Is it a bad idea to take 3 pre med classes over the summer?

[2failornot2fail]

I'm a bio major so I'll be taking tons of bio classes later, but I tested out of the intros. As a result, I have to take upper levels to substitute them. Like I said, I'm a bio major so it's not a problem.

I took orgo 1 this spring semester and I'm for sure taking calc 1 the summer semester. But, in order to graduate on time, I'm thinking of adding genetics for the summer. This would happen at my home university.

Putting grades aside (I know it's a huge factor), would it be bad to take three pre med courses over the summer?

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[2failornot2fail]

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.

Concise and direct, thanks. But would calc be counted among the pre reqs? Some schools require it, but is it considered a "hard" pre req like OChem, bio, physics and English?

 

[gyngyn]

Don't do it.

 

[DBC03]

I'm intrigued - is this recommendation because summer classes are considered easier or less thorough?


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[raiderette]

Adcoms will be suspect because they will have no way of knowing whether the summer classes are easy and will not know if you spent every waking moment studying all summer long. Surely you have some other courses you can take required for graduation. English, psych?

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Not on an admissions committee, but I kind of think adcoms will see a student who takes many (3 classes+) of the pre-med classes during the summer as someone trying to game the system. Its a well known fact summer classes are much easier compared to the semester version. Even though students try to swing the argument that its taught at a faster pace and therefore its the same difficulty, its clearly not.

At my UG, about 50% of premeds take biochem in the summer because its easier professors and exams are a complete joke.

 

[2failornot2fail]

Not on an admissions committee, but I kind of think adcoms will see a student who takes many (3 classes+) of the pre-med classes during the summer as someone trying to game the system. Its a well known fact summer classes are much easier compared to the semester version. Even though students try to swing the argument that its taught at a faster pace and therefore its the same difficulty, its clearly not.

At my UG, about 50% of premeds take biochem in the summer because its easier professors and exams are a complete joke.

At least for OChem, the same material is taught and this is proven because we have access to every exam from the past 4 years. The material is all the same and the exams were the same rigor.

But obviously adcoms wouldn't know that.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

At least for OChem, the same material is taught and this is proven because we have access to every exam from the past 4 years. The material is all the same and the exams were the same rigor.

But obviously adcoms wouldn't know that.

Even if it is the same exact course, and thus harder due to the acceleration, I think its unfair, but I can see admissions committees just attaching a stigma to all summer/winter pre-med classes :/

 

[2failornot2fail]

Even if it is the same exact course, and thus harder due to the acceleration, I think its unfair, but I can see admissions committees just attaching a stigma to all summer/winter pre-med classes :/

Yeah it makes sense since I know animal physiology over the summer is much easier than during the Fall (two chapters dropped), so there's reason for them to assume. But, what I heard a lot was that orgo over the summer might make me unprepared for the MCAT which seems to be not true since a) the material was the exact same but on heroin, and b) I did some MCAT review and I got most of the questions right.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Perception is reality

Droppin' mind bombs on me @gonnif

 

[Dr. Stalker]

"Perception is more important than reality. If someone perceives something to be true, it is more important than if it is in fact true."
--Ivanka Trump
A quote from The Trump Card

Very similar to the looking glass self!

 

[Dr. Stalker]

"Perception is more important than reality. If someone perceives something to be true, it is more important than if it is in fact true."
--Ivanka Trump
A quote from The Trump Card

Except, well, a reliable source coined the term and verified it via research and didn't just say it...#FakeNews

 

[DBC03]

I found this surprising since I took Orgo 1 & 2 over the summer as my "welcome back to school" classes and they were consistently considered the hardest classes at the school since the same chapters were covered, just in less time. However, there were a few kids from other schools taking it so they didn't have to take it during the year at their home universities. Many were disappointed to get lower grades than they had hoped.

But it is about the perception of the classes and not necessarily how it really was.


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[2failornot2fail]

Perception is reality

I found this surprising since I took Orgo 1 & 2 over the summer as my "welcome back to school" classes and they were consistently considered the hardest classes at the school since the same chapters were covered, just in less time. However, there were a few kids from other schools taking it so they didn't have to take it during the year at their home universities. Many were disappointed to get lower grades than they had hoped.

But it is about the perception of the classes and not necessarily how it really was.


