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TJinDaHouse

TJinDaHouse

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Hey what up everyone? I'm TJ and I am lookin forward to becoming a primary doctor for my neighborhood. I am a URM and had a question regarding schools for my prerequisite classes.

I am deciding between two schools, a HBC in my neighborhood and a large state school. The HBC is a four year college that is much cheaper and grading sounds much easier. For chemistry and physics you can take your tests home and I feel like getting a 4.0 would be much easier. The state school is much more difficult and I have several highly intelligent, hard working friends making 70s on there tests. Truth, main thing I'm scared about is not learning the information for the MCAT as good, but I could probably teach myself. I just want to make sure I'm very competitive with the best grades so I win a spot, you know? And I'm strapped for cash right now so it be nice to save some money on tuition too.
 
Get in touch with someone from both universities who is involved with the pre-med students and ask about acceptance rates to medical school. If they're comparable then I would recommend saving your money as long as you are willing to take on the challenge of teaching yourself for the MCAT.
 
I just looked on ratemyprofessors and it seems for physics and chem people are pretty happy with them. As long as I can get a 4.0 I’m not worried, I will just have to teach myself for the MCAT I guess.
 
@TJinDaHouse Your friends are likely not that smart, not that hard working, or a combination of both. There is little to no logic in a system that churns out students who fit both those parameters with 70s. If you're the one who figures out what they did wrong rather than lionizing them then you may be the one among the cohort who is actually both smart and hard working.
 
Pina Colada said:
@TJinDaHouse Your friends are likely not that smart, not that hard working, or a combination of both. There is little to no logic in a system that churns out students who fit both those parameters with 70s. If you're the one who figures out what they did wrong rather than lionizing them then you may be the one among the cohort who is actually both smart and hard working.
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Whoa that’s deep.

But for real, a couple were struggling to pass and went to the HBC, the A&M for my state and aced it without any trouble.
 
pedspedspeds18 said:
Get in touch with someone from both universities who is involved with the pre-med students and ask about acceptance rates to medical school. If they're comparable then I would recommend saving your money as long as you are willing to take on the challenge of teaching yourself for the MCAT.
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I would encourage to try to ask more about grading policies and availability of "pre-med" EC opportunities as opposed to just raw acceptance percentages which can be skewed by a variety of factors. For example, UC schools churn out thousands of successful pre-meds a year but they also attract the most ambitious from the start. You go to a large state school in Arkansas or oklahoma or many places in the Midwest and you'll find thousands of pre-meds but not nearly the same gunner culture. Suddenly curves are very generous and research and volunteering opportunities are abundant. If you're someone that needs to be pushed by your peers that's not what you want, but if you are self motivated and informed on what it takes (as people on SDN tend to be) it's an ideal situation.
 
TJinDaHouse said:
Whoa that’s deep.

But for real, a couple were struggling to pass and went to the HBC, the A&M for my state and aced it without any trouble.
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Your friends probably aren't struggling because state is so hard. They're likely getting 70's because they have never been academically challenged before. Unfortunately if you choose the HBC there is a very strong chance you will end up with a high GPA and dismal MCAT. Some in that situation try the Howard/Meharry/Morehouse route with variable success. I can tell you that scoring a seat in medical school with borderline academic preparation is not the prize you think it is. Think course failures, Step failures, year repeats, etc. Many get through okay, but it can be a risky, high stakes business at that level.

A third option is to spend a year at community college, get plugged into the learning center, and hone your studying/time management skills to the point where you can thrive at state university. Your GPA may ultimately suffer a bit, but your MCAT will likely be higher and you will end up more competitive for a broader range of medical schools.
 
TJinDaHouse said:
But for real, a couple were struggling to pass and went to the HBC, the A&M for my state and aced it without any trouble.
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P.S. We have some would-be feeder schools in the area who give us a steady supply of high GPA/low MCAT applicants. They almost never get in.
 
