Pre-req's at a community college

[PanaRama]

Hi everybody.

I currently have a BA and I am very interested in pursuing a career as a DO.
Due to the limited university choices in my area and financial obligations, it seems that I may have to attend a community college in order to fulfill my science req. Can anyone who has gone this route give me advise as to how my app may be viewed by the Adcoms.





Thank You in Advance

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[njbmd]

Hi everybody.

I currently have a BA and I am very interested in pursuing a career as a DO.
Due to the limited university choices in my area and financial obligations, it seems that I may have to attend a community college in order to fulfill my science req. Can anyone who has gone this route give me advise as to how my app may be viewed by the Adcoms.


Thank You in Advance

Hi there,
Some medical schools will not accept pre-reqs from a community college. Some medical schools do not care where you did your pre-reqs as long as they were done and you did well. You really need to contact the schools that interest you and get their policies. Your schools of interest are the best source of information about what they will and will not accept. There is no "across the board" answer for you.

If the only option you have is a community college, then you may be prepared to defend this choice in an interview. I would suspect that any questions or problems with your community college coursework could be answered very quickly with a very competitive MCAT score.

Get in touch with some of the schools and see what's out there.

Good luck!

njbmd

 

[Atlas]

Hi there,
Some medical schools will not accept pre-reqs from a community college. Some medical schools do not care where you did your pre-reqs as long as they were done and you did well. You really need to contact the schools that interest you and get their policies. Your schools of interest are the best source of information about what they will and will not accept. There is no "across the board" answer for you.

If the only option you have is a community college, then you may be prepared to defend this choice in an interview. I would suspect that any questions or problems with your community college coursework could be answered very quickly with a very competitive MCAT score.

Get in touch with some of the schools and see what's out there.

Good luck!

njbmd

I'm currently a 3rd year DO student who did just about all of my pre-reqs at a C.C. I didn't crush the MCAT, but I did well enough in my classes and with extra curriculars to get in. And, I did pretty well on my boards considering my CC background (for whatever that's worth!). I, too, came from a financially disadvantaged situation. So, to answer your question, yes you can do pre-reqs at a CC. But, like the post above, please familiarize yourself with the schools you are applying to. MOST DO schools will accept your CC courses will full credit. Best of luck to you.

Atlas

 

[PanaRama]

I'm currently a 3rd year DO student who did just about all of my pre-reqs at a C.C. I didn't crush the MCAT, but I did well enough in my classes and with extra curriculars to get in. And, I did pretty well on my boards considering my CC background (for whatever that's worth!). I, too, came from a financially disadvantaged situation. So, to answer your question, yes you can do pre-reqs at a CC. But, like the post above, please familiarize yourself with the schools you are applying to. MOST DO schools will accept your CC courses will full credit. Best of luck to you.

Atlas

Thank You Atlas and NJ for your resonse. It has been a big help to me already. Thanks again !

 

[Beau Geste]

I know these are not DO schools, but SIU and UIC told me today that they accept cc coursework as well as LORs from cc's. SIU also weighs the last 60 hrs. more heavily.

So, if you're in IL, it's a good thing.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

with do schools, i don't see it being an issue at all. do schools are pretty non-elitist in general, and barring cc credits would go against that whole thing. just do well and have a solid mcat score, and you're good to go.

 

[Atlas]

I know these are not DO schools, but SIU and UIC told me today that they accept cc coursework as well as LORs from cc's. SIU also weighs the last 60 hrs. more heavily.

So, if you're in IL, it's a good thing.

That's true about SIU. I'm from Southern Illinois originally and I seriously thought about SIUSOM because they openly accept community college credits and don't bias your background/education against you. That was clutch.

 

[Beau Geste]

That's true about SIU. I'm from Southern Illinois originally and I seriously thought about SIUSOM because they openly accept community college credits and don't bias your background/education against you. That was clutch.

Where in SI are you from?

 

[Beau Geste]

That's true about SIU. I'm from Southern Illinois originally and I seriously thought about SIUSOM because they openly accept community college credits and don't bias your background/education against you. That was clutch.

Oh, and I love lamp.

 

[g0t_r00t]

I am in the same boat. I have a family and house etc. I need my full time job and community college is just the only option. I have checked ALL the major universities around me and they just don't offer higher level sciences at night. The best I found is calc 1, woopty doo .

Anyway I'm just going to do my best on the classes and mcat and we'll see where it takes me. I would like to go MD but DO will do just fine by me as I have been seriously thinking about just going DO.

Good Luck to all!!!

 

[thirdunity]

What's the situation in California?

California resident here. I am a CC student transferring to UC Davis. Because of my major (biology) I have to complete calculus, chemistry and biology at the CC before I can transfer to Davis, I will not be allowed to transfer before taking these classes.

 

[Jambi]

What's the situation in California?

We have a great CC system out here. It sounds that it depends on the school whether or not they will accept your credits. I would call the med schools that your planning on going to and ask them if they accept CC classes.

 

[CrazyPremed]

Although I can understand why medical schools favor classes taken at a four-year university, I have never heard of schools that won't take credits from accredited community colleges. Depending on the area, some classes offered at the local CC can be BETTER than the university (not as a rule, though) because of the smaller class sizes and teachers focusing on education, not publishing. Remember to research all of your options. Also, speak with people who have not only been accepted, but have experienced BOTH CC and university life. They can probably give you good info. Good luck!

