Finishing pre-reqs at CC after undergrad?

[studentsuperstar]

Hi! I'm fairly new this forum so I apologize in advance if this is a repetitive post. I just find more comfort in explaining my personal scenario! I am currently going to be a senior at my state school majoring in Neuroscience. I began undergrad being pre-med and continued these courses for my first two years. Most of the grades received were C's and low B's. My junior year I took a complete break from pre-req courses and concentrated on my major and minor and got a 3.9 semester GPA.

My current cumulative GPA is 2.923. I decided on graduating on track this year. I still have Ochem II, Both Ochem labs, Physics II, Biochem, and Anatomy left to finish the pre-reqs. My ultimate question is that I was wondering if I would be able to complete those courses as a DIY post bacc at my state school or at my CC and be able to apply to DO schools or SMPs? Would taking these other courses at CC or a branch of my state school limit me in anyway when applying? Many websites say they require a minimum 2.7 science GPA which I do not have, but if I do well in my post bacc is that acceptable?

Overall, is it worth spending a year post-grad and pushing myself or is it too far-fetched of a goal? I know that it is difficult to understand but I really do think I belong in the medical field. I feel that I lacked maturity when entering undergrad and had many distractions.

Thanks, any feedback is appreciated!

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[Dr.Kitty]

You can complete your post-bacc at either, but due to your already extremely low GPA I would advise to take it in a 4 year. Going to a cc right now would look to admissions as if you're trying to go the easy route by taking "easier" classes. You can apply to DO schools or SMPs while taking the rest of your pre-reqs, but I think you need to slow down and focus on creating a better GPA. For DO schools, you can still retake courses you didn't do so well in so I would do that until you hit a solid 3.4 at least. I think you need to really learn what you can change in your study methods to make this dream a reality, don't go into a SMP; a SMP is risky, if you don't do extremely well in those your chances of ever getting into any medical school decrease. Take things slow, retake courses, figure out how to get all A's, and I didn't see you say you had taken your MCAT. That's another very important factor when it comes to being accepted.

 

[abn632]

This is tricky. Even if you did well and got all A's, as @Dr.Kitty mentioned, retaking classes at a CC would likely appear to be gaming the system. Perhaps you could declare a minor? At my school, a minor added an additional 18 - 20 credit hours (I was an economics major, biology minor). By taking additional classes for the minor (and of course doing well in them), you could both increase your GPA and show an upward trend. If you select a science minor (e.g. biology in my case), you also improve your science GPA.

Whether you retake classes at a CC or do a minor, you're adding extra time. Regardless of what path you choose, it is imperative that you do well. Good luck!

 

[holdthemayo]

If you search around these forums you will find others who have taken their prereqs at CC. The most important thing is to get As, doubly so if you choose to take the courses at CC. Then rock the MCAT to prove that you actually learned the material and can apply it. You've got a lot of hard work ahead of you either way. Make certain you have figured out why you were failing to get As in the past and correct that before you start back into this, you don't have time for more mistakes. Good luck!

 

[yayayaok]

I took 5 pre-reqs at CC: gen Chem 1/2 physics 1/2 and ochem 1. I had no problem with osteopathic schools. I explained to them is was working full time so I don't know if that meant anything.


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[studentsuperstar]

If you search around these forums you will find others who have taken their prereqs at CC. The most important thing is to get As, doubly so if you choose to take the courses at CC. Then rock the MCAT to prove that you actually learned the material and can apply it. You've got a lot of hard work ahead of you either way. Make certain you have figured out why you were failing to get As in the past and correct that before you start back into this, you don't have time for more mistakes. Good luck!

Thank you for your response! Since I have to complete about five courses, that can be completed within a year, correct?

 

[studentsuperstar]

I took 5 pre-reqs at CC: gen Chem 1/2 physics 1/2 and ochem 1. I had no problem with osteopathic schools. I explained to them is was working full time so I don't know if that meant anything.


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Thank you for replying to my post! Did you find that you needed to do extremely well on your MCAT to make up for taking them at a CC?

 

[studentsuperstar]

This is tricky. Even if you did well and got all A's, as @Dr.Kitty mentioned, retaking classes at a CC would likely appear to be gaming the system. Perhaps you could declare a minor? At my school, a minor added an additional 18 - 20 credit hours (I was an economics major, biology minor). By taking additional classes for the minor (and of course doing well in them), you could both increase your GPA and show an upward trend. If you select a science minor (e.g. biology in my case), you also improve your science GPA.

Whether you retake classes at a CC or do a minor, you're adding extra time. Regardless of what path you choose, it is imperative that you do well. Good luck!

Hi! I currently am completing a minor in Cultural Anthropology. I feel that the maximum my GPA will increase upon graduation is a 3.2

 

[studentsuperstar]

You can complete your post-bacc at either, but due to your already extremely low GPA I would advise to take it in a 4 year. Going to a cc right now would look to admissions as if you're trying to go the easy route by taking "easier" classes. You can apply to DO schools or SMPs while taking the rest of your pre-reqs, but I think you need to slow down and focus on creating a better GPA. For DO schools, you can still retake courses you didn't do so well in so I would do that until you hit a solid 3.4 at least. I think you need to really learn what you can change in your study methods to make this dream a reality, don't go into a SMP; a SMP is risky, if you don't do extremely well in those your chances of ever getting into any medical school decrease. Take things slow, retake courses, figure out how to get all A's, and I didn't see you say you had taken your MCAT. That's another very important factor when it comes to being accepted.

Thank you for your response! I was planning on doing the rest of the classes post-graduation just because I would like to graduate on time. I'm anticipating my GPA to be around a 3.2 cumulative when I graduate. If I do complete the rest of my classes after graduation do they replace those in my undergrad GPA or is it separate? I was hoping to complete these courses within a year whilst studying for my MCAT and apply.

