Has Anyone Ever Taken All of Their Science Prereqs in Their Junior Year?

[ribbondino]

I will have an associate's from a community college and because the medical school in my state does not accept prereq credit from anything other than a four year university, I haven't taken any of them yet. I really don't want to take a gap year, but would it be feasible to take Organic Chem, General Chem, 2 upper level bio courses, and Physics in my junior year? I generally take 16-18 credit hours a semester and do not have a job or anything so I am not worried about finding the time to study, but is it too much? Anyone ever done this?

Thanks!

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[Chip N Sawbones]

You can't take organic chemistry without taking general chemistry first. At most schools general chem is a prereq for organic. Even if it isn't, you will need the knowledge from general to succeed at organic. Many people, including myself, take the full year of general chem over the summer. The pace is very fast and you will need to work hard to keep up with the material, but if you can handle the work it would allow you to take organic, physics and biology your junior year. That's still quite a workload, but it is manageable.

 

[Ismet]

You can't take organic chemistry without taking general chemistry first. At most schools general chem is a prereq for organic. Even if it isn't, you will need the knowledge from general to succeed at organic. Many people, including myself, take the full year of general chem over the summer. The pace is very fast and you will need to work hard to keep up with the material, but if you can handle the work it would allow you to take organic, physics and biology your junior year. That's still quite a workload, but it is manageable.

You absolutely do not need general chemistry to understand organic chemistry. There are several universities that have people take organic before gen chem.

 

[Ismet]

I will have an associate's from a community college and because the medical school in my state does not accept prereq credit from anything other than a four year university, I haven't taken any of them yet. I really don't want to take a gap year, but would it be feasible to take Organic Chem, General Chem, 2 upper level bio courses, and Physics in my junior year? I generally take 16-18 credit hours a semester and do not have a job or anything so I am not worried about finding the time to study, but is it too much? Anyone ever done this?

Thanks!

It's too much. Maybe take one of the sequences over the summer? And a gap year isn't the end of the world.

 

[911 Turbo]

Do you have any idea how much personal information I have access to through your twitter? Remove that ****.

 

[Josh7]

You absolutely do not need general chemistry to understand organic chemistry. There are several universities that have people take organic before gen chem.

I agree, you can take them concurrently. But the sort of schedule you'd need to be taking in order to get all of the pre-reqs done in one year would be pretty crazy. Sometimes like:

Semester 1:
Gen Chem 1 + Lab
Orgo 1 + Lab
Physics 1 + Lab
Bio 1 + Lab
Calculus

Semester 2:
Gen Chem 2 + Lab
Orgo 2 + Lab
Physics 2 + Lab
Bio 2 + Lab

Honestly it looks possible but I wouldn't do it

 

[487806]

You can't take organic chemistry without taking general chemistry first. At most schools general chem is a prereq for organic. Even if it isn't, you will need the knowledge from general to succeed at organic. Many people, including myself, take the full year of general chem over the summer. The pace is very fast and you will need to work hard to keep up with the material, but if you can handle the work it would allow you to take organic, physics and biology your junior year. That's still quite a workload, but it is manageable.

Meh. As Ismet stated, gen chem shouldn't be a requirement for ochem. They are entirely two different things. Concepts of acidity/basicity and activation energy, which are one similarity, are handled differently. OP can handle the courseload well .

 

[487806]

Do you have any idea how much personal information I have access to through your twitter? Remove that ****.

I have twitter and I'm fine.

 

[ribbondino]

Do you have any idea how much personal information I have access to through your twitter? Remove that ****.

I don't run around making racist comments or saying stupid things. Any med school that would interview me could easily access my twitter or Facebook just by googling my name. I don't post anything on here that I would care about schools seeing.

 

[bigdogrob4284]

OP, many people also do organic in the summer. You can take bio, gen chem, and physics concurrently during the regular semester, and then do organic in the following summer.

