In the eyes of adcoms: Premed at CC = Premed at uni?

[JellyVoodoo]

Hi there! I've recently acquired an AS degree from my state CC, and my school has a transfer partnership with my state university so that all credits can be transferred. I did a little research into the pre med major that the uni offers and compared the courses with ones offered at my CC. There are a fair number that I could take at CC such as 1 year of bio/chem/physics. For example, BIO 105 at CC transfers as BIO 101 to uni. Ochem and biochem would have to be completed at university, but CC is half the cost for the other courses.

My question is, just because I can take these courses at CC, save myself a lot of money, and transfer them to uni to fulfill some premed requirements, should I? I don't want to put the time into science courses at CC if adcoms are going to say they aren't rigorous enough.

I've only found a couple of threads of students that mention that they took their chem or bio at a CC and transferred it. I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot and have my application passed over. Should I get in touch with the pre professional advisor at the university, perhaps? Thanks for your help, friends!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[efle]

You absolutely can take prereqs at CC and transfer the credit to uni, but 1) some medical schools advise against doing this, especially for multiple prereqs and 2) you can take some further/upper level BCPM classes at the university to show you can handle the rigor!

 

[efle]

@gonnif usually knows the specifics on this issue

 

[TheBiologist]

In general, it is at least more understood by the adcoms if you take them for financial reasons, but I would recommend not taking all pre-reqs

honestly, you could take a year of gen bio, then take another semester or two (or more) of upper division bio's (molecular/cell bio, genetics, phsyiology etc) and be solid

I would not take a full year of chemistry at CC; maybe if you feel very confident, taking chem I at CC then chem II at uni wouldn't look bad but make sure CC prepared you enough

physics may be the course that is least cared about if you take it at CC

overall I would say that a high MCAT and a solid GPA after transferring puts you in as good a position as anyone else

 

[DocMcMommy]

I went to a CC for my first two years and since I'm majoring in Bio, I had to take a couple of the prereqs at my CC. It is what it is and I'll make due with what I have. But there are some schools that say they won't accept CC courses, and that sucks. I won't be applying to them. If I could have kept my major but saved all my prereqs for the university, I would have. Just for options.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

I wonder how I can find out how the schools I'm interested in feel about this. Your mention about uni upper levels reminded me that I have 74 credits at the time of graduating CC and only 90 will transfer to uni, but even with 16 credits left to use I don't want to do a year of bio and chem at CC if adcoms think it's worthless.

 

[DocMcMommy]

The MSAR will break it down for you.

 

[njtrimed]

It's all about context. I took most of my prereqs at a CC where I also did research and got my associate's degree, but took a ton of upper-level science courses after I transferred and maintained the same high GPA. I'm now M1 at a competitive school, and I know other students from my CC who are in "top tier" programs too. I really think it only matters if you're enrolled in a good university and choose to take your prereqs at a school that is ranked lower in an obvious effort to boost your GPA. Earning an associate's degree or even taking one or two CC classes during the summer out of necessity shouldn't hurt you. Then again, check out the requirements where you apply. There probably are a few out there that still won't accept prereqs from CCs.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

In general, it is at least more understood by the adcoms if you take them for financial reasons, but I would recommend not taking all pre-reqs

honestly, you could take a year of gen bio, then take another semester or two (or more) of upper division bio's (molecular/cell bio, genetics, phsyiology etc) and be solid

I would not take a full year of chemistry at CC; maybe if you feel very confident, taking chem I at CC then chem II at uni wouldn't look bad but make sure CC prepared you enough

physics may be the course that is least cared about if you take it at CC

overall I would say that a high MCAT and a solid GPA after transferring puts you in as good a position as anyone else

Do you mean they won't care where physics was taken, as long as it is completed, or they won't like it if I take it at CC?

 

[efle]

I wonder how I can find out how the schools I'm interested in feel about this. Your mention about uni upper levels reminded me that I have 74 credits at the time of graduating CC and only 90 will transfer to uni, but even with 16 credits left to use I don't want to do a year of bio and chem at CC if adcoms think it's worthless.

