Prerequisite during the summer of gliding year

[zoner]

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Hi Everyone

I am interested in applying med school that requires 1 year of math and 1 semester of statistic and I will be starting my post bacc program in the Fall. However, if I want to finish ALL of my prerequisite classes, including two years of English, Biochem and etc..., I HAVE to take a summer class at a local CC this summer: Cal I or Chem I.

However, I really really don't want to . I rather work more, save some money and get ready for my move during the summer. If I take this summer off, I have to end up taking Cal II during second half of the summer after I'd have apply to med school in the following following June.

Is this alright? or rather completely safe, honorable, respected and etc.. in the eyes of the adcoms? Any personal experience you would like to share?

 

[DrMidlife]

In my experience there's no problem with finishing required coursework after you start your application/glide year. All the app services, and a lot of secondaries, make you list the courses you haven't yet completed, and then they hammer on you to complete them if/when you get accepted. More to the point, you have to ask permission to not complete something you claimed you'd be completing.

You'll be done with the summer class by the time you interview, and then you also have a grade to send with updates and LOIs. Having something to put in an update/LOI is pretty great.

Let me just recommend that you give a lot of thought to what you need to do to hit the ground running when you start your postbac. Get A's, no matter what it takes: if you weren't an A student before, don't plan on magic. We hear too many stories around here of folks who fail their first chem/bio/math exam, and didn't see it coming. See it coming - be proactive!

Best of luck to you.

 

[zoner]

Ah... thank you,

yes, all A student now, but not when I was in undg.

My worry is that if I apply to school that require a full year of Math, and I had only completely one course of math, would this jeopardize my chance of getting an interview? I mean, if there was another applicant just like me that has taken a full year of Math vs. me who has taken just one semester of math, wouldn't he have a better chance of getting that interview?

Dr. Midlife, thank you so much for answering a lot of my questions....

 

[DrMidlife]

My worry is that if I apply to school that require a full year of Math, and I had only completely one course of math, would this jeopardize my chance of getting an interview? I mean, if there was another applicant just like me that has taken a full year of Math vs. me who has taken just one semester of math, wouldn't he have a better chance of getting that interview?

Sure, this can happen, but you can also lose your chance at an interview for any arbitrary reason, such as:
- otherwise identical applicant (OIA) plays ultimate frisbee, as does reviewer
- OIA has interesting name that's fun to say
- OIA was Miss California
...which is why you want to apply early and broadly, with the strongest stats you can muster. Reviewers are human.

But to actually answer your question, a reviewer would have to dig deep to even SEE that you have a math requirement that hasn't been finished. They're looking at your COMPLETED coursework to judge your academic mettle. Worst case, and I consider this highly unlikely, you could be put on hold pending that next math grade, which you'd be able to submit almost immediately.

Assuming your concern is about the UCs that require a full year, you might want to ask about unfinished math in pre-allo. IE "did anybody get put on hold at a UC for unfinished math?"

Best of luck to you.