i dont know what to do, please help me and share your thoughts!

[anierasaa]

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Hello everyone

I’ll be taking Gen Bio 2, Gen Chem 2, algebra-based Physics 1, English, and a foreign language class. I’ll also be working as an MA at an urgent care clinic and volunteering as an EMT.

I’ll be starting EMT school very soon, but the class time interferes with my physics class (they’re on the exact same day and time). I really want to take physics this semester, but I genuinely can’t decide. My EMS advisor is really pressuring me to do EMT school. If I don’t do it now, I’ll be an observer until the next EMT classes are offered, which will most likely be in the summer. I don’t want to make a bad impression on the advisor or the crew, and I’ll probably also be shadowing once a week.

I don’t want to feel burnt out or ruin my GPA, so I don’t know what I should prioritize. How does my schedule look? Is taking three science classes too much? I’m also planning to take the MCAT in my sophomore or junior year, so I want to stay on track for that i feel really overwhelmed so please advise. (should i just take physics in sophomore. year? )

 

[AJ25]

Nix the EMT and focus on your classes. You can do EMT later.

 

[anierasaa]

Nix the EMT and focus on your classes. You can do EMT later.

thank you for commenting. do you think im overloading myself with taking physics1, chem and bio all at once?

 

[Rabbsters]

thank you for commenting. do you think im overloading myself with taking physics1, chem and bio all at once?

Only you can answer that. How much will you be working as an MA? Do you naturally struggle or excel with science classes? Do you have other life stressors? Generally speaking I would consider your course load fairly normal for a full time undergrad student.

MCAT your sophomore year sounds aggressive and unnecessary. But I was never a pre-med and have no idea what the "normal" process looks like.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hello everyone

I’ll be taking Gen Bio 2, Gen Chem 2, algebra-based Physics 1, English, and a foreign language class. I’ll also be working as an MA at an urgent care clinic and volunteering as an EMT.

I’ll be starting EMT school very soon, but the class time interferes with my physics class (they’re on the exact same day and time). I really want to take physics this semester, but I genuinely can’t decide. My EMS advisor is really pressuring me to do EMT school. If I don’t do it now, I’ll be an observer until the next EMT classes are offered, which will most likely be in the summer. I don’t want to make a bad impression on the advisor or the crew, and I’ll probably also be shadowing once a week.

I don’t want to feel burnt out or ruin my GPA, so I don’t know what I should prioritize. How does my schedule look? Is taking three science classes too much? I’m also planning to take the MCAT in my sophomore or junior year, so I want to stay on track for that i feel really overwhelmed so please advise. (should i just take physics in sophomore. year? )

Is this an overloaded schedule? If you are worried about ruining your GPA, it's a bad idea to add EMT school to this schedule (without knowing your schedule). They will understand if you told them your class schedule. Your goal to become a physician goes through having a strong science background shown by a high GPA as possible. I would also look at dropping one of the science classes. Is this a schedule your prehealth and academic advisor recommended for you?

You get no bonus points for overloading your schedule, and no sympathy if you fail or withdraw from a class because you couldn't juggle that much. Be proactive and give yourself the space/time you need to do well in your classes. Take the EMT course later.

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

thank you for commenting. do you think im overloading myself with taking physics1, chem and bio all at once?

Yes, you are overloading yourself. You need "A"s.

 

[Rachapkis]

They key to getting into medical school is to do things well, not fast. You would be well served to take things at a pace that you can handle, rather than trying to tick every box at the first available opportunity.

 

[AJ25]

They key to getting into medical school is to do things well, not fast. You would be well served to take things at a pace that you can handle, rather than trying to tick every box at the first available opportunity.

This is a great point.

And the more educated you become, the more you realize that their are social and environmental factors that make "doing things well" a lot easier for some students over others. That is to say, some people can handle 3 science courses a term because their environments makes it easier for them to get that work done. Others might not be able to handle those courses + extracurriculars because they are juggling "other" things.

The point is that you should take that into consideration when taking other people's advice.

 

[anierasaa]

Only you can answer that. How much will you be working as an MA? Do you naturally struggle or excel with science classes? Do you have other life stressors? Generally speaking I would consider your course load fairly normal for a full time undergrad student.

MCAT your sophomore year sounds aggressive and unnecessary. But I was never a pre-med and have no idea what the "normal" process looks like.

I go to school, i used to work as optometric tech, recently got an offer for MA at urgent care, i voluteer here and there as an EMT mostly observe or do other things at the fire station, thats about it, i wouldnt say i have life stresssors.

 

[anierasaa]

They key to getting into medical school is to do things well, not fast. You would be well served to take things at a pace that you can handle, rather than trying to tick every box at the first available opportunity.

thank you for this, it was a great reminder

 

[anierasaa]

Yes, you are overloading yourself. You need "A"s.

yeah i decided to take only 2 science classes

 

[anierasaa]

Is this an overloaded schedule? If you are worried about ruining your GPA, it's a bad idea to add EMT school to this schedule (without knowing your schedule). They will understand if you told them your class schedule. Your goal to become a physician goes through having a strong science background shown by a high GPA as possible. I would also look at dropping one of the science classes. Is this a schedule your prehealth and academic advisor recommended for you?

