Organic chemistry over the summer?

[Plue00]

Hey guys, I had a couple of questions about taking orgo this summer.

I'm going to be finishing my second year and so far, I only have chem and bio done for my prereqs, so this summer, I'm going to be taking orgo + labs so I can take physics + labs third year.

I know most people don't care if you take your prereqs during the summer(I think LizzyM said this), but I'm going to be taking mine at a different school. Over the summer, my home school is charging ~5000 dollars for orgo + labs (not to mention housing/food over the summer), while a school that is a 20 minute drive from my house is charging ~2700 dollars over the summer. Is that a good enough reason to take it at another school or should I dish out the extra 2300+ to take it at my home school?

Also, I have about 10 days after my finals and the start of orgo 1 and I was wondering if there was anything I should do to prepare for orgo?

Thanks for the help

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[deleted480308]

What school is $1200 a credit?

 

[Plue00]

What school is $1200 a credit?

Its for 12 credits at my home university (3lecture/3lab * 2) and 10 credits at local university (3lecture/3lab * 2)...

Also, most private schools are around that I think.

 

[LizzyM]

Is the school near your home as difficult or more difficult to get into than the school you already attend? Is the school near your home equal in rank (US News or whatever) than the school you already attend?

You can get away with taking the summer classes at a school that is close in rank to the school you attend but going to a school that is seen as weaker (less talented students, easier to gain admission) might be seen as an attempt to avoid taking a weed-out course at your own school and going instead to a school with a less talented student body where you can dominate the curve.

The irony of this attitude is that some summer school classes are filled with exceptionally talented, cut throat pre-meds from other schools that are doing exactly what you are doing. Also, be sure you know something about the person teaching the summer classes. I've heard horror stories about faculty who teach summer sections.

Unless o-chem is a pre-requisite for physics, I don't see why you can't take both at the same time. With bio, chem, o-chem & physics to fit in before taking the MCAT, most "traditional" students double up and take 2 science classes concurrently at some point. If you don't feel you can handle two science classes at the same time, you might not be a good fit for medical school.

 

[Snowdon48]

Save the money. Take it over the summer.

There isn't much you can do to prepare for orgo. Your prof will teach you all you need to know. Good luck!

 

[Plue00]

Is the school near your home as difficult or more difficult to get into than the school you already attend? Is the school near your home equal in rank (US News or whatever) than the school you already attend?

You can get away with taking the summer classes at a school that is close in rank to the school you attend but going to a school that is seen as weaker (less talented students, easier to gain admission) might be seen as an attempt to avoid taking a weed-out course at your own school and going instead to a school with a less talented student body where you can dominate the curve.

The irony of this attitude is that some summer school classes are filled with exceptionally talented, cut throat pre-meds from other schools that are doing exactly what you are doing. Also, be sure you know something about the person teaching the summer classes. I've heard horror stories about faculty who teach summer sections.

Unless o-chem is a pre-requisite for physics, I don't see why you can't take both at the same time. With bio, chem, o-chem & physics to fit in before taking the MCAT, most "traditional" students double up and take 2 science classes concurrently at some point. If you don't feel you can handle two science classes at the same time, you might not be a good fit for medical school.

The difference between the US news ranking for the schools are probably negligible. Home school is in the top 25 and the close school is in the top 35.

The difficulty isn't really the problem, as this year I took gen chem and upper level bio classes along with analytical chemistry. Next year, I'll be taking Physics and 2 upper level biology classes and biochem (which has orgo as a prereq) per semester along with research.