Comunity College?

[FutureDoctor06]

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I was just wondering do medical schools have any kind of bias towards community college credits. Say you went there for the first two years then transferred to a university. How will the community college affect your submission to medical school?
Thanks.

 

[Fivo]

If that's the path you need to or are required to take, then who cares? Play the hand you're dealt and excel in everything you do.

 

[djolson39]

I did a two year degree at a community college and nobody every questioned those classes. The only issue might be prerequisite classes, I would take all of those at a four year school.

 

[ghostman]

When I was doing my postbacc and had to take the pre-req courses, I emailed a few med schools and asked if community colleges were OK due to cost reasons. The emails I received basically told me to avoid community colleges if at all possible.

Since you transferred, make sure you have a decent amount of science courses from the university. Ideally, this includes the pre-reqs, but if not, make sure you have upper-level sciences. As long as you have that, I think you'll be fine.

 

[AestheticGod]

Unless you took close to all of your science courses at the CC, they won't care. Heck, when you do your personal letter you can talk about how you were financially unstable, and overcame it by going to a CC and working at the same time 😛

Not everyone can go to university cause of the money issue, and admins are very understanding about that, especially in this crap economy.

 

[Dave89]

I was just wondering do medical schools have any kind of bias towards community college credits. Say you went there for the first two years then transferred to a university. How will the community college affect your submission to medical school?
Thanks.

Agree with the others here. It shouldn't be much of an issue, if there's a reason.

If you plan to go to grad school, avoid undergrad debt like the plague.

 

[benzonase]

Someone I know from my CC got into UCSF and someone else got into UCSD (hopefully I get in somewhere ;p). So, just do well on your MCAT and get good grades when you transfer and youll be fine.

Most people here are talking out of their butt when it comes to community college fyi 🙂

 

[AestheticGod]

Someone I know from my CC got into UCSF and someone else got into UCSD (hopefully I get in somewhere ;p). So, just do well on your MCAT and get good grades when you transfer and youll be fine.

Most people here are talking out of their butt when it comes to community college fyi 🙂

What? All of us are agreeing that it's ok if OP takes a couple science classes(not all) at CC.

Besides, you should base your expectations on CC and Uni courses with statistics, not what someone you know did.

 

[Fivo]

What? All of us are agreeing that it's ok if OP takes a couple science classes(not all) at CC.

Besides, you should base your expectations on CC and Uni courses with statistics, not what someone you know did.

The thing is, there aren't any statistics comparing CC and 4-year classes. And even then, there is much variety in the amount of classes people have taken at a CC. Some take all prereqs and some only take a few. If you have a friend that took the same path you did and got into medical school, then it's not too far-fetched to think that if he/she can do it with CC classes, then so can I (assuming they don't mop the floor with you in the EC's/URM department lol)

 

[FattySlug]

This question pops up so many times that answering it makes me feel like a broken record. I am gonna quote myself from another thread.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=924050

It's school dependent. Unless there is a big difference between your CC GPA and University GPA, it won't matter to a lot of schools. I have been saying this in all similar threads: I took ALL my prereq at CC as did 5 other friends and we all got in. One even made it to Havard. The rest got in USC, Loma Linda, UC Davis, Tufts.

Edit: we are all transfer students.

 

[NightGod]

I took two at CC (Chem/Physics) and will take Orgo/Bio at the 4 year I'm headed to in the fall. Going to throw in Biochem just to ease any doubts about my ability to perform at the four year level. I'm not the least bit worried about how they'll be viewed. The economy SUCKS right now and everyone knows it; going to a CC before a four-year just makes good financial sense for many people.

 

[nancy mcgunter]

Honestly, if I could do it all over again, I would do one or two years at a good CC and two or three years at my cheapest state school. But hindsight is 20/20.

 

[lobo.solo]

Honestly, if I could do it all over again, I would do one or two years at a good CC and two or three years at my cheapest state school. But hindsight is 20/20.

This is what I did, transfer from a cali CC to a state uni. I will graduate with zero debt. You can't beat that!!!

 

[FutureDoctor06]

This is what I did, transfer from a cali CC to a state uni. I will graduate with zero debt. You can't beat that!!!

Do medical schools not take biases against pre-reqs taken in CC? What if you took ALL the pre-reqs in CC?

 

[susan10]

Agree with AestheticGod here!

 

[ghostman]

Do medical schools not take biases against pre-reqs taken in CC? What if you took ALL the pre-reqs in CC?

There will be a bias. All things being equal between someone who took his sciences only in CC and someone who took those same classes at a university, there is a good chance the one from the uni will be favored. That's not to say the one from the CC won't get into med school, but CC classes are not looked upon as favorably. This is especially true if you do not manage to do well in those courses because there may be a tendency to consider CC classes to be easier.

 

[FutureDoctor06]

There will be a bias. All things being equal between someone who took his sciences only in CC and someone who took those same classes at a university, there is a good chance the one from the uni will be favored. That's not to say the one from the CC won't get into med school, but CC classes are not looked upon as favorably. This is especially true if you do not manage to do well in those courses because there may be a tendency to consider CC classes to be easier.

I will be going in with a mindset to get straight A's as I expect them to be easier than the University's classes. Why is there that bias though? I'm going to CC just save money amd would probably do equally as well in a Uni's classes.

 

[Dave89]

I will be going in with a mindset to get straight A's as I expect them to be easier than the University's classes. Why is there that bias though? I'm going to CC just save money amd would probably do equally as well in a Uni's classes.

With the uncertainty of the future of medical care in the US (as well as encroachment of other providers such as nurses), it's fiscally irresponsible IMO to accumulate significant undergrad debt. Go with the cheaper option, and do a couple more ECs on the side.

