2 Years Pre-Med can be detrimental.

[businessguy]

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I honestly think doing pre-med in 1 year may actually be more beneficial than doing it in 2 years. If you look at the time between your first classes and the MCAT you will see that this is an awful long time (2 Year - route).

Let's use the coming year as an example:

Year 1: September 2006 - April 2007: Prereqs 1
Year 2: September 2007 - April 2008: Prereqs 2 + MCAT

You will have 18 months between your first classes and the MCAT. This 1.5 years will include 3 weeks of Christmas, 4 months of summer, and another 3 weeks of Christmas, and not to mention a dozen exams.

Now if we look at a 1-1.5 year plan, you will only go through 3 weeks of Christmas (probably needed), and 8 months before the MCAT.

Year 1: Summer 2006 Session 1 & 2: 1 Prereq: Gen. Chem
Year 1: September 2006 - April 2007: 3 Prereq Classes: Bio, Phys, Orgo
Year 1: April: MCAT, August: MCAT (if need be)

I am not trying to persuade any minds here. I just want you to answer the poll. 👍

errrr: Poll didn't show up.

 

[titoincali]

I honestly think doing pre-med in 1 year may actually be more beneficial than doing it in 2 years. If you look at the time between your first classes and the MCAT you will see that this is an awful long time (2 Year - route).

Let's use the coming year as an example:

Year 1: September 2006 - April 2007: Prereqs 1
Year 2: September 2007 - April 2008: Prereqs 2 + MCAT

You will have 18 months between your first classes and the MCAT. This 1.5 years will include 3 weeks of Christmas, 4 months of summer, and another 3 weeks of Christmas, and not to mention a dozen exams.

Now if we look at a 1-1.5 year plan, you will only go through 3 weeks of Christmas (probably needed), and 8 months before the MCAT.

Year 1: Summer 2006 Session 1 & 2: 1 Prereq: Gen. Chem
Year 1: September 2006 - April 2007: 3 Prereq Classes: Bio, Phys, Orgo
Year 1: April: MCAT, August: MCAT (if need be)

I am not trying to persuade any minds here. I just want you to answer the poll. 👍

errrr: Poll didn't show up.

It's taken me almost 4 years to take my premed classes because I was working full time. It didn't make a difference for my MCAT score.

 

[businessguy]

It's taken me almost 4 years to take my premed classes because I was working full time. It didn't make a difference for my MCAT score.

I think it comes down to how hard one is willing to work to retain information learnt 18 months ago. If you do nothing in 4 months of summer to stay in tune, obviously it is going to be detrimental. From what I've seen (pre-med friends) is that it really boils down to continuing to study even when your classes are done. There is no doubt that you will have to study ALL of the material for MCAT, but the recency of your courses may have some effect.

P.S. Congrats on your awesome MCAT!

 

[noonday]

i took most of the "pre-med" classes when i was a bio major (but not a pre-med) in college in the mid 90's, and took the MCAT last april...it had been nearly 12 years between the oldest of the classes and the MCAT, many of which i got b's and c's in back then...and, working more than full time with an additional 20 hours a week volunteering, i studied up for a few months when i could find time and got a: 13V, 11P, 11B, S.

time between doesn't matter. if you only learn what you are taught in class so as to get the good grade on the test, you're screwed because you don't put it as firmly in long term memory, nor are you as actively engaged in the modes of thinking versus the facts. take your classes to learn and understand and for the sheer joy of information, and all else follows!

good luck!

 

[big_smiles]

Yeah it would be possible, but I wouldn't recommend that freshmen be taking the MCAT, unless they are extremely motivated ones. I did my pre-med classes in a year, but coming from another major, so it's doable, but the student must develop awesome study skills from the start. Not that anyone should slack off in the first two years, but for many, college is an adjustment process. Glad it worked for you.

 

[Law2Doc]

I honestly think doing pre-med in 1 year may actually be more beneficial than doing it in 2 years. If you look at the time between your first classes and the MCAT you will see that this is an awful long time (2 Year - route).

