Mistake 1. Taking all your required prereqs at a community college puts you on a weaker application position. Many medical schools recommend or require to take these at a 4 year school (see
Exhibit A Below)
Mistake 2. When your GPA is looked at by medical school, dual enrollment classes while in HS are viewed is a separate category. That is done as it is perceived that dual enrollment course programs provide less rigorous course work (see
Exhibit B Below)
I consider this
Mistake 3. You are planning to go from a likely less rigorous dual enrollment community college where you are planning to have taken the foundational courses to advanced level biology/chemistry at a school you never attended before with older students who may know how the courses and the professors, are with a more or less HS level study skillset / attitude. I consider this a risk that is fully under your control to change.
Mistake 4. Overly achieving academic "nerds" are a dime a dozen applicants. In addition to the academic side, medicine is essentially a profession of relationships with patients, colleagues and the subject itself. Applicants who are so academically heavy and one dimensional raise a flag when being evaluated
Mistake 5. Yes, but doing this HS, even though you are taking courses, is not by most adcoms considered college experience. Until you have graduated HS, it is all HS experience, which usually isnt mentioned on medical school application.
The medical schools are surveyed for what they look for in a candidate. See chart in
Exhibit C below. You should strong consider an extra year at University and/or a gap year. BTW, the majority of successful applicants took a gap year
Mistake 6. You can ask for letters now and store them via Interfolio. But you need to keep in contact with these professors and give them progress reports as your college career progresses so they can update as letter over a year or two are very weak. But again, CC professors arent as strong as regular professors. And you will have less time building a relationship with University profs then other students in your cohort.
No, there is no reason to start studying for MCAT until have all coursework and are applying within a year.
Summary Your overall attempts to do prereqs, at a CC, via dual enrollment, not leaving enough time to for actual college level experience, relying on older LORs, and applying young would make you a weak applicant
Exhibit A: Community College Guidance from Medical School
There are some medical schools that directly speak to this idea of community college courses. This may give a little better insight in how the underlying “culture” or “attitude” of admission committee members, whether a formal policy or not, may perceive applicants who choose summer or community college coursework. While this list is not exhaustive, it is representative enough to help advise students who are considering such a step.
SUNY Upstate College of Medicine
Frequently Asked Questions | College of Medicine | SUNY Upstate Medical University
“Applicants should avoid taking more than one or two prerequisite science courses during the summer and avoid taking them at community colleges.”
Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
http://icahn.mssm.edu/education/medical/admissions/regular-track/requirements
Q: Can I take my courses at a community college, or must I take them at a four-year college or university?
A: We have no requirement about where you take courses, though the Committee on Admissions does take that into consideration in evaluating your application.
Johns Hopkins Medical School
Prerequisites, Requirements and Policies | Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine M.D. Program
The School of Medicine accepts prerequisites completed at the community college level. In order to be competitive in the selection process, we encourage prospective applicants with community college prerequisites to supplement these courses by taking advanced courses in related subjects at their four year institution.
University of Florida College of Medicine
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions » FAQ » Medical Admissions » College of Medicine » University of Florida
Q: Can I take the prerequisite courses at my local community/junior college?
A: In order to create the most academically competitive application you should take all prerequisite courses at the most competitive bachelor’s degree granting institution where you can gain entrance. You should try to complete your pre-requisite courses at a four-year institution
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
https://www.einstein.yu.edu/educati...pplication-procedure/course-requirements.aspx
Whereas course work at a four-year college or university is our benchmark, if a student chooses to meet a competency component via an alternate route such as through laboratory experience, through an advanced placement course, a course taken at a community college, a course taken abroad (during a semester abroad for which the undergraduate U.S. degree-granting institution gives credit, or for which AMCAS will verify and report the grade), or an online course, he or she should seek guidance from his or her advisor to ensure that the option meets the above guidelines as well as the rigorous academic standard required by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
George Washington University
MD Program Frequently Asked Questions | The School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Do you accept community college credits?
Yes. The Committee on Admissions does accept coursework taken at a community college; however, it is preferable to have the pre-medical coursework taken at a four-year college or university.
Florida State University College of Medicine
http://med.fsu.edu/?page=mdAdmissions.admissionRequirement
Listed below is the pre-requisite coursework required for all matriculates to the FSU COM. Advanced Placement, CLEP, and dual enrollment credits fulfill the course requirements. However, courses taken in a traditional classroom at a four-year institution are considered to be more academically competitive.
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
MD Program Admissions Requirements | Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Two pre-requisite science courses can be fulfilled with AP credits, community college courses or through a study abroad program.
Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine
Medical School Admissions
Policy on AP Credits, Credits by Exam, and Dual Credit
We generally prefer that applicants take the prerequisite courses at 4-year accredited colleges and universities rather than utilize advanced placement credits, credits by exam, dual-credit, pass/fail course work or community college courses. We do not dismiss these credits; and, if they have been taken, we will accept them toward meeting the prerequisites. In fact, if an applicant has placed out of a required level course, we will also accept another course in that discipline at the same or higher level. Again, our preference is that applicants take graded courses at 4-year institutions, particularly the prerequisites in the biological sciences and the chemistry series.
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/admissions/md/faq/#q43
Are community college classes accepted as prerequisite course credit?
They may be, but the Admissions Committee generally expects students to complete all prerequisite courses at a four-year undergraduate institution.
Yale
https://medicine.yale.edu/education/admissions/apply/premed.aspx
Pre-medical courses must be completed in a U.S., U.K., or Canadian college or university. U.S. Community College courses are acceptable, provided that the courses include laboratory work and are comparable in content to courses at four-year colleges, universities, or institutes of technology.
Weill Cornell
http://weill.cornell.edu/education/admissions/app_faq.html
Can I take my prerequisite courses at a Community College?
It is not recommended.
Exhibit B: AMCAS GPA Grid
View attachment 301911
Exhibit C AAMC Survey of Medical School Factors Considered
View attachment 301912
