Science classes over summer

[Hogfan10]

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Here's the situation:

I went to a community college freshman year and wasn't able to take Chem 1 & 2. Transfered to 4 year last fall (I'm a sophomore in spring semester right now). I have finshed Cell Bio, POB, Chem 1&2 now going into my junior year. and I'm a biology major. Didn't Chem 1 and 2 as pre-reqs so I couldn't take hardly biology classes (e.g. genetics or ecology etc.)

I want to try and graduate and apply and take MCAT on time with everyone on regular schedule.

My advisor suggested I take Genetics, O-Chem and Physics this fall.

What would you do in my situation? And how do you think organic chem would be over the summer? 😱

 

[p0l4R17y]

O-Chem is a nightmare already. Taking it during the summer sounds like academic suicide.

Genetics or physics should be doable if you're willing to put nose to the grindstone.

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

I think physics is more doable in the summer than OChem. You want to take your time with that class, IMO.

 

[Juan Solo]

Here's the situation:

I went to a community college freshman year and wasn't able to take Chem 1 & 2. Transfered to 4 year last fall (I'm a sophomore in spring semester right now). I have finshed Cell Bio, POB, Chem 1&2 now going into my junior year. and I'm a biology major. Didn't Chem 1 and 2 as pre-reqs so I couldn't take hardly biology classes (e.g. genetics or ecology etc.)

I want to try and graduate and apply and take MCAT on time with everyone on regular schedule.

My advisor suggested I take Genetics, O-Chem and Physics this fall.

What would you do in my situation? And how do you think organic chem would be over the summer? 😱

I understand how you may feel like you want to take the MCAT and apply to school the same time as everyone but you should do these things when you are ready and when it makes most sense. Dont rush either of those two things. Next. Taking genetics, O-chem and physics in the same term is going to be a work load, definitely doable, but it all depends on your comfort level and willingness to sacrifice personal time.
I personally took the first half of O-chem during one summer and that was ALL I did that summer.

Good luck!!

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

I advise against taking all of those classes at the same time and that you should push one to the summer. I knew a few people who took orgo over the summer, and were really glad because 1) it was over much more quickly (~5 weeks for orgo 1) than dragging it out over the semester (10+ weeks) and 2) they could focus just on orgo over the summer, instead of also worrying about the 4 other classes they would have taken in addition during the semester.

If you take orgo, try to take both semesters over the summer, if your school has 2 summer sessions. It's best to take orgo1&2 in concurrent sessions (either 2 summers, summer then fall, or fall then spring) because the concepts will carry over. This is not as essential for physics 1&2 since mechanics and E&M are not that related.

 

[Hogfan10]

Thanks for responses! Very helpful. Sadly I have to make this decision by Monday for my registration 🙁

 

[callcar]

Thanks for responses! Very helpful. Sadly I have to make this decision by Monday for my registration 🙁

I'm glade I found your thread. I also took cc classes while I was in high school (english, humanities, communication, snooze). Good call on the no science pre-req's at community college, as many med schools frown upon it. I'm waiting to take my chem 1 this summer (at uni). I'm devoting the whole summer to learning the basics of chemistry. In my opinion, take a class but commit to it.

Cheers, -C

 

[rain4venus]

I took o-chem over the summer, at a local branch of my state school. (which I technically don't think is a CC, but I don't know or really care about how that all works because I'm not pre-med...) It was the best thing I could have done. The class was small, and the teacher was a) really good and b) actually interested in teaching. I learned more in that class than in every other chem class I've ever had combined.

That said, my case I think was pretty lucky because I had a fantastic teacher, which is probably not the most common thing when taking summer classes at your state school. But I did hear from many people at my UG school (Tulane) that taking orgo in the summer was way better than taking it during the year. Yeah, it's faster, and it's long days. But you also have fewer students, no other classes to distract you, and the teachers are less likely to be trying to weed out the students. I think maybe they get the impression that you're serious about school if you're willing to give up your summer for it.

ETA: Whatever you do, I think it's better idea to take one of the classes (either physics or orgo) over the summer than to take all those classes at the same time. That does sound like a crazy course load.

 

[dsoz]

I took biochem in a condensed version over the summer. Four days a week from 8-noon for four weeks to earn four quarter credits. It was INSANE. I would come home and read another two or three hours each night just to look at the material for the next day. All I wanted to do was enjoy the sunshine, hang out with my family and friends, and just relax. It did not happen!

I would not want to take organic over the summer. It would be just as bad or worse!

dsoz

 

[icemanx0502]

Have you guys taken classes in the summer and gotten into school?

