5th year or Post Bacc? I took a few courses a while ago...

[werdycnan]

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I have a dilemma. To start out, let me just say I'm on the quarter system at a UC. So my freshman year, I took 1 out of the 3 courses for biology, chemistry and calculus. For example, to complete the Calculus requirement here, it is broken up into three classes and I only took one of the classes. This also goes for what I did with Chemistry and Biology. I never finished each series because I settled on being Human Development major my freshman year and didn't see a point in finishing them (I basically never imagined I'd want to apply to medical school one day). I also didn't do awesome in those courses - I got C+ in all three... I wanted to retake them at my university, but if you earned a C or better, you cannot retake a course. The only way I could retake them is at a community college, but I'm worried admissions see those classes as not being as challenging as the ones I originally took here at my university.

Now I'm in the end of my junior year, and I regret both not trying hard and finishing each series. I've had some of the most awesome and life changing experiences volunteering and shadowing at a hospital, that now I feel destined to become a physician.

I could enroll in the next part of each series but I'm afraid of being far behind others due to the three year gap in the classes I have. So someone recommended to me that I do a "career changer" post bacc pre-medical program. The only issue is, I would really like to retake those science classes I already took early in my freshman because I want to build a solid foundation for other classes, such as physics. Many post-bacc programs I've looked at (such as Mills) highly discourages individuals from retaking courses. If I did a post-bacc, it becomes more difficult where I would be placed in the classes I already started because of the quarter system not "translating" well into the semester system.

Am I screwed? I have no idea what route to take. Should I just study my butt off to continue the series I started here and stay a 5th year? I'd really appreciate some advice.

 

[yourethewurst]

As someone who attends Mills currently, you wouldn't be able to retake any of the classes FORMALLY (Chemistry and Biology) for a grade. If you apply to Mills and get in, there is an option to "informally audit" those two classes. (You would be able to sit in.) But I would say that without taking anything for the semester, you'd essentially be paying for nothing. However, you could take the labs for both classes and still get a grade and be able to continue the sequence the following semester. Depending on your advisor, Mills will allow you to retake certain classes for a grade. I took Biology and got a C, and was able to retake the class for a grade. However, this was ill-advised not to do from my advisor, but the program coordinator (who is a gem) advised that I definitely should retake it, even if it was informal.

That being said, you're at the end of your junior year. If you have an option to sit in on some of your university's lectures (Bio and Chem) informally, do it. That way yous till get your solid foundation, and can still move on to the other semesters (or quarters, I guess) of Gen Bio and Chem. Otherwise, it's really honestly up to you. A formal post-bacc is amazing, but it's a hefty investment that may not have a huge pay off if you're not studying your butt off anyway. . If you're already at the UC and know you could get the grades there with an A and study your butt off-- just stay. But it's up to you, what you're looking for, and what's important to you. There are a couple other posts in the thread that have been covered throughout the years, so you can search the forum and see what they did! Good luck. (But honestly, do the option that allows you to get the A.)

 

[darklabel]

What is your current GPA?

Also if you took some of the courses for premed already then formal post bacc programs may not take you. I don't think you can retake classes you have a C or above and it's better to just focus on upper level science classes and acing those. DO may also be a good option for grade replacement depending on your GPA.