How should I proceed after Freshman Pre-Med year?

[Alivation]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

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[Alivation]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

Also, I will be interviewing for high leadership positions for the Student Leadership Institute at my College. Will they help if I do good and elaborate well on them?

 

[Alivation]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

I really appreciate all future replies! ☺️

 

[AdductorMagnus]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

As far as I understand, medical schools view community college credit in an unfavorable light, at best. I know that some schools don’t accept CC prerequisite credits altogether. In my opinion, it would be highly beneficial for you to transfer to another institution if it is feasible for you. Chances are, it’ll help you really learn the MCAT material and be even better prepared for the rigors of med school.

 

[71650]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

You came to the right place, kid. As someone who is applying to med schools right now, it's pretty clear what I wish I did and didn't do. But as a disclaimer, I'm no expert, just a slightly older(?) student.

I think being in a CC might hurt your application, and I'm not sure if all medical schools accept CC credits, I'd look into this and maybe transfer if it's at all possible. People at "elite" schools may get a bit more leeway on having lower GPA and get some extra points just for attending an "upper tier" university, but as long as you keep the grades up and fulfill the course requirements you should be good wherever you go (still not sure about CC).

Volunteering work is great, especially in the emergency room. I did this starting pretty late in undergrad and I already have a lot to talk about for it. I would strongly encourage you to stick with the SAME strong clinical/working with underserved volunteering position you have THROUGHOUT your whole undergrad. Longevity and demonstrated commitment goes a long way, and it's also great if you can demonstrate growth and potentially get into a leadership position in these organizations eventually. These things are earned so they take time, but it really does show in an application.

Tutoring is great, shows leadership and teaching skills, which are both super important. For travel experiences, depends what kind of travel I guess, I wouldn't force it into your applications unless it has a definitive impact on your abilities or competencies, can't tell from what you're describing.

You're honestly doing solid for being so early, here are just my suggestions (again, I am no expert):
1. Look up if medical schools accept CC credit, and look into potentially transferring if necessary. If they aren't accepted, you unfortunately might have to retake some classes, but it'll serve you well in the long run.
2. Try and find research positions - could be for anything: biology, public health, other science *these can be at your school or in summer internships
3. Try and volunteer with underserved communities - demonstrate advocacy to underserved populations

Best of luck, and feel free to PM if you have any other questions.

 

[Developer]

I did ~50 units at a CC as a dual enrollment student during high school before starting out as a freshman at my 4-year undergrad. I even finished my bio pre-reqs at the CC. I also returned to the same CC after graduating and did a year of post-bacc. coursework there since it was the smarter financial option for me. At the end of the day, I strongly recommend taking and performing your absolute best in science coursework at whichever 4-year you transfer to. In this way, you can eliminate any doubt that AdComs may have about your academic strengths.

Along the way from my CC days to applying now, I've learned that the MSAR is my best friend. With the MSAR, you'll be able to find out which schools accept CC pre-reqs and which don't (the majority do), and you can then plan accordingly. I'm applying this cycle and I have 5 MD II so far, so my personal experience has been that CC coursework won't sink your application.

 

[7331poas]

As far as I understand, medical schools view community college credit in an unfavorable light, at best. I know that some schools don’t accept CC prerequisite credits altogether. In my opinion, it would be highly beneficial for you to transfer to another institution if it is feasible for you. Chances are, it’ll help you really learn the MCAT material and be even better prepared for the rigors of med school.

Absolutely incorrect. Most schools dont even look at your transcript.

 

[BCB153]

Absolutely incorrect. Most schools dont even look at your transcript.

Many medical schools don’t accept CC credits.

 

[AdductorMagnus]

Absolutely incorrect. Most schools dont even look at your transcript.

