3 & 4 Sciences...and 3/4 Labs in one Semester - Suicide??

[DrCrunch]

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Need some advice - I’m a 31 year old successful professional (with my undergrad) that has decided to return to school with aspirations of getting into a local DO school. I have my 5 sciences to make up and the MCAT to take of course, before applying. After structuring out each semester and figuring out where each class and MCAT-prep blocks need to fall in order to be apply and be potentially accepted for 2020 start, it’s leaving me in a rut - with several notoriously difficult sciences and corresponding labs at once. Here is my potential schedule...is this suicide??? I wouldn’t think so if it weren’t for that Biochem needed before MCAT. Worst case - how effective would MCAT study be over the summer without having taken biochem? Because I could try to throw that one class in the following fall... any ideas?

Fall-
General Chem 1 & Lab
Organic Chem 1 & Lab
Physics 1 & Lab

Spring-
General Chem 2 & Lab
Organic Chem 2 & Lab
Physics 2 & Lab
Biochem & Lab

Summer- MCAT PREP

Fall- Take MCAT and Apply

 

[Skiiiiiing]

Need some advice - I’m a 31 year old successful professional (with my undergrad) that has decided to return to school with aspirations of getting into a local DO school. I have my 5 sciences to make up and the MCAT to take of course, before applying. After structuring out each semester and figuring out where each class and MCAT-prep blocks need to fall in order to be apply and be potentially accepted for 2020 start, it’s leaving me in a rut - with several notoriously difficult sciences and corresponding labs at once. Here is my potential schedule...is this suicide??? I wouldn’t think so if it weren’t for that Biochem needed before MCAT. Worst case - how effective would MCAT study be over the summer without having taken biochem? Because I could try to throw that one class in the following fall... any ideas?

Fall-
General Chem 1 & Lab
Organic Chem 1 & Lab
Physics 1 & Lab

Spring-
General Chem 2 & Lab
Organic Chem 2 & Lab
Physics 2 & Lab
Biochem & Lab

Summer- MCAT PREP

Fall- Take MCAT and Apply

Concurrent orgo and gen chem is..likely an issue. Moreover late apps are bad.

Apply the next cycle

 

[DrCrunch]

Concurrent orgo and gen chem is..likely an issue. Moreover late apps are bad.

Apply the next cycle

‍♀️ That’s my fear. I know I probably need to push out another year. I’m just fighting it

 

[calivianya]

I was working full time so I couldn't take quite that many at once, but I did take biochem, orgo 2 with lab, and physics 1 with lab together, along with another non-lab chemistry course, and made straight As in all of them.

Assuming you aren't working full time, I think the course load with all of those labs is doable.

 

[676188]

Most schools have gen chem as a pre-req for o chem, and o chem as a pre-req for biochem, so that pushes your schedule out a bit. Don’t be afraid to take an extra year, or two if you need it. Your gpa will thank you, and you only get one shot to get an A in these important classes. Also, every concept you thoroughly learn in these classes means less MCAT prep time down the line.

I’m 38, applying this cycle, and I crammed biology/biochem/physics with labs all into one year in an attempt to finish sooner. As a result, I’m now in a master’s program because my grades weren’t what they should have been due to trying to rush through, and there are gaps in my MCAT knowledge.

 

[Skiiiiiing]

Most schools have gen chem as a pre-req for o chem, and o chem as a pre-req for biochem, so that pushes your schedule out a bit. Don’t be afraid to take an extra year, or two if you need it. Your gpa will thank you, and you only get one shot to get an A in these important classes. Also, every concept you thoroughly learn in these classes means less MCAT prep time down the line.

I’m 38, applying this cycle, and I crammed biology/biochem/physics with labs all into one year in an attempt to finish sooner. As a result, I’m now in a master’s program because my grades weren’t what they should have been due to trying to rush through, and there are gaps in my MCAT knowledge.

I know of a person who took the extra year in their mid 30s, hated taking the extra year, but ulimately placed MD with stats that would have suggested DO.

 

[arc5005]

Need some advice - I’m a 31 year old successful professional (with my undergrad) that has decided to return to school with aspirations of getting into a local DO school. I have my 5 sciences to make up and the MCAT to take of course, before applying. After structuring out each semester and figuring out where each class and MCAT-prep blocks need to fall in order to be apply and be potentially accepted for 2020 start, it’s leaving me in a rut - with several notoriously difficult sciences and corresponding labs at once. Here is my potential schedule...is this suicide??? I wouldn’t think so if it weren’t for that Biochem needed before MCAT. Worst case - how effective would MCAT study be over the summer without having taken biochem? Because I could try to throw that one class in the following fall... any ideas?

Fall-
General Chem 1 & Lab
Organic Chem 1 & Lab
Physics 1 & Lab

Spring-
General Chem 2 & Lab
Organic Chem 2 & Lab
Physics 2 & Lab
Biochem & Lab

Summer- MCAT PREP

Fall- Take MCAT and Apply

I took Gen Chem II & lab, Orgo II & lab, Physics II & lab, and Anatomy&Physio II & lab all in the same semester and it was fine (ended up with 3 A's and 1 A-) you're going to have to study harder for the MCAT and med school, so might as well!

 

[Skiiiiiing]

I took Gen Chem II & lab, Orgo II & lab, Physics II & lab, and Anatomy&Physio II & lab all in the same semester and it was fine (ended up with 3 A's and 1 A-) you're going to have to study harder for the MCAT and med school, so might as well!

If not working and open enrollment and no major committments elsewhere, probably doable.

