Just a Quick (& simple) PreMed Q..

[Mr. 4.0]

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I don't need OChem II or General Chem II for my major.. So, is it better to take them now and get it over with or wait and take them like a semester before I take the MCAT so that they will be fresh in my memory..

 

[USeF]

personal preference.

NOW: the Orgo1 is still fresh in your head, so Orgo2 will fall in place easier. You'll just have to do a refresher before MCAT time.

LATER: the reason you gave

 

[Doc Oc]

What's the rest of your schedule like? Be sure to factor that in or you could end up like this guy mid-semester. 😛

 

[Original]

I agree with USef. Take it now. That way it sits and incubates in your head till your MCAT. You can pull all of it our right before your MCAT. MCAT Ochem is very sparse. It can probably be summarized in a 15 page pamphlet. While studying for the MCAT, you don't want to get distracted by your very detailed, specific, and MCAT-irrelevant Ochem II class.

 

[pj02007]

hey i have a somewhat similar question. i'm a sophomore and after this school year will be 2 years out of school. and the only med related class i'm taking now is bio: cell & organ physiology. so should i take during the summer session gen chemistry 1 & 2 and organic chem 1 & 2? and also i'd take physics 1 & 2. i mean i can handle the material, as i'm good in introductory science courses.

i just want to come back then and be prepared to take the mcat... maybe take biochem before the mcat in junior year.

 

[pre-hawkdoc]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by pj02007:
•hey so should i take during the summer session gen chemistry 1 & 2 and organic chem 1 & 2? and also i'd take physics 1 & 2. i mean i can handle the material, as i'm good in introductory science courses.
•••••You're asking if you should take all of these classes in the SAME SUMMER???? I don't care how good you are in intro science classes--that would kill you. Keep in mind, summer terms are generally about 1/2 the length of a regular term, which means that the material is covered twice as quickly and your in class twice as often (relatively). Besides, at my school at least, they wouldn't LET you take these classes simultaneously.
Hopefully I misunderstood your ?. If not, you're in for a suprise. Good luck either way.

 

[pj02007]

thanks pre, i was really planning to do this. but if i don't take these classes this summer, i'll have no time to take biochemistry or even complete organic chemistry before the mcat. also, my school is not very strict on the prerequisites, so they'd probably let me do this.

i'll just try to make that decision in May.
but is organic chemistry continuation of the gen chemistry? or they cover different subjects? i feel i could study hard in these courses.

 

[pre-hawkdoc]

i wasn't talking pre-reqs (well, perhaps indirectly) but rather that the school probably has a cap on how many hours you can take in a term and during the summer it's likely half of a regular semester. at my school, you'd be talking 20 hours (25 if you take GChem and OChem labs as well). this is asinine in a regular semester, let alone a shortened one. (keep in mind, i'm saying this with knowledge of how my school works--but your's would have to be drastically different to change what i'm saying).
did you start the pre-med process early? by the end of my soph year i'd completed both bios, both GChems (w/ lab) and OChemI--and I was BEHIND many other soph. pre-meds. the best advice i can give is to take an extra year to complete these courses. you could still do summer stuff, but you're talking about catching up with 25 hrs of core sciences (ie. stuff you really need for the MCAT) in about 8 weeks. sorry, bud, but unless your school has some really funky system in place it ain't gonna happen, even if you're a super genius--there's just way, way too much material in those classes. talk to your acad advisor--they'll be able to give you a reasonable timeline.

 

[megkudos]

General Chem and Organic are completely different but at my school Gen chem is a prereq for Orgo.

Do not take all those classes over the summer. I agree that IF your school let you there's no way you could pull it off. If you want to take a class over the summer pick one....say Gen Chem and take 1 and 2 over the summer then take everything else during the year. Don't worry about getting stuff fisished quickly...just worry about giving yourself ample opportunity to DO WELL.

Good luck!!

 

[BUmiken12]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by pj02007:
•hey i have a somewhat similar question. i'm a sophomore and after this school year will be 2 years out of school. and the only med related class i'm taking now is bio: cell & organ physiology. so should i take during the summer session gen chemistry 1 & 2 and organic chem 1 & 2? and also i'd take physics 1 & 2. i mean i can handle the material, as i'm good in introductory science courses.

i just want to come back then and be prepared to take the mcat... maybe take biochem before the mcat in junior year.•••••You're either a stud or very naive. I hope you're a stud, because 6 science pre-reqs in one summer WITH labs adds up to a lot of class time. I took Physics 2 in one summer session, and I was in lecture 5 days/week for 2 hours/day and then in lab for 3 days/week for 3 hours/day. Most people can only fit one science class with lab into their schedule each session unless night classes are available, but nevertheless, good luck.

 

[pj02007]

thanks for all this info!
i'll now be more realistic, i'll see what i can really take during the summer. But i guess i'll have to take an extra year.

 

[FLY]

why you taking a 2 year off for?