is it possible to take 0 gap years if first 2 years at community college?

[Redicent]

I know it's definitely possible to get into med schools by doing the first 2 years at a CC and then transferring, however I read that most premeds start applying for med school junior year. Is it even possible to apply to med school without any gap years when you did the first 2 at a CC?

I've tried searching anywhere to see if this question has been answered elsewhere, however it's all centered around the fact that its possible to get into med school, but not the amount of time it would take.

would love to hear some perspective on what the timeline year to year would look like for a premed on the CC route!

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[Mr.Smile12]

I know it's definitely possible to get into med schools by doing the first 2 years at a CC and then transferring, however I read that most premeds start applying for med school junior year. Is it even possible to apply to med school without any gap years when you did the first 2 at a CC?

I've tried searching anywhere to see if this question has been answered elsewhere, however it's all centered around the fact that its possible to get into med school, but not the amount of time it would take.

would love to hear some perspective on what the timeline year to year would look like for a premed on the CC route!

Welcome to the forums!

Hypothetically, it's possible provided the transition to undergraduate is smooth and one continues to show excellent academic progress. Given the exorbitant costs of undergraduate education, going to CC first and transferring may become more cost-effective even for those from middle-class families. However, this assumes that the student has advising at the CC level to pick out proper courses that would help towards taking upper-level courses at a university. We try to cover this in our UMAP program. More recent efforts include CC students in pipeline/academic enrichment programs to try to make up for that resource disparity, but that depends on the advising offices to distribute.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

It’s definitely possible but depends on courses offered at CC and ECs you can do.

 

[LizzyM]

One of the challenges is finding letter of recommendation writers. If your CC classes were small and you had teachers who had decades of experience (so as to compare you with a large pool of students taught over the years), you might be able to get some letters from CC professors and have them sent to Interfolio. Otherwise, you are trying to make an impression in just one academic year (or less) and asking current instructors at the university level to write on your behalf.

Jumping to a new school also limits your ability to climb the ladder in terms of teamwork and leadership. You will also need to be building the non-academic side of your resume with non-clinical community service, clinical exposure (shadowing plus volunteerism and/or employment) and, perhaps, research (only necessary if you are shooting for a top research school, otherwise nice but not essential).