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TJinDaHouse said:
Naw I’m just sayin, to be able to take your test home that’s what’s up I mean any thing that would help me
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IMO that’s a very bad attitude! You have to work hard and develop impeccable study skills before you get to med school. The MCAT isn’t take home and you have to figure out how to smash that in addition to your grades. What good is a High GPA and you blow the MCAT because you didn’t take the time to learn and apply what was being taught because you knew it was a take home final. I can’t even imagine a take home final at that level. The thing that will help you is to go to the Acadrmic Resource center or learning center at your college and ask for help in developing study skills and learning techniques. This will provide you tools for the long term.
 
Toutie said:
Anyone else have the urge to say...I'm a man of wealth and taste? 😀
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I don’t know, how much cheaper we talking? Lol. I’m just amazed. I didn’t know this could happen. Figured there was some kind of oversight
 
Toutie said:
Anyone else have the urge to say...I'm a man of wealth and taste? 😀
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You're dating yourself! ...and it was: "allow me to introduce myself" (I believe). Now I have an ear worm.
 
gyngyn said:
You're dating yourself! ...and it was: "allow me to introduce myself" (I believe). Now I have an ear worm.
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Actually it is... Please allow me to introduce myself...

And yes I am dating myself. I remember about 15 years ago I heard that song playing in a Vons grocery store. I'm thinking...really? THAT song? 😱 On the grocery store "muzak? That was a weird moment. 😀

And there are MUCH worse songs to get an ear worm. Can I interest you in a little... It's a small world afterall? lmao :laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
Toutie said:
Actually it is... Please allow me to introduce myself...

And yes I am dating myself. I remember about 15 years ago I heard that song playing in a Vons grocery store. I'm thinking...really? THAT song? 😱 On the grocery store "muzak? That was a weird moment. 😀

And there are MUCH worse songs to get an ear worm. Can I interest you in a little... It's a small world afterall? lmao :laugh::laugh::laugh:
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I heard Stairway to Heaven in the 99 Cents Only store last week...
 
Goro said:
My local supermarket had some Clash and Ramones tunes recently on the PA. *sigh*
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At least that better than the Perry Como and Matovani stuff that we used to hear!
 
pedspedspeds18 said:
Get in touch with someone from both universities who is involved with the pre-med students and ask about acceptance rates to medical school. If they're comparable then I would recommend saving your money as long as you are willing to take on the challenge of teaching yourself for the MCAT.
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It's a misconception that you can make up for an inadequate education on the MCAT by studying harder. This is possible if you're missing a course or two, but that's probably not the case for watered down science education. If your education doesn't give you 2 years of challenging science classes with applied thinking, how could this deficit can be relieved through cramming for a month? I'm not saying OP needs to go to Hopkins or Princeton, but a reasonably challenging school is critical for success on the MCAT.
 
Confocal said:
People study sometimes for 9+ months for the test and raise their scores from 490s to 510s or better. It's not impossible, but I think you have to be smart and willing to grind. I agree with you about the benefits of attending a hard school - mine made the MCAT feel easy - but saving money and coasting isn't always the worst option. OP, how did you do on the SAT/how hard did you work in high school? If you scored well without doing much work, you might be able to teach yourself. On the flip side, you do have to learn how to buckle down eventually, and undergrad is probably an easier place to do this than med school.

As for the CC route, there are entry scholarships that are specific to high school grads only, so that might be a consideration.
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It prob varies from person to person. There's a good chance OP might need a rigorous education to do well on the MCAT, but they also may be just fine. It's hard to tell from SAT alone. I'm in favor of going to a solid institution as a sort of sweet-spot to address this, and it doesn't sound like the harder state school is as difficult or risky as Berkeley or Michigan.

I'd avoid community college unless OP has a good reason to attend. It's a meh social experience for the first 2 years of college.
 
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Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
My abstract algebra and real analysis take home tests were hard as ****.
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Same. Molecular biophysics exams were take-home and you had two weeks, open book, open note, open internet even. Still brutal. Final was oral. Excellent class though.

To OP, I think the cheaper state school is a better option. The only hardcore deflationary state schoo I know of is Berkeley. If we’re talking UCB then I think it’s relevant to ask about your high school record, what kind of HS (how competitive) and what your SAT/ACTs were. If not, I believe that you can do well if you are proactive about continuously improving and always prioritizing academics
 
Lucca said:
Same. Molecular biophysics exams were take-home and you had two weeks, open book, open note, open internet even. Still brutal. Final was oral. Excellent class though.

