Looking for some feedback

[McBear]

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First time poster here. This seems like an awesome place to bounce ideas off of people that know the ropes, so here I go.

I will be starting a post-bacc program this summer with the hopes of making the application cycle for the c/o 2017. I've come up with the following schedule to make this happen:

Summer 11
-Bio I (+Lab)
-Gen Chem I (+Lab)
-College Alg I

Fall 11
-Bio II (+Lab)
-Gen Chem II (+Lab)
-Pre-Calc

Spring 12
Phy I (+Lab)
OChem I (+Lab)
Calc I

Summer 12
Phy II (+Lab)
Ochem II (+Lab)

I plan on taking Kaplan or TPR in SP12 and based off my scores on practice tests, take the MCAT before Summer semester(late May-early June) starts or if I'm not where I want to be score-wise, then take it after Summer semester (late July-early August). I won't be working during this time other than volunteering at a hospital and shadowing as time permits.

Some background on me--Graduated with a BA in International Affairs and Political Science (3.84) in 2005 and have spent the last five years in the military (currently deployed to Afghanistan).

So all that being said, do you guys think this is realistic/good plan?

I appreciate all the help and advice!

 

[Quik]

I'd say it looks like a good plan, and you have a great GPA, though I don't assume you had too many science/math courses so make sure you pretty much ace all through your post-bacc to keep a stellar science GPA. Also, you may want to take some additional science course other than those you've listed. Many schools pre-reqs are changing drastically to include many more mandatory courses. For Example, UNR SOM will require 15 units of Biology with at least 6 upper division, 3 units of Biochem, and 3 units of psychology. This is well above (15 units) what most schools currently require, but I believe times are changing and since you'll likely apply to many schools, it's best to qualify for as many as possible as well. Story shortened, if you have time to fit additional sciences into your schedule, it certainly won't hurt.

Now, also remember you'll be expected to show volunteer and clinical experience, so keep that in mind when you map out the finer plan of your schedule.

 

[ndrwkwn]

Looks good. Depending on the school you are applying to pre-calc, and calc might not be necessary. I think genetics, biochemistry or anatomy and physiology would be more helpful preparation for the mcat and medical school. I had 3 calc classes from undergrad and they certainly weren't helpful for me on the mcat. Good luck and stay safe.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

First off, thank you for your service, and please focus on staying safe while in theater. Coming back in one piece will do as much to assist you in becoming a physician as anything that could possibly be said here.

Only things that I would recommend is to be very careful about jumping straight into that first, summer semester with two lab sciences and a third class on top of it, unless you are very comfortable with the course content. For a summer term, that's a big load and it's right out of the gate for you. Be careful. It's a little difficult for me to figure out your exact expectations on what year you'll apply and matriculate, but regardless I would also recommend that you try to take the MCAT earlier in your application year. In a perfect world, you want your scores back in (which takes ~30 days) BEFORE June 1 rolls around so you know the strength of your application before submitting it. You want to submit in on June 1 if at all possible for various reasons that are discussed on these forums to various degrees of death. Just submit your primary on June 1 if you have the opportunity; take the MCAT in time to accomplish that.

 

[DrMidlife]

I agree with Pons on MCAT timing.

I think you'll want to revisit your schedule after your first term of prereqs.

If you're getting a killer GPA, and you're preserving that tasty 3.84, then you can reasonably expect to do well on the MCAT and have a very compelling med school app. In which case, an August med school app isn't a disaster.

On the other hand, if you struggle and get B's, and maybe if you don't find yourself blissfully immersed in clinical volunteering or lab research or community activities, then I'd recommend slowing down.

Either way, I don't like to see a plan that has the MCAT scheduled for late summer. To maximize your MCAT score, you need to start prep in that last Spring semester, which means there's a great deal of prereq material you won't have seen in class yet. Again, if you're doing great and killing the prereqs, this isn't a huge concern. But if you're not quite thriving in class, then concurrent MCAT prep isn't going to go very well.

One thing I'll suggest is to start working on your personal statement. I found this to be kind of fun, because I've had a ridiculous boatload of life experience. It's one of the few opportunities to turn dark tragic character-building events into bonus points.

Best of luck to you.

 

[McBear]

Thanks so much everyone for your input. I have to register for my first semester of classes soon, and I wanted to make sure that I'm not out in left field with my plan. Again, thanks for all the help!

 

[pdeco1]

Will you be working during your post bac?

The majority of MD and DO schools do not require calculus and it will not be helpful on the MCAT plus a survery of medical students and residents said it was not useful in medical school either. So I would drop it.

What humanity courses have you completed? Many schools require a few semesters in them.

