Microbiology??

[paymaant]

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Hey Guys,

I am currently a sophomore at the University of Maryland and I am planning to take Orgo 2, bio 3 (required at my school), and 2 BS electives (intro health and intro geography). And I was planning to take physics over the summer and continue with gen chem 2 (yes, we take this class after orgo 2), genetics, and physics 2 fall of next year. Am I just hurting myself by taking 2 elective courses (health and geography) this spring semester? I have been reading that quite a few schools require, if not recommend, microbiology when admitted into their school. Therefore, do you think it would be a smart idea to take microbiology (w/lab), orgo 2 (w/lab), and bio 3 (no lab), and either one of the electives to make up 14 credits for spring semester?? Thank you so much for your input everyone!

 

[paymaant]

any help is appreciated.

pretty much, would it be fine to take microbiology (w/lab), bio 3 (no lab), and orgo 2 (w/lab) in the same semester? Along with an introductory health elective.

 

[JdogDMD]

I'd say do it... Schools like to see that you can take multiple science classes at once and do well in them. For example, this semester I took Genetics, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology of Cancer, Head and Neck Anatomy, and Biochemistry. This is 15 credits of science... Do well and the schools will be impressed. Good luck...

 

[wired202808]

Hey Guys,

I am currently a sophomore at the University of Maryland and I am planning to take Orgo 2, bio 3 (required at my school), and 2 BS electives (intro health and intro geography). And I was planning to take physics over the summer and continue with gen chem 2 (yes, we take this class after orgo 2), genetics, and physics 2 fall of next year. Am I just hurting myself by taking 2 elective courses (health and geography) this spring semester? I have been reading that quite a few schools require, if not recommend, microbiology when admitted into their school. Therefore, do you think it would be a smart idea to take microbiology (w/lab), orgo 2 (w/lab), and bio 3 (no lab), and either one of the electives to make up 14 credits for spring semester?? Thank you so much for your input everyone!

leave micro to the end. most schools dont require it and if you do bad in it, it will look worse. It makes sense to take biochem, micro and physics 1 and 2 after you apply to d-school. There's no need to risk lowering your overall GPA for no reason.

 

[wired202808]

I'd say do it... Schools like to see that you can take multiple science classes at once and do well in them. For example, this semester I took Genetics, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology of Cancer, Head and Neck Anatomy, and Biochemistry. This is 15 credits of science... Do well and the schools will be impressed. Good luck...

😱 or mess up and look like a shmuck? thats some bad advice right thurr, no one loads up on very hard science classes during one semester. you always mix very easy classes + 1 or 2 science classes.

Schools look at the overall GPA not the per semester GPA. so you wont look like a hero, but you might ruin your entire sGPA.

 

[rockets123]

Personal, i wouldn't recommend more than 2 science course a semester.
It will be hell week every week. Trust me, i been there, screw up in one class, you're most likely to screw up in the others. In addition, you will be having quizzes, and tests on a weekly basic.

 

[paymaant]

feeling a little discouraged now...I believe if I do not take 3 science classes a semester I will not graduate on time. I started off college as undecided that is why I fell behind.

 

[kcakezzz]

This semester I took Microbiology, Cell Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, and Research Methods... personally at my school Microbiology kicked my ass. And I made my first C ever in it. It is a good idea to load up on multiple science classes because dental schools do want to see that you can handle a heavy course load. I would recommend not taking it with organic 2 though because that alone is a pretty tough class.

 

[rockets123]

Not to discourage you,but what is your schedule for the spring semester?
Are you going to work, what about a social life, how many hours are you willing to spend studying. Keep these in mind, if you are going to work, than i would not suggest it, but if you don't have a job and kill your social life, you might be able to pull it off. It also depends on how fast you can obtain the information. If you spend too much time on one study, you can neglect the other ones causing you to do poorly. TIME MANAGEMENT is what can make you or break you.

 

[wired202808]

This semester I took Microbiology, Cell Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, and Research Methods... personally at my school Microbiology kicked my ass. And I made my first C ever in it. It is a good idea to load up on multiple science classes because dental schools do want to see that you can handle a heavy course load. I would recommend not taking it with organic 2 though because that alone is a pretty tough class.

Please do some research before you spread misinformation. That's an opinion and has no factual value. It doesnt matter what you take or when you take it as long as your grades are good. Student A who took all his courses spread out over 4 years and has a 3.8 sGPA has a much better chance at admissions than Student B who crammed in all their science classes into one year and has a 3.4 sGPA.

GPAs matter. The amount of science classes in one semester doesnt. So please dont spread this sort of misinformation.

 

[wired202808]

feeling a little discouraged now...I believe if I do not take 3 science classes a semester I will not graduate on time. I started off college as undecided that is why I fell behind.

So take some classes during the summer or stay an extra semester. What's the big deal? Your in such a rush to graduate but you're willing to get bad grades and ruin your chances at d-school? really?

Don't you remember that slow and steady wins the race? Take your time to ensure a successful GPA and sGPA and to get into d-school. IF you take those classes and mess up badly in a few of them, you will look a lot worse than if you take one more semester or even take them in the summer semester and do well.