 

[ribbondino]

I agree, you can take them concurrently. But the sort of schedule you'd need to be taking in order to get all of the pre-reqs done in one year would be pretty crazy. Sometimes like:

Semester 1:
Gen Chem 1 + Lab
Orgo 1 + Lab
Physics 1 + Lab
Bio 1 + Lab
Calculus

Semester 2:
Gen Chem 2 + Lab
Orgo 2 + Lab
Physics 2 + Lab
Bio 2 + Lab

Honestly it looks possible but I wouldn't do it

Fortunately, I don't need Calculus. But yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I want to be on schedule to matriculate in 2015, but I definitely don't want to overload my self to the point that I am struggling to get the grades I want.

It's too much. Maybe take one of the sequences over the summer? And a gap year isn't the end of the world.

The summer idea is actually a great one; I honestly didn't even think of it.

 

[Josh7]

Fortunately, I don't need Calculus. But yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I want to be on schedule to matriculate in 2015, but I definitely don't want to overload my self to the point that I am struggling to get the grades I want.:

When would you plan on studying for the MCAT though?

 

[911 Turbo]

I don't run around making racist comments or saying stupid things. Any med school that would interview me could easily access my twitter or Facebook just by googling my name. I don't post anything on here that I would care about schools seeing.

Really? Took me about 5 seconds to see a three letter word that gay people would find offensive on your twitter.

Lol... and what about your classmates? Random stalkers on the internet?

 

[ribbondino]

Meh. As Ismet stated, gen chem shouldn't be a requirement for ochem. They are entirely two different things. Concepts of acidity/basicity and activation energy, which are one similarity, are handled differently. OP can handle the courseload well .

Thanks for the vote of confidence. And it's not a prereq here. I also have a pretty good background in general chem just from taking AP courses in high school, so I'm not as worried about that.

OP, many people also do organic in the summer. You can take bio, gen chem, and physics concurrently during the regular semester, and then do organic in the following summer.

That doesn't sound like a bad idea! Thanks!

 

[Ismet]

When would you plan on studying for the MCAT though?

+1

If you're taking all this in the 2013-2014 academic year, assuming you take one of the sequences this coming summer and not the summer after, you're going to have to study for the MCAT in the spring of 2014 while taking 3 science courses, then take the MCAT soon after in order to get your app in at a decent time. It's possible, but it won't be enjoyable, and your grades and/or MCAT score might suffer.

On the other hand, you could spread out the pre-reqs over 2 years, taking your time and doing very well, then take a gap year and work/research/etc while interviewing.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Really? Took me about 5 seconds to see a three letter word that gay people would find offensive on your twitter.

Lol... and what about your classmates? Random stalkers on the internet?

I had to look, too. After recent events... you gotta watch your back.

 

[ribbondino]

Really? Took me about 5 seconds to see a three letter word that gay people would find offensive on your twitter.

Lol... and what about your classmates? Random stalkers on the internet?

It's not like I post my address. I dunno, I don't like to pretend to be something I'm not. This is a professional forum; I act in a professional nature. Twitter is, well, Twitter. The majority of negative things is private jokes with friends.

But yeah, I understand what you mean. Random onlookers wouldn't understand certain things or interpret them differently. I think I will make my tweets private with the follower request option; I never thought of that. Thank you!!!

 

[487806]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. And it's not a prereq here. I also have a pretty good background in general chem just from taking AP courses in high school, so I'm not as worried about that.

That's good. Taking the MCAT in 2013-2014 is recommended to avoid the longer, more complicated 2015+ MCAT (that includes sociology/psychology). Ismet pointed out that it may be a challenge for you, but you seem to be reassured that you can handle gen chem pretty well. However, it does require determination and confidence to do well on both. You can use the Berkeley Review for added MCAT study, and follow SN2ed's plan. Good luck

 

[NeuroLAX]

It's not like I post my address. I dunno, I don't like to pretend to be something I'm not. This is a professional forum; I act in a professional nature. Twitter is, well, Twitter. The majority of negative things is private jokes with friends.

But yeah, I understand what you mean. Random onlookers wouldn't understand certain things or interpret them differently. I think I will make my tweets private with the follower request option; I never thought of that. Thank you!!!

Yes, please do. We don't want another Rescindment incident.

