I know im beating a dead horse here...

[InfectiousDocc]

I know this has been asked but I wonder if I am asking about something slightly different than most.

I am currently enrolled in a community college. Im an A/B student with a 3.3 GPA and I am going for my AA in Math-Science. I need three more semesters to graduate and within those 3 semesters, I will essentially be taking most of my pre-med reqs- Chem I and II, Bio I and II, and 3 semesters of college math. I would finish them up at the 4 yr I will be attending, so my Physics I and II and Orgo I and II would be from a 4-yr inst.

I know that taking pre-reqs at cc isnt favorable, but it works out better in my case, since my cc has a transfer compact with the 4 yr, meaning that all my gen eds would be complete and I would have priority in the admissions process.

Also, I am planning on majoring in Biology, and besides for the orgo, physics and a couple biochem classes, the rest of the classes i would be taking are at the 500-level, which is high for this 4-yr. If I get great grades (As and B+s) in all of those classes, it would prove to most med schools that I have what it takes, despite taking pre-reqs at the cc, right? I love science and I have no doubt that I will excel, but it seems that right now, cc is a better route for me.

Also, WHEN i ever get around to applying for med school, I plan to apply to a large variety of MD and DO schools.

Sorry this is so long and probably confusing but any insight on the matter is appreciated.

Thanks

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[ILikeFood]

Worry more about your grades than where you take the classes. No one's going to object to a high gpa.

 

[Excelsius]

Actually you should not take all your pre-reqs at a CC. If you do, then once you transfer, you will have to take a lot of upper division science courses to prove to adcoms that you can handle it. Unfortunately, many adcoms think that CC classes are much easier than the ones at universities. There are even some med schools (I think Wake Forest is one) that expressly say they don't accept pre-reqs taken at a CC. You still have time to make a wiser choice.

 

[obbobbo]

I think what ILikeFood said about getting a good GPA is right, but really you should try to do your pre-reqs at a school other than a CC.
With that said, don't worry about your 3.3 GPA. When I finished my undergrad I had an unfortunate 3.1 GPA. Through getting good grades through my pre-reqs with a 3.3 overall (about a 3.5-3.6 in pre-reqs). I knew that I was only applying to osteopathic schools and if you do well on the MCAT you can still be very competitive. I was able to get into 4 different DO schools, and with starting at a 3.3 you could probably move up to a 3.4 or 3.5 overall. You have a decent start, now just finish strong.
I should also mention that I have been working in healthcare for about 5 years and have a lot of experience in the field. The schools all seemed to like that I had a fair amount of experience. If you can I strongly recommend that you either find work or volunteer a lot at a hospital or clinic. These experiences give you a lot to talk about in your application and interviews. Good luck.

 

[InfectiousDocc]

Actually you should not take all your pre-reqs at a CC. If you do, then once you transfer, you will have to take a lot of upper division science courses to prove to adcoms that you can handle it. Unfortunately, many adcoms think that CC classes are much easier than the ones at universities. There are even some med schools (I think Wake Forest is one) that expressly say they don't accept pre-reqs taken at a CC. You still have time to make a wiser choice.

Well, it wouldnt be ALL my pre-reqs, and I might not even take Chem II. Im already signed up for 1 semester of college math (Stats, and would be taking Calc next semester) and Im registered for Chem I. Other than that, I would only have Bio I and II at my cc for two reasons- I need them as science classes to complete my AA in Math-Science and because all of my upper-level classes at the 4 yr college have Bio I and II as pre-reqs so I would be saving myself an extra year.

I would be taking Chem II, Orgo chem I and II, and Physics I and II at the 4 yr college, which is a large bulk of the med school pre-reqs

 

[InfectiousDocc]

The schools all seemed to like that I had a fair amount of experience. If you can I strongly recommend that you either find work or volunteer a lot at a hospital or clinic. These experiences give you a lot to talk about in your application and interviews. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply and part of the reason that I want to apply to DO schools IS partially because of the cc pre-reqs and just in case I cant get my gpa up. I want to give myself the best chance at achieving this as I can.

With that being said, I luckily have already starting volunteering, at a hospital nonetheless, and I put in about 10 hours per week. Im hoping I can keep that up for all of my undergrad years and I will definitely try to shadow a few MDs as well as DOs.

Thanks to everyone for replying. You've all given me a lot to think about

 

[InfectiousDocc]

Ok I think I have my "game plan" all planned out (Im definitely a compulsive planner, lol).

Over the next three semesters, the only pre-reqs I will have completed will be:

Chem I
Bio I
Bio II
Statistics

while leaving Orgo I & II, Physics I & II, Chem II and probably 1 whole year of Calculus to take at the 4 yr that I transfer to. Im sure not that many people get turned down for having 3 or 4 med school pre-reqs completed at cc and my science grades are awesome and will continue to be so.

Any more opinions/advice/insight is greatly appreciated though

 

[Handyman73]

I got my undergrad degree from a large university with a great academic reputation. After graduation, I wound up taking some classes at a local CC. Believe it or not, the equipment that I had access to and the quality of instruction at the CC were much better. I was in a class of 30 instead of a class of 250. On top of that, my instructors were teaching because they loved to teach, and did not view teaching as a rude interruption to their research agenda.

You should be in good shape. Take classes where you will do your best, and get the best prep to do well on the MCAT. If you knock the MCAT out of the park, you know your stuff. That's mostly what the schools want to see...

 

[dragonfly99]

I don't think your plan is terrible.
I think some med schools likely will not accept community college credits.
However, I bet a good number will, particularly the DO schools.
My best advice is to telephone or email the admissions offices of several schools you are interested in, outline your plan (as you have done for us above) and ask them whether they object to having part of your credits be from a commun. college, assuming you end up with a good GPA and have taken the rest of your credits at a 4 year school.

 

[aunt ethel]

My best advice is to telephone or email the admissions offices of several schools you are interested in, outline your plan (as you have done for us above) and ask them whether they object to having part of your credits be from a commun. college, assuming you end up with a good GPA and have taken the rest of your credits at a 4 year school.

I agree with the above advice. i applied to about 10 schools in the midwest and I don't think any of them had a problem with CC classes, but best to call and check with a few of your favorites. And even if you were still worried that they were "acceptable" but not "ideal", taking organic chem, physics and a bunch of upper level bio at a 4yr university would definitely make up for that, in my opinion.

Good luck!