Is this smart?????? Help please!

[SoulinNeed]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi guys, you may remember me from this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=676363. Originally, I was planning on taking a bunch of classes during the summer of 2010 to catch up. I was planning on doing Gen Chem I with lab, and Gen Physics Lab (I'm taking Gen Physics I next smester, but they don't offer the lab that semester). Then, I was going to take Gen CHEM II (with lab) and Gen PHYS II (with lab) during the second part of summer. Truth be told, I was worried that this may be wayyyy too many classes to take in a 12 week span (6 weeks for each part), and I don't want my grades to suffer just because I was in a rush.

After talking to my parents, though, they suggested that I just take an extra year and do all this at a comfortable pace, which will allow me to focus on the classes, and prepare appropriately for the MCAT. So, my new plan is to take Gen PHYS I next semester, and the lab during the summer. Then, I'll take GEN BIOL I and GEN CHEM I (both with labs) during the first semester of my senior year, and then Gen BIOL II and Gen CHEM II (both with labs) during the second semester. I would graduate on time, and then during the next year, I'll take Organic CHEM I & II, an advanced Biology class (required for UIC Medical school), and PHYS II, and I would take them at a pretty low state school.

My fear is that taking these classes at a pretty low state school would reflect negatively on me, but if I were to take these classes during the summer like I originally planned, it would cost me an extra $8,000, which is just too much. So, what do you guys think?

BTW: For ECs, I can't do any research work, so would 100 hours of shadowing a physician at a hospital working in the inpatient, in addition to 500-600 of volunteer hours at a clinic (working with a physician in outpatient) be enough to make me a competitive applicant? Thanks for all the help?

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I think your parents had the right advice for you, OP, and you should take it slow rather than trying to cram your prereqs into a short period of time and doing poorly in them. I was in a similar situation to you, although I started my pre-reqs the semester after I graduated. I ended up having to do them at my state school as opposed to the more prestigious private school I attended for UG. From all I know, it really doesn't matter, especially if you have a good reason for taking your classes at a state school (mine was money too).

That amount of shadowing and volunteering sounds good to me. You don't need to have research to be a competitive applicant, and it only helps if you actually enjoy the research you do and can speak intelligently about it. Good luck! Keep doing what you're doing and ace all your prereqs. Then destroy the MCAT and you'll be golden!

 

[MexicanDr]

You dont have to take a "bunch" of classes during summer, take one each session, or one for the whole summer.

 

[austinap]

Hi guys, you may remember me from this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=676363. Originally, I was planning on taking a bunch of classes during the summer of 2010 to catch up. I was planning on doing Gen Chem I with lab, and Gen Physics Lab (I'm taking Gen Physics I next smester, but they don't offer the lab that semester). Then, I was going to take Gen CHEM II (with lab) and Gen PHYS II (with lab) during the second part of summer. Truth be told, I was worried that this may be wayyyy too many classes to take in a 12 week span (6 weeks for each part), and I don't want my grades to suffer just because I was in a rush.

After talking to my parents, though, they suggested that I just take an extra year and do all this at a comfortable pace, which will allow me to focus on the classes, and prepare appropriately for the MCAT. So, my new plan is to take Gen PHYS I next semester, and the lab during the summer. Then, I'll take GEN BIOL I and GEN CHEM I (both with labs) during the first semester of my senior year, and then Gen BIOL II and Gen CHEM II (both with labs) during the second semester. I would graduate on time, and then during the next year, I'll take Organic CHEM I & II, an advanced Biology class (required for UIC Medical school), and PHYS II, and I would take them at a pretty low state school.

My fear is that taking these classes at a pretty low state school would reflect negatively on me, but if I were to take these classes during the summer like I originally planned, it would cost me an extra $8,000, which is just too much. So, what do you guys think?

BTW: For ECs, I can't do any research work, so would 100 hours of shadowing a physician at a hospital working in the inpatient, in addition to 500-600 of volunteer hours at a clinic (working with a physician in outpatient) be enough to make me a competitive applicant? Thanks for all the help?

I would strongly recommend not taking the pre-req classes you listed at a school that is lower-ranked than your degree granting institution. It probably wouldn't be a problem if you took all of your classes there, but if you take only the PR courses it makes it look like you couldn't handle the equivalent courses at your primary UG institution. In your shoes, I would do anything in my power to take those classes at the school you're at now.