 

[487806]

It's not like I post my address. I dunno, I don't like to pretend to be something I'm not. This is a professional forum; I act in a professional nature. Twitter is, well, Twitter. The majority of negative things is private jokes with friends.

But yeah, I understand what you mean. Random onlookers wouldn't understand certain things or interpret them differently. I think I will make my tweets private with the follower request option; I never thought of that. Thank you!!!

You can keep the twitter account linked to SDN but not reveal your twitter username.

Yes, please do. We don't want another Rescindment incident.

Remember remember...

 

[Ismet]

It's not like I post my address. I dunno, I don't like to pretend to be something I'm not. This is a professional forum; I act in a professional nature. Twitter is, well, Twitter. The majority of negative things is private jokes with friends.

But yeah, I understand what you mean. Random onlookers wouldn't understand certain things or interpret them differently. I think I will make my tweets private with the follower request option; I never thought of that. Thank you!!!

No, you need to be professional everywhere, even Twitter and Facebook. Professionalism will be drilled into your head once you get to med school.

 

[Nascent]

I took almost all the pre-reqs. my freshman year. It wasn't that hard; I think you're just not trying?

 

[Ismet]

I took almost all the pre-reqs. my freshman year. It wasn't that hard; I think you're just not trying?

Coming from a future neurosurgeon, dat's legit yo

 

[NeuroLAX]

I took almost all the pre-reqs. my freshman year. It wasn't that hard; I think you're just not trying?

I thought you were a "soon-to-be-pre-med"...

 

[Josh7]

+1

If you're taking all this in the 2013-2014 academic year, assuming you take one of the sequences this coming summer and not the summer after, you're going to have to study for the MCAT in the spring of 2014 while taking 3 science courses, then take the MCAT soon after in order to get your app in at a decent time. It's possible, but it won't be enjoyable, and your grades and/or MCAT score might suffer.

On the other hand, you could spread out the pre-reqs over 2 years, taking your time and doing very well, then take a gap year and work/research/etc while interviewing.

This is your best bet. In the other scenario I don't see yourself getting valuable ECs.

What are you planning to major in? I don't really see you completing a major easily if you're only taking these pre-reqs without major classes

 

[487806]

I thought you were a "soon-to-be-pre-med"...

Nope. That's my job.

 

[ribbondino]

That's good. Taking the MCAT in 2013-2014 is recommended to avoid the longer, more complicated 2015+ MCAT (that includes sociology/psychology). Ismet pointed out that it may be a challenge for you, but you seem to be reassured that you can handle gen chem pretty well. However, it does require determination and confidence to do well on both. You can use the Berkeley Review for added MCAT study, and follow SN2ed's plan. Good luck

Thank you! ( I just realized that I say "thank you" a ton on here...)

Yes, please do. We don't want another Rescindment incident.

Done!

I took almost all the pre-reqs. my freshman year. It wasn't that hard; I think you're just not trying?

I guess I'm not.... But then again, you also got your MD in your freshman year so I really can't compare....

This is your best bet. In the other scenario I don't see yourself getting valuable ECs.

What are you planning to major in? I don't really see you completing a major easily if you're only taking these pre-reqs without major classes

I am majoring in biochemistry. I started working on ECs last year, so that helps I guess. I would LOVE to take a gap year to do research, but I also want to be able to pay my rent. I just don't want to take a year off from being in school/doing research/etc, I love school.

 

[Ismet]

I am majoring in biochemistry. I started working on ECs last year, so that helps I guess. I would LOVE to take a gap year to do research, but I also want to be able to pay my rent. I just don't want to take a year off from being in school/doing research/etc, I love school.

You can find paid research positions/programs, like this one https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta

 

[ribbondino]

You can find paid research positions/programs, like this one https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta

Thanks That would be amazing; I will definitely keep that in mind when sorting this all out.

 

[music2doc]

You absolutely do not need general chemistry to understand organic chemistry. There are several universities that have people take organic before gen chem.

I strongly disagree. Sure, you can get through organic without general, but they are conceptually intimately related. I think students tend to miss that connection because they either had the background and took it for granted or didn't and memorized ochem. Either way, a background is helpful.