Starting Fresh, Retaking Classes

[holyravioli]

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Thanks to some research and awesome advice received here, I'm finally starting to make a plan and take responsibility for my poor grades. I have about a 2.45 sGPA and a 3.6 non-sGPA, so I plan to retake classes and do an informal/diy post bacc, with the hopes of getting into a DO school. I have retaken gen chem 1 and o chem 1 at community, and also started out fresh with micro. I believe I got an A in everything except o chem 1 (B+).

With that being said, I've heard that it's better to retake classes at a 4 year school. I would have done that before, but didn't think there was bias and had been trying to save money. Should I just jump right into studying at the 4 year school (continuing gen chem 2, o chem 2, there), or is it okay to retake prereqs at CC and then take upper level courses at the 4 year school?

I'd appreciate any insight or experience with starting over again.

 

[CapCrunch]

I'm doing a few retakes at a 4 year, but I would advise to finish the sequence course (orgo 2 and chem 2) at the school you're at. You don't know how they were taught at the 4 year, and where they left off. Stick it out. Many adcoms have said that it doesn't matter all that much because they understand the fact that not all students are blessed with the ability to pay for 4 yr post-bac tuition.

 

[hallowmann]

You could just stay at a CC, especially if the issue is cost. Definitely finish the pre-reqs there, but if they don't offer advanced bio classes then you can take them at a 4yr college/university.

 

[Mehd School]

Take them at a CC. I think the issue is overblown here, especially when some can't afford to retake classes at a 4 year compared to a CC. Luckily my University is about as cheap as a CC.

 

[deleted492904]

Take them at a CC. I think the issue is overblown here, especially when some can't afford to retake classes at a 4 year compared to a CC. Luckily my University is about as cheap as a CC.

Hey guys, if the classes are the same at a 4 year school and a CC, and the costs are about the same, will it look better to the adcom if you take the classes at a 4 year uni?

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Hey guys, if the classes are the same at a 4 year school and a CC, and the costs are about the same, will it look better to the adcom if you take the classes at a 4 year uni?

all else being equal, it will look better.

 

[SurgeDO]

this is SDN...unless you are taking classes at Harvard, we will shake our heads at you in disgust.

 

[holyravioli]

Thank you everyone for the feedback, I appreciate it! I feel a bit better knowing CC is good for pre-reqs before moving on to advanced classes elsewhere.

 

[Goro]

I need to make a sticky on this. There's this urban legend amongst pre-meds that taking coursework at a CC is looked down upon by AdComs. The truth is that there are some schools that look down upon it, but many others (like mine) have the view that CCs can be just a rigorous as any 4 year school.

The key is how much work you do at the CC. If you're taking 4-9 credits a semester, that's great. But someone who takes 3 hrs/year over five eyars is not going to be taken seriously, because there's no way of knowing how s/he can handle a medical school course load.

So go ahead and take the pre-reqs at the CC and save some bucks.

With that being said, I've heard that it's better to retake classes at a 4 year school. I would have done that before, but didn't think there was bias and had been trying to save money. Should I just jump right into studying at the 4 year school (continuing gen chem 2, o chem 2, there), or is it okay to retake prereqs at CC and then take upper level courses at the 4 year school?

I'd appreciate any insight or experience with starting over again.[/QUOTE]

 

[holyravioli]

I need to make a sticky on this. There's this urban legend amongst pre-meds that taking coursework at a CC is looked down upon by AdComs. The truth is that there are some schools that look down upon it, but many others (like mine) have the view that CCs can be just a rigorous as any 4 year school.

The key is how much work you do at the CC. If you're taking 4-9 credits a semester, that's great. But someone who takes 3 hrs/year over five eyars is not going to be taken seriously, because there's no way of knowing how s/he can handle a medical school course load.

So go ahead and take the pre-reqs at the CC and save some bucks.

With that being said, I've heard that it's better to retake classes at a 4 year school. I would have done that before, but didn't think there was bias and had been trying to save money. Should I just jump right into studying at the 4 year school (continuing gen chem 2, o chem 2, there), or is it okay to retake prereqs at CC and then take upper level courses at the 4 year school?

I'd appreciate any insight or experience with starting over again.

[/QUOTE]
Thanks so, so much, Goro. This one physician I spoke with seemed to think CC wasn't as favorable, which kind of shocked me. So I'm relieved to hear this. If you don't mind me asking, which school do you attend?