I am a non-traditional student in the middle of an essentially self-made post bac at a local college but the health professions office at my undergraduate institution said not to take summer classes because then I won't get into school and that med schools look down on summer classes 🙁.

I am confused and not sure where to go. The college I am doing my post-bac at does not have a health professions office, only a pre-med advisor who has not returned my emails and I cant seem to find her when I am on campus either. I am half done with my post bac and just need to take orgo and bio and was planning to take all of orgo and half of bio over the summer and be able to finish up orgo lab and the second half of bio in the fall (all 3 courses are in different sessions). I am not worried of my academic abilities since I have gotten all A's so far in the post bac program. I just want to finish up so I can take the MCAT and apply to school. So I guess I am asking is is it really a big deal to take the classes in the summer or is the HPO at my undergrad school just very uptight on the issue? 😕

 

[ShySpliceosome]

O-Chem is a nightmare already. Taking it during the summer sounds like academic suicide.

Genetics or physics should be doable if you're willing to put nose to the grindstone.

I advise against taking all of those classes at the same time and that you should push one to the summer. I knew a few people who took orgo over the summer, and were really glad because 1) it was over much more quickly (~5 weeks for orgo 1) than dragging it out over the semester (10+ weeks) and 2) they could focus just on orgo over the summer, instead of also worrying about the 4 other classes they would have taken in addition during the semester.

If you take orgo, try to take both semesters over the summer, if your school has 2 summer sessions. It's best to take orgo1&2 in concurrent sessions (either 2 summers, summer then fall, or fall then spring) because the concepts will carry over. This is not as essential for physics 1&2 since mechanics and E&M are not that related.

I took o-chem over the summer, at a local branch of my state school. (which I technically don't think is a CC, but I don't know or really care about how that all works because I'm not pre-med...) It was the best thing I could have done. The class was small, and the teacher was a) really good and b) actually interested in teaching. I learned more in that class than in every other chem class I've ever had combined.

That said, my case I think was pretty lucky because I had a fantastic teacher, which is probably not the most common thing when taking summer classes at your state school. But I did hear from many people at my UG school (Tulane) that taking orgo in the summer was way better than taking it during the year. Yeah, it's faster, and it's long days. But you also have fewer students, no other classes to distract you, and the teachers are less likely to be trying to weed out the students. I think maybe they get the impression that you're serious about school if you're willing to give up your summer for it.

ETA: Whatever you do, I think it's better idea to take one of the classes (either physics or orgo) over the summer than to take all those classes at the same time. That does sound like a crazy course load.

I took O-Chem II last summer, and I do believe it was the best decision I've ever made I my undergraduate career...seriously. I will admit I had to stay up until 2 A.M. every day to get a decent grade in the class, but it was well worth it. Even though there was more material crammed into a shorter amount of time, I liked the fact that I could just focus on that one class. I highly recommend getting O-Chem out of the way now, if you can...once you jump through that hoop, you'll feel more confident in your other classes...that's how I felt, anyway

 

[Cinclus]

I took o-chem 1 over a summer semester. It wasn't bad at all, because it was all I took that summer.

 

[dsoz]

Have you guys taken classes in the summer and gotten into school?

I am a non-traditional student in the middle of an essentially self-made post bac at a local college but the health professions office at my undergraduate institution said not to take summer classes because then I won't get into school and that med schools look down on summer classes 🙁.

I am confused and not sure where to go. The college I am doing my post-bac at does not have a health professions office, only a pre-med advisor who has not returned my emails and I cant seem to find her when I am on campus either. I am half done with my post bac and just need to take orgo and bio and was planning to take all of orgo and half of bio over the summer and be able to finish up orgo lab and the second half of bio in the fall (all 3 courses are in different sessions). I am not worried of my academic abilities since I have gotten all A's so far in the post bac program. I just want to finish up so I can take the MCAT and apply to school. So I guess I am asking is is it really a big deal to take the classes in the summer or is the HPO at my undergrad school just very uptight on the issue? 😕

Did you see my post right above yours? I am a VERY non-traditional (look at my MDapps under my avatar). I took biochem (required for OHSU, and recommended by many others) over the summer and was accepted. It was the only required class because all my other prerequisite classes were in my undergraduate degree from 20 years ago. They were all accepted as meeting the requirement still from every med school where I applied.

I also took a quarter of "intro to immunology" and a year sequence on A&P at a community college before I submitted my primary applications. They are not pre-reques, but they were still CC science classes. I was accepted with no problem.

Also, I have almost the EXACT average stats for OHSU. So it was not my numbers that got me an acceptance!

dsoz