Go for it, or wait?

[UNCGrunner]

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Hey Guys,

Looking for a little advice or maybe somebody that is in the same predicament. I'm an undergraduate who did not decide that medicine was the path for me until sophomore year and am now a senior. I have been doing well in classes with a 3.8 cGPA and good ec's, etc. I've also been on a D1 Cross country/track team all four years as well. My remaining pre-reqs are Orgo I & II before I take the MCAT. My question is, should I take these two courses over the summer as well as prepare to take the MCAT in August and give a shot at acceptance. Or on the other hand, take Orgo I & II fall/spring and take the MCAT in May to apply early?

Thanks!

 

[Ichiban88]

I would do the latter. There is no point in rushing the game. It may severely hurt you by cramming for the MCAT and applying late. plus you need to start drafting the personal statement while you study for the MCAT with that plan. take it slow and be very careful and plan strategically. my 2cents.

 

[BABSstudent]

I would do the latter. There is no point in rushing the game. It may severely hurt you by cramming for the MCAT and applying late. plus you need to start drafting the personal statement while you study for the MCAT with that plan. take it slow and be very careful and plan strategically. my 2cents.

+1

Couldn't agree more.

 

[LaCroix09]

Hey Guys,

Looking for a little advice or maybe somebody that is in the same predicament. I'm an undergraduate who did not decide that medicine was the path for me until sophomore year and am now a senior. I have been doing well in classes with a 3.8 cGPA and good ec's, etc. I've also been on a D1 Cross country/track team all four years as well. My remaining pre-reqs are Orgo I & II before I take the MCAT. My question is, should I take these two courses over the summer as well as prepare to take the MCAT in August and give a shot at acceptance. Or on the other hand, take Orgo I & II fall/spring and take the MCAT in May to apply early?

Thanks!

Taking organic I and II during the same summer sounds completely miserable, if not impossible. Just wait.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Studying for orgo I/II over a compressed mini-semester (ie summer session) in addition to cramming for the MCAT in addition to participating in the hoop jumping marathon that is the admissions process seems like a really, really, REALLY bad idea. Not to mention that if you take the MCAT in August you'd be submitting pretty late in the game (late September or October) which would further hurt your chances.

My advice: Take orgo in the fall/spring, study for the MCAT in April or May, and tackle the admissions process in the summer. If you think you can handle orgo in the summer then go ahead and do that and then you can have a light load when you cram for the MCAT.

 

[HuskerMed1816]

I think this has been answered well.. take the time.. do it right, and use the "free time" (haha what a joke to a premed) to focus on building your personal statement and finding how you want to explain your passion for medicine. Volunteer, shadow, get your CNA and work at a hospital.. essentially.. just do something! You will learn a ton, and if you are able to express that to an adcom without sounding like you think you are entitled to med school, you will be a great candidate.

 

[Mavii]

I think this has been answered well.. take the time.. do it right, and use the "free time" (haha what a joke to a premed) to focus on building your personal statement and finding how you want to explain your passion for medicine. Volunteer, shadow, get your CNA and work at a hospital.. essentially.. just do something! You will learn a ton, and if you are able to express that to an adcom without sounding like you think you are entitled to med school, you will be a great candidate.

Are you saying that it's unheard of to have a lot of free time in undergrad as a premed? If so, I feel bad for you son...

 

[HuskerMed1816]

Are you saying that it's unheard of to have a lot of free time in undergrad as a premed? If so, I feel bad for you son...

Not at all. Just in my experience, the average premed doesn't realize how important it is to have a life outside of gunning to get into med school. Learning to utilize free time and getting out and having fun makes you human..and gives you substance to actually communicate with patients/docs/interviewers/etc. My premed experience was more free time than anything else..

 

[Mavii]

Not at all. Just in my experience, the average premed doesn't realize how important it is to have a life outside of gunning to get into med school. Learning to utilize free time and getting out and having fun makes you human..and gives you substance to actually communicate with patients/docs/interviewers/etc. My premed experience was more free time than anything else..

Right on 👍

 

[Guero]

Having done the former, I strongly advise against it, as have many already. But my dissuasion is coming from experience in this exact situation, down to the later decision to pursue medicine: It was miserable doing both MCAT studying and summer Orgo studying. I probably could've landed an A in lecture rather than the B I earned, too. I can't confidently comment on whether it affected my first MCAT considering some extenuating circumstances surrounding test day; but I bombed the first one nonetheless.

One more year to ensure you perform well and you're better prepared is a small sacrifice and much better than taking a risk that could mar your otherwise stellar application (props). Feel free to bump this thread next year and let us know how everything turned out. I know I'll be curious. Good luck!

 

[hallowmann]

I've taken O Chem over the summer and gotten A's, so its doable, but I would recommend against doing both O Chem over the summer and studying for the MCAT to take it in August, and apply late. That to me sounds like a terrible idea. If you can, I would either do the second option, OR if possible, take O.Chem 1 in the summer, then O.Chem 2 in the fall, then use the Spring to study for the MCAT and take it in May to apply in June. Check your school though, because some schools only offer O. Chem 2 in the spring.

 

[Guero]

I've taken O Chem over the summer and gotten A's, so its doable, but I would recommend against doing both O Chem over the summer and studying for the MCAT to take it in August, and apply late. That to me sounds like a terrible idea. If you can, I would either do the second option, OR if possible, take O.Chem 1 in the summer, then O.Chem 2 in the fall, then use the Spring to study for the MCAT and take it in May to apply in June. Check your school though, because some schools only offer O. Chem 2 in the spring.

Good plan. I agree that an A is definitely doable during summer without the MCAT distraction. It's also good for practicing how to learn and study accelerated, dense material, which is exactly what you'll deal with in medical school, though not nearly as intense as what you'll face during your first two years as a med student.