structuring prereqs...how does this look?

[heartoftexas]

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Hi y'all. I am new here...33 y/o retired BA/JD, SAHM to three cherubs, finally pursuing med school dream. I am mapping out my courses and I wanted to run this by those of you who have BTDT.

Spring 09 - BIO 1, Pre-cal, Statistics
Summer 09 - BIO 2, Cal
Fall 09 - Chem 1, Physics 1
Spring 10 - Chem 2, Physics 2
Fall 10 - Orgo 1, Anatomy/Phys 1
Spring 11 - Orgo 2, Anatomy/Phys 2, TPR/MCAT

Questions:
1) How important is calculus? I haven't taken it since HS and I took pre-cal in college many years ago, so I feel like I need a refresher pre-cal course if I'm going to take cal. My schools require cal or stats, but not both. Is cal helpful for MCAT? Is it worth taking?
2) Is Orgo2/AP2/MCAT too much for one spring? My kids are in school from 8-3 and go to bed at 8, so I have plenty of study time after they are asleep (I am a night owl...up til about at least 1 every night).
3) Is it a bad idea to take MCAT without having finished Orgo 2? I want to get my app in as early as possible, so I want to take it in April of that spring semester. Will I know enough Orgo, including what they cover in TPR? Should I wait and take MCAT in the summer? That will delay my app being complete, though, and I really want to apply early.

Thanks in advance for your advice. This is such a helpful forum! 🙂

 

[sylvanthus]

1) Calc will not be helpful on the MCAT, so just take it if you need to knock it out as a prereq.


2) I don't think it is too much, just make sure you are setting aside time consistently. I also recommend getting ExamKrackers Audio Osmosis and listening to it in the car or when you go for walks or whatever. I think it helped me quite a bit when I was driving across country.

3) Don't wait on taking the MCAT, you do not necessarily need to have completed Orgo 2 to do well on the MCAT. Plus, if you mess up, this will give you time to retake.

Justin

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

Concur on calc, many schools require 2 math classes but calc is not covered on the MCAT. Gen Chem (2 in particular) has quite a bit of math, plan on getting really good at the scientific calculculator, but if anything, I'd push the math requirement to the very end, i.e. during the final year after applying & before beginning school. My thinking on this is that the math in any math class is going to be far more detailed than you'd need on the MCAT, and math in the science classes seemed pretty simple, just need lots of practice, on gen chem 2 & physics. If you feel really week at math (trig particularly, scientific notation, stuff like that), it may make sense to ignore my suggestion.

Where's the English courses, most schools require 2 english classes unless these were already completed in college?

I'd suggest adding in cell & molecular bio, the bio section on the MCAT is focusing much more on that area (and A&P) now. Anatomy, not so much, physiology, definitely.

For taking orgo 2 & MCAT simultaneously - most ochem 2 is not covered on the MCAT, there are a handful of reactions that are (see examkrackers which helped me greatly in this area). I'd suggest completing ochem 2 as a hedge, and if it's got to be completed regardless prior to enrolling in med school, why not have the benefit of the knowledge before the MCAT? You should be OK per timing:

For timing, I'd suggest in an ideal world (not what I did) to have secondaries done by mid-August. Yes schools accept them before then, but you'd not be remotely "late" with an Aug secondary; "late" would be late Oct-November, "hopeless" would be December. If courses are complete in May, study for the MCAT through mid-late June, complete secondaries (which take 3-4 weeks for AAMC to review) after completing the MCAT & you'd be in great shape timewise.

MOST IMPORTANT NOTE: the mcat takes a great deal of time to study for properly, in my case as a 3.9+ post-bacc student, strong memory, excellent testtaker, and having recently completed over 40 hours of science classes, it took around 6 weeks of hardcore, study-around-the-clock studying just before the exam to break a 30 (75th-80th percentile) This included completing around 10 full length MCATs (all AAMC + some Kaplan) in timed sessions, around 2 per week, reviewing all notes & material, etc. The test requires lots of standalone prep time. Sounds like a good plan!

