Advice: Does this plan seem like it would work?

[Dolce7]

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Here's the deal

I am strongly considering a career in health care (not sure exactly what at this time though I have a strong inclination), and I am just trying to figure out how I want to go about getting prereqs, volunteer work,etc.

I am almost 22, about 10 credits away from finishing my BA in Foreign Languages (3.54 GPA), and now I'm considering changing my life completely. I went to massage therapy school last year and not only do I enjoy it, I found I really have an interest in health care. I have time this summer to do some job shadowing (a bit embarrassed though since I haven't started any science classes yet!), and I definitely plan on doing that as well as some charity massages. I have looked up class and overall requirements to be competitive, and I have found that:

1.) It looks good to take prereqs full time
2.) It looks good to take the majority of those at a 4 year university
3.) Volunteer work/job shadowing, and LoR are IMPORTANT (not as much as GPA/scores)
4.) I would be up to 40k in student loans for undergrad/post-bac

I want to take 3-4 years off before going to prof school (assuming I do well in prereqs and can get in). I luckily can make decent $ with massage and can work as much or as little as I want and during school, but I also have an opportunity at a full time job paying 28-35k/yr when I want it. This would be fantastic because I would like to live somewhat comfortably after working very hard throughout college. I could also make a huge dent in my loans, be able to pay for a car in cash, etc. This is ideal.

I've considered various ways of finishing my prereqs, but right now my favorite is to delay graduation until May 2012, take summer classes, then take another full year of school. It would look like:

Fall 2011
Chem 1
College Algebra (req for my undergrad as well as review)
2 German classes (finishing up my pointless major....)

Spring 2012
Chem 2
Bio 1
1 German class
Trig (at a community college)

Summer 2012 (all at community college, and more to prepare for challenging classes at a four year university)
Organic Chem 1
Calculus
Gen Physics

Fall 2012, at a four year university
Organic Chem 1
Physics 1
Bio 2

Spring 2013
Organic Chem 2
Physics 2
Microbiology
Psychology

Right now I'm considering doing this and then taking 3 full years off to work. During this time I would have plenty of time to study for pretests, do more volunteer/shadowing, pay off some loans, and also take a class here and there. I am obviously missing Biochemistry, and I would also like to take a variety of classes such as Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, which I think is very doable over 3 years.

Does this plan seem like a decent one? I have really been playing around with classes--does any of this seem too challenging or overwhelming? I have been told to work very hard in organic chem by several friends (hence why I'd try taking it twice). Would taking three years off from school (except a class here and there) after getting the majority of my prereqs look badly?

Thanks in advance!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

if your college algebra is anything like mine, it will teach you all the trig you will need to know, so the trig class would be pointless. And taking ochem and physics at a CC and the uni is a giant waste of time and money.

Ochem is incredibly hard only because everyone psychs themselves out about it and it is one of those "right of passage" things that has been handed down. It is like any other class. The hardest class I have ever taken was principles of accounting 1 because I just don't think analytically and how to leap out of my comfort zone. You may find ochem easy.

 

[EdLongshanks]

if your college algebra is anything like mine, it will teach you all the trig you will need to know, so the trig class would be pointless. And taking ochem and physics at a CC and the uni is a giant waste of time and money.

Ochem is incredibly hard only because everyone psychs themselves out about it and it is one of those "right of passage" things that has been handed down. It is like any other class. The hardest class I have ever taken was principles of accounting 1 because I just don't think analytically and how to leap out of my comfort zone. You may find ochem easy.

I agree about the summer courses of Ochem I and Physics I and the CC. Taking that many course during the summer risks your GPA. If you just want to learn the subject before going to a 4 year university, then audit the courses.

 

[plauto]

Do not take the same class twice. Just once, and get As.
Gap in your education/life need to be explained when you apply to med school. What is your excuse for delaying application 3 years? You need to have one better than "preparing for the MCAT and giving a few massages here and there." The competition out there is extremely stiff. People take a year off to work on a mission in Africa or doing unpaid or underpaid research or Teaching for America. trig, physio, macrobio, not needed. the last 2 might be somewhat helpful for the MCAT. Just know that the more classes you take, the more you're risking a bad GPA. If you put this off, it will not happen. You'll get cushy in your life and will not be able to going back to working your ass off. Go right into it. Take the MCAT next summer and apply at the same time. Don't worry about your loans at this point. They pale in comparison to every year of attending salary you'd be missing out by delaying things.
The only reason to delay is if you need to find yourself and are not sure about your future. Good luck!

 

[neurogenesis]

Summer schedule is ridiculous. Don't plan to take a class twice, this can lead people to a trap of relaxing on some topics because they know its coming again; thus hurting a grade. Commit in your head to do it once and to do it right.

why don't you move psychology to the fall 2011? If algebra is already a review for you, you seem to have an easy schedule this coming semester compared to the rest- and ochem 2, physics 2 and micro is probably plenty that spring

 

[NightGod]

If you absolutely insist on taking Physics twice, at least have the sense to audit it the first time so it doesn't factor into your GPA. Though I would personally suggest only taking it the once and being done with it.