CrazyPremed

 

[czyja]

Thirdunity-
I am a fellow CC graduate who transfered to Berkeley. According to the admissions staff at UCSF all UC medical schools actively recruit students with CC backgrounds. According to them, in Cali one is at no disadvantage whatsoever for having done prereqs at a Cali CC. (This is a function of the Master Plan for Higher Education, wisely put together by UC Chancellor Clark Kerr back in the 60's.) UC Davis has a strong premed program - I would suggest that you get your money's worth and talk to a premed counselor to put you mind at ease. Also pay attention to NJBMD's advise - she's a total rock star - by far the most sensible voice in nontradpremedcyberland.

 

[emgirl]

Although I can understand why medical schools favor classes taken at a four-year university, I have never heard of schools that won't take credits from accredited community colleges.

Unfortunately, BU and Case (which I've heard is "non trad" friendly") say on their websites that they don't accept prereqs done at a CC.

 

[firebird69guy]

What's the situation in California?

California resident here. I am a CC student transferring to UC Davis. Because of my major (biology) I have to complete calculus, chemistry and biology at the CC before I can transfer to Davis, I will not be allowed to transfer before taking these classes.

I did the same route as you.. graduated June 04 from UC Davis after transferring from a JC. I liked the plan, although it took me 5 years!! I definitely enjoyed community college, and felt I had a great education. It prepared me well for the classes at Davis. Just focus on getting used to the quarter system, it moves prettttty fast in comparison to semesters.


Good luck!!

 

[lilithny]

Unfortunately, BU and Case (which I've heard is "non trad" friendly") say on their websites that they don't accept prereqs done at a CC.

i think wake forest as well. keep in mind that it's only a small number of schools that have this no-no to CC's. It's shame they have to weed applicants like that, but they're not worth your time.

 

[thirdunity]

I did the same route as you.. graduated June 04 from UC Davis after transferring from a JC. I liked the plan, although it took me 5 years!! I definitely enjoyed community college, and felt I had a great education. It prepared me well for the classes at Davis. Just focus on getting used to the quarter system, it moves prettttty fast in comparison to semesters.
Good luck!!

The transfer took you five years, or the bachelor's did?

I'm pretty frustrated - I'm 31 now, and I spent my *entire* twenties getting all of the required IGETC stuff out of the way. I had serious math phobia and never took a single math class. Now I'm changing my major to Bio (after wavering between art and anthropology, and preparing for CSU not UC, for my entire 20s).

I'm now finding math and science WAY easier than I found those liberal arts classes - something about the way my brain is wired - and of course, tutoring helps a lot.

I'm getting ready to test into Algebra 2 so I can get into precalculus next fall, but it's still going to take me two years to get the prerequisites done - unless of course I want to take second semester calculus during the summer, which I think would probably kill me. I have to have the year of calculus, year of chemistry and year of biology before I can even get into Davis.

I also am newly single, don't know many people and am stuck in a small town with virtually no social life that I fit into or could comfortably make myself fit into.

It sounds really stupid coming from someone who wants to be a doctor, but I don't honestly know if I could go two years without a date or without making new friends.

The dates/relationships/friends thing is what I need to keep me sane while I'm in school.

I'm starting to wonder what other options I have besides Davis. All the same, the deal is, taking Calculus at the JC *is* a good idea. Smaller classes and all.

I wonder if it's at all workable for me to just move up there, go to the JC *there*, then transfer to the UC. Although I'm saving a lot of money by staying where I am. Maybe my ability to go two years without a date or without new friends is something I just need to go through.

I don't know. I'm not a person who's good at deferring ordinary human social needs. Maybe I am not cut out for this.

 

[atrovariousg]

with do schools, i don't see it being an issue at all. do schools are pretty non-elitist in general, and barring cc credits would go against that whole thing. just do well and have a solid mcat score, and you're good to go.

I did a semester of pre reqs at a cc never went to class and slept through my exams .....4.0 yet a kid I went to hs with went to this same cc for alllll of his pre reqs and got into KU?????????????
I think it's a great way to pad your GPA, but I don't think the the quality of education is there nor will be your retention of material.

 

[Beau Geste]

I remember more from the Gen Chems I took at the cc's than I did at SIU with 300 other people. For me, the smaller class sizes are better. I'm also going to have to finish out my pre-reqs at a cc (Ochem 2, physics, and calc) because of money and they have evening/weekend options. It's hard to try to run your own business when clients are picky for therapy times and you have class and lab right in the middle of your day!

I know of a few who got their degrees at a 4-year university and did pre-reqs after at a cc and got into various med schools (hopefully that will be me, too!). Once the blog stuff gets up, then we can see firsthand how people who take cc courses do at the application process.

It's hard to say that one shouldn't take any cc courses, because at application time the MCAT, EC's, LORs, etc. also play into it. I'm not going to worry about it - too many reputable people have advised me that it's ok! We'll see in the end anyway!

Also, the cc I am taking classes at isn't easier or harder than the universities I've attended. It's all the same material. It's jsut presented different because of small class sizes and more discussion in the class than straight-up lecture.