You also need to shadow volunteer and prep for MCAT

 

[redking]

I did Bio 1 w/ lab, Chem 1 w/ lab, Physics 1 w/ lab and stats in one semester. It was a bit of work but I got the 4.0 I wanted.

 

[Magus5454]

Need some advice - I’m a 31 year old successful professional (with my undergrad) that has decided to return to school with aspirations of getting into a local DO school. I have my 5 sciences to make up and the MCAT to take of course, before applying. After structuring out each semester and figuring out where each class and MCAT-prep blocks need to fall in order to be apply and be potentially accepted for 2020 start, it’s leaving me in a rut - with several notoriously difficult sciences and corresponding labs at once. Here is my potential schedule...is this suicide??? I wouldn’t think so if it weren’t for that Biochem needed before MCAT. Worst case - how effective would MCAT study be over the summer without having taken biochem? Because I could try to throw that one class in the following fall... any ideas?

Fall-
General Chem 1 & Lab
Organic Chem 1 & Lab
Physics 1 & Lab

Spring-
General Chem 2 & Lab
Organic Chem 2 & Lab
Physics 2 & Lab
Biochem & Lab

Summer- MCAT PREP

Fall- Take MCAT and Apply

I would be wary of trying to take biochem without the chem background personally.

 

[AllBleedingStops]

Need some advice - I’m a 31 year old successful professional (with my undergrad) that has decided to return to school with aspirations of getting into a local DO school. I have my 5 sciences to make up and the MCAT to take of course, before applying. After structuring out each semester and figuring out where each class and MCAT-prep blocks need to fall in order to be apply and be potentially accepted for 2020 start, it’s leaving me in a rut - with several notoriously difficult sciences and corresponding labs at once. Here is my potential schedule...is this suicide??? I wouldn’t think so if it weren’t for that Biochem needed before MCAT. Worst case - how effective would MCAT study be over the summer without having taken biochem? Because I could try to throw that one class in the following fall... any ideas?

Fall-
General Chem 1 & Lab
Organic Chem 1 & Lab
Physics 1 & Lab

Spring-
General Chem 2 & Lab
Organic Chem 2 & Lab
Physics 2 & Lab
Biochem & Lab

Summer- MCAT PREP

Fall- Take MCAT and Apply

I understand your motivations but in my undergraduate and graduate career (admittedly, sample size is small/anecdotal) I have never seen anything like this. I have seen hard schedules and double majors but the hard classes were distributed across different subjects. Furthermore, traditional "prerequisites" like gen chem and orgo were taken before biochem - although to be fair, I didn't see much of orgo2 or gen2 in biochem. Your schedule seems like a recipe for GPA danger. Find some way to redistribute this if you can.

Let me put this separately for emphasis:

Worst case - how effective would MCAT study be over the summer without having taken biochem?

Do not take the MCAT without biochem.

 

[BellaWriterChic]

I second taking the MCAT after completing Biochem. I also agree with other posters in that you should consider spacing some of those classes out instead of try to cram all of them into one year. GPA is a big part of the admissions process and you do not want to risk lower grades just to try to apply sooner.

 

[Blanky]

Dont TRY to do this. Does it need explaining why this is a bad idea to not take chemistry in series?

Fall
Chem1
Physics 1

Spring
Chem 2
Physics 2
Orgo 1

Summer
Orgo 2
Biochem

Fall
Mcat (this will make you a late applicant and lowers your chances)

This is possible but prepare for a nightmare spring semester.

 

[Blanky]

Fall
Chem 1
Physics 1

Spring
Chem 2
Physics 2

Summer (Some advice will be against summer science, just showing its an option.)
Orgo 1
Orgo 2

Fall
Biochem

Spring
Mcat ( study and take a May exam) and apply June 1

 

[el_duderino]

Many places don't offer orgo 1 in the spring semester. As others have said, taking gen chem and orgo together is a bad idea and very few institutions will even allow it. You really need to take them in series, and the fastest you can probably do that is over the course of two full academic years.

 

[redking]

I disagree that orgo and chem or bio chem need to be taken in series. My institution wouldn't let me take biochem w/o orgo II, they said I would do poor. What BS! I finally convinced them to let me and got the 2nd highest grade out of 150 students. Will you have to study a bit harder and learn a small amount of material that a few other students might already know? yes, but big deal. Get it done son! Here's what I did.

Spring semester 2016:
Bio I
Chem I
Physics I
Stats

Summer 2016
Chem II

Fall 2016:
Bio II
Orgo II
Phys II
work part time

Spring 2017:
Bio Chem
MCAT study
work part time

Summer 2017:
apply to medschools
work part time

Fall 2017:
Orgo II
interview at schools
work part time

GPA for above classes?--- 4.0,-- don't let these pansies deter you. If you have the brains, work ethic and commitment you can do it.

 

[tinyllamas]

I did a nontrad route too and took the MCAT before taking any biochemistry- I did well on the MCAT and got the scores I needed to be accepted. Looking back, though, it was waaay harder than it needed to be and I basically spent a ton of time teaching myself biochem (badly) while MCAT studying. It would have been much more efficient and probably resulted in a better score if I had taken biochem and then the MCAT.

tl;dr: MCAT before biochem is doable but probably not worth it

Also- looking at your schedule, you're only doing traditional semesters. Have you looked into winter terms or maymester classes? If you could do chem 1, chem 2, orgo 1, orgo 2 in sequence fall, winter semester, spring, maymester- you could still be where you want to be by summer without taking any of those concurrently (plus physics/biochem wherever it works out best). Might be tough to find the schedule options though.