What would your major be? If you're going to end up taking a bunch of 300+ level bio or chem classes at university, I really wouldn't sweat the intro level class being a transfer credit.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

I went to a CC for my first two years and since I'm majoring in Bio, I had to take a couple of the prereqs at my CC. It is what it is and I'll make due with what I have. But there are some schools that say they won't accept CC courses, and that sucks. I won't be applying to them. If I could have kept my major but saved all my prereqs for the university, I would have. Just for options.

Oh no, that's bad news! Flat out won't accept them? Also, I totally forgot about the MSAR, oh my god! Thank you! Only $27 too, not bad at all. I bet that database has a ton of answers to my questions. I've been so anxious trying to figure out what each school wants, and it's right there, haha!

 

[JellyVoodoo]

It's all about context. I took most of my prereqs at a CC where I also did research and got my associate's degree, but took a ton of upper-level science courses after I transferred and maintained the same high GPA. I'm now M1 at a competitive school, and I know other students from my CC who are in "top tier" programs too. I really think it only matters if you're enrolled in a good university and choose to take your prereqs at a school that is ranked lower in an obvious effort to boost your GPA. Earning an associate's degree or even taking one or two CC classes during the summer out of necessity shouldn't hurt you. Then again, check out the requirements where you apply. There probably are a few out there that still won't accept prereqs from CCs.

I think that is a little bit of why I'm thinking about taking bio and chem at a CC, because I could do those courses over the summer as well. I don't like taking summers off from coursework, I feel like I'm missing out! I'm wondering if it'll look different for me since I graduated from this CC and am not yet enrolled in uni. I could see it looking bad if a uni student were to go to a CC to do science courses though. :/

 

[JellyVoodoo]

What would your major be? If you're going to end up taking a bunch of 300+ level bio or chem classes at university, I really wouldn't sweat the intro level class being a transfer credit.

I got my ASN at CC and now am going for a BSN + pre med courses. Ideally I'd like to do nursing courses during the fall/spring to get them out of the way (there are only 8) and spend the rest of my time doing premed courses both at the uni and some of them over the summer at CC.

 

[njtrimed]

I think that is a little bit of why I'm thinking about taking bio and chem at a CC, because I could do those courses over the summer as well. I don't like taking summers off from coursework, I feel like I'm missing out! I'm wondering if it'll look different for me since I graduated from this CC and am not yet enrolled in uni. I could see it looking bad if a uni student were to go to a CC to do science courses though. :/

I wouldn't worry. Take the classes. Just make sure you get As in 300 and 400 level classes, and get strong recommendations from your professors. Show up to office hours with legitimate questions, and make sure you don't look like a CC superstar but average university student. In my experience, the only thing that differentiates CC from four-year schools is that CC students are often less focused because they're busy working and raising families. You differentiate yourself from everyone else by showing a true interest in excelling. Good luck, and feel free to PM me with any questions!

 

[JellyVoodoo]

Good luck, and feel free to PM me with any questions!

Thank you very much! I'm going to try my best.

 

[hurtem&healem]

If you are not a physics major/minor, then there is very little to no chance you will be taking upper level physics courses. A lot of people choose to hold off on taking physics until junior year anyway in order to have it fresh for the MCAT (not saying I agree or disagree with that approach, just saying). I would personally wait to take it at a university.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

If you are not a physics major/minor, then there is very little to no chance you will be taking upper level physics courses. A lot of people choose to hold off on taking physics until junior year anyway in order to have it fresh for the MCAT (not saying I agree or disagree with that approach, just saying). I would personally wait to take it at a university.

I hear you on that! I'll wait and take it at uni then. Perhaps it'll be a bit more rigorous there or be better prep for the MCAT.

 

[Geo16]

I believe ADCOM looks over your situation.
For example, let's say your major is Neuroscience. Your passion is studying about brain and nervous system.
Neuroscience requires almost the same requirements as Med School (at least in UCLA it is).
After taking all Biology,Chem,OrgChem,BioChem, Physics and Calculus, you transfer to university as Neuroscience major.

