Medical Gen Chem and Bio sophomore year?

[BC_89]

Hi (first post so hopefully it’s not wrong lol), I’m currently a freshman in community college and I won’t be able to take Bio and Gen Chem till next year. I also won’t be able to take Physics and Ochem till junior year. My question is: How will this affect studying for the MCAT? Should I take a physics or Ochem class in the summer?

MCAT builds itself around specific topics that need specific prereqs completed to get the full benefit of your studies. For example, if you wish to brush up on Biochemistry, you need to first take 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry as a prerequisite. The double caveat is that you cannot simply take Organic Chemistry without first finishing your year of General Chemistry (as you know). Likewise on the Biology track, in order to get to studying (MCAT wise) "helpful topics" such as Microbiology or Cell Biology, you need to have your general and molecular biology courses caught up. With these patterns, it'll simply push your studying and proper - reviewing - timeframe back a year when it comes to the MCAT.

Another caution is that some CC locations don't provide labs with the lectures (I would never recommend taking a virtual lab as many programs do not allow it). As for your concern with taking physics or Organic Chem over the summer, I would strongly advise against it. Studying such topics in a shorter duration of time within a term (if your not referring to an actual full semester) is never recommended.

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[lord999]

So I’m gonna have to take a gap year

And the CC offers real labs.

There is no requirement to take a gap year for just studying, unless that is what you want to do. There are quite a number of people in non-science majors that defer the MCAT until their fourth year as they have to settle their prerequisites into their senior year. Your situation is not uncommon.

I tend not to recommend summer classes for majors or professional school classes. Most (including the instructor) can't normally handle the pacing as well, with predictable results.

But, there is also no requirement for four year completion either. Use your time wisely. If you do take a gap year, I would pair studying with something productive like research or volunteer hours work in some clinical area to get experience and bolster the application.