 

[heartoftexas]

😉Thanks, guys. Very helpful.

Calc is not required at the schools I am applying to (Texas only). Good idea on the Exam Krackers audio stuff. I spend a lot of time in the car shuttling kids around. Of course, I will have to convince them that listening to a chem lecture is more fun than Miley Cyrus or Jonas Brothers. 😀

I didn't include the English requirements, although I will be taking them. I am in a somewhat unique situation, in that I have two degrees (and of course have taken two English classes), but I am in Texas and using the Academic Fresh Start statute. This applies only to Texas public schools. It removes coursework older than 10 years old from the calculation of your cumulative GPA. Downside is that those courses can't count as prereqs and don't count toward the 90-hour matriculation requirement. My UG/law grades are not bad, but it was going to take me about 70 hours of straight As just to get to a 3.5. So I am opting to take 90 hours and shoot for a 4.0. 😉 Adcom will still know I have two degrees, still see all my achievements...law review, cum laude, dean's list, etc.... They just won't use those old grades (ALL my old grades are more than 10 years old, so I am starting from scratch) in calculating my GPA. (I only explain this because there is a lot of misinformation out there about what Fresh Start is and is not...I have talked at length with the TMDSAS folks so that I am positive of the effect of applying this way!)

Anyway, I am taking my prereqs at community college. My two options are CC at $61/hour or private university at $986/hour. No state schools anywhere near me. I simply cannot spent tens of thousands of dollars on prereqs.

Soooo, I don't have the option of taking the upper level bio electives like cell/molecular. The CC offers A&P 1&2, and it offers micro. I might take biochem at the private school (if they'll accept my general chem and orgo transfer credits...which if they didn't it would be ridiculous considering the professor at the CC used to teach the same courses at the private univ).

I do feel a little weak at math given that I haven't taken it in so long, but I think it will come back to me and if it doesn't, I will get a tutor to get back up to speed. I know I can understand the concepts because I have before...I just haven't used them in years!

I am eager to apply early because I am really targeting one school (local to me) and students at that school have stressed the importance of applying early.

Good to know on test prep. I will definitely consider the June test rather than April. I am meeting with the admissions director of my #1 school in January and will definitely discuss this with him.

How would you say your study time broke down in terms of BS/PS/V? I don't anticipate spending a lot of time on verbal. That is a strong point for me, and I have done very well on the practice MCAT verbals I have taken. That is one area where being a former lawyer is helpful -- verbal is just like the LSAT and employs the same reasoning skills used in practicing law.

Thanks again for the helpful responses. You've given me a lot to consider.

 

[sylvanthus]

"How would you say your study time broke down in terms of BS/PS/V? I don't anticipate spending a lot of time on verbal. That is a strong point for me, and I have done very well on the practice MCAT verbals I have taken. That is one area where being a former lawyer is helpful -- verbal is just like the LSAT and employs the same reasoning skills used in practicing law. "


I just bought the EK total study package and read through all the books and took the chapter practice tests. I didn't have the time to do AAMC practice exams, but still managed to get a 36. I think EK did a great job of teaching you what you need for the actual test and if you are a good test taker, you probably do not need to do anything to prepare for the VR portion. I didn't do anything and still got a 12.

Anyhow, good luck man! It really isn't that bad of a test. Just don't get an M on the WS like I did. A bloody M!


Justin

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

time breakdown? I'd suggest getting through most of the review material and starting to take the practice AAMC tests, see where things are. If you're hitting 10+ in a section, probably you're OK there. My weak point was biology (ochem was fine) so that's where I focused my time, chem/physics were not something I needed to do much on, beyond reviewing all of the material. Like you, I felt pretty strong on the VR section, did not study for this really at all & hit a 11 on my first MCAT, 10 second time around which was still OK in my book.

Funny how people have different strengths, I had no problem hitting an S on the writing sample (this really does not matter to US schools) but seemed to cap out at a 10/11 in the VR section although I consider this to be an area of strength..