To OP, I think the cheaper state school is a better option. The only hardcore deflationary state schoo I know of is Berkeley. If we’re talking UCB then I think it’s relevant to ask about your high school record, what kind of HS (how competitive) and what your SAT/ACTs were. If not, I believe that you can do well if you are proactive about continuously improving and always prioritizing academics
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My A͏C͏T was a 23 never took a SAT test. I made a 3.7 in high school and feel like I’m good at science. The school I’m thinking about I’m looking at is Southern University and A&M College of Louisiana. My fam that went to college went there. Since it’s in my hometown Scotlandville it would be easy to get too to.
 
TJinDaHouse said:
My A͏C͏T was a 23 never took a SAT test. I made a 3.7 in high school and feel like I’m good at science. The school I’m thinking about I’m looking at is Southern University and A&M College of Louisiana. My fam that went to college went there. Since it’s in my hometown Scotlandville it would be easy to get too to.
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Thanks for the info. I still think the state school would be a good option in this situation. In the long run, having less debt is very freeing and it looks like you are making a choice between two regionally similar colleges.

That being said, I'm not too knowledgeable about HBCUs in general. We have quite a few people who attended HBCUs on SDN over on the URM board (Underrepresented in Healthcare). It could be that this is the better option for you for academic and non-academic reasons.
 
Toutie said:
Actually it is... Please allow me to introduce myself...

And yes I am dating myself. I remember about 15 years ago I heard that song playing in a Vons grocery store. I'm thinking...really? THAT song? 😱 On the grocery store "muzak? That was a weird moment. 😀

And there are MUCH worse songs to get an ear worm. Can I interest you in a little... It's a small world afterall? lmao :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Click to expand...
New car commercial uses this song in their ad covered by Lemmy and Motorhead
Toutie said:
Actually it is... Please allow me to introduce myself...

And yes I am dating myself. I remember about 15 years ago I heard that song playing in a Vons grocery store. I'm thinking...really? THAT song? 😱 On the grocery store "muzak? That was a weird moment. 😀

And there are MUCH worse songs to get an ear worm. Can I interest you in a little... It's a small world afterall? lmao :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Click to expand...

There is a new car commercial with Lemmy and Motorhead covering this song, You know your old when you hear songs like Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent played at halftime at a high school football game
 
TJinDaHouse said:
My A͏C͏T was a 23 never took a SAT test. I made a 3.7 in high school and feel like I’m good at science. The school I’m thinking about I’m looking at is Southern University and A&M College of Louisiana. My fam that went to college went there. Since it’s in my hometown Scotlandville it would be easy to get too to.
Click to expand...
I'm from Baton Rouge too pretty close to Scotlandville (I live on Eddie Robinson Dr) , I've heard Southern was a very easy cheap school (my best bud got his NP there for roughly 22,000$ and said it was a cake walk), I had no idea about the take home tests though. I never considered it myself because I didn't want my education to be seen as subpar if I applied to LSU and they knew how easy the school was. Also being a HBU I've had other whites tell me we can get scholarships for there since we are underrepresented at the school. I think I'll stay tuned, maybe it isn't a bad option after all.
 
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I went to an HBC for undergrad. I strongly recommend attending one. Unless you go to a HBCU for medical school, this may be one of the only chances you will get to immerse yourself in an environment where everyone around you understands your struggles as a Black person in America. There are lessons you will learn at a HBC that you will never learn at a PWI. It is truly an experience.

In addition, many minority serving institutions are some of the first places that big companies and schools recruit from when looking for minority applicants. I have had several friends go on to attend ivy league law schools, medical schools, and business schools. Plus, many HBC recieve a good amount of funding for research if you are interested.

In regards to the grades, my education was very difficult. I am unsure about Southern but I was thoroughly challenged and this is reflected in my MCAT score. I would suggest seriously considering attending the HBC. No matter what you do after college, the HBC experience is invaluable.

Edit: It's also nice to go to a smaller school. There may be more opportunities available simply because there aren't hundreds of people vying for the same spot. Your professors also know you and are able to write more personable letters. Plus, I'm all for the cheaper option. You never know what debt you may concur later on in life.
 