You get no bonus points for overloading your schedule, and no sympathy if you fail or withdraw from a class because you couldn't juggle that much. Be proactive and give yourself the space/time you need to do well in your classes. Take the EMT course later.

great response, thank you! for some reason i thought taking 3 science classes at once will help me stand out during the application process, i decided i should go with 2 science classes.

 

[moltmannfanboi]

great response, thank you! for some reason i thought taking 3 science classes at once will help me stand out during the application process, i decided i should go with 2 science classes.

I suspect that "course load" is only mildly important in the admissions process and even then only if your GPA and MCAT give the committee a reason to question if you are ready for medical school. The corilary to this is that if you do well in your classes, learn well, and do well on the MCAT, then you could be taking one science class a term and do better than someone who took three classes and took a hit to their GPA.

FWIW, I took almost all the prereqs one science class a term while working full time. I don't think any adcoms questioned my academic rigor.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

great response, thank you! for some reason i thought taking 3 science classes at once will help me stand out during the application process, i decided i should go with 2 science classes.

Good idea. Make sure you talk with your academic advisor and perhaps your prehealth advisor to make sure you know how to plan for earning your degree.

 

[polymerization]

You don't need to go to EMT school, ever. Of course the advisor wants you to go, because they make commission when you enroll. Bonus points if you do some research on your advisor and come to learn that they themselves did not go to EMT school, because if they did, why would they be an advisor peddling the sales pitch they're making about how great the job is as opposed to actually working in the field? Be critical when you are dealing with people who are trying to sell you fantasies.

With MA experience, you can make a move laterally from urgent care to any other specialty. Going to EMT school is only going to incur debt and saddle you with a credential that becomes immediately redundant the instant you are admitted to any MD/DO program.

Ace physics. Keep working as an MA.

 

[anierasaa]

You don't need to go to EMT school, ever. Of course the advisor wants you to go, because they make commission when you enroll. Bonus points if you do some research on your advisor and come to learn that they themselves did not go to EMT school, because if they did, why would they be an advisor peddling the sales pitch they're making about how great the job is as opposed to actually working in the field? Be critical when you are dealing with people who are trying to sell you fantasies.

With MA experience, you can make a move laterally from urgent care to any other specialty. Going to EMT school is only going to incur debt and saddle you with a credential that becomes immediately redundant the instant you are admitted to any MD/DO program.

Ace physics. Keep working as an MA.

Great advice. I’m taking it through my county’s fire department, so technically I’m not paying for school, it’s volunteer-based and something I’m doing to get more clinical volunteering hours. I’m also a community college student, so I’m trying to take advantage of any opportunities available to me locally before transferring to a four-year.

 

[AJ25]

You don't need to go to EMT school, ever.

I would be careful giving out this type of advice. At my school, the head of the head of the admissions committee looks very favorably on EMT experience to satisfy clinical shadowing hours. One of my SMP classmates was a full-time EMT for several years and that was the basis of his personal statement. He got in before I did and didn't do half the activities I signed up for.

Having said that, I personally believe that EMT is overrated based on my own experience. That doesn't mean I am telling YOU not to become an EMT.

 

[polymerization]

Great advice. I’m taking it through my county’s fire department, so technically I’m not paying for school, it’s volunteer-based and something I’m doing to get more clinical volunteering hours. I’m also a community college student, so I’m trying to take advantage of any opportunities available to me locally before transferring to a four-year.

OK, well that changes everything. You would be shocked to see how many people are willing to pay thousands just to license as an EMT genuinely believing that it is the pinnacle of pre-med activities and will 100% get them in.

That said (and others here will correct me if I'm wrong), but if you're employed clinically as an MA, you don't actually need a parallel clinical volunteering experience. The point of clinical experience is self-evident: to experience the clinical environment. The volunteer aspect is not actually necessary.

If you're looking to volunteer, shift your focus to non-clinical volunteering, which is going to be a really important component in your application when the time comes. Food banks, soup kitchens—anything that is going to put you out of your comfort zone and in contact with unfamiliar populations. Listen to their stories. Journal your thoughts. A couple hours here, and a couple hours there add up pretty quickly. Good luck!

 

[polymerization]

I would be careful giving out this type of advice. At my school, the head of the head of the admissions committee looks very favorably on EMT experience to satisfy clinical shadowing hours. One of my SMP classmates was a full-time EMT for several years and that was the basis of his personal statement. He got in before I did and didn't do half the activities I signed up for.

Having said that, I personally believe that EMT is overrated based on my own experience. That doesn't mean I am telling YOU not to become an EMT.

Yes, of course. Thank you for your feedback.

 

[AJ25]

I don't think any adcoms questioned my academic rigor.

I'm at a DO program and you would be surprised how they look at transcripts to assess "academic rigor." In my SMP program, there was one class worth 7 credits where you needed to get at least a B in the class to be considered for the linkage. They agreement says you need to get a certain GPA and said nothing about individual grades but we later learned that their metric for success in med school was the B in the biochem course.

 

[AJ25]

Yes, of course. Thank you for your feedback.

Then why did you say what you did initially?

 

[polymerization]

Then why did you say what you did initially?

I said thank you for your feedback.