So I failed

[Dr. Josh]

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I totally agree w. Doctormom that summer classes can def. get very intense. Remember its a semester crammed into between 5-8 weeks and I know it varies from school to school but in my cae summer sci classes meet 4 or 5 days per wk w/ assignments due the following day.
But I disagree w/ the cc thing it depends a lot on the professor. I have taken many classes at cc and a university and sometimes the cc which I expected to be fairly easy this didnot hold true

Last summer I took chem 2 and physics 2 at a CC; and it was intense. Except for the orgo I just took I worked harder at physics 2 than any other class I have taken at my 4 yr university. The reason is that the prof was awful, mean, couldn't teach, hated all the students, etc etc. My orgo prof was sort of like thast too. And neither curved despite well over 75% failure rate.

 

[Dr. Josh]

agreed... my summer was almost as intense... I ended up with a 20M on the MCATs and I studied for the MCATs for a whole year... wait to apply until your sure... and don't do too much at once... its better not to overwhelm yourself you will get more out of everything if u dont do as much

ouch! what's your situation now?

 

[DoctorMom78]

My shadowing position is near my house. I have no car at school, nor any access to shadowing, even if I could get a connection. Honestly i don't even know where the nearest hospital to my school is.😳

I do plan to take orgo at a CC near my house, not because I believe it will be easier but do to expenses and my present financial situation.

Orgo 1 is not offered in the spring; which is why I must take both over the summer. I could start studying for the MCAT during the spring semester but i don't have an easy semester then either.

Do you think it's really late to take the MCAT in July or August either while I'm taking orgo 2 or when I'm done. Will Sept be too late to apply if I'm an average applicant?

I've heard (here) of people applying while taking a pre-req and med schools only required them to take it before they matriculate. Why hasn't anyone mentioned that to me? I know I need to replace my orgo 1 grade before I apply so they don't look too closely at my pathetic D but why not while I'm taking orgo 2? Is it because I shouldn't take the MCAT before completing it?

My experience has been that all my cc classes were much easier than the ones I took at a four year school. I really think that you are going to overwhelm yourself trying to take orgo over the summer and studying for the MCAT. Honestly, I think it would be easier to study in the spring and take it in April. I took the MCAT without any organic chemistry, and I definitely would not advise that. But, since you had one semester and have some understanding of the material, you may be okay. I personally think you should wait a year in order to allow yourself enough time to finish everything and do well on it. However, if you are set on taking the MCAT and applying for the next cycle, then I would take April over August because I think all your plans for the summer will not allow you to properly study for the test. Best of luck with whatever you decide! 😀

 

[dr.kicia]

My experience has been that all my cc classes were much easier than the ones I took at a four year school. I really think that you are going to overwhelm yourself trying to take orgo over the summer and studying for the MCAT. Honestly, I think it would be easier to study in the spring and take it in April. I took the MCAT without any organic chemistry, and I definitely would not advise that. But, since you had one semester and have some understanding of the material, you may be okay. I personally think you should wait a year in order to allow yourself enough time to finish everything and do well on it. However, if you are set on taking the MCAT and applying for the next cycle, then I would take April over August because I think all your plans for the summer will not allow you to properly study for the test. Best of luck with whatever you decide! 😀

i guess it depends on the CC you are taking your class at.At the CC near my house summer session is 10 weeks and it is not that crazy because during the summer they reduce the number of lab hours you take. Some colleges also have separate lab and lecture credits (at my university orgo during the summer meets twice a week tue,thrs...which can leave you with mon,wed,fri to study and do MCAT stuff). I think it is totally managable to take orgo 1 and 2 during the summer, and especially at CC and if you are organized and motivated. But adding volunteering and shadowing to that would be really hard timewise.

I do agree with dr.mom that the wisest idea would be to wait a year. You don't want to end up scewing up yourself because you were trying to race to med school.
Sometimes it's better to wait and be really ready. Remeber that having to retake more classes or MCAT is never good.
Do it once and for all.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I tend to agree with all that was said, I took orgo in the summer and it was torture. I was also doing apps, studying for the MCAT, shadowing and volunteering. it's definitely doable, just be prepared to have no life. Good luck.