Yeah, I'm no adcom, but some school websites explicitly say that they don't prefer or do not accept CC credits. Surely some schools do, but in this competitive process, it definitely makes it easier if you don't have to limit yourself in that way. It's already hard enough to get in if you have great stats from a competitive university. Going to a CC is just gonna be one more thing you have to explain yourself for to some schools. For someone who seems like they're already on a great start to their pre-med career, wouldn't you say it's advisable to at least consider transferring to a university?

 

[7331poas]

Many medical schools don’t accept CC credits.

I am not aware of any that do not accept CC credits. The only ones I was aware of was maybe Hopkins. But they removed that policy several cycles ago

 

[7331poas]

Yeah, I'm no adcom, but some school websites explicitly say that they don't prefer or do not accept CC credits. Surely some schools do, but in this competitive process, it definitely makes it easier if you don't have to limit yourself in that way. It's already hard enough to get in if you have great stats from a competitive university. Going to a CC is just gonna be one more thing you have to explain yourself for to some schools. For someone who seems like they're already on a great start to their pre-med career, wouldn't you say it's advisable to at least consider transferring to a university?

Because CC is substantially cheaper than a 4-year university.

If you get asked in an interview you say that and its the end of the story.

No one is going to give a **** if you took chem 1 at a CC when you score a 524 on the mcat.

 

[calipremed5768]

Undergraduate selectivity is important to T20 schools. Just look at the UMICH thread and see the data recently posted. They extend far more interviews/acceptances to grads of prestigious schools. Also talking about getting a 524 and actually doing it are far far different things.

 

[CatDad26]

Because CC is substantially cheaper than a 4-year university.

If you get asked in an interview you say that and its the end of the story.

No one is going to give a **** if you took chem 1 at a CC when you score a 524 on the mcat.

I agree with this. Going to a CC is definitely more risky as you may be less prepared for MCAT or (and probably more importantly) have a harder time finding research opportunities to build your resume.

However, if you do score highly on your MCAT (520+), then no one gives a crap that you had a CC education, clearly it worked and you know the material - which is all they really care to see.

 

[AdductorMagnus]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

I am not aware of any that do not accept CC credits. The only ones I was aware of was maybe Hopkins. But they removed that policy several cycles ago

Log on to the MSAR to find out which schools accept CC credits. There's a specific section for it in the Required/Recommended Pre-Medical Coursework section.

I took a quick look to see which schools on the first page of the MSAR accept CC credit. Just on the first page, these four schools either explicitly stated that they don't accept CC credit or claim that they accept CC credit on a case-by-case basis for some or all of the prerequisites:

Boston U
California Northstate
Case Western
Central Michigan

So out of 10 randomly selected schools, 4 would give you trouble if you wanted to apply with CC credit. But this is beside the point. My point is the admissions process is difficult. On any given year, you have a <40% chance of getting into medical school. A large portion of applicants come from 4-year universities, have done exceptionally well in their courses, have ample community service and leadership hours, and have significant research experience. Despite all of this, most do not get accepted to medical school. Now, if you are a freshman hoping to create the best situation for yourself, it sure seems like a better idea to put yourself in the best position possible for an MD acceptance. Of course, a degree from a CC and a 524 on the MCAT will probably land you a seat in a med school, but it sure sounds like a gamble to me. You can't just get a 524 on the MCAT. You need a deep understanding of the material AND be very skilled at taking the MCAT, plus a small measure of luck. Many who have studied for the MCAT know that the difference between a 520 and a 524 is only a few more correct answers. I mean, I got a 130 on my B/B section and was 96th percentile. There's not a huge margin of error. Many with a more solid educational foundation (aka a more reputable school) study for over a year and get <510. Surely, you can do it, but you're making an already difficult process that much more difficult.

On top of it all, no matter what the requirements say on the MSAR, and no matter what stats you have, every school will take an in-depth look into your application before offering interviews or acceptances. When they are comparing you against someone with similar stats who took those classes from a 4-year university, they're going to question your ability to handle the rigors of med school. Personally, I wouldn't want every adcom to wonder whether or not I could cut it. Especially if you really are a stellar applicant who would make a great med student and physician. Don't shoot yourself in the foot.

