's tough. When did you decide you want to become a physician? Are you going to work as a nurse for awhile first? Anyway, do what you have to do. It sounds like you don't have a choice but to take those courses at a CC.

Originally Posted by sayamd

I'm a nursing undergrad. My class schedule is filled with clinicals and nursing courses (usually 15-18 units). I can't take those premed courses at all..

EBTrailRunner is alluding to the fact that adcoms won't want to poach health professionals from a related field. You have an uphill battle ahead. Be prepared to explain your transition to medicine. Adcoms will want to know why you chose to switch career tracks since the overall goals of nursing and medicine (helping people using a vast knowledge of science) are so similar. It's not impossible to eloquently justify your choices, you'll just have more explaining to do during interview season than other non-nursing candidates.

Now that you've given the specific courses you're missing I have to concur with EBTrailRunner. Those are "weed out" courses for pre-medical majors and if you don't take them at your home university it will raise red flags with admissions committees who will suspect you were unable to cope with the competition and took the easy way out, though that's clearly not the case. Take out loans and take the classes as a post-bac student at large if you have to, but take those courses at UCLA.

I really want to. Here's more of my status...
I'm MARRIED to an traditional Asian man. He's not supportive for me to go for higher education. I have a part time job but I can't pay for my summer school because I don't plan to tell him I'm going for medical school. He demands me to become a mother when I graduate (I don't want to). I fear that he would divorce immediately if I ever bring out about medical school for now =(

I'm thinking about working as a nurse while trying to finish the rest of my premed courses and make some cash during the gap years. to be honest I always wanted to become a MD but I'm a depressed immigrant who did not speak English back then. So I started as a nursing major because I just like medical field. It's been almost 8 years since I came to the states. I feel that my English is good enough to go for medical school and I'm finally a legal citizen (I was an illegal immigrant! I heard becoming a nurse can get green card).

that's why I made my decision to go for medical school. I feel that I gained opportunity to do so. When I came to the states, I couldn't go for it.