Course Load Quetion

[francais7979]

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I have a question about course load -

I am planning to take 7 post bac classes:

Right now taking 1 class - Physics I
Summer I - Organic I
Summer II - Organic II
Fall 2008 - Biochem and Physics II
Spring 2008 - Cell and Molec & Micro

NOw I know schools like to see a heavy courseload but I dont want to take more than 1 or 2 classes because I need to volunteer ( I have limited clinical experience and I need to shadow a DO) and most importantly I NEED TO STUDY FOR THE MCATs!!!!

Can anyone tell me how my course load will look to admission committees?

Oh and for 6 years I have been working in finance world with 2 promotions and I quit my job this March to concentrate on medical school. I have received an award at work for outstandng delivery and should I put that in the honor and awards section?

 

[slim78]

Why do people always add an "s" to MCAT?

I don't get it.

 

[tlvuong4]

Why do people always add an "s" to MCAT?

I don't get it.

Because sometimes people take it more than once

 

[spazzz]

do clinical later. Despite what people say, admissions is very about numbers and clinicals won't make up for poor numbers. What taking a heavy load will prove is that you can handle a lot of work, and sciences in one semester. I heard from many of the schools I got into, that taking a heavy load and doing well is impressive and one of the reasons I got into the schools I did. I had little clinical experience until I was completely done with my coursework. I did about 8 hours a week from January - sept/Oct or so AFTER I was done my coursework, clinicals were done when I was prepping for the MCAT.

 

[francais7979]

thanks spazzzz! so what do you think about my courseload? It's not heavy at all, but then again I dont want to take more than 7 classes. Is this going to look bad or u think I should take more courses. I really want to get 4.0 in post bac and rock the MCAT!

However I see all the other people have so many activities. I graduated in 2001 and I have about 3 that I do and 2 of them lasted 1 year each and I was the leader in them.
I didnt have much time for anything else because I worked like 60 hours a week! That is why I just quit my job last month.

Oh and sorry about the MCATSSSSSSS!!! I haven't take it yet, so I should say MCAT.

Also do u suggest putting awards from my job in the finance world or will it not make a difference?

 

[slim78]

thanks spazzzz! so what do you think about my courseload? It's not heavy at all, but then again I dont want to take more than 7 classes. Is this going to look bad or u think I should take more courses. I really want to get 4.0 in post bac and rock the MCAT!

However I see all the other people have so many activities. I graduated in 2001 and I have about 3 that I do and 2 of them lasted 1 year each and I was the leader in them.
I didnt have much time for anything else because I worked like 60 hours a week! That is why I just quit my job last month.

Oh and sorry about the MCATSSSSSSS!!! I haven't take it yet, so I should say MCAT.

Also do u suggest putting awards from my job in the finance world or will it not make a difference?

If you do well on the MCAT and get that GPA up you will be set. I seriously had just 1 day of shadowing at the time of my interviews and no DO letter (I had an MD letter) but I had a pretty good MCAT and okay GPA and so no one ever asked me about that stuff.

Don't sacrifice the academic stuff for the clinical stuff is my opinion. Do the best you can and DO schools will be understanding of the fact that you had to work all those hours.

 

[tlvuong4]

Are you working part-time or anything like that? Do you have a family? Since you're a non-trad I would think that the adcoms would understand your situation if you had to work or take of your family. I think course load would be more important for traditional students coming out of undergrad. Your situation may be different. The most important things are your grades and MCAT because those are on your record forever. Extra curricular stuff can always been added on. Take what you think you can handle and don't pile on too many classes and EC's that will add to the stress of taking the MCAT.

 

[francais7979]

Thanks Slim78 and tlvuong!!

You guys make sense, i'm just going to stuy really hard for the mcat's and my classes and do EC and shadowing here and there.

I was working full time 60+ hours a week in finance at a large investment bank (i was not an investment banker)

NOw I am unemployed but I saved up enough money to take a year off and work on post bac.

 

[spazzz]

Are you working part-time or anything like that? Do you have a family? Since you're a non-trad I would think that the adcoms would understand your situation if you had to work or take of your family. I think course load would be more important for traditional students coming out of undergrad. Your situation may be different. The most important things are your grades and MCAT because those are on your record forever. Extra curricular stuff can always been added on. Take what you think you can handle and don't pile on too many classes and EC's that will add to the stress of taking the MCAT.

I'm a non trad as are all my friends in the process. Go balls to the wall or don't go. This whole process IS SACRIFICE. My friend gave up a very good job at a phamacutical company to do a fulltime post bacc at a local university. Loans and savings. He then took an ER tech position paying him $11 an hour, a massive paycut from the 100+K he was earning before. he has a wife, now 3 kids, but is in his first year at his #1 choice.

They will notice your sacrifice.

 

[francais7979]

Thanks spazzz!! I also sacrificed high paying job. I don't have kids though!!

I hope I get in somewhere next year!!!!!!!!