 

[gulli_97]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well.

So, I just recently joined this website in order to collect efficient wisdom and advice on my road to Medical school, and to (hopefully) pass them on.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Current stats:
State: Texas.
Major: Biology.
Current Institution: Northwest Vista College (A community College).
Current GPA (31 credit hours): 3.806.
Extracurricular(s): 58 hours of Clinical Volunteering in the Emergency Room at a Hospital (still going).
I have also done some volunteering work (e.g. vacuum-cleaning, cleaning the floors, etc.) previously at local religious centers.

So, would going to a community college (6th-best CC in the nation I believe) effect my application? I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?
What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

I'm in the process myself and I am applying to texas schools, which I assume you will be doing as well. CC credits are not looked down upon at Texas institutions and a decent MCAT score(above 510) will offset any doubts. For EC's, it's important to have clinical volunteering, shadowing, non-clinical volunteering, and possibly some research. If you can afford it do reach out to universities in the state for a volunteer research position. PI's do need help with their work and I am sure you'll be able to find something, albeit it will most likely be a lot of grunt work at first.

Tutoring looks good too, I would try to start with that and then possibly get a position with more leadership, something like that of a teaching assistant. I have noticed Texas schools like high GPA's so keep up the good work!

 

[7331poas]

Log on to the MSAR to find out which schools accept CC credits. There's a specific section for it in the Required/Recommended Pre-Medical Coursework section.

I took a quick look to see which schools on the first page of the MSAR accept CC credit. Just on the first page, these four schools either explicitly stated that they don't accept CC credit or claim that they accept CC credit on a case-by-case basis for some or all of the prerequisites:

Boston U
California Northstate
Case Western
Central Michigan

So out of 10 randomly selected schools, 4 would give you trouble if you wanted to apply with CC credit. But this is beside the point. My point is the admissions process is difficult. On any given year, you have a <40% chance of getting into medical school. A large portion of applicants come from 4-year universities, have done exceptionally well in their courses, have ample community service and leadership hours, and have significant research experience. Despite all of this, most do not get accepted to medical school. Now, if you are a freshman hoping to create the best situation for yourself, it sure seems like a better idea to put yourself in the best position possible for an MD acceptance. Of course, a degree from a CC and a 524 on the MCAT will probably land you a seat in a med school, but it sure sounds like a gamble to me. You can't just get a 524 on the MCAT. You need a deep understanding of the material AND be very skilled at taking the MCAT, plus a small measure of luck. Many who have studied for the MCAT know that the difference between a 520 and a 524 is only a few more correct answers. I mean, I got a 130 on my B/B section and was 96th percentile. There's not a huge margin of error. Many with a more solid educational foundation (aka a more reputable school) study for over a year and get <510. Surely, you can do it, but you're making an already difficult process that much more difficult.

On top of it all, no matter what the requirements say on the MSAR, and no matter what stats you have, every school will take an in-depth look into your application before offering interviews or acceptances. When they are comparing you against someone with similar stats who took those classes from a 4-year university, they're going to question your ability to handle the rigors of med school. Personally, I wouldn't want every adcom to wonder whether or not I could cut it. Especially if you really are a stellar applicant who would make a great med student and physician. Don't shoot yourself in the foot.

All I can say is you are dead wrong based on my knowledge of admissions committees as an admitted applicant, and a current student who sits on an admissions role.

What they say in the msar is not have it necessarily plays out.

Again, the overwhelming majority of schools do not look at their applicants so closely as to where they took individual courses.

 

[calipremed5768]

Ok

 

[JustAUser]

OP is a Texas resident and as far as I'm aware, all TX schools are fine with CC credits. Especially with the prevalence of dual credit in high schools, it should be fine.
Obviously, you want to take UL (upper-level) science classes at a 4 year institution to prove to medical schools that you can handle the rigor of medical schools. Attending CC will not hinder your chances.
Most medical schools don't accept online classes so keep that in mind.

