Is it true?

[sejin8642]

I heard that med schools do not see prerequisite courses taken during summer session favorably. I am planning to take general physics 1(cal-based) during this summer and take the other two general physics (2&3, also cal-based) incoming semesters. how does that sound?

BTW, my major is physics so I will be taking lots of physics classes during my junior and senior years.

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[Hershi]

im taking physics I this summer as well. So Id like to know too. I actually emailed 3 admissions officers - they said it was okay as long as I didn't take every prereq during the summer.

 

[NervousNed]

i haven't heard anything like that, i wouldnt worry too much whether or not to take classes in the summer...

 

[Catalystik]

I agree with NervousNed. You'll both be fine. Just be sure to work hard and get As. Learn the material thoroughly so you'll do well on the MCAT without having to teach it to yourself during a prep course, or on your own.

 

[Law2Doc]

I heard that med schools do not see prerequisite courses taken during summer session favorably. I am planning to take general physics 1(cal-based) during this summer and take the other two general physics (2&3, also cal-based) incoming semesters. how does that sound?

BTW, my major is physics so I will be taking lots of physics classes during my junior and senior years.

It's not true and there was a thread on this in the past couple of weeks. Do a search.

 

[musiclink213]

I took the first semester of physics in the summer because I didn't have room for it during the year, and nobody said anything.

 

[scholj]

I took Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 over the summer at a local state school. I managed to get 6 interviews and 2 acceptances. I didn't get into any places like Harvard or Hopkins, but an MD is an MD, and I didn't really have the stats for those schools anyway.

I would say however that, if you are going to take pre-requisites over the summer, have a good reason. I am a double major, and I picked up the Biology major my sophomore year. I would have had to take Organic Chemistry during my junior year when I was taking Quantum Physics, Intermediate Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, and Thermodynamics. I didn't want to do that to myself, so I took Organic Chemistry over the summer. No one ever asked me about it at my interviews either.

 

[geogil]

I took summer classes for three years and had no adverse consequences. At my school you cover the same quantity and in the same depth, just faster. You have class longer in the day and more frequent assignments, but that's all. If you can hack calc based physics at a compressed speed, good for you!

 

[GuzzyRon]

Don't worry about about it. I took many prereqs during summer and not even once at any of my interviews did this issue come up.

 

[foofish]

It's not true and there was a thread on this in the past couple of weeks. Do a search.

Well, at some places it can be true--my state school (UMass) flat-out says on its website "Q: May I take my required courses during the summer? A: It is preferable that required courses be taken during the regular academic year at a rigorous level at a four year college or university."

That said, I imagine that, with schools that do care, it becomes a problem if you're taking a lot or most of your prereqs over the summer....i.e. it starts to look like you're trying to dodge difficult classes. One or two classes to fit your schedule shouldn't be a problem.

 

[SeminoleFan3]

I took Gen Chem II over the summer at a community college. No problem here.

 

[swim2006]

I heard that med schools do not see prerequisite courses taken during summer session favorably. I am planning to take general physics 1(cal-based) during this summer and take the other two general physics (2&3, also cal-based) incoming semesters. how does that sound?

BTW, my major is physics so I will be taking lots of physics classes during my junior and senior years.

Since you are going to take more advanced physics classes the fact of taking intro during the summer won't matter.

 

[Law2Doc]

Well, at some places it can be true--my state school (UMass) flat-out says on its website "Q: May I take my required courses during the summer? A: It is preferable that required courses be taken during the regular academic year at a rigorous level at a four year college or university."

And yet I know someone from a summer class who is currently at that school.

 

[foofish]

And yet I know someone from a summer class who is currently at that school.

Right, which is why in the part of my post that you cut out, I said that I imagine that even schools that say they care only will make an issue of it if you take most/all of their prereqs over the summer, and that they won't care about one or two classes.