Med school pre reqs at Community College?
Started by xnfs93hy
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http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=543820&highlight=Taking+pre+req+at+CC
Doesn't look like it has much (any) impact on you considering your starting at a CC, not at a university.
Doesn't look like it has much (any) impact on you considering your starting at a CC, not at a university.
That's not completely true though. I remember applying to some med schools which specifically states they do not take prereqs from CC. Many others state they 'recommend' the prereqs be taken at a four year institute. So doing CC for prereqs may close some doors (although you can do CCs for other classes and be ok).
In general, CC should be avoided for prereqs if you can help it since med schools are snobs and look down at CC.
However, there are a few exceptions that med school will be ok with:
1. If you are a nontraditional student with family and you do CC out of convenience while juggling family/full-time work etc. Med schools are very understanding of nontrads and will give nontrads a pretty wide berth as long as they can prove there were other responsibilities along with taking prereqs.
2. If you are working full time to put yourself through work and CC is your cheapest option. Med schools seem to understand financial hardships.
I don't think adcoms will like it as much seeing a fresh 18 year old whose only consideration for CC is academic taking their prereqs at a CC.
But generally, if you can show later on you can do well in upper level hard science classes, many med schools will be ok with you.
Just keep i mind that adcoms may be more picky about prereqs than other science courses, as odd as it sounds, so I'd try to get the prereqs in at a four year school if at all possible.
I suggest getting your non-prereqs out of the way at CC, do well there, then transfer to a university to complete your prereqs and do more upper level science classes. If you have to do you prereqs at a CC, then make sure to take some "real" upper level science classes and do well in them.
The worse thing is to show good performance at the CC and poor performance at the university----you then reaffirm all the negative stereotypes of a CC in the minds of adcom.
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Another way to look at it is that taking courses at a regular college will most likely be harder than at a CC. This should help you learn material better for the MCAT. Also, pre-med courses at a university are probably the closest in difficulty to what you will see in medical school (not super close, but probably the closest depending on your major) so I would assume adcoms would rather you take them at a reputable college than just a CC where your grade might not require as much work as someone who got the same grade at a decent school.
I was 23 when I started college and I started at a JC. I took my prereqs there and got a 4.0 then transfered to a major university. I maintained a 3.9 gpa and got accepted to three schools (so far).
What makes my situation different is that I had been out of school for five years, and I was a chem major so the prereqs were by no means the hardest science classes I took. I was able to demonstrate that I could handle the harder university level courses.
Lessons I learned...no matter what anyone tells you...the coursework at a JC/CC will be nowhere near as hard as it will be in a University. Faculty/Advisors don't know jack squat. There is a reason they are teaching where they are and their expectations of you will be lower. Not many go to medical school out of CC/JC most teachers will push you for something easier...don't drink the kool-aid.
My advice for you would be to focus on getting your GPA up and transfering to a good University. I wouldn't take any of your pre-reqs there. It may set you back a year, but not only will it look better, the quality of instruction will likely be better as well.
Good luck
What makes my situation different is that I had been out of school for five years, and I was a chem major so the prereqs were by no means the hardest science classes I took. I was able to demonstrate that I could handle the harder university level courses.
Lessons I learned...no matter what anyone tells you...the coursework at a JC/CC will be nowhere near as hard as it will be in a University. Faculty/Advisors don't know jack squat. There is a reason they are teaching where they are and their expectations of you will be lower. Not many go to medical school out of CC/JC most teachers will push you for something easier...don't drink the kool-aid.
My advice for you would be to focus on getting your GPA up and transfering to a good University. I wouldn't take any of your pre-reqs there. It may set you back a year, but not only will it look better, the quality of instruction will likely be better as well.
Good luck
Alright, I have some questions...
I have decided that I am going to my local CC for two years. The reason being is because I screwed up. However, not only will my parents only spend a total of $10k on tuition, this will give them time to put money aside for professional school/grad school for me.
I am in NJ and my CC has this thing with Rutgers where you tell them what your major is going to be and you take the classes you need at the CC. Sounds good right?
Yeah. But I am a little confused.
See, I plan on doing a hard science as a major. Possibly Physics or Chem. Most likely Chemistry though. A lot of the courses required for chem are ALSO med school pre reqs., and I assume I would be taking these at the CC. Will that kill my chances at medical school because I took them at the CC?