 

[jkhamlin]

My experience has been that all my cc classes were much easier than the ones I took at a four year school. I really think that you are going to overwhelm yourself trying to take orgo over the summer and studying for the MCAT. Honestly, I think it would be easier to study in the spring and take it in April. I took the MCAT without any organic chemistry, and I definitely would not advise that. But, since you had one semester and have some understanding of the material, you may be okay. I personally think you should wait a year in order to allow yourself enough time to finish everything and do well on it. However, if you are set on taking the MCAT and applying for the next cycle, then I would take April over August because I think all your plans for the summer will not allow you to properly study for the test. Best of luck with whatever you decide! 😀

The university I go to is "harder" because I basically had to teach myself. The "CC" (junior college as opposed to four year CC) I went to is more challenging because the instructors there know how to teach and care more about the students than research. I learned far more in my CC classes than in my university classes.

 

[DoctorMom78]

The university I go to is "harder" because I basically had to teach myself. The "CC" (junior college as opposed to four year CC) I went to is more challenging because the instructors there know how to teach and care more about the students than research. I learned far more in my CC classes than in my university classes.

LOL! OK, fine. For me it was the other way around though.😉 😀

 

[jkhamlin]

I've heard (here) of people applying while taking a pre-req and med schools only required them to take it before they matriculate. Why hasn't anyone mentioned that to me? I know I need to replace my orgo 1 grade before I apply so they don't look too closely at my pathetic D but why not while I'm taking orgo 2? Is it because I shouldn't take the MCAT before completing it?

Yes, you shouldn't take the MCAT before completing it, but also the people who are accepted before taking a prereq have it on their transcript as "in progress," and their previous grades indicate a high probability of getting a C or better. Granted, your previous grades are good, but I would bet that someone on an AdComm would look at your D and then at Organic I and II simultaneously in progress and think that there is a good chance you will fail both. A lot of applying to medical school is perception, and perception is the AdComm's reality.

 

[Dr. Josh]

Yes, you shouldn't take the MCAT before completing it, but also the people who are accepted before taking a prereq have it on their transcript as "in progress," and their previous grades indicate a high probability of getting a C or better. Granted, your previous grades are good, but I would bet that someone on an AdComm would look at your D and then at Organic I and II simultaneously in progress and think that there is a good chance you will fail both. A lot of applying to medical school is perception, and perception is the AdComm's reality.

I wouldn't send in my application until I at least had a replacement grade for my orgo 1. So if DO schools only use the higher grade on a retake, the other grade is still there. Tell me how much sublimily, of course, do they remember your bad grade and hold it against you?

 

[jkhamlin]

I wouldn't send in my application until I at least had a replacement grade for my orgo 1. So if DO schools only use the higher grade on a retake, the other grade is still there. Tell me how much sublimily, of course, do they remember your bad grade and hold it against you?

It's had to say, but they never asked me anything about the classes I repeated. I think they had far more important things to consider about me. Frankly, I don't think they care nearly as much about repeated classes as they care about the all important cummulative GPA. You will probably have too many classes for them to take too much of a microscope to them all. If you repeat it and get a good grade, they probably won't care about the previous grade. It will reflect positively on you that you took the time and effort to do it.

 

[richard01]

Hey I see you're in the NY area b/c you posted the Nassau CC ratemyprofessor link. I have a friend who took it at CUNY Lehman(in the Bronx if it's not too far for you) over the summer, orgo 1, 2, and both labs also. She also took the MCAT that august and did decent. Check out the professors there.

 

[DoctorMom78]

Yes, you shouldn't take the MCAT before completing it, but also the people who are accepted before taking a prereq have it on their transcript as "in progress," and their previous grades indicate a high probability of getting a C or better. Granted, your previous grades are good, but I would bet that someone on an AdComm would look at your D and then at Organic I and II simultaneously in progress and think that there is a good chance you will fail both. A lot of applying to medical school is
perception, and perception is the AdComm's reality.

I agree again.🙂 I took the MCAT without having organic 1 and 2 and it was a mistake. My acceptances are all contingent upon completion of organic chemistry. I listed both classes on my AACOMAS as future/in progress classes.

 

[Dr. Josh]

Hey I see you're in the NY area b/c you posted the Nassau CC ratemyprofessor link. I have a friend who took it at CUNY Lehman(in the Bronx if it's not too far for you) over the summer, orgo 1, 2, and both labs also. She also took the MCAT that august and did decent. Check out the professors there.

Commuting in NY is murder. It would probably take me 2 hrs each way to go there.