So, I am an undergraduate student who just completed Freshman year. I wanted to know, which extracurriculars should I pursue from now on to build a good application for the future?

Try shadowing some doctors (your PCP, or doctors in your family/community) so you know that this is something that you want to pursue. Get some more clinical volunteer or even a clinical job so that you get more patient exposure which will all help to strengthen your application.

I have applied for tutoring jobs at my College. They are for Math and INRW course students, would such tutoring be good (I think so)?

Tutoring is good

What else would you guys advise me to do? What future Extracurriculars should I collect in the upcoming years before I apply?

In addition to doing clinical volunteering, make sure to do non-clinical volunteering where you are helping those who are less fortunate than you. Think free clinics, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries, etc. Cleaning your place of worship is good but you want to demonstrate service to others.

Also, please tell me if travel experiences will look good on my application if I list their benefits, how they helped me develop, etc.

In general, going on medical trips abroad isn't looked favorably because you're spending a lot of money to go help somewhere far away (and sometimes things you would not be allowed to do here) when there are multiple ways to help people in your area. You can search up medical tourism and read up more about it. But anything you can talk or write about passionately is good.

Also, I will be interviewing for high leadership positions for the Student Leadership Institute at my College. Will they help if I do good and elaborate well on them?

I don't quite understand your question here, but any leadership position will look good. But what's most important is what you take from it. If you have a leadership experience but can't talk about it because you did nothing, then it really serves no purpose.


Also as a TX resident, keep in mind that there are two application services. TMDSAS for (most of) the Texas Medical schools. And AMCAS for all the other MD medical schools.

 

[Alivation]

Yes, I knew about the application services. Thank you for your replies, will consider them and follow up, hopefully.

 

[Alivation]

You came to the right place, kid. As someone who is applying to med schools right now, it's pretty clear what I wish I did and didn't do. But as a disclaimer, I'm no expert, just a slightly older(?) student.

I think being in a CC might hurt your application, and I'm not sure if all medical schools accept CC credits, I'd look into this and maybe transfer if it's at all possible. People at "elite" schools may get a bit more leeway on having lower GPA and get some extra points just for attending an "upper tier" university, but as long as you keep the grades up and fulfill the course requirements you should be good wherever you go (still not sure about CC).

Volunteering work is great, especially in the emergency room. I did this starting pretty late in undergrad and I already have a lot to talk about for it. I would strongly encourage you to stick with the SAME strong clinical/working with underserved volunteering position you have THROUGHOUT your whole undergrad. Longevity and demonstrated commitment goes a long way, and it's also great if you can demonstrate growth and potentially get into a leadership position in these organizations eventually. These things are earned so they take time, but it really does show in an application.

Tutoring is great, shows leadership and teaching skills, which are both super important. For travel experiences, depends what kind of travel I guess, I wouldn't force it into your applications unless it has a definitive impact on your abilities or competencies, can't tell from what you're describing.

You're honestly doing solid for being so early, here are just my suggestions (again, I am no expert):
1. Look up if medical schools accept CC credit, and look into potentially transferring if necessary. If they aren't accepted, you unfortunately might have to retake some classes, but it'll serve you well in the long run.
2. Try and find research positions - could be for anything: biology, public health, other science *these can be at your school or in summer internships
3. Try and volunteer with underserved communities - demonstrate advocacy to underserved populations

Best of luck, and feel free to PM if you have any other questions.

Thank you so much for the reply. I will look more into CC credits. Also, I have tried (multiple times) to call institutes such as a Hospital or Research Institute in order to talk about any potential research I can take part in, but haven’t found any good responses. There isn’t any research at my College. So, when I do transfer to University, how would you recommend I pursue research? Also, there is Honors Research, right?

Can you tell me more about what Honors Research is (for Honors students)? I read that Honors students who take part in this submit a thesis at the end, too, and would this be helpful in the future? Will this count as a publication as well?

