Summer Classes

[cadbury325]

I was wondering if anyone had an input on my question. I am going to be entering a special masters program next year (BU or Georgetown). I am also going to submit my application for medical school in June. I was thinking about taking a graduate level science class in the summer. Would I be able to send these grades in after I have submitted my application to medical schools? Do you think it would help my application?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NeuroSync]

I was wondering if anyone had an input on my question. I am going to be entering a special masters program next year (BU or Georgetown). I am also going to submit my application for medical school in June. I was thinking about taking a graduate level science class in the summer. Would I be able to send these grades in after I have submitted my application to medical schools? Do you think it would help my application?

Thanks!

I believe that most schools will look favorably at graduate-level science classes. You should list the classes on your application, and then fill in the grades later (send transcripts as they come in). So, yes, they will get the grades.
It's hard to say if it will help your application, but it certainly won't hurt. For example, on dean of admissions I know says that it is more favorable to take a more difficult science class than to repeat a class for a better grade. So if your science gpa isn't so hot, it will definitely help at some schools. If it's already good, it may show motivation.

 

[cammy1313]

I was wondering if anyone had an input on my question. I am going to be entering a special masters program next year (BU or Georgetown). I am also going to submit my application for medical school in June. I was thinking about taking a graduate level science class in the summer. Would I be able to send these grades in after I have submitted my application to medical schools? Do you think it would help my application?

This would be a very good thing, particularly if it's one of the courses of your special masters program and your numbers (GPA, MCAT) are borderline for admission. I know BU offers Histology over the summer which I would HIGHLY recommend taking. This way you get a very difficult course out of the way (and it will be difficult, espeically with the accelerated summer version), and you have a concrete transcript already established to send out to schools. Otherwise, depending on what your app looks like of course, most schools will put you on hold until they recieve your first quarter grades in the SMP. Oh, and an added benefit would be to get to know the prof for a possible letter of rec (this will be essential when you recieve your secondary apps). Just my two cents as a former BU post-baccer. G'luck!

 

[cadbury325]

I know BU offers Histology over the summer which I would HIGHLY recommend taking. This way you get a very difficult course out of the way (and it will be difficult, espeically with the accelerated summer version), and you have a concrete transcript already established to send out to schools. :

I was thinking about taking Histology. Do you know anyone who has taken Histology at BU in the summer? How did you find it when you took it during the year?

 

[cammy1313]

I was thinking about taking Histology. Do you know anyone who has taken Histology at BU in the summer? How did you find it when you took it during the year?

During the year it's actually kind of tricky. First semester is when the med students take it. The only way to get into that course is if you are automatically enrolled in it (BU plans your schedule at first and then you can change it based on course availability, etc.). That's how I came to be in it first semester. Second semester you can choose to enroll in it as well and it's strictly grad students, no med. It's the same exact course and so equally as good and challenging (just no med students). Anyway, the summer course is very accelerated because of the short amount of time in which it is administered. I think it's basically 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. There is lecture and lab, but lab is where you spend the majority of your time (duh). I knew a few people that took Histo the summer prior to entering the program and they were able to take several other courses during the year that I wish I'd had time for. The advantage to the summer course, as i said, is that you get it over with and that have the chance to bond with the prof early (Dr. Vaughan, I love her, she became my mentor). The disadvantage is that it's ALL HISTO ALL THE TIME. It was by far my favorite course in the program and I studied my bum off for it over the course of first semester. It's a lot of memorization so if you'd rather not cram a semester of info into your brain over the course of 8 weeks then maybe summer histo isn't the way to go. Anyway, hope this rant answers your questions