Advice needed on course selection

[UMP]

I've enrolled for a second-bach at my local state school and am currently taking Chem II and Bio II (which weren't offered at my original school, they were just one semester courses). I'm also taking two upper level math classes, since it's something that I was always good at. My question is on how I should continue. I'm planning on improving on my 30 MCAT score in August, and I was thinking of repeating my C grades in Orgo I and II and Bio I over the summer. Should I even bother with repeating those classes or should I dive straight in to upper-level classes? Also, my brain works better when a class involves math, so would upper-level classes in Physics and Math look as good as Bio upper-levels ? Thanks for any tips

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[relentless11]

Repeating classes where you got a D or less is fine. For classes where you got a C, more value comes from taking more advanced versions of hose courses. For example, if you got C's in general chemistry, you should take physical chemistry and get an A in them.

Although a C isn't exactly a good thing, an A from a course you repeated loses some of its impressiveness. Considering you already took the same course before, so you BETTER get a higher grade the second time through.

Taking courses with math involved is fine, as math courses boost your science GPA. However be sure to also show you can be competant in OChem, GChem, Biochem, etc. Although math is surely important in this world, upper division math (and i'm assuming this is like Partial Differential Equations, and other Advanced Calculus) is pretty much not applicable to the core medical curriculum unless you are doing research that will require that stuff...like biomedical engineering. One of the harder classes and more fun courses in med school would be general/systemic pathology. Those at most require the most basic forms of math (add/subtract), and maybe you'll have to divide and multiply stuff in clinical pathology but thats it. More OChem and Biochem involved in those classes though compared to math. There is a reason why the math requirement for med school is less than that of say....a bioengineering grad program.

In short, make sure your deficiencies in the pre-reqs are addressed. Taking more science/math classes is fine, but C's in the intro courses of OChem and Bio is not a good start in laying the foundation of what you'll need to know for the upper division courses and med school curriculum. I believe most med schools have you take biochem the first winter you are there, so OChem will definately come back.

 

[UMP]

my math classes will be more of the advanced statistics variety, I've taken the four calc-based classes already, the stats would be more in designing experiements with some epidemiology thrown in. This could look good for research-oriented schools, but with my bad GPA the primary care-mission schools are more likely to take me. I was just thinking of taking them to ease my course schedule b/c they require a different type of studying. I'm taking Bio II right now and am trending towards a solid A. So retaking Bio I afterwards could be a little weird. I plan on taking a Neuroanatomy and then an Anatomy and Physiology course next year, so I can prove myself then. Then Biochem I and II, maybe some physical chem.
I plan on taking these upper level classes later, but those repeats over the summer could easily pad my GPA beforehands and prepare me for the August MCATs. So how my thinking goes:

1. I prove myself in two semesters of upper level biochem and biology (with an upper-level course in Physics and Stats thrown in)

2. and with the one semester of repeats I pad my overall and science GPA, while I review for my MCATs.

 

[relentless11]

my math classes will be more of the advanced statistics variety, I've taken the four calc-based classes already, the stats would be more in designing experiements with some epidemiology thrown in. This could look good for research-oriented schools, but with my bad GPA the primary care-mission schools are more likely to take me. I was just thinking of taking them to ease my course schedule b/c they require a different type of studying. I'm taking Bio II right now and am trending towards a solid A. So retaking Bio I afterwards could be a little weird. I plan on taking a Neuroanatomy and then an Anatomy and Physiology course next year, so I can prove myself then. Then Biochem I and II, maybe some physical chem.
I plan on taking these upper level classes later, but those repeats over the summer could easily pad my GPA beforehands and prepare me for the August MCATs. So how my thinking goes:

1. I prove myself in two semesters of upper level biochem and biology (with an upper-level course in Physics and Stats thrown in)

2. and with the one semester of repeats I pad my overall and science GPA, while I review for my MCATs.

That sounds like a plan. I recommend taking stats that covers more of non-parametric tests, as well as multiple logistic regression. I dont' know if they teach that at the undergrad level though. The epidemiology stuff is more for well if you want to do epidemiology, or public health. For research related schools, its probably more worthwhile to know the statistical methods I mentioned. Your standard parametric tests are robust, but today may not apply to what you will see in clinical research. May be different in bench research though. Statistics, especially medical statistics is very good for a med student.