Additionally, I would like to ask how students find researches to participate in. How do you get to research? Asking your professors, etc.?

 

[Alivation]

I agree with this. Going to a CC is definitely more risky as you may be less prepared for MCAT or (and probably more importantly) have a harder time finding research opportunities to build your resume.

However, if you do score highly on your MCAT (520+), then no one gives a crap that you had a CC education, clearly it worked and you know the material - which is all they really care to see.

Hello. Thank you for replying. So, I wanted to update you all on the fact that I plan to take the MCAT after I transfer to a University and finish my Organic Chem. classes.

 

[Alivation]

Log on to the MSAR to find out which schools accept CC credits. There's a specific section for it in the Required/Recommended Pre-Medical Coursework section.

I took a quick look to see which schools on the first page of the MSAR accept CC credit. Just on the first page, these four schools either explicitly stated that they don't accept CC credit or claim that they accept CC credit on a case-by-case basis for some or all of the prerequisites:

Boston U
California Northstate
Case Western
Central Michigan

So out of 10 randomly selected schools, 4 would give you trouble if you wanted to apply with CC credit. But this is beside the point. My point is the admissions process is difficult. On any given year, you have a <40% chance of getting into medical school. A large portion of applicants come from 4-year universities, have done exceptionally well in their courses, have ample community service and leadership hours, and have significant research experience. Despite all of this, most do not get accepted to medical school. Now, if you are a freshman hoping to create the best situation for yourself, it sure seems like a better idea to put yourself in the best position possible for an MD acceptance. Of course, a degree from a CC and a 524 on the MCAT will probably land you a seat in a med school, but it sure sounds like a gamble to me. You can't just get a 524 on the MCAT. You need a deep understanding of the material AND be very skilled at taking the MCAT, plus a small measure of luck. Many who have studied for the MCAT know that the difference between a 520 and a 524 is only a few more correct answers. I mean, I got a 130 on my B/B section and was 96th percentile. There's not a huge margin of error. Many with a more solid educational foundation (aka a more reputable school) study for over a year and get <510. Surely, you can do it, but you're making an already difficult process that much more difficult.

On top of it all, no matter what the requirements say on the MSAR, and no matter what stats you have, every school will take an in-depth look into your application before offering interviews or acceptances. When they are comparing you against someone with similar stats who took those classes from a 4-year university, they're going to question your ability to handle the rigors of med school. Personally, I wouldn't want every adcom to wonder whether or not I could cut it. Especially if you really are a stellar applicant who would make a great med student and physician. Don't shoot yourself in the foot.

Hello. Thank you for your reply. I do understand the percentage of applicants accepted, etc. However, I’m willing to give my all and keep on trying. My first choice would be MD, but I personally love DOs too and the philosophy and history behind Osteopathic Medicine, and like TCOM.

So, what type of non-clinical volunteering would you guys recommend I do? And can you guide me a little on how to reach out and grab such non-clinical volunteering opportunities?

 

[Alivation]

Hi guys! So, regarding CC credits, at least UT Health’s Long School of Medicine does not discriminate against it.

But, here’s my plan for the pre-reqs:

Firstly, I have completed my 6 credit hours of English prereqs at my CC. And, I have also completed 3 hours of Calculus I Math at my CC (some schools want Math, some Statistics, and some none). Is this fine?

- Take 8 credit hours of General Biology prereqs (General Bio 1 and General Bio 2 with their respective labs) at my CC.

- Take all 8 hours of Physics prereqs at my CC.

- Take all 8 hours of General Chem prereqs at my CC.

Then, transfer to 4-year University and take all Organic Chem classes. (2) Then, finish all remaining 6 credits of Bio (harder classes), take the MCAT during Junior and Senior year, and then finish all other Biology upper-level requirements for my degree and graduate (hopefully).

Would this be fine? What would you guys recommend?

