Advice for another pre-medical student

[Salasoda]

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[princesspeach2]

Hi! Fellow community college student on here. 🙂 (Advice, perhaps remove your name for anonymity)

I'm not sure how your school works, but most community colleges have transfer agreements with 4 yr universities for each major. These list which classes you must take before transferring. Have you looked at that for your school? It would help you significantly.

For science majors, most of the colleges I've looked at want you to have 1 yr of gen chwm, 1 yr organic chem, 1 yr bio, and 1 yr of calculus to meet the transfer requirements, with the recommendation of completing 1 yr physics as well.

As for what classes to take before general and organic chemistry, typically colleges will have the prereqs listed for each course in the course catalogue. Most seem to have the sequence being an introductory course unless you placed out, gen chem 1, gen chem 2, org chem 1, org chem 2. Typically gen chem 1 requires 1 semester of bio either as a coreq (taken at the same time) or prereq (taken before), typically there is a math prereq as well. Check out the catalogue and see. It'll help you plan.

While there is a slight negative stigma with community colleges, if you are taking the classes because you need them to transfer, it won't be a problem as long as you do well on the MCAT and well at the 4 yr as well in the higher level sciences.

I wouldn't plan on drawing your degree into 5 yrs, that is a waste of time and money. From my understanding, most 4 yrs require you to have 60 credits to transfer, unless they take sophomore transfers.

I would try to decide if you want to be a science major or not (medical schools give zero care about what your major is) and meet up with an academic counselor to make a plan so you can complete your transfer requirements in a timely manner.

It is really easy to get stuck at a cc, don't do it!

Make sure grades are your focus. It is easier to maintain them to repair! 🙂

 

[dr_kateb]

Because i want to be a surgeon, i need high level courses to be completed with high grades. I don't know what degree i want to do yet, maybe biochemistry or neuroscience, so what kind of class schedule do you suggest for my next semester and first year of university?

Your undergrad has a miniscule (and that's generous) impact on what specialty you match into.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Hello fellow medical enthusiasts!

I am a current first year first semester premed student looking into getting a 100% on all of my courses for the following years, and i was looking for some advice.
I am doing my first year at a community college to meet admissions requirements for university in my state. Because of some issues i had personally in high-school, i failed to meet education and testing requirements for my state's universities. Although it isn't suggested to do this, i took into account that medical school prefers science and upper division courses to be taken at a university level.
So i am currently taking Psychology 101, Pre-calculus trig/algebra, English 101, Fundamentals of Healthcare, and Fundamentals of College success for a total of 15 credit hours. I know that my classes are a bit weird and i would like help with what courses i should take next semester. I might do 1 year at community college to get rid of my English requirements and all of the basic courses not needed to get a high score on the MCAT, and then another 4 years at a university to help me to the best of my ability get high scores on relevant courses and the MCAT.
Because i want to be a surgeon, i need high level courses to be completed with high grades. I don't know what degree i want to do yet, maybe biochemistry or neuroscience, so what kind of class schedule do you suggest for my next semester and first year of university? Any advice is appreciated immensely. I have been volunteering and shadowing since last year so i am on top of that game. For example: I just dont know what courses to take before taking org/inorg chem to help me.

Thank you all

Your undergrad has a miniscule (and that's generous) impact on what specialty you match into.

Literally just get yourself to a 4 year school, take your pre-reqs, do some shadowing, pick up a few ECs, and do well on the MCAT. Right now you’re not at a 4 year school, so first priority should be getting transferred ASAP.

To clarify, your undergrad performance matters exactly 0 in residency apps. You could’ve failed out of college and majored in underwater basket weaving - no one gives a crap as long as you do well in med school.

 

[ciestar]

An A is still an A whether you get a 100% or a 93%. Dont add unneeded stress.

As stated before, residency PDs won’t look at your undergrad grades. Do your best and get A’s and get into med school before worrying about residency

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

An A is still an A whether you get a 100% or a 93%. Dont add unneeded stress.

As stated before, residency PDs won’t look at your undergrad grades. Do your best and get A’s and get into med school before worrying about residency

Hell residency PDs barely even look at med school grades.

Hence why so many med schools have done away with grades all together.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Because i want to be a surgeon, i need high level courses to be completed with high grades.

premed student looking into getting a 100% on all of my courses for the following years

 

[ciestar]

Hell residency PDs barely even look at med school grades.

Hence why so many med schools have done away with grades all together.

Thank god.
I mean, apparently my school internally ranks but that is more for AOA purposes and they weigh your clinical grades much more.