Feeling burnt out. Do I need to take 2 gap years?

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doctorwannabe1234

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How bad is it to apply without taking all of the prereqs? (Even though they will be completed before matriculation)

I keep hearing that med schools don’t care if you dont have all the prereqs done for matriculation. I’m a non-trad (psych bachelors), URM and I have one more semester of prereqs after this semester. I really want to apply this upcoming June, if not I’ll have to take 2 gap years (I’m not having a good time with the online format and i need more clinical experience). I actually want to push Orgo 2 and Physics 2 (with labs) until Fall 2021. I’ll take Biochem Spring 2022. I want to take next semester off to focus on clinical experience and MCAT (I know it’s not recommended when you’re missing prereqs) but honestly I’m burning out since this is my 6th year of undergrad anyway, will med schools care if I plan on taking my last couple of prereqs after applying?? Any advice on how i should proceed?

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Why, in the wide, wide world of sports would try to take the MCAT before completing the pre-requisite courses?
 
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Why, in the wide, wide world of sports would try to take the MCAT before completing the pre-requisite courses?
This^^^^^^^. I think I get what you are trying to do, with respect to being able to be evaluated without those grades and not wanting to wait another year. As a non-trad, non hard science major who hasn't taken the classes, you are seriously sabotaging your chances of doing well on the MCAT. Without a good MCAT score, your application will go nowhere without those classes. What does the rest of your cGPA and sGPA look like now? The lower they are, the less likely a school will look at you without the prereqs.
 
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This^^^^^^^. I think I get what you are trying to do, with respect to being able to be evaluated without those grades and not wanting to wait another year. As a non-trad, non hard science major who hasn't taken the classes, you are seriously sabotaging your chances of doing well on the MCAT. Without a good MCAT score, your application will go nowhere without those classes. What does the rest of your cGPA and sGPA look like now? The lower they are, the less likely a school will look at you without the prereqs.
My psych degree GPA was a 3.75 (I took a non-major bio class, intro level math, psych statistics & I got C’s in all three, I’m just now realizing this will drop my sGPA even tho I was a freshman/sophomore & wasn’t premed at this point in time). My post bacc GPA so far (Bio 1 &2 & Gen Chem 1&2) is a 3.85.
 
My psych degree GPA was a 3.75 (I took a non-major bio class, intro level math, psych statistics & I got C’s in all three, I’m just now realizing this will drop my sGPA even tho I was a freshman/sophomore & wasn’t premed at this point in time). My post bacc GPA so far (Bio 1 &2 & Gen Chem 1&2) is a 3.85.
Okay, so your grades are very good, especially in post-bacc prereqs! You could probably get away with this IF you get a good MCAT score (510+). If not, they will probably want to see your other grades before deciding what to do with you. That said, it's still very risky for you to try to take the MCAT without biochem. Orgo 2 and physics 2 are not nearly as important.

If you want to try, focus on the MCAT and see how it goes. My advice would be to not take it anyway, just to see what happens, if you aren't scoring around 510 on the AAMC FLs, because that will just be asking for trouble. URM will get you some slack, but not so much if you are in the low 500s (or worse) AND you are missing 3 prereqs. In that case, they just won't have enough data to know whether or not you will be able to handle the work.
 
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