Retaking Anatomy

[tdmonster99]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello all, first post here. I am a prospective DPT student who has graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an overall GPA of 3.23 and PT Core GPA of 3.01. I didn't get into any of the schools I hoped for so I am looking to improve on my weak core GPA by retaking some classes.

I got a C in Anatomy at UIUC and want to retake it at my community college but there is a slight problem. UIUC used to have anatomy and physiology as separate classes, when I took it, while my community class does it as A&P I and II. And after I graduated, UIUC changed it over to A&P I and II as a two semester sequence. Just wondering if someone has run into a similar situation. Apparently for the community college credit to transfer you need to take both A&P I and II but that would be redundant since I already did well in Physiology at UIUC.

 

[markelmarcel]

To get the credits to count you either have to take Anatomy and Physiology seperately or A&P 1 and 2- you can't take Physiology and then A&P 1- schools won't count that...

So, since you already did Phys, I suggest looking into other nearby schools that offer just anatomy -- or you'll have to do A&P 1 and 2 for it to count. =/

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

I had a similar issue...at Northwestern anatomy and phys were separate, but I never had the chance to take phys because it was only offered in the fall, and it was the spring of my senior year.

I ended up taking an "independent study" in phys through NU's continuing education school that following fall, and one of the A&P profs at a local community college actually created a pure physiology class for me (which 2 other students also ended up taking), since they only had combined A&P classes at the CC, and taking 2 semesters of A&P would be really redundant since I already had a boatload of anatomy.

My suggestion is to maybe just take one A&P combined class. Technically, you already have the anatomy credit, and you just want to do better in it. If you take A&P I and rock the class, then maybe that will be sufficient to show you can handle the material.

I guess I'm confused about your present situation...you've already graduated from UIUC, correct? Then what difference does it make if the A&P I/II will transfer? I don't think UIUC would let you transfer a class that you took after graduating.

If you're in the Chicago area, I'd suggest looking into NU's School of Continuing Studies...they have two classes that are just anatomy that you could take. They're a bit pricey (~$1000), but they're just one quarter long each...you could take one of those and it should be sufficient, and price-wise it's similar to taking 2 semesters at a community college.

 

[tdmonster99]

Actually DancerFutureDPT you bring up a good point. How does grade replacement work after you graduate from an university? I'm looking to improve my overall and pre-req GPA so I guess it doesn't matter anymore if the credit transfers to UIUC since PTCAS will just total up all the credits regardless of the institutions.

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

exactly...PTCAS doesn't care where you take it, as long as they get the official transcripts. And I really doubt UIUC would go back and change anything on your transcript since you're no longer a student there. That would be way more trouble than it's worth.

In my case, I had all my undergrad work at NU, and then 3 (yes, 3) community college transcripts to send in because I was taking whatever prereq class I could wherever it would fit in my schedule. At one point I was enrolled at 3 universities, all at once (and since 2 were CCs, I had "residency" in all of them so I didn't have to pay out-of-district fees...the joys of using an old college apartment address for residency while living at my parents place in another district haha). It was a pain to send in transcripts to PTCAS from so many schools (especially since they were $5 for each transcript at each school), but when it came down to the GPA, the place where I took it had no effect on the end result in PTCAS.

So then my original advice remains the same: if you can find a university (NU School of Continuing Education, Loyola's night school, NIU, UIC, some other random school since idk where you live) that offers anatomy individually and isn't a huge pain to apply to take just one class, do it. Otherwise, just take A&P I at a CC to boost your grade, and if you decide to take A&P II you can. But, since you technically have anatomy already and just want to improve your grade, you don't necessarily have to take both A&P I and II.

 

[tdmonster99]

Thanks for the advice DancerFutureDPT. One more question. I am going to reapply for the 2011-2012 admissions cycle and wanted to know if taking Anatomy this upcoming fall would be worth it. Even though the application would be due before I finished the class, would it make sense to still take the class?

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

It's hard to say, but probably not worth it...it depends on where you're applying though...some places have deadlines of October or November and don't look at anything until then (in which case the academic update could be beneficial to you). Others, like NU for example, will look through and accept people on a rolling basis. I knew I was accepted before fall semester was over, so those grades didn't help/hurt my application.

I guess it depends on how your schools will go through applications.

 

[tdmonster99]

Kinda late for this now but oh well. In your guys opinion, which would be a better option, retaking Physics I and Bio I because I got a C and B- in those classes, respectively. Or taking both Anatomy and Physiology I and II to replace a C i got in just Anatomy? That last option would be taking two classes to basically replace one, but I feel a C in anatomy has more weight than a C in Physics I.