But just because you want to study about brains, it should not hold you back for taking pre-requisites at CC. It was necessary for you to take those courses in order to transfer to 4 year university.

Thus, I believe it's okay. Also, you will have a chance to take upper division Bio/Chem/Physics as your upper-division electives.

 

[candbgirl]

So are you nursing now? Or are you jumping right into finish your BSN? There are several threads on RN>BSN>med school. You should read them because they might help you. I think there is a difference in courses and course content between the two programs. I'm not sure but it's worth investigating before you register for any more classes.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Weirdy]

So are you nursing now? Or are you jumping right into finish your BSN? There are several threads on RN>BSN>med school. You should read them because they might help you. I think there is a difference in courses and course content between the two programs. I'm not sure but it's worth investigating before you register for any more classes.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

Seconded.

My university has a policy where even after you graduate with a chem/bio degree, your pre-reqs in sciences such as chem 1+2 and ochem 1+2 do not count towards nursing pre-reqs.

Itmust be "Nursing chem 1+2" or "Nursing ochem 1+2".....which in reality may be even easier than the major required courses.

 

[TheBiologist]

Do you mean they won't care where physics was taken, as long as it is completed, or they won't like it if I take it at CC?

what i'm saying is, in your case you will likely not run into problems if you take physics at CC vs. your 4-year, especially if your Physical Sciences MCAT reflects proficiency. just try and make good grades like always

 

[Goro]

The path of CC-> UG school is fine. Taking pre-reqs at CCs only looks bad if it appears that you're trying to avoid your UG school's weeding courses.

A recent glance at MSAR showed me that more and more schools are OK with taking pre-reqs at CCs. Online coursework is still viewed negatively.

Hi there! I've recently acquired an AS degree from my state CC, and my school has a transfer partnership with my state university so that all credits can be transferred. I did a little research into the pre med major that the uni offers and compared the courses with ones offered at my CC. There are a fair number that I could take at CC such as 1 year of bio/chem/physics. For example, BIO 105 at CC transfers as BIO 101 to uni. Ochem and biochem would have to be completed at university, but CC is half the cost for the other courses.

My question is, just because I can take these courses at CC, save myself a lot of money, and transfer them to uni to fulfill some premed requirements, should I? I don't want to put the time into science courses at CC if adcoms are going to say they aren't rigorous enough.

I've only found a couple of threads of students that mention that they took their chem or bio at a CC and transferred it. I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot and have my application passed over. Should I get in touch with the pre professional advisor at the university, perhaps? Thanks for your help, friends!

 

[JellyVoodoo]

So are you nursing now? Or are you jumping right into finish your BSN? There are several threads on RN>BSN>med school. You should read them because they might help you. I think there is a difference in courses and course content between the two programs. I'm not sure but it's worth investigating before you register for any more classes.

Yes, I'll be in nursing on a critical care step down unit while I'm doing premed and getting a BSN, I've been told a handful of times that the clinical experience from working a couple years as a nurse will look good on an application. I did look into the RN to MD threads but they appear to have pretty much died, very very little traffic from what I saw.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

I believe ADCOM looks over your situation.
For example, let's say your major is Neuroscience. Your passion is studying about brain and nervous system.
Neuroscience requires almost the same requirements as Med School (at least in UCLA it is).
After taking all Biology,Chem,OrgChem,BioChem, Physics and Calculus, you transfer to university as Neuroscience major.

But just because you want to study about brains, it should not hold you back for taking pre-requisites at CC. It was necessary for you to take those courses in order to transfer to 4 year university.

Thus, I believe it's okay. Also, you will have a chance to take upper division Bio/Chem/Physics as your upper-division electives.

What's strange about the situation is that I did take upper level science courses at CC before I knew that they weren't applicable to med school. I hadn't done my research well enough and I just assumed that advanced physio/micro/things like that would be applicable for the requirements, but they're not. I'm essentially starting from scratch with my premed courses and only a handful of upper level science courses are required for the BSN, none of which are applicable to med school either. If I do BSN courses + the science prereqs, I'll graduate with 139 credits.