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Oh god. There's actually an acronym that associates institutions with race.

Edit: It's not that outrageous of a concept after doing more reading. Sorry for the surface reaction.
 
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You have to balance having a GPA high enough to get in with a knowledge base deep enough to succeed -- Take a good hard look at yourself, your educational background, your work habits and the kind of conditions that bring out the best in you and make your decision based on those.

From what you've written, I'm guessing you're AA male, which is an under-represented population in medical schools. That gives you a bit of leeway once you meet the standards. In other words, you have to demonstrate the ability to succeed in medical school, which would generally mean a baseline GPA of ~3.5 or so and an MCAT of >500.

I'd suggest you attend the most rigorous school for academic preparation and future MCAT where you can earn good grades. If that means a five-year plan, starting with a reduced course load or at a CC, fine -- but don't settle for a watered down curriculum or a student body that's not serious. If you can find that at an HBC, there are many advantages to that plan. But if the course work is not sufficiently rigorous, you might be shooting yourself in the foot.

You might want to talk to the admissions offices at some of the HBC medical schools (Morehouse, Meharry, Howard) and ask what they suggest and/or what feeder schools their successful applicants attend..
 
Lucca said:
Same. Molecular biophysics exams were take-home and you had two weeks, open book, open note, open internet even. Still brutal. Final was oral. Excellent class though.

To OP, I think the cheaper state school is a better option. The only hardcore deflationary state schoo I know of is Berkeley. If we’re talking UCB then I think it’s relevant to ask about your high school record, what kind of HS (how competitive) and what your SAT/ACTs were. If not, I believe that you can do well if you are proactive about continuously improving and always prioritizing academics
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most state schools have less inflation compared to private counterparts.
upload_2018-9-30_21-12-34.png
 
Like others have said, it's better to get challenged by your science courses and be better prepared for med school vs getting an easy 4.0 and a low MCAT. I had the choice between a state school and a UC and went the UC route after cc. If it wasn't for my university I wouldn't have been as well prepared for the MCAT. I learned how to "critically think" in science in those last two years and it would have taken too long for me to learn that for the MCAT on my own. Sure, my GPA isn't as high as I would like it to be but the MCAT was a breeze and I do feel prepared for my science courses (also take home tests are a joke...)

Edit: At the same time I do agree with another poster about the experience of attending a HBC. Many of my friends attended one and they share the same sentiment, it's a unique place that is quite empowering for AA's. If you can possibly find another HBC that gives you a strong science education you should choose that over the state school.
 
I agree with the other posters that a difficult science classes will help you with the MCAT. While you can independently learn the material for the MCAT, it's valuable to have taken important science exams that test not only memorization but also critical thinking. If you've skated by on easy take-home exams, where you can simply google the answers, you will be blindsided by MCAT questions that describe a pathway, experiment or phenomenon and require you to apply the knowledge you should know through pre-medical coursework to novel situations to reason out the answer. I felt my science classes in college had a lot of these kind of questions on tests - that we had to be physically present for - and contributed to my success on the mcat.
 
DubbiDoctor said:
I agree with the other posters that a difficult science classes will help you with the MCAT. While you can independently learn the material for the MCAT, it's valuable to have taken important science exams that test not only memorization but also critical thinking. If you've skated by on easy take-home exams, where you can simply google the answers, you will be blindsided by MCAT questions that describe a pathway, experiment or phenomenon and require you to apply the knowledge you should know through pre-medical coursework to novel situations to reason out the answer. I felt my science classes in college had a lot of these kind of questions on tests - that we had to be physically present for - and contributed to my success on the mcat.
Click to expand...

As stated, not all take home exams are easy. I’ve had multiple courses where the take home exams were professor written and couldn’t just be googled. They were actually very challenging since we had them for a couple days. But in my graduate biochem class, all the questions are multiple choice that are a little tricky, but they don’t involve a ton of critical thinking. So which one would prepare you more?

I totally agree with your point that difficult exams are good preparation for the MCAT. I just disagree that a take home exam can’t be a difficult exam.

Edited “is” -> “are”
 
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