Regarding the advice on the MCAT. MCAT prep will only help you in your courses. The Exam Krackers books are easy to get through and provide a great overview for the courses. They have a 10 week online course outline thats free on the EK website. Fits nicely in the Winter break period. Some of the other companies are far more in depth which is great if you have not taken the courses in a while but MCAT prep is all about doing practice problems, not spending your hours studying the material.

My plan was identical to yours, if I had to do it over I would of completed Chem 1 and Chem 2 over the summer. Taken Physics, OChem and Bio in the Fall. Begin EK over the break. Plan on taking a March MCAT, while taking Physics 2 and Bio 2 in the Spring. Take OChem 2 over the summer or perhaps in the Fall.

The Physics and Bio material in the Spring will coincide with your MCAT prep and will allow you enough time to prep for the MCAT.

This is not for everyone, and your advisors will tell you that your crazy. My schedule was similar to yours except that I needed a semester of Trig to get into Physics. I also took Sociology courses to get the humanities out of the way.

Getting your application together can take a lot longer than expected. Getting LOR and finishing your PS can be a major pain. Start them ASAP.

 

[McBear]

pdeco1--thanks for sharing your experience. I won't be working other than volunteering/shadowing probably one day a week. Alot of the schools I'm looking at require Calc, that's why I was planning to take it...but I think you're totally right and will probably move it to the fall I apply so I can check the box without being tied to a tough class while I'm studying for the MCAT in the spring. I think there are several much better ways to do the science sequence but unfortunately the school I'll be going to has mandatory pre-reqs that make it impossible to take the classes in any other order. As for humanities, I double majored in my undergrad in International Affairs and Poli Sci, so I'm more than good to go there.

I think for MCAT prep my game plan is to take TPR and do EK and BR on my own for lots of practice. I've always been good at school, which I think will only get better now that I'm a little older and appreciate how good I had it when I was in school, but not gonna lie...reading posts on this forum about how awesome students bombed the MCAT and are now sort of floating in the hopes they make it the next year is intimidating. How did everything work out for you if you don't mind me asking?

Also, an opinion question for you--when I meet with my pre med advisor to discuss this plan and he/she tells me I'm crazy (like you mentioned), do you think they'll hold it against me for a Committee LOR when I do it anyways?

 

[operaman]

Agreeing wholeheartedly with others who have said take the MCAT early and apply June 1st.

I wouldn't worry about the MCAT honestly because there are so many practice tests out there. Most people score very close to their practice average, so there aren't too many surprises. Get the AAMC Complete Guide to the MCAT book (comes with a free test) and find the pages that list EVERY topic covered. Go through one by one and make sure you REALLY know each and every one and can discuss it. I'm sure there are many reasons people bomb, but my guess that their classes didn't cover all the material or they crammed for every test and didn't really learn it the first time. There is a finite amount of material covered and it is possible to be familiar with all of it. You might even consider starting your MCAT prep before you start your post-bacc because all the info will show up in your classes too. I did this and found it helped me keep up despite not having science classes in 15 years!

Have you thought about taking CLEP or placement tests to get out of some of the math courses and skip right to calculus? I used The Complete Idiots Guide to Calculus as it has a nice recap of math needed for calc, and managed to skip all those prereqs. Could save you a lot of time. Ditto for General Biology. Tested out of that one and have taken many upper level courses instead.

I too found quite a bit of pushback from pre-med advisors and department chairs when initially presenting them with my plans, but once you start doing well they will probably rally to your side. Remember that these people are more accustomed to dealing with very young undergrads who dont' want to study and for whom the thought of working an 8-12 hour day is unthinkable.

Something else I did while still in my old job before starting school: go to iTunes U and "take" classes(all free) that cover the MCAT core classes(these are also the general premed reqs). My favs:

For Physics I and II: MIT with Walter Lewin
For Bio: UC Berkeley
For Chem: MIT
for Orgo: Never found one that I really liked, but new ones are out now
Biochem: Oregon State with Kevin Ahern

Also used www.khanacademy.org EXTENSIVELY to refresh myself about things. I just looked and he now has organic chem on there too. Very helpful for self-teaching.

 

[pdeco1]

Be respectful of their opinions and prove them wrong. They will only be impressed.

 

[alchemie]

Something else I did while still in my old job before starting school: go to iTunes U and "take" classes(all free) that cover the MCAT core classes(these are also the general premed reqs). My favs:

For Physics I and II: MIT with Walter Lewin
For Bio: UC Berkeley
For Chem: MIT
for Orgo: Never found one that I really liked, but new ones are out now
Biochem: Oregon State with Kevin Ahern

Also used www.khanacademy.org EXTENSIVELY to refresh myself about things. I just looked and he now has organic chem on there too. Very helpful for self-teaching.

This is fantastic. Thanks so much for this info! (Flipping through all these classes actually gave me the same giddy rush usually only evoked by bookstores.) 🙂