My story, my timeline! any thoughts?

[TJtoMD]

I graduated in '08 from James Madison University with a degree in Communications. I didn't think about pursuing medicine until my senior year there, as I don't have any doctors in the family. I spent most of my time in college (20+ hours a week) volunteering for a high school mentorship program and as such only had a 3.1 CGpa when I graduated.

In the following year I taught English in Tianjin China. This experience gave me quite some time to experience the world and consider what I would do next. I came home last summer and began working at an ER as a scribe to figure out whether medicine was for me. Needless to say I fell in love with it, and I have had a very sober view of what being a doctor entails.

I started my pre-reqs in January and have since done the following:

Cell Bio - A
Gen Chem 1 - A
Gen Chem 2 - A
English Composition - B+ (don't get me started...)

Here is my plan... please offer any advice what so ever.

This fall I will take
Org Chem I
Physics I
A&P or Micro (Which one?)

In the spring
Org Chem II
Physics II
Stats ? (did a stats class at JMU but certainly not an A)

From May 10th to June 16th - Prepare for MCAT (Take MCAT on the 16th)

Get AMCAS app in by July 1st

I will continue working at the ER where I will have the opportunity to get 2 letters of rec, to go along with 2-3 professor recs.

How does the timeline look? Any ideas?

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[Pons Asinorum]

From May 10th to June 16th - Prepare for MCAT (Take MCAT on the 16th)

I don't know how strong you are with standardized tests, but most people on here will say that that is not enough time to prepare given the huge importance that the MCAT will have in your ability to secure an acceptance. You're plan looks fine for where you are in the process besides that.

 

[Zxvwt]

n/a

 

[TriagePreMed]

I would suggest NOT taking a&p NOR microbio. Neither is required for medical school, so you'll be simply putting your GPA at risk for a class you don't need. If you're desperate for units, it would look better to get some units as a tutor for chemistry or bio.

 

[TJtoMD]

Thank you for all the replies!

The most immediate guidance I need from the community here has to do with the Bio class I'll be taking in the fall.

At my University Cell Bio is considered General Bio I, and the second semester of Bio is really up in the air. The options are as follows:

Bio 303 - Animal Biology
Bio 304 - Plant Biology
Bio 305 - Microbiology
Bio 235 - Intro to Genetics
Bio 124 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I

Of those classes listed there, which would you encourage me to take for the second semester of my biology courses?

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Bio 235 - Intro to Genetics

Go sniff around in the MCAT forum a bit. I sat the 8/20 exam and you could hear people's heads exploding when they got to the passage this class addresses. Molecular and Genetics are the two topics that the MCAT seems to be trending towards emphasizing. That's anectdotal; caveat emptor. The MCAT will make or break your application though, no qualification necessary on that.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Thank you for all the replies!

The most immediate guidance I need from the community here has to do with the Bio class I'll be taking in the fall.

At my University Cell Bio is considered General Bio I, and the second semester of Bio is really up in the air. The options are as follows:

Bio 303 - Animal Biology
Bio 304 - Plant Biology
Bio 305 - Microbiology
Bio 235 - Intro to Genetics
Bio 124 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I

Of those classes listed there, which would you encourage me to take for the second semester of my biology courses?

You'll have to look for another college that offers General Bio 2 since many schools will not take other bio classes in lieu of general bio 2.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

You'll have to look for another college that offers General Bio 2 since many schools will not take other bio classes in lieu of general bio 2.

I'll respectfully disagree with this. OP, go talk to your pre-med advisary office and see what's been done in the past. I'm sure that this question has come up before and your university's class offerings are acceptable to meet the requirement. "General" Biology gets called something different at every university.

 

[sharmi]

I would tend to agree with the last post. At the CSU where I took several Bio courses, they have a 3 sems bio course for bio majors. Bio 1 is plant bio, Bio 2 is Animal bio and Bio 3 is Cell Bio. I took Bio 2 and 3 (both with lab) which is typicaly what non-bio major pre-meds or post bacc pre-meds take. Bio majors need to take all 3. Additionally, I have gone to take Physiology, Genetics, Immunology, Embryology and Anatomy so I am certain that the bio needs of any school are covered.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I'll respectfully disagree with this. OP, go talk to your pre-med advisary office and see what's been done in the past. I'm sure that this question has come up before and your university's class offerings are acceptable to meet the requirement. "General" Biology gets called something different at every university.

I will have to disagree with your disagree. OP can contact the schools directly if he doesn't believe me. I already have and the schools have told me they don't take alternative courses in lieu, except the Caribbean schools I contacted that accept Human Anatomy and Physiology (separate courses) in lieu of your bio requirement.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

OP can contact the schools directly

Always the best advice in these cases, but not what most who pose the questions want to hear I guess.