 

[holdthemayo]

Thank you for your response! Since I have to complete about five courses, that can be completed within a year, correct?

It mostly depends on what course load you can handle and what classes are available for your schedule but I don't see any reason you wouldn't be able to. For what it's worth, anatomy is not a required prerequisite so you may not need to take it.

 

[Dr.Kitty]

Thank you for your response! I was planning on doing the rest of the classes post-graduation just because I would like to graduate on time. I'm anticipating my GPA to be around a 3.2 cumulative when I graduate. If I do complete the rest of my classes after graduation do they replace those in my undergrad GPA or is it separate? I was hoping to complete these courses within a year whilst studying for my MCAT and apply.

If you go back and retake courses, they will help your undergrad GPA. The only time you would see a separate GPA is when you go onto grad school. I like that you are considering taking anatomy because it will be touched in medical school, but it is not a pre-requirement; with that being said, I would suggest taking a science course you didn't do so well in instead of anatomy that way you can raise your GPA slightly higher. If you consider taking courses during summer, you should be able to take more than 5 courses for the year which means your GPA would look even better after that. You want to maximize your chances after the year is complete & since you're looking into DO schools, take advantage of grade replacement as much as possible; the more you do, the better your chances are of actually getting in and proving you are ready for the difficult curriculum medical school places on you.

 

[yayayaok]

Thank you for replying to my post! Did you find that you needed to do extremely well on your MCAT to make up for taking them at a CC?

Really I think it's how you apply yourself. The cc courses were sadly a joke so they didn't really prepare me for the MCAT but were a nice intro. I got the most benefit using khan academy and my Princeton review course. But I would recommend cc courses. I do know that some schools from upon them. If you are retaking them to replace a bad grade at a university then that might look bad. When I took them at cc it was my first attempt


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[cabinbuilder]

Thank you for your response! Since I have to complete about five courses, that can be completed within a year, correct?

Yes, I did 8 courses in one year and worked full time. You can do it if you put your mind to it and have good scheduling and discipline.

 

[sleepyhead22]

I took a couple classes at CC and plan on explaining that it was the only way to take Saturday classes while working full time. The classes were really interesting and I had some great professors which really opened my eyes to CC after attending private liberal arts schools for undergrad and grad school.

 

[DrMikeP]

Hi! I'm fairly new this forum so I apologize in advance if this is a repetitive post. I just find more comfort in explaining my personal scenario! I am currently going to be a senior at my state school majoring in Neuroscience. I began undergrad being pre-med and continued these courses for my first two years. Most of the grades received were C's and low B's. My junior year I took a complete break from pre-req courses and concentrated on my major and minor and got a 3.9 semester GPA.

My current cumulative GPA is 2.923. I decided on graduating on track this year. I still have Ochem II, Both Ochem labs, Physics II, Biochem, and Anatomy left to finish the pre-reqs. My ultimate question is that I was wondering if I would be able to complete those courses as a DIY post bacc at my state school or at my CC and be able to apply to DO schools or SMPs? Would taking these other courses at CC or a branch of my state school limit me in anyway when applying? Many websites say they require a minimum 2.7 science GPA which I do not have, but if I do well in my post bacc is that acceptable?

Overall, is it worth spending a year post-grad and pushing myself or is it too far-fetched of a goal? I know that it is difficult to understand but I really do think I belong in the medical field. I feel that I lacked maturity when entering undergrad and had many distractions.

Thanks, any feedback is appreciated!

Most if not all DO schools accept cc courses. Retake F's/D's/C's and bump your gpa up to be competitive >3.25. As others have stated you do need to do well on the MCAT (~504+) to show that the cc classes weren't just an easy way to make A's. Do some reading in the <3.0 gpa thread.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Most if not all DO schools accept cc courses. Retake F's/D's/C's and bump your gpa up to be competitive >3.25. As others have stated you do need to do well on the MCAT (~504+) to show that the cc classes weren't just an easy way to make A's. Do some reading in the <3.0 gpa thread.

DAMNNNN DrMike...

BACK AT IT AGAIN with the solid advice.

Listen to this guy OP. He's always spittin' gems. Very wise.

 

[SOOyC52H1Sof]

I retook a bunch of classes at a CC, and wasnt ever mentioned in my interviews. They were really just impressed by my MCAT retake score in comparision to my first score.

 

[DrMikeP]

I retook a bunch of classes at a CC, and wasnt ever mentioned in my interviews. They were really just impressed by my MCAT retake score in comparision to my first score.

That's the case with most DO schools. MCAT is the great equalizer.

 

[studentsuperstar]

Most if not all DO schools accept cc courses. Retake F's/D's/C's and bump your gpa up to be competitive >3.25. As others have stated you do need to do well on the MCAT (~504+) to show that the cc classes weren't just an easy way to make A's. Do some reading in the <3.0 gpa thread.

Thanks for the response! Do you mean that my cumulative gpa upon graduation should be >3.25 or that after retaking courses post graduation it should be 3.25?

 

[DrMikeP]

Thanks for the response! Do you mean that my cumulative gpa upon graduation should be >3.25 or that after retaking courses post graduation it should be 3.25?

After retakes >3.25 as you don't want to get caught by school cutoffs or be so low that you just aren't competitive at all. Yes there will always be some exceptions with lower gpas but a majority of students aren't exceptions and 60% won't get in at all. Some schools also have 10000 applicants. So preferably you want closer to ~3.5+ cgpa for DO if possible as that is what the average student has these days.

Look at the AACOM MCIB for latest stats and info on schools.