Also, I have another question. You say "Take the pre reqs when you get into the university", I understand that, but don't you take the MCAT 3rd year of college? How can I take the MCAT with no pre reqs? I'd bomb the thing.
Then there is volunteer work, clinical hours, and probably a crap load of stuff I am missing.
It's not that I am not willing to do all this, because I am, I just don't want to screw things up and wind up not getting into UMDNJ or another med school because I "did something wrong".
I have decided that I am going to my local CC for two years. The reason being is because I screwed up. However, not only will my parents only spend a total of $10k on tuition, this will give them time to put money aside for professional school/grad school for me.
I am in NJ and my CC has this thing with Rutgers where you tell them what your major is going to be and you take the classes you need at the CC. Sounds good right?
Yeah. But I am a little confused.
See, I plan on doing a hard science as a major. Possibly Physics or Chem. Most likely Chemistry though. A lot of the courses required for chem are ALSO med school pre reqs., and I assume I would be taking these at the CC. Will that kill my chances at medical school because I took them at the CC?
Also, I have another question. You say "Take the pre reqs when you get into the university", I understand that, but don't you take the MCAT 3rd year of college? How can I take the MCAT with no pre reqs? I'd bomb the thing.
Then there is volunteer work, clinical hours, and probably a crap load of stuff I am missing.
It's not that I am not willing to do all this, because I am, I just don't want to screw things up and wind up not getting into UMDNJ or another med school because I "did something wrong".
What do you mean by screwed up?
In middle school I was verbally and physically harassed and I thought I was a loser so I pretty much gave up entirely, and this went up through eighth grade. In eighth grade, the grades you receive determine your placement for freshman year of high school. I almost failed eighth grade and was put into stupid classes freshman year, which I didn't do very well in (didn't try, classes were WICKED easy). So I was still in stupid classes last year (10th), but I did well in them and was moved up to the next level, and this semester I will have 2 honors classes. Senior year I will FINALLY have honors and AP, but it is senior year and doesn't matter in college admissions. It's not that I'm stupid, its just that I had low self esteem in middle school which basically caused this whole domino effect into freshman year. Sad thing is, even if I DID bust my butt freshman year, I would have still ended up in the same place I am now more or less. That is why I say its not entirely my fault. Yes, I should have kept trying, but honestly, can you blame me? My parents got involved so many times calling the middle school, and I was continuously bullied.
This explains why I hate public schools. If my parents put me in a decent private school, I doubt this would have happened because kids in private schools (at least around here) do not do the sort of crap that kids in the public schools do. I think I would have had better teachers and a better foundation for high school, and honestly, it is the truth, the majority of public schools in this country are absolute TRASH. It doesn't matter now though.
True, and with the economic crisis, things aren't exactly looking up.
I think you'll be fine taking some of the pre-reqs at your CC, but make sure CC credits are accepted at whatever university you eventually transfer to, because where I'm at this is not always the case.
But did you really not apply anywhere else? Or are you just assuming you won't make it?
Hopefully some former CC med students meander onto this thread soon!
Don't try to blame it on others bud. And DEFINATLY do NOT blame it on your parents. You are who you decide you are going to be. I was bullied since kindergarden because of my disabilities. I was enrolled in special education courses and rode in the good ol' short bus (which I still would prefer, the bus driver gave me suckers) when I was younger. In 5th grade, I took a test to join the gifted program that 3 community grade schools combine for and was accepted. I'm a very popular kid now, in awesome shape, am intelligent, and have good morals. I believe those of us who go through stuff when we are younger actually have it better off than those that get everything just laid out infront of them with no struggles. We learn, we strive, and we become greater.
Now, many public schools do suck. My school I attended before moving over a town was pretty poor, but the public school I am in now is absolutely fantastic and I wouldn't trade going to this school for anything.
Now, is it your GPA that has suffered from these classes? If you have anywhere near an above average GPA, you will most likely not need to go to a community college unless it is for money reasons. Even if it is for GPA reasons, ADCOMS will forgive those who have an actual reason to go to a CC and take pre-reqs than those who just go because it is easier.
The MCAT question- Many take their MCAT in their 3rd year, but if you decided not to take any pre-reqs, you would have to be in college for 5 years unless you took a heavy course load. You can take your MCAT your senior year if you really want to, but this usually results in people taking a year off until med school.
