Easy Math courses

[Didntdoit]

I am a nontrad who decided against applying to med school this cycle as my GPA is just too low. I am looking to do some intensive work to pick it up over the next semester. I started the AMCAS app but pulled out prior to submission. And, I wasted a lot of time putting it together too.

I have the prereqs and biochem and genetics and A&P. Pretty solid sGPA and MCAT.

I am thinking of overloading (like 40 hours in the next year) on disgustingly easy college courses (like intro to algebra and intro trig) to get my cGPA and BCMP up before applying in 2012. Cost is not an issue as I have an outside scholly.

Good idea?

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[dmf2682]

Assuming you already had your year of calculus, imagine an interviewer asking you why you took high school math now.

I would take intro to Spanish or something along those lines. Diversity and well roundedness

 

[theseeker4]

I am a nontrad who decided against applying to med school this cycle as my GPA is just too low. I am looking to do some intensive work to pick it up over the next semester. I started the AMCAS app but pulled out prior to submission. And, I wasted a lot of time putting it together too.

I have the prereqs and biochem and genetics and A&P. Pretty solid sGPA and MCAT.

I am thinking of overloading (like 40 hours in the next year) on disgustingly easy college courses (like intro to algebra and intro trig) to get my cGPA and BCMP up before applying in 2012. Cost is not an issue as I have an outside scholly.

Good idea?

If an applicant is taking lower-level classes after completing upper-level work, they are obviously GPA padding and may be look at unfavorably by adcoms. Why not take a handful of upper-level classes and get A's? That will boost your GPA and show you can get good grades in more difficult courses. This will be more impressive than grade-padding, unless your GPA is so low you will be auto-rejected and you have to get it higher sooner, in which case the impression you are grade-padding may not be as important.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

Most medical schools also recommend ethics and statistics, so those would be good to take. Or you can take a ceramics class and boost your GPA while making all the Christmas presents you'll need for your family.

 

[Didntdoit]

If an applicant is taking lower-level classes after completing upper-level work, they are obviously GPA padding and may be look at unfavorably by adcoms. Why not take a handful of upper-level classes and get A's? That will boost your GPA and show you can get good grades in more difficult courses. This will be more impressive than grade-padding, unless your GPA is so low you will be auto-rejected and you have to get it higher sooner, in which case the impression you are grade-padding may not be as important.

Higher level courses require more studying and less working. While tuition is not much of an issue, I do have to work to take care of myself and my family. I am also trying to eliminate my debts (the recession was hard on me and I racked up a good amount of cc debt) so that financing med school won't be so hard since my credit will be better.

I am worried about getting auto rejected. I am that low.

 

[Didntdoit]

Most medical schools also recommend ethics and statistics, so those would be good to take. Or you can take a ceramics class and boost your GPA while making all the Christmas presents you'll need for your family.

Stats is what I am taking in the spring as well as geography and maybe intro to sociology.

 

[theseeker4]

Higher level work requires more studying and less working. While tuition is not much of an issue, I do have to work to take care of myself and my family. I am also trying to eliminate my debts (the recession was hard on me and I racked up a good amount of cc debt) so that financing med school won't be so hard since my credit will be better.

I am worried about getting auto rejected. I am that low.

Well since you said your science GPA isn't bad, I would focus on the humanities classes that will be easy, but that you already haven't taken a ton of upper-levels in. If you can't manage that many of those though, the boost by GPA padding with low-level math etc. would probably keep you from the auto-reject pile, but if you can't get an acceptance because of the unfavorable perception of what classes you took and your GPA, it may not do you much good.

Why don't you consider re-taking your low grades and applying DO? Good luck.

 

[JESSFALLING]

Most medical schools also recommend ethics and statistics, so those would be good to take. Or you can take a ceramics class and boost your GPA while making all the Christmas presents you'll need for your family.

This. Do not take easy classes for the sake of padding, as doing so will only hurt your chances!! (Esp. don't take classes that are easier versions of previous classes!!! This is borderline unethical and likely will reduce your chances to zero!!!)

Here are some classes that you might consider, instead, that will help lift your GPA and actually help improve your chances: Ethics or any other Philosophy course; Statistics (which is a good recommendation that I second); any Psychology courses; any Nutrition courses; any Art; any History; any Religion; any English/Literature; any Foreign Languages; Medical Terminology; Astronomy; Physical Geography; Physical Geology; or any Business or Economics courses; etc.

 

[TriagePreMed]

If you need to pad, be smart about it. Get some research units. Those are typically an easy A for about 3 hours of work a week.

If you do take a ton of easy courses for no reason, that will look very bad.

 

[mmdp]

I agree that doing easy classes might not be a great idea. I suggest taking some statistics courses (I did intro to stats, and an upper level stats that were both easy- at least for me). I like the Spanish idea or another language. Why not take some upper level sciences and skip the lab if you're worried? Maybe a masters program to bump the gpa and at least get a degree out of it?

 

[Didntdoit]

I agree that doing easy classes might not be a great idea. I suggest taking some statistics courses (I did intro to stats, and an upper level stats that were both easy- at least for me). I like the Spanish idea or another language. Why not take some upper level sciences and skip the lab if you're worried? Maybe a masters program to bump the gpa and at least get a degree out of it?

Masters degrees don't count towards the cGPA.

I have taken Spanish and will take Stats.

 

[Didntdoit]

If you need to pad, be smart about it. Get some research units. Those are typically an easy A for about 3 hours of work a week.

If you do take a ton of easy courses for no reason, that will look very bad.

Our research courses are P/F.

 

[JESSFALLING]

I have taken Spanish and Stats.

Then I would default to my above list, excepting of course what you've already taken. If you still want to take a (non calc based) math class, you should see if they have something like Finite or Discrete Math. If you haven't had Calculus, then I think you'd also be okay taking trig....but I've observed that trig can be a grade killer, so be careful.

 

[Didntdoit]

Then I would default to my above list, excepting of course what you've already taken. If you still want to take a (non calc based) math class, you should see if they have something like Finite or Discrete Math. If you haven't had Calculus, then I think you'd also be okay taking trig....but I've observed that trig can be a grade killer, so be careful.

I actually never took calc in college.

 

[mmdp]

Masters degrees don't count towards the cGPA.

I have taken Spanish and Stats.

Hmmm, good to know! For some reason I thought that the special masters programs did? Hey, I'm learning too Maybe your gpa is not really that bad? Did you consult with a pre-med advisor? Maybe you should just apply and see what happens?

 

[Didntdoit]

Hmmm, good to know! For some reason I thought that the special masters programs did? Hey, I'm learning too Maybe your gpa is not really that bad? Did you consult with a pre-med advisor? Maybe you should just apply and see what happens?

It's too late for this season anyways, IMO. Going to hold off till next season.

 

[Beandog]

Stats is what I am taking in the spring as well as geography and maybe intro to sociology.

Stats is downright useful - making my physics lab easy...envisioning myself NOT having taken stats, I would be scrambling.

OP, I'm just a post-bac premed, but I really can't imagine the benefit of all the easy courses. Those serve to boost your ability to handle the heavy stuff, not to fill up on. When you get into med school, wouldn't you like to walk in ready and knowing you're fit to handle it? Getting pitched softballs won't get you there.