Let's use the coming year as an example:

Year 1: September 2006 - April 2007: Prereqs 1
Year 2: September 2007 - April 2008: Prereqs 2 + MCAT

You will have 18 months between your first classes and the MCAT. This 1.5 years will include 3 weeks of Christmas, 4 months of summer, and another 3 weeks of Christmas, and not to mention a dozen exams.

Now if we look at a 1-1.5 year plan, you will only go through 3 weeks of Christmas (probably needed), and 8 months before the MCAT.

Year 1: Summer 2006 Session 1 & 2: 1 Prereq: Gen. Chem
Year 1: September 2006 - April 2007: 3 Prereq Classes: Bio, Phys, Orgo
Year 1: April: MCAT, August: MCAT (if need be)

I am not trying to persuade any minds here. I just want you to answer the poll. 👍

errrr: Poll didn't show up.

By your theory, you would think that a lot of postbac folks and early graduates would do significantly better on the MCAT than those in normal undergrad tracks, and make up the bulk of the high scorers, as a lot of the postbaccers/early grads take all the courses in the shorter time frames. I don't think I ever heard this to be the case, and suspect the opposite. Other factors could play a role, though (different caliber students in postbac, more intense upper level science wonks in undergrad). Your suggestion is unpersuasive to me though.

 

[45408]

Yeah it would be possible, but I wouldn't recommend that freshmen be taking the MCAT, unless they are extremely motivated ones. I did my pre-med classes in a year, but coming from another major, so it's doable, but the student must develop awesome study skills from the start. Not that anyone should slack off in the first two years, but for many, college is an adjustment process. Glad it worked for you.

besides, if a freshman took the MCAT, they might not be able to take a year off after college without their scores being outdated.

 

[big_smiles]

very good point, and if the first application cycle for some reason didn't work out, it would be reviewing material from longer ago. I can see how people might speed it up going from another major, but I think spreading them out lets us devote more time per course- - to get more out of it. Just my opinion.

 

[HCW212]

Hmmm...this is something I've been EXACTLY thinking about. I'm a freshman (2nd semester) and had it sort of laid out like this:

Fall '05 - I took all intro courses.
Spring '06 - Gen Chem 1, Bio. 1 (w/labs), Calc. 1 and an elective.
Summer - Finish Bio II and Chem II (w/ labs)
Fall '06 - Physics I, Orgo I w/ Biochemistry, and a GE
Spring '07 Physics II, Orgo II w/ Biochemistry and a GE.
Summer - Study for 2-3 months and take the MCAT.

^ How do yall feel about that? Also, do you believe Physics I, Orgo I, and a biochemistry class (by itself) will be too much?

 

[HCW212]

bump

 

[Fermata]

Heh.

Why not slow down and enjoy college?

If you don't have a financial/family concern that would force you to take them all at once then why bother?

Life will go on even if you don't get accepted into med school.

 

[DrBowtie]

Hmmm...this is something I've been EXACTLY thinking about. I'm a freshman (2nd semester) and had it sort of laid out like this:

Fall '05 - I took all intro courses.
Spring '06 - Gen Chem 1, Bio. 1 (w/labs), Calc. 1 and an elective.
Summer - Finish Bio II and Chem II (w/ labs)
Fall '06 - Physics I, Orgo I w/ Biochemistry, and a GE
Spring '06 Physics II, Orgo II w/ Biochemistry and a GE.
Summer - Study for 2-3 months and take the MCAT.

^ How do yall feel about that? Also, do you believe Physics I, Orgo I, and a biochemistry class (by itself) will be too much?

The test will be offered more than twice when you will take the MCAT. So you won't be glued to august. BTW your date sequence is off.

 

[HCW212]

The test will be offered more than twice when you will take the MCAT. So you won't be glued to august. BTW your date sequence is off.

Ahh...yeah, didn't catch that.