 

[candbgirl]

And although they don't meet prerequisites they all count in your GPA.
I'm surprised there are no threads on nursing to medicine. It seems like they are always popping up.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile app

 

[JellyVoodoo]

Seconded.

My university has a policy where even after you graduate with a chem/bio degree, your pre-reqs in sciences such as chem 1+2 and ochem 1+2 do not count towards nursing pre-reqs.

Itmust be "Nursing chem 1+2" or "Nursing ochem 1+2".....which in reality may be even easier than the major required courses.

I think I get what you guys are saying. I have my ASN now and am going to go ahead and get the BSN as well only because there are 8 or so classes required for it and it's all online, leaving me time to take the premed courses separately on campus. The premed courses will also count towards my nursing elective credits and bring me up over the 120 credits required for graduation.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

A few thoughts:

1) There still may be a few medical schools that do not formally accept CC courses or some specific subset of them, but that is a small minority now.
2) As several as said, it depends on context of your coursework and background. If you go from a CC directly to 4 year where you take upper level science, it has less issue.
3) Just because you can do it, doesnt mean that it will make you as competitive as possible. (see list below)
4) This has to be put in your context of overall application

Oh my goodness thank you so much for putting so much work into that! That must have taken you hours! I think I'm starting to get the picture that to make myself the most competitive, I should take all of the courses at the university. It makes me a little sad to say goodbye to my CC forever because they've been so good to me, but I want to be as competitive as I can and I don't want to take courses that aren't rigorous enough to prepare me for the MCAT.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

The path of CC-> UG school is fine. Taking pre-reqs at CCs only looks bad if it appears that you're trying to avoid your UG school's weeding courses.

A recent glance at MSAR showed me that more and more schools are OK with taking pre-reqs at CCs. Online coursework is still viewed negatively.

Haha, I'm still gonna get stuck in the universities weeding courses! (*cough* ochem ) But I'm starting to think more and more that I should go ahead and do them at the uni because my major doesn't require very many upper level science courses, so all the premed science that I do may as well be from a school that adcoms will look favorably upon.

 

[JellyVoodoo]

And although they don't meet prerequisites they all count in your GPA.
I'm surprised there are no threads on nursing to medicine. It seems like they are always popping up.

I wish there were, I could get a lot of questions answered there! I went through the thread directory about a week ago and found RN to MD but there hadn't been any activity there for a long time.

 

[Geo16]

What's strange about the situation is that I did take upper level science courses at CC before I knew that they weren't applicable to med school. I hadn't done my research well enough and I just assumed that advanced physio/micro/things like that would be applicable for the requirements, but they're not. I'm essentially starting from scratch with my premed courses and only a handful of upper level science courses are required for the BSN, none of which are applicable to med school either. If I do BSN courses + the science prereqs, I'll graduate with 139 credits.

I see, good luck! I think I might overload too. After I transfer,I will graduate with 134 credits. On the same boat! LETS DO THIS!
70(from CC) + 36 (major requirements) + 28 (Med school preparation)

 

[JellyVoodoo]

I see, good luck! I think I might overload too. After I transfer,I will graduate with 134 credits. On the same boat! LETS DO THIS!
70(from CC) + 36 (major requirements) + 28 (Med school preparation)

My numbers are very similar as well! We're gonna do this!

 

[efle]

I don't want to take courses that aren't rigorous enough to prepare me for the MCAT.

Just a heads up - the prereq classes themselves are very mediocre at getting you ready for the MCAT, hence why everyone spends months studying from dedicated MCAT prep company materials rather than class notes or exams. Don't factor in MCAT preparation in your class decisions!

 

[JellyVoodoo]

Just a heads up - the prereq classes themselves are very mediocre at getting you ready for the MCAT, hence why everyone spends months studying from dedicated MCAT prep company materials rather than class notes or exams. Don't factor in MCAT preparation in your class decisions!

Oh definitely! I'm looking at things like Kaplan for extra prep, I'll really delve into researching all of that later on though.