Chem 2 & Bio 1 in the summer??

[amar314]

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Hello everyone. I'm considering taking chem 2 and bio 1 in a community college this summer. Has anyone done it and done well? How difficult is it? I had a lot of trouble with chem 1 (I failed, redoing now and will prob end with A-) so I'm afraid to combine the two. However, it is at a cc so I'm not sure. Also, is it damaging to my application that I will take these classes at a cc instead of my univ?

Thank you!

p.s : it's the entire summer, 10-12 weeks (not too sure)

 

[JDMcNugent]

Pre-reqs at a CC are fine. Is your Bio 1 molecular & cellular? Or is it the organismal and population bio? I will say that the molecular & cellular gen bio is much harder than the organismal & population gen bio. Chem 2 will be a lot of math work so just be prepared to have your algebra hat on.

Just prioritize your studying and realize that chem 2 will require lots and lots of practice problems and bio will be a lot of memorization.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Bio I over the summer should be no problem as long as you have the willpower to sit in class when it is beautiful outside. Assuming you can read, bio I should seriously pose no threat.

Chem II think is slightly more challenging than chem I and sort of builds a backbone to a lot of other chemistry (Biochem for sure). I still use stuff I learned in chem II in my work today. So whether or not it is CC or your regular college or what, just find a good professor for it (ratemyprofessor.com) and work hard. Like the post above, it definitely takes a lot of practice. It was probably my least favorite chem class in college. Hated it more than chem I, organic I and II, biochem I and II, protein biochem... you get the picture.

Personally I would not go for two summer courses. I tried, and while my grades were fine, I was freaking miserable as all my friends were running around having fun, so I dropped one of the courses. I felt that I had this intense need to get everything done, but in reality everything turned out fine with just taken the 1 summer course 1 time through my whole undergrad. I would just pick one course, enjoy your summer and youth, get some rest and hit it hard in the fall when school ramps up again.

 

[amar314]

Thank you both for the responses.

Which would be more worthwhile to take during the summer then? Because if I take Bio 1, I would take Chm 2 and Bio 2 during the Fall...and if I take Chm 2 during the summer, then I'd take bio 1 and orgo, which combo is easier for the Fall?

The Bio that I need to take is the integrated principles of bio 1

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Take bio I, my humble opinion. Its a good course for the summer. Neither bio I or Bio II are terribly hard so long as you do the readings and study, there is not anything that is like really "rocket science" about them. It is basically spitting out info that you have read or got on powerpoints. Chem II and Bio II is a fine combo for the fall. I took that combo and it was ok, just make sure to take a couple easy courses with them. I would not load up on 3 labs this early in your college career, that can be tough.
However, bio I and orgo might be a slightly easier combo, but thats very depending on whether you are good at orgo or not, which you would not know until you start haha.

This also depends on what year you are and what other courses you plan on taking. If you are going to be going into your third year then get organic out of the way now (in case you fail). If you are going into your second year, then you can save organic for your third year and it should be fine.

In case you are ever planning on taking organic over the summer, thats a big no no in my opinion.

 

[JDMcNugent]

I agree with Bio being much more manageable, especially in the summer. You more than likely would be completely miserable with the workload of chem 2 and it would really suck to condense it in 10 weeks.

 

[amar314]

Awesome, bio it is then! Thanks so much 🙂

 

[DocWinter]

Chem II can eat your time like no other class. Whenever you take it, be prepared to give it your best attention for extended hours.

I'm on board with awesome sauce - bio is more memorization learning and a better way to spend your summer.

 

[amar314]

Okay, thank you!

 

[601136]

At the community college I took some pre-reqs at, professors also worked at the local university and brought their class materials with them, effectively providing a university education at a CC price. With that in mind, I was dumbfounded when I learned at RVU-COM discriminates against courses completed at a CC. An admissions rep said that the coursework at the CC level is not challenging enough to be used as an effective predictor for medical school performance, therefore those courses are inherently less valuable.

As a non-trad, I completely understand the need to take flexible courses. Just be aware that there's at least one school who may think less of you for it (and plenty others that could not care less where you attended).

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

At the community college I took some pre-reqs at, professors also worked at the local university and brought their class materials with them, effectively providing a university education at a CC price. With that in mind, I was dumbfounded when I learned at RVU-COM discriminates against courses completed at a CC. An admissions rep said that the coursework at the CC level is not challenging enough to be used as an effective predictor for medical school performance, therefore those courses are inherently less valuable.

As a non-trad, I completely understand the need to take flexible courses. Just be aware that there's at least one school who may think less of you for it (and plenty others that could not care less where you attended).