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I agree that the perception of the class is what matters. There is absolutely nothing I can do to convince them it's at least just as hard, and thus I'm stuck with the perception that it was easier.

But for my sanity, does a good score on the MCAT "cancel" this perception?

 

[DBC03]

I agree that the perception of the class is what matters. There is absolutely nothing I can do to convince them it's at least just as hard, and thus I'm stuck with the perception that it was easier.

But for my sanity, does a good score on the MCAT "cancel" this perception?

I'm wondering as well - I got a perfect score on an old ACS organic chemistry exam and did well enough in the MCAT to prove I know the material. I imagine that will help. And I would have been behind by a full year if I hadn't taken those classes, so I have no regrets (my age becomes a bigger factor at some point).

It doesn't help that Florida schools require all students to take a certain number of hours over the summer regardless.

Is calculus 1 your fist experience with calculus? Could be tough over the summer and your main goal should be to do well. Do you have certain "gateway" classes you could get out of the way without taking specific med school prerequisites? I wonder if you plan to take a lot of upper level classes, could you take the intro classes in the summer? I'm amazed at how much I have learned about applications and adcomm perception.


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[2failornot2fail]

I'm wondering as well - I got a perfect score on an old ACS organic chemistry exam and did well enough in the MCAT to prove I know the material. I imagine that will help. And I would have been behind by a full year if I hadn't taken those classes, so I have no regrets (my age becomes a bigger factor at some point).

It doesn't help that Florida schools require all students to take a certain number of hours over the summer regardless.

Is calculus 1 your fist experience with calculus? Could be tough over the summer and your main goal should be to do well. Do you have certain "gateway" classes you could get out of the way without taking specific med school prerequisites? I wonder if you plan to take a lot of upper level classes, could you take the intro classes in the summer? I'm amazed at how much I have learned about applications and adcomm perception.


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Calc is a pre req for my major. I took calc ab in high school and it wasn't perfect, but tbh I wasn't worried about understanding, just memorizing. But now that I have to apply it to my major, I'm in the understanding-mindset.

And unfortunately, few classes are offered over the summer that fulfill gen eds except for science, math, and English, but I've already fulfilled the English requirement.

 

[DBC03]

Calc is a pre req for my major. I took calc ab in high school and it wasn't perfect, but tbh I wasn't worried about understanding, just memorizing. But now that I have to apply it to my major, I'm in the understanding-mindset.

And unfortunately, few classes are offered over the summer that fulfill gen eds except for science, math, and English, but I've already fulfilled the English requirement.

If you've taken Calc and it's a repeat, it might make it more manageable. I don't see a grade problem if you apply yourself. What were the other classes you were considering as well?

I took summer classes years ago during my undergrad so I could study abroad. As an engineer, it was nearly impossible to study abroad and they limited the types of classes we could take over the summers, so I took differential equations and stats and then was able to study abroad through a non-engineering program. I think that was a fair trade off. I hope adcomms look at the whole picture.


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[2failornot2fail]

If you've taken Calc and it's a repeat, it might make it more manageable. I don't see a grade problem if you apply yourself. What were the other classes you were considering as well?

I took summer classes years ago during my undergrad so I could study abroad. As an engineer, it was nearly impossible to study abroad and they limited the types of classes we could take over the summers, so I took differential equations and stats and then was able to study abroad through a non-engineering program. I think that was a fair trade off. I hope adcomms look at the whole picture.


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Animal physiology and genetics. Genetics is a core, animal physiology is an option to fulfill a requirement. I figured a pre req would be more important, especially because physics (another pre-req) highly recommends calc, and genetics is recommended after orgo 2.

 

[DBC03]

I'm leaning toward calc and animal physiology. Leave genetics for the year if you can. Three classes are hard to fit in during the summer and genetics is a definite prerequisite. I don't think schools would care as much about the other two


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[Medical Bear]

Would only taking Genetics in the summer hurt my app? I have never done any summer courses before and if I don't take Genetics over the summer i'll be looking at doing 18 credits (4 science courses, 2 labs, and 1 elective) this Fall.

 

[thegrind33]

If you "play the game" and knock out some pre-med classes over the summer making all As surely this has to look better than taking them during the semester and ending with a 3.6 right? Now it is best to take them during the semester when they review your application, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do and play the system.