 

[71650]

Thank you so much for the reply. I will look more into CC credits. Also, I have tried (multiple times) to call institutes such as a Hospital or Research Institute in order to talk about any potential research I can take part in, but haven’t found any good responses. There isn’t any research at my College. So, when I do transfer to University, how would you recommend I pursue research? Also, there is Honors Research, right?

Can you tell me more about what Honors Research is (for Honors students)? I read that Honors students who take part in this submit a thesis at the end, too, and would this be helpful in the future? Will this count as a publication as well?

Additionally, I would like to ask how students find researches to participate in. How do you get to research? Asking your professors, etc.?

No problem, happy to help! I went to a great research university so there were lots of opportunities, but the spots were also competitive. Granted, I had a rough start to undergrad, so I wasn't getting accepted for research positions at my school until my later years.

If you end up transferring, the first place you'll want to go is your career center. These vary in usefulness depending on the school, but they will hopefully point you to a couple websites and listed research positions you can sift through. Then it's a matter of cold-emailing professors or applying through the website, that's how I did it at least (if you have a professor who is conducting research in a field you like that would also be a great option). Some schools have a listserv for science majors that emails weekly research opportunities.

For the summers, I'd look into research institutes and programs, doesn't have to be at your school or even in the neighborhood. I went to another state across the country for my first research internship, and it was an awesome program. This takes some extra effort to look things up and apply but it is really worth it, no better time to immerse yourself fully in research than in the summer where you aren't busy with other schoolwork.

Honors research varies from school to school, generally it does mean conducting a senior thesis, which I did at my university to graduate with honors. Personally, it was a great research experience that I learned a TON from, and it was very very difficult as well. It demonstrates one's ability to think and work like a real scientist outside of a classroom setting, so I do think it is very helpful on your applications. I wouldn't get into research just for your applications though, you're a bio major so I hope you like science (or public/global health), try and find a field that you can really dig into and be excited about.

Honors research is typically done at the university which is recognizing the honors. It doesn't always result in a publication, but it can. Depending on how much you're committing to it, there's also varying degrees of publication. First-author publication, meaning you personally do most of the research and the writing of the paper, takes a LOT more work and probably more than one year of consistent high-level research. It really isn't hard to get second or third authorship on a publication if you're in a lab with the right opportunity, and this doesn't require honors research either. It's nice to have a publication to show for some of your work, but I'd focus more on the research itself first, publication won't come until later and isn't nearly as important.

I literally didn't know about honors research until my senior year, so you're a bit ahead of the curve. I got pretty lucky with my opportunity, but most people work for one or two years in a lab before their given the freedom to run their own project, so just be patient with your work. On another note, do NOT wait to express interest in being more involved. If this is a university position, gauge the possibility of doing your own project in the future so you know this can be an option, and you don't end up spending time there without progressing. Hope this helps!

 

[Alivation]

No problem, happy to help! I went to a great research university so there were lots of opportunities, but the spots were also competitive. Granted, I had a rough start to undergrad, so I wasn't getting accepted for research positions at my school until my later years.

If you end up transferring, the first place you'll want to go is your career center. These vary in usefulness depending on the school, but they will hopefully point you to a couple websites and listed research positions you can sift through. Then it's a matter of cold-emailing professors or applying through the website, that's how I did it at least (if you have a professor who is conducting research in a field you like that would also be a great option). Some schools have a listserv for science majors that emails weekly research opportunities.

For the summers, I'd look into research institutes and programs, doesn't have to be at your school or even in the neighborhood. I went to another state across the country for my first research internship, and it was an awesome program. This takes some extra effort to look things up and apply but it is really worth it, no better time to immerse yourself fully in research than in the summer where you aren't busy with other schoolwork.

Honors research varies from school to school, generally it does mean conducting a senior thesis, which I did at my university to graduate with honors. Personally, it was a great research experience that I learned a TON from, and it was very very difficult as well. It demonstrates one's ability to think and work like a real scientist outside of a classroom setting, so I do think it is very helpful on your applications. I wouldn't get into research just for your applications though, you're a bio major so I hope you like science (or public/global health), try and find a field that you can really dig into and be excited about.

