Out of sequence. internship or summer school?

[whizkid17]

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first off, im finishing up my second year in undergrad. its going by wayyy too fast, and i feel the pressure to definitely have it all figured out, NOW, you know? i just wish i knew exactly what im supposed to be doing with my life, if being a doctor is really what i want, etc. so anyway, i got offered an internship position at this united nations bioethics center in new york city. they deal with issues like stem cell research, assisted suicide, etc, but the only thing is, i need to take organic chem (I & II) over the summer as well, especially if im trying to take the MCAT in april of 2010. also, im transferring to Duke for a semester in the fall, so ive got to get ready for that. and then, lately, ive been thinking about taking a year off after undergrad to prepare properly for applying to med school, but my parents wouldnt really approve of that. im just so confused right now. any advice?

 

[chief illiniwek]

first off, im finishing up my second year in undergrad. its going by wayyy too fast, and i feel the pressure to definitely have it all figured out, NOW, you know? i just wish i knew exactly what im supposed to be doing with my life, if being a doctor is really what i want, etc. so anyway, i got offered an internship position at this united nations bioethics center in new york city. they deal with issues like stem cell research, assisted suicide, etc, but the only thing is, i need to take organic chem (I & II) over the summer as well, especially if im trying to take the MCAT in april of 2010. also, im transferring to Duke for a semester in the fall, so ive got to get ready for that. and then, lately, ive been thinking about taking a year off after undergrad to prepare properly for applying to med school, but my parents wouldnt really approve of that. im just so confused right now. any advice?

an internship with the united nations sounds like an awesome opportunity. also, orgo II is largely unnecessary for the MCAT - many pre-meds never even take this class. (i took in the fall of my senior year)

so, my vote is that you do the internship. then just take orgo I this fall and that should be sufficient to prepare you for the MCAT. it sounds like you are worried this will make you very busy due to the transfer, but transferring really isn't that bad. i did it in the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, and the only extra things i had to worry about were getting credits transferred and adjusting to a new town.

and, finally, don't worry about your parents when it comes to taking that year off. it's really a decision you have to make for yourself. also, you have over a year to think about this (before the 2010 application cycle starts) - the right choice will probably become clearer by that time.

 

[yangxx2]

an internship with the united nations sounds like an awesome opportunity. also, orgo II is largely unnecessary for the MCAT - many pre-meds never even take this class. (i took in the fall of my senior year)

so, my vote is that you do the internship. then just take orgo I this fall and that should be sufficient to prepare you for the MCAT. it sounds like you are worried this will make you very busy due to the transfer, but transferring really isn't that bad. i did it in the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, and the only extra things i had to worry about were getting credits transferred and adjusting to a new town.

and, finally, don't worry about your parents when it comes to taking that year off. it's really a decision you have to make for yourself. also, you have over a year to think about this (before the 2010 application cycle starts) - the right choice will probably become clearer by that time.

I thought you needed a year of orgo?

 

[chief illiniwek]

I thought you needed a year of orgo?

some programs want a year of orgo, many will let you substitute a biochem class for orgo II, and i believe there are also some that don't require orgo II at all. look at the requirements for each school where you will be applying to figure out if you need it or not. so, what i meant to say was that you should plan on taking orgo II at some point in your college career (until you find out this is unnecessary from your selected medical schools), but taking the class before the MCAT is not important.

on a somewhat related note, i read a post from one of the "school admins" here on SDN that medical schools are caring less and less about organic chemistry lately and that this requirement might even be done away with in the near future.

edit: just looking back at the schools i applied to - rush, uic, and loyola let you substitute w/ a biochem. SIU says "SIU School of Medicine does not require specific prerequisite courses. To perform well on the MCAT, however, we recommend..."