There's also no real reason for you to 'graduate on time' if you plan on taking more classes anyhow. I'd suggest staying at your current school for an extra semester (maybe two) and finish at a more reasonable pace. Also think about when you want to take the MCAT - it sounds like you're taking all of your science courses at the end, and you'll definitely want to have finished those before you take the test.

Also, I understand that $8k sounds like a lot right now, but you'll likely be in far more debt than that soon, so don't compromise your chances to save that money. It's just the cost of doing business.

My advice: slow down, but try to get those science courses done ASAP so that you can move on to the MCAT. If you take that later than ~June in a given year, you pretty much have to wait until the next application cycle.

 

[SoulinNeed]

I would strongly recommend not taking the pre-req classes you listed at a school that is lower-ranked than your degree granting institution. It probably wouldn't be a problem if you took all of your classes there, but if you take only the PR courses it makes it look like you couldn't handle the equivalent courses at your primary UG institution. In your shoes, I would do anything in my power to take those classes at the school you're at now.

There's also no real reason for you to 'graduate on time' if you plan on taking more classes anyhow. I'd suggest staying at your current school for an extra semester (maybe two) and finish at a more reasonable pace. Also think about when you want to take the MCAT - it sounds like you're taking all of your science courses at the end, and you'll definitely want to have finished those before you take the test.

Also, I understand that $8k sounds like a lot right now, but you'll likely be in far more debt than that soon, so don't compromise your chances to save that money. It's just the cost of doing business.

My advice: slow down, but try to get those science courses done ASAP so that you can move on to the MCAT. If you take that later than ~June in a given year, you pretty much have to wait until the next application cycle.

My scholarship to this school ends in my senior year. This state school would only cost me $6,000-$7,000. The school I'm at now would cost me $30,000.

 

[austinap]

My scholarship to this school ends in my senior year. This state school would only cost me $6,000-$7,000. The school I'm at now would cost me $30,000.

In that case I'd really push to try to get the majority of your science prereqs done at the school you're at now. While some schools might not care where you took a given class, others may see it as a red flag. As a rule of thumb, the less explaining away you have to do, the better. At very least, take a few of them and do well to show that you're capable of doing well at them at your original institution.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I would strongly recommend not taking the pre-req classes you listed at a school that is lower-ranked than your degree granting institution. It probably wouldn't be a problem if you took all of your classes there, but if you take only the PR courses it makes it look like you couldn't handle the equivalent courses at your primary UG institution. In your shoes, I would do anything in my power to take those classes at the school you're at now.

I disagree with this. OP, as long as you do really well in your prereqs, I don't think there will be much of a question as to your academic abilities if you stress that you did them at a state school for financial reasons. It sounds like you'll be taking half your prereqs at your current school, so get A's in them and I doubt anyone will hold it against you for switching schools due to cost.

 

[SoulinNeed]

In that case I'd really push to try to get the majority of your science prereqs done at the school you're at now. While some schools might not care where you took a given class, others may see it as a red flag. As a rule of thumb, the less explaining away you have to do, the better. At very least, take a few of them and do well to show that you're capable of doing well at them at your original institution.

With the exception of 4 classes, the rest will be at my current institution.

 

[J ROD]

I dont think where you take them at is that big a deal as long as not a CC.

I would make sure I did not take so many it affected my GPA badly.

I took mine slow to make sure that did not happen.....

 

[SoulinNeed]

Thanks for the advice guys, anymore comments about my planned EC work?

 

[flakpilot]

Heeeey..Just reinforcing what everyone else said. DO NOT take so many classes. I had to learn it the hard way. I had a 3.62 gpa and one semester I took 3 lab classes, plus statistics and composition. while also working as a TA and as a volunteer at a hospital. Then even though exhausted from that winter semester, in the summer I took chem 2, and pre calculus. I didn't do that bad on the fall semester. got one A, B's and one C (freaking c!) and then on the summer I was so tired I didn't really care and got a C on chem 2 and a B+ on pre calculus. My gpa is now a 3.25, planning on applying next year, so I'm working my butt off to get my gpa up to 3.5 if possible.
So please..take your timeeee..or you'll regret it later. 🙁