Patience is a virtue.

 

[paymaant]

So take some classes during the summer or stay an extra semester. What's the big deal? Your in such a rush to graduate but you're willing to get bad grades and ruin your chances at d-school? really?

Don't you remember that slow and steady wins the race? Take your time to ensure a successful GPA and sGPA and to get into d-school. IF you take those classes and mess up badly in a few of them, you will look a lot worse than if you take one more semester or even take them in the summer semester and do well.

Patience is a virtue.

very well put. thanks everyone.

 

[wired202808]

very well put. thanks everyone.

Good luck again. I know how you feel and we've all been there. Anxious to graduate, but think long term and know that you will succeed. Also there is no shame in finishing undergrad in 4.5 or 5 years.

Hope it works out for you. 🙂

 

[paymaant]

so you think i should take orgo 2, bio 3 and 2 electives this semester? (13 credits). I feel like that is taking it easy...That is why I felt obligated to take microbio along with 2 sciences and 1 elective.

 

[rockets123]

If you can, take orgo 2,bio 3,and an elective. You can save the other elective for summer. Don't let your ambition get to you, be realistic.

 

[wired202808]

so you think i should take orgo 2, bio 3 and 2 electives this semester? (13 credits). I feel like that is taking it easy...That is why I felt obligated to take microbio along with 2 sciences and 1 elective.

hmm which sounds better?

1. taking the easy route + getting a good semester GPA + increasing your chances of admission
2. taking the tough route + being miserable + messing up in 1 class + lowering your sGPA and potentially looking worse in front of adcoms.

Seriously chief wheres the fire here? Think with your head, not with your heart.

 

[paymaant]

well do you think dental schools would frown upon microbiology being taken at a community college over the summer?

 

[wired202808]

well do you think dental schools would frown upon microbiology being taken at a community college over the summer?

Most schools will allow a certain amount of credits to taken at a CC, but Tufts and BU will not accept you into their program if you have any prereqs at a CC. Again I dont see why you cant just get our diploma afterwards, its really not a big deal. File for graduation after your done with the micro at your regular school and receive your diploma in December instead of June. It really doesnt matter, I dont see why you're stressing it so much.

 

[paymaant]

I am just trying to set up my 4 year plan. Is microbiology even considered a pre-req? If so, I guess dental schools would prefer if it were taken at a University.

 

[wired202808]

I am just trying to set up my 4 year plan. Is microbiology even considered a pre-req? If so, I guess dental schools would prefer if it were taken at a University.

Some schools want it and some dont. You have to look at their respective individual websites and see what works.

Taking the class at a CC isnt the worst idea in the world, but you cant apply to Tufts or BU because they wont accept any CC credits at all and will probably reject you.

 

[Bereno]

Please do some research before you spread misinformation. That's an opinion and has no factual value. It doesnt matter what you take or when you take it as long as your grades are good. Student A who took all his courses spread out over 4 years and has a 3.8 sGPA has a much better chance at admissions than Student B who crammed in all their science classes into one year and has a 3.4 sGPA.

GPAs matter. The amount of science classes in one semester doesnt. So please dont spread this sort of misinformation.

Well, that may be true for some schools, but at 2 of the 4 schools I interviewed at (Nova and UConn), they mentioned that they like seeing a full course load during the interview itself lol. The reason this ever came up is because I had two quarters that I only took 2 classes (due the the sequence of some classes this was unavoidable), but I got a 4.0 both times. The example they drew up is that if you take your prereqs and get all 4.0 but you were only taking 1 science class at a time, then your grades will be notably discounted. They also said that they used the DAT to try and supplement these kinds of scenarios. I dont know how true this is, but it came from the interviewers themselves, so take it for what its worth. It was an interesting convo to say the least haha 😀

 

[paymaant]

Well, that may be true for some schools, but at 2 of the 4 schools I interviewed at (Nova and UConn), they mentioned that they like seeing a full course load during the interview itself lol. The reason this ever came up is because I had two quarters that I only took 2 classes (due the the sequence of some classes this was unavoidable), but I got a 4.0 both times. The example they drew up is that if you take your prereqs and get all 4.0 but you were only taking 1 science class at a time, then your grades will be notable discounted. They also said that they used the DAT to try and supplement these kinds of scenarios. I dont know how true this is, but it came from the interviewers themselves, so take it for what its worth. It was an interesting convo to say the least haha 😀

Very interesting. That definitely is a good indicator that 3 science classes in a semester isn't a bad idea. Thanks!

 

[UCLAzy]

Please do some research before you spread misinformation. That's an opinion and has no factual value. It doesnt matter what you take or when you take it as long as your grades are good. Student A who took all his courses spread out over 4 years and has a 3.8 sGPA has a much better chance at admissions than Student B who crammed in all their science classes into one year and has a 3.4 sGPA.