Honors research is typically done at the university which is recognizing the honors. It doesn't always result in a publication, but it can. Depending on how much you're committing to it, there's also varying degrees of publication. First-author publication, meaning you personally do most of the research and the writing of the paper, takes a LOT more work and probably more than one year of consistent high-level research. It really isn't hard to get second or third authorship on a publication if you're in a lab with the right opportunity, and this doesn't require honors research either. It's nice to have a publication to show for some of your work, but I'd focus more on the research itself first, publication won't come until later and isn't nearly as important.

I literally didn't know about honors research until my senior year, so you're a bit ahead of the curve. I got pretty lucky with my opportunity, but most people work for one or two years in a lab before their given the freedom to run their own project, so just be patient with your work. On another note, do NOT wait to express interest in being more involved. If this is a university position, gauge the possibility of doing your own project in the future so you know this can be an option, and you don't end up spending time there without progressing. Hope this helps!

Thank you so much! So currently, I did look up summer programs but applications haven’t opened for next year’s, so yeah. Also, I don’t plan on transferring to a Uni until next year. But thank you! The University I intend to transfer to is a good research Uni though. So, let’s see.

Thank you so much everyone! Also, have you gotten any responses from med schools yet?

 

[7331poas]

Most medical schools don't accept online classes so keep that in mind.

So much misinformation on this thread. Unless you are going to University of Phoenix it does not matter if your course is online.

I took physics 1 and physics 2 and I took chem 2 online at my school with only exams being done in class. Usually your transcript will just say "intro physics 2", not "intro physics 2 online".

I also took organic 1 at a community college.

I ended up getting a 520 on the mcat and I interviewed at 10 programs including northwestern yale UVA einstein and others.

I promise you, schools do not look into these things as closely as neurotic premeds think they do.

 

[71650]

Thank you so much! So currently, I did look up summer programs but applications haven’t opened for next year’s, so yeah. Also, I don’t plan on transferring to a Uni until next year. But thank you! The University I intend to transfer to is a good research Uni though. So, let’s see.

Thank you so much everyone! Also, have you gotten any responses from med schools yet?

Good stuff, keep up the good work and good luck with the transfer! One interview invite so far, still waiting to see...

 

[honeybee87]

Current stats:
State: Texas.

That’s all I needed to know. You’re gonna be an MD. Being Texan is equivalent to being URM in terms of ease of getting into md

 

[Alivation]

That’s all I needed to know. You’re gonna be an MD. Being Texan is equivalent to being URM in terms of ease of getting into md

Thank you so much for the praise, sir! Lol, but can you explain how lol? Please.

 

[Alivation]

Good stuff, keep up the good work and good luck with the transfer! One interview invite so far, still waiting to see...

Thank you sir! Best of luck for your interview. So, is this plan fine?

 

[Alivation]

So much misinformation on this thread. Unless you are going to University of Phoenix it does not matter if your course is online.

I took physics 1 and physics 2 and I took chem 2 online at my school with only exams being done in class. Usually your transcript will just say "intro physics 2", not "intro physics 2 online".

I also took organic 1 at a community college.

I ended up getting a 520 on the mcat and I interviewed at 10 programs including northwestern yale UVA einstein and others.

I promise you, schools do not look into these things as closely as neurotic premeds think they do.

Thank you sir! Best of luck with your invites. I’m pretty sure they only intended to guide me with the best of their abilities. But thank you for the updates and for the mood-lifting!

 

[7331poas]

Thank you sir! Best of luck with your invites. I’m pretty sure they only intended to guide me with the best of their abilities. But thank you for the updates and for the mood-lifting!

Ive been admitted already two cycles ago. But thanks and best of luck. My main advice is try and be a normal person. There is a surprising lack of them in the medical field.