Going to go study now! 🙂

 

[tlvuong4]

I'm a non trad as are all my friends in the process. Go balls to the wall or don't go. This whole process IS SACRIFICE. My friend gave up a very good job at a phamacutical company to do a fulltime post bacc at a local university. Loans and savings. He then took an ER tech position paying him $11 an hour, a massive paycut from the 100+K he was earning before. he has a wife, now 3 kids, but is in his first year at his #1 choice.

They will notice your sacrifice.

The OP has already made his/her sacrifice in quitting a well paying job to pursue a dream. I was unsure if Francais needed to work part-time or had a family, which is why I recommended to take a course load that can be handled if there are other obligations.

To OP, it sounds like you are taking the MCAT some time in 2009 and will be applying in 09 as well. That is a lot of time to take 7 courses. If you want to show them that you can handle a heavy load I would take Biochem, Physics II, Cell & Molec, and Micro in Fall of 08. I assume you would need a few labs in there as well so that is maybe 14 or 15 hours of coursework. That is very manageable even if you decide to study 2 or 3 hrs a day for the MCAT and do 4 hours/week of volunteering. Spring of 09 you can work on volunteering, shadowing, writing your personal essay, and of course study for the MCAT maybe 3 or 4hrs/day. I think you are in very good situation because you don't need to work and don't have kids. You'll have plenty of time and I believe you can handle more than 1 or 2 classes per semester w/o the other obligations.

 

[francais7979]

I dont know if I want to take all those 4 courses in one semester!!! That's alot. I think I will balance it out by taking 2 in Fall and 2 in Spring. I just cant afford to mess up my GPA. If all goes well with organic chem in the summer, then I might consider taking 3 courses in the Fall.

I remember I took 21 credits of Comp Sci back in college and I got B's and C's, ughh that was a nightmare!!

Thanks again to everyone for their comments! U all have been helpful!

 

[spazzz]

I dont know if I want to take all those 4 courses in one semester!!! That's alot. I think I will balance it out by taking 2 in Fall and 2 in Spring. I just cant afford to mess up my GPA. If all goes well with organic chem in the summer, then I might consider taking 3 courses in the Fall.

I remember I took 21 credits of Comp Sci back in college and I got B's and C's, ughh that was a nightmare!!

Thanks again to everyone for their comments! U all have been helpful!

Taking 4 hard sciences will prove to adcoms you can cut it in med school. my post bacc schedule was

chem 1+chem 2 while testing the waters and working full time
then full time in the fall

fall
orgo 1
orgo 1 lab
bio 1
bio 1 lab
physics 1
physics 1 lab

spring
orgo II
physics II
Physics II lab
bio II
Bio II lab
genetics
cell physio w/ lab

fall (after all the pre-req's)
microbio
biochem

ended with a 3.68. did my worst the first true semester. It's doable. You have to realize that this is your job now. But that being said, the last thing you want to do is shoot yourself in the foot by doing poorly. If you know you can't handle x amount of pre-req's in a semester, don't take the class. You don't want to do poorly in any post bacc work

 

[Gold 5]

I'm a non trad as are all my friends in the process. Go balls to the wall or don't go. This whole process IS SACRIFICE. My friend gave up a very good job at a phamacutical company to do a fulltime post bacc at a local university. Loans and savings. He then took an ER tech position paying him $11 an hour, a massive paycut from the 100+K he was earning before. he has a wife, now 3 kids, but is in his first year at his #1 choice.

They will notice your sacrifice.

For what it is worth,

I completed my masters in 2001 part time and got "the man" AKA my job to pay for it. While completing my required undergrad classes for med school, I took one a semester while working. This never seemed to be an issue with any of the 3 schools I got into. Perhaps it was my undergrad degree in EE but I don't think they mind you putting food on the table while completing classes.

Only take the course load that can guarantee good grades or you will be shooting yourself in the foot. If you take orgo over the summer treat it as a full time job. To do well in it with the lab, that is what you are going to need.

Good Luck

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

I have a question about course load -

I am planning to take 7 post bac classes:

Right now taking 1 class - Physics I
Summer I - Organic I
Summer II - Organic II
Fall 2008 - Biochem and Physics II
Spring 2008 - Cell and Molec & Micro

NOw I know schools like to see a heavy courseload but I dont want to take more than 1 or 2 classes because I need to volunteer ( I have limited clinical experience and I need to shadow a DO) and most importantly I NEED TO STUDY FOR THE MCATs!!!!

Can anyone tell me how my course load will look to admission committees?

Oh and for 6 years I have been working in finance world with 2 promotions and I quit my job this March to concentrate on medical school. I have received an award at work for outstandng delivery and should I put that in the honor and awards section?

The important thing is to keep busy. If you take fewer classes, fill your day with other noteworthy activities. With your suggested courseload, there should be no reason not to excel. Most non-traditional applicants do not have the luxury to quit their jobs and devote their time to preparing for medical school. The fact that they are working and studying at the same time does work in their favor in terms of "keeping busy". It's a double-edged sword.

Go big or go home. Best of luck!