Organic Chemistry over the Summer at Rutgers New Brunswick

[honorandrespect]

Hi All,
I was just curious, would it be detrimental to my medical school application if I were to take Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 over the summer at my school, Rutgers University(New Brunswick)? The reason I ask is because the summer professors are more knowledgeable and clear, and I feel I will benefit more that way. I was told by an adviser this is not a good idea, however, I have heard several accounts to the contrary. Experienced veterans are encouraged to reply! Thank you for your time and devotion, I really appreciate it.

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[wristbandMD]

All of the "Getting into med schools" books I have say not too. Haha.

A number of these books (And websites I've visited) have advice from adcoms from various schools and most of the adcoms said that doing all of your organic classes over the summer was a bad idea.

I wouldn't do it if I were you.

 

[Stewie32]

I've heard that o-chem over the summer is incredibly intense. Considering that many students struggle with o-chem during a regular length semester, I would imagine that learning all of that information in less time would be even more difficult and stressful.

As to how adcoms would view it, I don't know. Perhaps LizzyM has some insight on that topic.

 

[theWUbear]

I've heard that o-chem over the summer is incredibly intense.

At new brunswick over the summer, I got a C with Govindarajoo in orgo 1, then a D second with the australian prof in orgo 2 (along with C's in first half and second half of orgo lab). This was like 4 years ago, way before I got my act together. It was intense, and I was not into studying all day every day, so I got blown away. Rutgers Newark is much easier, but if you think you can handle it (i'm sure its not that bad I was just really immature at the time) and you are only asking about whether it would be detrimental to your application, my response is that there are many many more important things for ADCOMs to look at - if you have a great GPA with a great MCAT and great hospital experience/EC's they will only ask why you took it at Rutgers over the summer if you went to a far-higher ranked school for undergrad (in case you did it just because of ease)

 

[wristbandMD]

I've heard that o-chem over the summer is incredibly intense. Considering that many students struggle with o-chem during a regular length semester, I would imagine that learning all of that information in less time would be even more difficult and stressful.

As to how adcoms would view it, I don't know. Perhaps LizzyM has some insight on that topic.

LizzyM would definitely be helpful with this.

From what I understand, most Adcoms think that you don't absorb the information as well as you would with a full year of organic. This makes sense. You're cramming all of this information that should take a year into 8 weeks. And, as Stewie said, it's very intense. At my school students attend class from 8am until 1pm Monday through Friday for 8 weeks. Personally, I couldn't do it.

 

[ScarletRMD]

Hey I went to RU in New Brunswick and Organic in the summer comes nowhere close to Organic during the semester, which is one of the hardest classes you will have in any of the life science majors, especially if you are trying to get an A. You will have to work your ass off, but you will be better for it.

While taking it during the summer won't kill your application, it won't be as impressive as taking it and getting As. A lot of RU kids apply with UMDNJ-NJMS or UMDNJ-RWJMS as their first choice, and these schools know which grades in which classes set students apart or which of the three life science majors other then general biology (Cell Bio and Nuero Science, Genetics, or Molecular Biology and Biochemistry) are more impressive.

At RU I've seen kids do several things. 1) Take it head on during the semester, with 900+ people in the class divided into three sections with less than 90 people getting A's. 300 of those kids are in the pharmacy school program and most of them will be gunners. It's tough to get an A. Boikess makes exams that seemed designed to finish in 3 hours rather than 80 minutes and the averages are often in the 40s and 50s. That way he can really distinguish people who know their stuff well for As.

2) Take it in the summer - I know students who have done this and are in medical school. But your advisors in the HPO are right - it is not as impressive. Govindarajoo is really straight forward and will give you everything you need for the exam, just like she does for Orgo Lab during the semester. If you go to class and memorize the notes, you will get an A.

3) Take it in the summer at RU-Newark - This class is butt easy from what I hear, especially compared to the boikess/o'conner class in option one.

4) Take it as community colleges like MCC, Brookdale, et al. - This will probably kill a lot of your medical school chances because these grades will not effect your RU GPA and the class will probably be very easy.

Go with the first option if you ask me.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Organic I and II over the summer is brutal espically if your also taking the lab. It totally killed my summer.

 

[LizzyM]

I don't like to see applicants take O-chem over the summer at a school ranked lower than their own school. (Classic move at some Ivies -- take o-chem at a community college "back home") If you are taking o-chem at your regular school, it isn't even going to register on my radar when I look at your application and I might only notice if you have a LOR from the professor & it points out that it was a summer course.