GPAs matter. The amount of science classes in one semester doesnt. So please dont spread this sort of misinformation.

ironic post is ironic

 

[wired202808]

Well, that may be true for some schools, but at 2 of the 4 schools I interviewed at (Nova and UConn), they mentioned that they like seeing a full course load during the interview itself lol. The reason this ever came up is because I had two quarters that I only took 2 classes (due the the sequence of some classes this was unavoidable), but I got a 4.0 both times. The example they drew up is that if you take your prereqs and get all 4.0 but you were only taking 1 science class at a time, then your grades will be notably discounted. They also said that they used the DAT to try and supplement these kinds of scenarios. I dont know how true this is, but it came from the interviewers themselves, so take it for what its worth. It was an interesting convo to say the least haha 😀

I still wouldnt risk it, theres no merit in lowering your sGPA just to look like a hero. If you have no other classes to take then I guess you should aim for it. But I think spreading it out is just as fine and doesnt make you less competitive. No one mentioned this during any of my interviews and it didnt seem like an important factor.

Schools look at total sGPA and total GPA, they dont have GPA breakdowns by semester. They might have told you that because you already had a full course load and they were just giving you props. 😀

PS when you think bout it logically, successfully completing 1 full science load semester might give you a little bit of help, but if you mess up in any classes it will make you look a lot worse.

 

[wired202808]

Very interesting. That definitely is a good indicator that 3 science classes in a semester isn't a bad idea. Thanks!

What bout messing up in 1 class out of 3? might look worse.

 

[advair250]

I really wish I wasn't naive in my first few years of university, and followed suite with the rest of the people applying to professional programs with respect to taking it easy in terms of course loads. I've never taken less than 5 courses per term, where at least 4 were core sciences. Upcoming term taking 6 courses, 4 core sciences then 2 arts electives.

Sure my average is a bit lower(3.4?) but really..wouldn't people rather prepare themselves for the rigor of professional schools now? Once your actually in professional school, the content you learn there actually matters in real life, in terms of retention. Not simply getting an "A" in a course and forgetting the majority of it a month later.

(I also work 20 hours a week and volunteer alot, and compared to other pre-dent/pre-med students at my school, i'm well below average)

Not really a rant, but just to make people ponder.

 

[wired202808]

I really wish I wasn't naive in my first few years of university, and followed suite with the rest of the people applying to professional programs with respect to taking it easy in terms of course loads. I've never taken less than 5 courses per term, where at least 4 were core sciences. Upcoming term taking 6 courses, 4 core sciences then 2 arts electives.

Sure my average is a bit lower(3.4?) but really..wouldn't people rather prepare themselves for the rigor of professional schools now? Once your actually in professional school, the content you learn there actually matters in real life, in terms of retention. Not simply getting an "A" in a course and forgetting the majority of it a month later.

(I also work 20 hours a week and volunteer alot, and compared to other pre-dent/pre-med students at my school, i'm well below average)

Not really a rant, but just to make people ponder.

I dont see how making yourself less qualified prepares you for the rigors of d-school. everyone knows you need to study a lot, I dont see why you need to pay for it with a lower GPA, if anything that will make you look less qualified because you didnt do well. meanwhile in d-schools grades dont matter as long as you pass (assuming you dont want to specialize.) so all you need to do is study, plus you cant choose your course load in d-school, so why torture yourself for the first 4 years of undergrad? I see absolutely no merit in that choice.

 

[Bereno]

I still wouldnt risk it, theres no merit in lowering your sGPA just to look like a hero. If you have no other classes to take then I guess you should aim for it. But I think spreading it out is just as fine and doesnt make you less competitive. No one mentioned this during any of my interviews and it didnt seem like an important factor.

Schools look at total sGPA and total GPA, they dont have GPA breakdowns by semester. They might have told you that because you already had a full course load and they were just giving you props. 😀

PS when you think bout it logically, successfully completing 1 full science load semester might give you a little bit of help, but if you mess up in any classes it will make you look a lot worse.

I think we can all agree that you don't want to overload yourself with sciences! No heros here haha. Like you said, there is no point in bombing your classes, just because you overloaded yourself lol.

I think I should have clarified in my post that I am not saying to take all your sciences at once. Rather, I am trying to say that you should try and take as many as you think you can handle, and to not just take 1 science class at a time. Even though you might boost your GPA, it seems that they might notice. I had 2 fairly light quarters, they asked me about it. Like I said, earlier, I don't know how common this is, but they did mention it haha. 🙂

 

[wired202808]

I think we can all agree that you don't want to overload yourself with sciences! No heros here haha. Like you said, there is no point in bombing your classes, just because you overloaded yourself lol.

I think I should have clarified in my post that I am not saying to take all your sciences at once. Rather, I am trying to say that you should try and take as many as you think you can handle, and to not just take 1 science class at a time. Even though you might boost your GPA, it seems that they might notice. I had 2 fairly light quarters, they asked me about it. Like I said, earlier, I don't know how common this is, but they did mention it haha. 🙂

yes i agree, 2 science classes each semester sounds about fine. after a while you'll run out of electives anyway and then you will go up to 3 or 4 science a semester, but I would try to space it out to have a nicely balanced GPA. Taking 2 electives + 2 science courses = recipe for success.