Fork in my postbacc road

[heartsink]

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Hey all,

I have an upcoming decision to make later this year but I'd rather have the answer now than try and make it later. Currently I'm about half-way through my postbacc sciences. I am guaranteed to be short of one quarter of bio if I take the April 2016 MCAT (for us, thats animal and bio physiology). As a low priority student at my school (non-matriculated), its possible I might not get Biology class I need for summer (our microbio) and that would put me at 2 quarters short of Biology for an April MCAT.

The basic breakdown of the following year looks like this:

Summer quarter: Ochem 1, Biology 2, volunteering (6 hours/week)
Autumn quarter; Ochem 2, Biochem 1 (only offered in fall), begin studying for the MCAT with tutor (20-30 hours/week) volunteering (6 hours a week)
Winter quarter; Ochem 3, Biochem 2 (only offered in winter), continue studying for MCAT with tutor (20-30 hours/week) volunteering (6 hours a week)

Winter quarter ends around mid-march for us, and then the April MCAT allows me to apply that June (2016).

This means that on top of ochem, biochem, and accompanying labs, and volunteering, that I'd have to self study the last two quarters of Biology while I prep for the MCAT with enough time to still apply early in the 2016 cycle.

The alternative, if i want my first application to be an early application and strong as possible, is to wait to apply until 2017, put off the MCAT prep until fall 2016.

Following my own mantra of Don't rush it, it seems obvious I should just focus on getting quality grades, keeping my volunteering consistent over a long period of time, and then strike at the MCAT prep with everything I've got and no distractions come next fall. But that means one more year of waiting, totaling 3 years of side-tracking my life just to apply.

On the other hand, if I grin and bear it, take on all both hard sciences, labs, volunteering, mcat prep complete with new material, it would perhaps begin to resemble the heavy work load of med school and this would serve as a litmus test to whether or not I can hack it...

There's no way im backing down from this path I've chosen, but I want to make sure I'm picking the right road. Slow and steady has always served me well in life, but maybe its not a realistic mindset for med school.

Thoughts?

 

[SpicyFalafel]

why are you taking biochem 2?

 

[heartsink]

We are on a quarter system, not semester. It wouldn't be a full year of biochemistry, just two quarters.

Knowing that biochem is on the mcat and that it is a foundation to medical science, and that a number of med schools require some biochem seemed like reason enough to take it. I see your point though, maybe both would be excessive? Its not clear to me what is covered in the second quarter and if i'll need it. It just seemed to follow that I should take it. That would lighten my load a bit, enough to self-study the rest of bio perhaps.

 

[MD89]

Honestly, I wouldn't rush things. But, that's just me- I actually crammed all my classes and MCAT and am taking things slow on the other side now before I apply next year.

Self-studying bio is definitely possible as it's very straightforward and not difficult to understand. However, it would only be wise to do so if you have a summer or winter break to learn the material before you actually have to study it for the MCAT. Since you don't sound like you would have much free time during the breaks, I would not recommend this route.

 

[heartsink]

I've given it some thought and I've decided to put off applying until summer of 2017. I'll focus on my grades and volunteering this year, and begin mcat prep next fall, take the exam spring of 2017. I'd rather get my gpa and mcat right the first time and apply one year later, than burn everything i've worked for because I wanted to matriculate at 27 instead of 28. I realized that even if i had planned this better, I would still be taking at least ochem 3 and biochem 1 while also spending upwards of 30+ hours a week on just mcat prep, and all would suffer for it.

I'm glad I could soundboard my thoughts here and get some push-back to make me think this through. Thank you both.