 

[Alivation]

Ive been admitted already two cycles ago. But thanks and best of luck. My main advice is try and be a normal person. There is a surprising lack of them in the medical field.

Thank you! Hahaha lol, i’ll try my hardest.

 

[Alivation]

Hey guys! So, can anyone also let me know about scholarships given to medical students who intend to pursue Primary Care specialties?

Has anybody here heard of/received any? And, how much amount of it can anyone receive in total (potentially)? Which Medical Schools give out such scholarships?

 

[Jeremy Bearimy]

Hey guys! So, can anyone also let me know about scholarships given to medical students who intend to pursue Primary Care specialties?

Has anybody here heard of/received any? And, how much amount of it can anyone receive in total (potentially)? Which Medical Schools give out such scholarships?

Some schools are entirely dedicated to primary care only (NYU Long Island, Eastern Carolina). Other schools may have primary care tracks that either offer scholarships or reduced years, I'm thinking of NYU (3 years) and Duke (4th year scholarship). These are just off the top of my head, but there are many schools that offer a primary care track of some sort.

 

[Alivation]

Some schools are entirely dedicated to primary care only (NYU Long Island, Eastern Carolina). Other schools may have primary care tracks that either offer scholarships or reduced years, I'm thinking of NYU (3 years) and Duke (4th year scholarship). These are just off the top of my head, but there are many schools that offer a primary care track of some sort.

I’m pretty sure there are more Primary Care scholarships which cover a lot of the cost. Especially in Texas? Also, many med schools have tons of scholarships, such as TCOM? Right? What is your experience? Are med school scholarships attainable?

 

[Jeremy Bearimy]

I’m pretty sure there are more Primary Care scholarships which cover a lot of the cost. Especially in Texas? Also, many med schools have tons of scholarships, such as TCOM? Right? What is your experience? Are med school scholarships attainable?

I'm a current applicant and not a Texas resident, so my expertise in this area is limited

 

[JustAUser]

Hey guys! So, can anyone also let me know about scholarships given to medical students who intend to pursue Primary Care specialties?

Has anybody here heard of/received any? And, how much amount of it can anyone receive in total (potentially)? Which Medical Schools give out such scholarships?

I’m pretty sure there are more Primary Care scholarships which cover a lot of the cost. Especially in Texas? Also, many med schools have tons of scholarships, such as TCOM? Right? What is your experience? Are med school scholarships attainable?

I don't know much about scholarships, how much they offer, etc. It's also school-specific. I've heard a lot of TX schools give scholarships to OOS students so that they pay the same tuition as if they are in-state.

But this might interest you. You essentially save 2 years of med school fees and can practice sooner (since you start your residency earlier).
Family Medicine Accelerated Track | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

 

[Alivation]

I don't know much about scholarships, how much they offer, etc. It's also school-specific. I've heard a lot of TX schools give scholarships to OOS students so that they pay the same tuition as if they are in-state.

But this might interest you. You essentially save 2 years of med school fees and can practice sooner (since you start your residency earlier).
Family Medicine Accelerated Track | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Thank you so much. I will see.

 

[Alivation]

I'm a current applicant and not a Texas resident, so my expertise in this area is limited

Thank you. Best of luck!

 

[Alivation]

Hey guys, so I was wondering about the MCAT.

The thing is, I was planning to take it in the summer between my Junior and Senior years. But, that would mean I (potentially) go into med school after 1 year.

So, I’m gonna be starting my upcoming semester with the basic sciences. I’ll be taking Bio 1, Chem 1, Phys 1. Then, I will keep on integrating more sciences with more semesters. So, when would you guys suggest I take the MCAT? Which courses should I take? And then, when I should take the MCAT so I can apply for Med school in between my Junior and Senior years of Undergrad? Would Organic Chem 1 and one class of Biochem and Psychology be enough to study for 1.5 months and take the MCAT after that?

I would appreciate any help.