I think this is somewhat true at a lot of schools. It isnt like a hard and fast rule, but sure, it does seem like if you take a ton of courses at a CC then in can reflect badly. I talked to some admin at a few schools and the general feel was that "sure we would prefer it from a 4 year institution, but if there are no red flags (failings) and if you dont take like EVERY prerequisite from a CC, its fine"

So the trick is to make sure you do well at the CC, thats really all. Bio at a CC should absolutely be fine, but even like organic I would definitely not take at a CC. I personally would not take anything past the 100 level, for the reasons mentioned above. Not to knock CC at all, heck I have a few courses under my belt from a CC, but in my experience it was definitely easier. For instance, I took bio 1 at a CC when I was 17, didnt even give a crap and got a B+. Then I retook it at my four year college, worked my butt off and barely pulled an A-. It seemed like there was A LOT less material and also the curve set for the class was stronger at the CC. Felt kind of like high school, you just do the bare minimum and show up and you are fine. Not to mention for some of these more challenging courses you seriously want teachers who are really really solid. I cant imagine taking organic or physics at a CC, from some professor that is sort of just passing through or has another job.

But the 100 level courses seriously should not matter at all. Just do well in them, just as you would hope to at any school. A few 100 level CC courses are not going to get in your way at all.

 

[JDMcNugent]

I think this is somewhat true at a lot of schools. It isnt like a hard and fast rule, but sure, it does seem like if you take a ton of courses at a CC then in can reflect badly. I talked to some admin at a few schools and the general feel was that "sure we would prefer it from a 4 year institution, but if there are no red flags (failings) and if you dont take like EVERY prerequisite from a CC, its fine"

So the trick is to make sure you do well at the CC, thats really all. Bio at a CC should absolutely be fine, but even like organic I would definitely not take at a CC. I personally would not take anything past the 100 level, for the reasons mentioned above. Not to knock CC at all, heck I have a few courses under my belt from a CC, but in my experience it was definitely easier. For instance, I took bio 1 at a CC when I was 17, didnt even give a crap and got a B+. Then I retook it at my four year college, worked my butt off and barely pulled an A-. It seemed like there was A LOT less material and also the curve set for the class was stronger at the CC. Felt kind of like high school, you just do the bare minimum and show up and you are fine. Not to mention for some of these more challenging courses you seriously want teachers who are really really solid. I cant imagine taking organic or physics at a CC, from some professor that is sort of just passing through or has another job.

But the 100 level courses seriously should not matter at all. Just do well in them, just as you would hope to at any school. A few 100 level CC courses are not going to get in your way at all.

What are your thoughts on doing non pre-req re-takes at a CC? I did all my science pre-reqs at the university level but took microbiology, genetics, and a handful of non science re-takes at a CC and am currently taking an anatomy class at a CC.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I mean I am by no means an expert, but just by what I know from talking to admin from a few schools (basically calling and emailing around), they understand that people take CC courses. A lot of applicants do their first two years at a CC and then transfer for their last two years, its not uncommon.

They seemed to have absolutely no opinion on the non-science courses, basically didnt seem to care at all.

The science courses they would prefer it to be at a four year but would only hold it against you if you took them at a CC AND did poorly (like they like to see above the B- range). Like for four year as long as you are above a C+ and your gpa is solid, you are good. The only difference with CC is the bar is set a little bit higher because they expect them to have grade inflation or be slightly easier.

Now with micro and genetics, the issue that you might run in to is whether they are 300+ or not... I never really ran into this issue since all of my hard sciences were in the 300-500 range, so I am no expert.
BUT... I remember when I was looking at MD schools, on a lot of schools, they would require like the basic cores and then X amount of extra science courses (genetics, micro, biochem etc), and these courses would have to be 300+ level. I think it is somewhere in the MSAR and I think varies a little from school to school. Again, I am not 100% so this is something to look in to...

Not 100% sure if DO schools care about this or not... since again I havent had worry about it.


like for instance:
http://www.marian.edu/osteopathic-medical-school/admissions/requirements-for-admission

you scroll down and it say the regular courses but then it also says six additional hours are recommended. So you really have to gauge for yourself... is this a strong recommendation (basically a requirement, like how a lot of schools "recommend" a LOR from a DO), also what level can these courses be... 200? 300? Stuff is sort of up to debate.

I do not think that they necessarily want to exclude people but they need to meet certain minimum standards. Maybe contact a couple of the schools that you are really interested in to get an idea of whether or not you are hitting the mark.

here is another place that sort of puts it up to debate (again just scroll down to the course requirements)
http://www.campbell.edu/cusom/admissions/admissions-process-requirements/

 

[JDMcNugent]

Thanks for the input. I have a 300 level immunology course (B+) and a 400 level cancer biology course that I am currently taking at my local state university so I have made sure that I hit the general requirements. And I took UNE's biochem distance course if that counts as a upper level course.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I have no clue haha... hopefully I at least helped a little. If you have any concern, definitely contact a couple schools to get an idea