Hope that helps bud. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or comments.
Great advice man. I think a majority of people are bullied in some form in school. The people who succeed in life just get over it and persevere instead of trying to blame others for their own faults. It is much easier to blame others than to just suck it up and get through it. Heck, if it was that bad, you should have talked to the principal. I went through a public school and I am glad for it. If you want to get anywhere in life you need to get a tough skin and be able to take criticism. I know people who went to private schools and even they said people got bullied...its just a fact of growing up.
My suggestion would be take a bunch of classes at the CC (sciences and otherwise) and either repeat the pre-reqs at Rutgers, or take more advanced levels of them (and ace those of course) in order to prove that you definitely are capable of handling tough science coursework. If you're a chem major, chances are you'll be taking gen chem and orgo at the CC, and you can fill up your schedule with other random stuff. Then you can take say, pchem and biochem once you get to Rutgers, or retake gen chem and orgo, and also take the bio and physics classes that are the other pre-reqs. In general, try to have a record that indicates that you are able to handle hard sciences at a 4-year University. Period. Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong.
Also, as far as taking the MCAT- don't worry about that yet. Plenty of people (more and more every year, really) choose to take some time off after college. I can't recommend this enough. Not only do you get to take a breather from the academic marathon you're running, but you get to do something worthwhile (whether a job, or a really cool internship, or an abroad program, or whatever) that not only looks amazing on your apps but also really enriches you as a person. Med schools definitely don't frown upon people taking time off so that won't be a problem. Take the MCAT when you feel you're absolutely ready, whether it's when you're a junior or later than that.
I see what you're saying, but everyone handles hardship and pressure differently, and it's best for no one to judge one way or the other.
I went to school in new jersey. Everyone gets bullied, and whether its private or public, doesnt matter, u have the same douches everywhere doesnt matter where you go. If you dont do well its your fault, not ur parents, teachers, whoever. If you dont get that your gonna get screwed in college because you will have garbage professors and they simply wont care and u'll have to deal with it anyway. Eventually u will realize how small of a role high school plays in ur life.
The reason people dont take the mcat till around their third year is because thats when they are finished with the classes you need to take the test.
I took a year off and took the MCATs in the July for admissions to this cycle. So it doesnt matter when you take it. Just as long as your ready, and dont bother studying for it now. Just do well in your classes.
Med school admissions is fairly formulaic process. Get your ducks in a row dont be a tool during the interview and you get in somewhere.
I'd tell you that you're being ridiculous and (yet again) casting blame where it doesn't belong, but several people have already beaten me to the punch. So just know that I share the sentiment.
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I can definitely feel where you are coming from, my story is a similar one, though I waited several years before starting school. I attended a CC (see my post above), got my associates in Chemistry (if you get your degree then you don't usually have to worry about Generals transferring). I took Gen Chem, Gen Bio, and O Chem there, and transferred to a University to finish my Bachelor's in Chemistry. I have since been accepted to 3 schools, and I am set to start in Fall.
The main thing you have to concern yourself with is demonstrating that you can handle difficult classes. The rigor of my CC courses was nothing to compare to the courses at a university, and my first semester at BYU I had to work very hard to play catch up so to speak. I did well though and I took enough hard courses at BYU to demonstrate that I could handle the harder courses.
I would definitely not plan on retaking prereqs unless you do poorly at them and want to try and do better. Rather I would take the next level of courses and do well in them (anal chem, pchem, biochem). Those will be much more challenging than the general classes anyway.
Don't worry about not having done volunteer work or clinical hours yet. Med schools won't even look at stuff done before college anyway. Do some kind of volunteer work where you can work with patients. I worked as a volunteer for a Hospice clinic visiting terminal patients. It was a really rewarding (though not fun) experience, and helped me immensely in my interviews. Going abroad always looks good. See if you can do a medical mission or something similar. Any study-abroad program is good. Getting involved with student government is also good. Basically you need Leadership exp. Service Exp. and Clinical/Patient Exp. Some of your EC's can overlap. As far as Clinical goes, shadowing is good for your own experience, but is the least impressive (it is really easy to sit in a corner and watch a doctor work). Research exp is also good, but only if you present or publish (show that you weren't just a pipette monkey). If you have any more specific questions feel free to pm me.
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