 

[nabilesmail]

I went to community college, the thing is you can't get into a 4 year university if your major is Biology without doing the prereqs (pretty much the medical school prereqs).

I took Honors Bio 1/2 and Gen Chem 1 and CC and got A's,

I took my Physics and Ochem/rest of Chem at a good school that I transferred to and also got A's, will I be affected?

 

[Fivo]

I went to community college, the thing is you can't get into a 4 year university if your major is Biology without doing the prereqs (pretty much the medical school prereqs).

I took Honors Bio 1/2 and Gen Chem 1 and CC and got A's,

I took my Physics and Ochem/rest of Chem at a good school that I transferred to and also got A's, will I be affected?

No one can definitively answer that bro, so what difference does it make? If you already went, you can't change that. Worry about the stuff you can!

 

[ghostman]

I will be going in with a mindset to get straight A's as I expect them to be easier than the University's classes. Why is there that bias though? I'm going to CC just save money amd would probably do equally as well in a Uni's classes.

Why is there a bias? Probably for the same reason why you expect CC's to be easier. If you get an A in a CC, maybe you'd be just average in a Uni course. They'll never know. If you got an A in a Uni course, assuming CC's are easier, you'd probably still get an A in a CC. I'm sure there are CC's out there that teach just as well as a Uni, but the variability in quality between CC's across the country probably paints CC courses in a bad light.

With the uncertainty of the future of medical care in the US (as well as encroachment of other providers such as nurses), it's fiscally irresponsible IMO to accumulate significant undergrad debt. Go with the cheaper option, and do a couple more ECs on the side.

I agree with this to a point. I would recommend state universities as a great affordable option. I still would not recommend CC's for science courses if you can avoid it.

 

[lobo.solo]

Do medical schools not take biases against pre-reqs taken in CC? What if you took ALL the pre-reqs in CC?

Consensus here is that if you took all your pre-reqs at CC you should take upper division classes at your 4-year-uni and do well on them. Just focus on getting As in both places.

 

[FattySlug]

Consensus here is that if you took all your pre-reqs at CC you should take upper division classes at your 4-year-uni and do well on them. Just focus on getting As in both places.

There is also the MCAT to show how well you know the pre req classes. If you don't get in, 99% of the time it is not because you took your pre req at CC. Who can make that argument against you when you score 33+ on the MCAT?

 

[FutureDoctor06]

There is also the MCAT to show how well you know the pre req classes. If you don't get in, 99% of the time it is not because you took your pre req at CC. Who can make that argument against you when you score 33+ on the MCAT?

That's True. If I take the pre-reqs at a CC, then I will tkae upper-level science courses at a Uni and try to achieve A's on them.

 

[lobo.solo]

There is also the MCAT to show how well you know the pre req classes. If you don't get in, 99% of the time it is not because you took your pre req at CC. Who can make that argument against you when you score 33+ on the MCAT?

You're right. I forgot about the MCAT. So basically learn the material well regardless on where you take the classes. Of course if you truly learn the material you'll probably make As in your classes too. Good luck OP.

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

It worked out fine for me. Just make sure that you keep your grades up when you transfer. It's no fun to go from top of your class to dead middle, take my word for it. I would recommend getting a couple of the pre-reqs out of the way, particularly if you're not so good at one. I regret not taking gen chem/calc at my first school since they were truly awful at my second. Good luck.

Edit: I'd recommend finding out how the classes are wherever you intend to transfer. For instance, upper-levels were easier at my second school compared to pre-reqs since they needed to weed out a very capable group of students. In that case, taking the majority of the of the pre-reqs before transfer and then doing well on the "easier" upper levels would have been to my advantage.

 

[235788]

I was just wondering do medical schools have any kind of bias towards community college credits. Say you went there for the first two years then transferred to a university. How will the community college affect your submission to medical school?
Thanks.

Obviously yes. But it's only one minor flaw in the picture that is your application.


If a 3.5 from harvard viewed the same as a 3.5 from a state college -- no. Is a 3.5 from a CC viewed the same as a 3.5 from a state school -- no.

 

[Slev]

I did all of my pre-reqs at CC (every last one of them) and I'm going to Hopkins. Is it ideal to do that? Probably not... but if you're a strong candidate then you're a strong candidate and it will only be a small part of your application.

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[AestheticGod]

I did all of my pre-reqs at CC (every last one of them) and I'm going to Hopkins. Is it ideal to do that? Probably not... but if you're a strong candidate then you're a strong candidate and it will only be a small part of your application.

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Do you have any proof of that? You app says otherwise

 

[Slev]

Do you have any proof of that? You app says otherwise

Huh what? My mdapps shows what schools I got into and nothing else really... not sure what you're getting at.

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[AestheticGod]

Huh what? My mdapps shows what schools I got into and nothing else really... not sure what you're getting at.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk 2

I refuse to believe a Caucasian with a 1.0 gpa got into Hopkins 😡

 

[Slev]

I refuse to believe a Caucasian with a 1.0 gpa got into Hopkins 😡[/IMG]

Ahhhh yeah but you should look at my ECs. 1 week volunteering in an ED and I talked to a doctor once.

 

[FutureDoctor06]

Obviously yes. But it's only one minor flaw in the picture that is your application.


If a 3.5 from harvard viewed the same as a 3.5 from a state college -- no. Is a 3.5 from a CC viewed the same as a 3.5 from a state school -- no.

Of course. But who aims for that 3.5? 😀 It is all about that >3.75

And he seems legit^^^^.