Can I take pre-reqs for medical school at a CC?

[Shy_Gemini]

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Hi all. I was just wondering if I could take the pre-reqs for medical school at my local community college? I am currently a psychology major and I just wanted to know if that would be an acceptable thing to do instead of attending a post-baccalaureate program after I graduate with my bachelors?

Thanks 🙂

 

[GiveMeThatMD]

It's all totally situation dependent. Just a stab (assuming not many CCs hand out Bachelor's Degrees) that you're currently attending a 4-year university? If this is the case, do NOT backtrack to a CC. That'll show adcoms you're looking for the easy way out.

 

[Shy_Gemini]

It's all totally situation dependent. Just a stab (assuming not many CCs hand out Bachelor's Degrees) that you're currently attending a 4-year university? If this is the case, do NOT backtrack to a CC. That'll show adcoms you're looking for the easy way out.

Thank you for the advice, and yes, I'm currently at a 4-year university. 🙂

 

[GiveMeThatMD]

Thank you for the advice, and yes, I'm currently at a 4-year university. 🙂

Sure thing 🙂 again, this is completely person dependent. If it's a bit too expensive to continue on after completion of your bachelor's, money can make a case against CC coursework.

 

[Shy_Gemini]

Sure thing 🙂 again, this is completely person dependent. If it's a bit too expensive to continue on after completion of your bachelor's, money can make a case against CC coursework.

Yeah, the money thing is definitely part of it. I am currently attending a private university so it's quite $$$. lol 🙂

 

[625233]

If that's you in your profile picture, change it for the sake of anonymity.

 

[Turkishking]

Yes you can, however, it would be viewed at a different level. From what I've read so far, medical schools look for individuals who challenge themselves.

 

[nwts]

Thank you for the advice, and yes, I'm currently at a 4-year university. 🙂

It really depends upon your situation. If you are taking all of your other courses at your 4-year university and only take your med school pre-reqs at a community college, that can look like trying to inflate your grades in pre-reqs.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Good advice above. Be careful not to look like you're trying to circumvent more challenging classes at your university. Adcoms can be wary when people attend a normal 4-year but take the science prereqs at CC.

 

[DocMcMommy]

I started at a CC and have transferred to a 4year. I took some of my prereqs at a cc because I'm a science major and if I waited, I wouldn't have been able to unlock the upper level courses I need for my degree.

I haven't applied yet, but the general advice I got here was that it will be acceptable as long as I take upper level sciences at my 4-year.

So, based on the advice I have received, I think back tracking from a 4-year to a cc would not be the best choice. Also, I know you're saying that it's for financial reasons but if there IS a part of you that is hoping it will be easier, then I would be careful. So far, my classes at the CC were much more intense and our work was graded much more strictly than what I am experiencing at my university. The labs were especially more difficult. So far, as I say.

 

[Freezer]

I know several great med students and physicians who took CC pre reqs without any problem in admissions because they still rocked their MCAT. The only academic standardization is the MCAT. Universities are handing out 60% more As than they did 20 years ago(Chronicle of higher ed just published a great article on this topic recently). Further, with the wide variety of academic substance and rigor between schools, it is impossible for most Adcoms to weigh merit from one program to the next. However, the MCAT brings balance to all of that chaos. People can go to a big university and whine to a professor for a better grade all they want but they cant whine their way through an MCAT. So if someone from Harvard scores a 10 on the bio science portion of an MCAT and someone from a CC scores a 12, I cant say one program was more rigorous than the other, but I can say the student from CC made it count when they needed to.

 

[Goro]

Yes, but invest in MSAR Online to let you know which schools do and don't accept pre-reqs from CCs. There's no rhyme nor reason to who does or doesn't.

Hi all. I was just wondering if I could take the pre-reqs for medical school at my local community college? I am currently a psychology major and I just wanted to know if that would be an acceptable thing to do instead of attending a post-baccalaureate program after I graduate with my bachelors?

Thanks 🙂

 

[Holmwood]

Check the MSAR for your state's medical school (s). The policy on community college credit to fulfill premed requirement is school specific.
Edit: oops, Goro beat me to it.

 

[cbrons]

It's all totally situation dependent. Just a stab (assuming not many CCs hand out Bachelor's Degrees) that you're currently attending a 4-year university? If this is the case, do NOT backtrack to a CC. That'll show adcoms you're looking for the easy way out.

no one will care

The 4 year colleges are highway robbery (so is med school actually).