Pre-Req/MCAT Scheduling Advice

[Fuji Diamond]

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Greetings, fellow non-trads,

I'm a new SDN non-trad (40yo, undergrad in liberal arts) in need of advice on scheduling my last two semesters of pre-reqs. I have read multiple threads on this subject already, but want the advice of some fellow non-trads who might be in similar situations (non-science background, working while going to school).

My plan was to take Physics II, Org I w/lab, Bio/Genetics w/lab fall semester then take Org II and study for MCAT spring semester, applying summer 2013.

My concern is this: prior to starting my DIY post-bacc, I had almost no science background (did the very basic in college to get by). My GPA from a not so stellar state school is 3.7ish and so it's been very important to me to get all A's in my pre-reqs. (The advisor at the med school I'm applying to has encouraged me to get all A's in my pre-reqs).

So far so good. I've gotten all A's. But, I have worked my butt off getting those A's, in addition to working almost full time (I'm self-employed so have some flexibility).

I'm reconsidering my schedule, thinking it may be easier to take Physics II along with Org II in the spring, so that I'm not so overloaded this fall. I'm concerned that I may end up with one or more B's. (I do understand the concept that in med school we'll be taking multiple difficult courses in one term, but I won't be working full-time).

I don't have the option of not working.

For what it's worth, I have been studying the ExamKrackers guides while taking pre-reqs, so I won't be starting "fresh" when I focus my MCAT prep in the spring. And all the Bio/Chem/Physics have been taken in the past year so they're pretty fresh in my mind.

Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions. They're much appreciated!

 

[Citylilac]

I am by far no an expert, but I do know that Orgo I can be quite dense and Physics II will be more rigorous than Physics I hearing from many of my classmates who typically excel in these classes. Both will require more time to work on problems continously to grasp the concepts.. Lots more time. I have no experience with bio/genetics yet so I cant comment on that. But if you already have the instincts that taking these classes might land you a B or two, I wouldn't risk it for the GPA's sake. So what I would recommend is perhaps just to wait for another year and spread it out a little, and it would kill two birds with one stone -- you get to focus on studying the MCATs due to more time, and finish strong for your GPA.

If you can't wait another year, I would suggest starting to self study prior for orgo I since it is to me, like a whole new language that requires work to learn it. Try iTunes University and download some orgo lectures and physics ii lecture and see for yourself if you can handle the workload.

Good luck!

 

[Oldenuff2nobetr]

In my experience, Org I is harder than Org II, and I agree with the last post that Physics II is tougher than Physics I. Also, if you are talking about upper division Genetics, it can be a real beast depending on the teacher. Protect your GPA, I don't think we need to rush at our age. One more year shouldn't break you. I'm applying 1 year later than I originally planned, but I kept my GPA strong (3.9), had more time for EC's, 7 months to study MCAT while tutoring sciences, and will be applying as early as possible rather than later in the cycle (which many of my cohorts said was the biggest factor that hurt them).

 

[Fuji Diamond]

Thanks for the fast response. Your comment echos what I've heard about Org I and Physics II being tougher than their counterparts.

Good idea about pre-studying. I'll check out itunesU -watched quite a few MIT videos when I first started physics. I've already got Org for Dummies, and I've been using "freelance-teacher.com" as my go-to study partner for Physics -I'll look at his Org videos. I used to use Khan Academy for Chemistry, but found his site less helpful for Physics. I'll check out his Org videos too.

 

[Citylilac]

OP, I think for orgo, try picking up David Klein's organic chemistry series, it will make things easier for you. 🙂

 

[Fuji Diamond]

Thanks, Citylilac, I'll check it out.

 

[cnhampton]

Two nice things about organic chemistry: 1) the undergraduate level material hasn't changed in 70 years, and 2) the professors almost always go chapter-by-chapter through the text. If you can get hold of the book that your university is going to use (or an old used copy, if the prof is cool with that), then you can literally start the semester weeks early. Organic is different from the other chemistry you may have already taken in that it's an almost entirely 3D subject. The rest of the material is pretty straightforward, but learning to think in 3D (and translate to and from 2D on the fly) is not an entirely trivial task for many people. I actually really enjoyed organic (took 5 semesters of the stuff), because it built upon itself logically. Physics, on the other hand - at least, the survey courses that comprise freshman level stuff - are a grab bag of equations and conditions. Moving from kinetics to optics to electromagnetic fields and circuits was a hard gear shift for me...

For organic: Get a model kit, and practice with it. I also liked "Pushing Electrons" and "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" for supplemental help (get used copies!).

 

[Fuji Diamond]

Thanks for the advice. The 2D to 3D is a particular challenge for me, so practicing with a model kit sounds like a great idea.