Retaking classes in Official Post Bacc Program

[jules0328]

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I recently applied to an official Post Bacc program. I have already taken Bio I, Chem I and Physics I. I received a B+, B, and B. However, they were at my local community college. Should I retake these classes during my post bacc? Are they worth retaking? How will adcom's look on this if retaken?? 😕 😕 😕

 

[junebuguf]

I had a similar situation. Took Intro Bio, Chem and Phys at Community College over a year when I was young and immature...did poorly in them (around 3.10 gpa in those classes). I decided to retake them all during my post-bacc year. For me the following reasons were paramount:

1) It had been 7 years since I took those classes at comm. college and barely remembered anything from them.

2) It *was* taken at a community college. And generally there is a discrepancy between the rigor at which they are taught the community college level and at the university level. Many schools whose web sites I've visited say that they strongly prefer that pre-reqs be taken at the university level. The reason is because the increased rigor better prepares you for the MCAT and, ultimately, medical school.

3) Lastly, my grades (mostly B's, B-'s a few A's, a few C's) were very poor for the pre-reqs. Remember, AMCAS has an entirely separate section just for pre-req and other science grades for a reason--they matter more than humanities and social science classes. So doing well would be very important. If you had gotten say all A's at the community college level I would say it would be more of a debate. But a 3.0 (or thereabouts) gpa in those courses from a community college is not good.

I would recommend that you definetely take them over. And try to ge tinto the honors sections of these intro classes. Since you've already taken them, they should be easy and taking the honors section shows initiative--you like challenging yourself.

 

[nico05]

I recently applied to an official Post Bacc program. I have already taken Bio I, Chem I and Physics I. I received a B+, B, and B. However, they were at my local community college. Should I retake these classes during my post bacc? Are they worth retaking? How will adcom's look on this if retaken?? 😕 😕 😕

Double check with the premed advisor at your new school to check. I dont know if going from a "B+" to an "A" is going to make much of a difference regardless of where it was taken. I do agree however that CC's science courses are much less rigorous, I've been on both sides. Make sure if you do retake them that your grades dont drop. I guess thats pretty obvious though!!

 

[jules0328]

I had a similar situation. Took Intro Bio, Chem and Phys at Community College over a year when I was young and immature...did poorly in them (around 3.10 gpa in those classes). I decided to retake them all during my post-bacc year. For me the following reasons were paramount:

1) It had been 7 years since I took those classes at comm. college and barely remembered anything from them.

2) It *was* taken at a community college. And generally there is a discrepancy between the rigor at which they are taught the community college level and at the university level. Many schools whose web sites I've visited say that they strongly prefer that pre-reqs be taken at the university level. The reason is because the increased rigor better prepares you for the MCAT and, ultimately, medical school.

3) Lastly, my grades (mostly B's, B-'s a few A's, a few C's) were very poor for the pre-reqs. Remember, AMCAS has an entirely separate section just for pre-req and other science grades for a reason--they matter more than humanities and social science classes. So doing well would be very important. If you had gotten say all A's at the community college level I would say it would be more of a debate. But a 3.0 (or thereabouts) gpa in those courses from a community college is not good.

I would recommend that you definetely take them over. And try to ge tinto the honors sections of these intro classes. Since you've already taken them, they should be easy and taking the honors section shows initiative--you like challenging yourself.

Thanks for the advice. I guess I must be insane, because I dont think a B and a B+ are POOR grades at all. But, then again, from reading throughout all of these threads, there are a lot of people on here who are just plain nuts about medical school. Maybe I am stupid or not as intelligent as I thought, I definitely did not think that the science classes that I took at my CC were easy at all. The professors stressed to us that just because it was CC, that did not mean we were off the hook on getting an easy A. I have to say, I worked my butt of for these grades. Now, granted, I am currently working a full time job and my time was extremely budgeted when it came to studying. I studied every chance I got, weekends, lunch breaks, even in the car on my way to class, I would literally talk to myself. I guess nowadays, it's common to talk to yourself in the car, seeing that there are hands free headsets and everything else concerned cybergear.

Going back to my dilemma. Hopefully, I will be getting into this post bacc program and I will definitely ask the advisor if it's worth retaking these classes and starting from scratch. I will not be working at all and will have all the time in the world to study and concentrate. While I have never been an A student all the way, I plan on becoming one and having the mentality of being an A student. Thanks again!

 

[nico05]

Maybe I am stupid or not as intelligent as I thought, I definitely did not think that the science classes that I took at my CC were easy at all. The professors stressed to us that just because it was CC, that did not mean we were off the hook on getting an easy A. I have to say, I worked my butt of for these grades.

It has nothing to do with being stupid or unintelligent. The work is hard and requires a certain type of studying. If you study 100 hours a week but are studying the wrong way, you'll never get good grades! Keep on plugging away, the grades will come. Find a groove and go with it. By the by, if you went to Nassau, the science classes there are not "easy"; the professors will challange you. It takes an above average student to get through med school. A "B" is above average. Dont stop trying!! 👍

 

[junebuguf]

Its not a question of being stupid. You defintely should take everyone on this board's advice with a grain of salt...that is, don't take it so personally. That being said, I'm sure that there are many community colleges whose academic standards are as high as universties. However, unless you apply to med schools near the community college you attended (where the adcom's would be familiar with the level of rigor of your classes) most adcoms in other states are definetly going to look down on community college classes for the pre-reqs. Thats a fact! If you feel very confident about what you learned in those classes (a good way to judge would be on how well you do on practice mcats) then you might want to just take several upper level classes, and by doing well in those you may be able to allay concerns adcoms have about where you took your pre-reqs.

I still believe that averaging a 3.10-3.4 in pre-reqs at a community college looks bad. Look at the average gpas at most med schools, its around 3.6-3.7, so anything less (particularly at a community college) is not going to impress. Just my opinion.