Need advice from you guys

[23premes]

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I'm planning my courses next semester and also studying for the mcat. I have 2 options:

Option 1: take general chemistry I, Physics II, and Ochem 1, MCAT in May

Option 2: just general Chemistry II, Physics II and Ochem I and II over the summer while I apply. Mcat still in May.

Now before people jump on me for prerequisites. I'm already very very strong in physics and general chemistry. Scored 5s on both ap chemistry and ap physics in high school. And have gotten a 13 on the physical science section with no prep. Ochem is another story. I have been watching the UCI open courseware lectures and will complete all of them by February. I do practice problems and hw so it's like taking the class without the lab component. My real dilemma is workload and mcat prep. If I do option 2 I only have class 2 days per week instead of 5. I've pulled A+ in both of those classes this semester with little work but maybe if I take Ochem regardless of if I'm good at it, the sheer number of days/hours might take away from my mcat prep. Would it look too bad taking Ochem over the summer while I apply? Assuming my mcat score is strong? Are there any people here that have successfully prepped for the mcat while taking classes? I'm leaning more towards number 2 just want to make sure I'm not making a huge mistake.


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[AkGrown84]

I think the biggest problem might be that you'll be taking the MCAT in May without having seen Orgo 1 or 2 prior. Up to Orgo, I had done well in all my science classes, and then that one knocked me on my a**!!! It truly was the first class EVER to really give me any sort of trouble, and it was bad. While there's not a LOT of Orgo on the MCAT, there's enough that if you've never seen it before, it could give you problems. I didn't prep while taking classes, but I started 8 months pregnant, had my kiddo, studied more, and took it when my little one was about 3 months old. It wasn't easy, but depending on your other obligations, I could definitely see taking a couple classes and studying for the MCAT.

 

[23premes]

I think the biggest problem might be that you'll be taking the MCAT in May without having seen Orgo 1 or 2 prior. Up to Orgo, I had done well in all my science classes, and then that one knocked me on my a**!!! It truly was the first class EVER to really give me any sort of trouble, and it was bad. While there's not a LOT of Orgo on the MCAT, there's enough that if you've never seen it before, it could give you problems. I didn't prep while taking classes, but I started 8 months pregnant, had my kiddo, studied more, and took it when my little one was about 3 months old. It wasn't easy, but depending on your other obligations, I could definitely see taking a couple classes and studying for the MCAT.

I've already seen most of Ochem since I've watched almost all Ochem lectures from a class they teach at UCI. I've done practice problems from a texbook as well as practice quizzes and have done fine on those, I just haven't enrolled in a formal course so it's not like I will have zero exposure. I just won't have any lab experience of that makes sense.


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[AkGrown84]

I've already seen most of Ochem since I've watched almost all Ochem lectures from a class they teach at UCI. I've done practice problems from a texbook as well as practice quizzes and have done fine on those, I just haven't enrolled in a formal course so it's not like I will have zero exposure. I just won't have any lab experience of that makes sense.


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Eh, lab experience won't make a bit of difference. I think you should talk to some students at your university that have taken the orgo sequence in the summer and see what they thought of it. It's nice to get it out of the way in one summer, but where I did my undergrad and post-bac, the summer sequence was really, really brutal. If you think that it wouldn't be too bad, I'd opt for option #2!

 

[23premes]

Eh, lab experience won't make a bit of difference. I think you should talk to some students at your university that have taken the orgo sequence in the summer and see what they thought of it. It's nice to get it out of the way in one summer, but where I did my undergrad and post-bac, the summer sequence was really, really brutal. If you think that it wouldn't be too bad, I'd opt for option #2!

People say it's not bad at all but obviously moves fast. My undergrad was brutally competitive so taking some of my current prerequisites at a state school has been a joke for me. My main concern would be apps while taking intensive Ochem. I'm going to apply to about 30 schools so I have no idea how hard or time consuming the applications are.


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[MedPhys2MD]

You said you did well on the physical science section, how was your score in BS?

 

[AkGrown84]

People say it's not bad at all but obviously moves fast. My undergrad was brutally competitive so taking some of my current prerequisites at a state school has been a joke for me. My main concern would be apps while taking intensive Ochem. I'm going to apply to about 30 schools so I have no idea how hard or time consuming the applications are.


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They're pretty time consuming. I applied to 12 MD programs and 14 DO programs, and seriously was in secondaries up to my eyeballs for weeks. BUT....I think it'd be easier juggling intensive orgo and apps than a heavier course load and MCAT study. Plus, you should be pretty much done with apps in a few weeks, and then you have the agonizing wait period for ii's, so orgo might take your mind off of that!

 

[23premes]

You said you did well on the physical science section, how was your score in BS?

A 10 but at the time I has no Ochem and guessed on those questions. Getting most wrong. This was a diagnostic taken a while ago.


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[23premes]

They're pretty time consuming. I applied to 12 MD programs and 14 DO programs, and seriously was in secondaries up to my eyeballs for weeks. BUT....I think it'd be easier juggling intensive orgo and apps than a heavier course load and MCAT study. Plus, you should be pretty much done with apps in a few weeks, and then you have the agonizing wait period for ii's, so orgo might take your mind off of that!

Good point. I am really dreading writing all those essays and stuff, much more so than the mcat and classes


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