Summer Classes

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medicalpassion

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Hey everyone,

I can't seem to find a thread on this situation - please feel free to post a link if you find one.

Is it frowned upon by admissions committees if you take summer classes at your regular 4-year institution? I know the summer should be a time for other experiences but due to my major, I would like to free up some time for classes helpful for the MCAT.

Also, how valuable are poster presentations at SURF programs?

Thanks.
 
Hey everyone,

I can't seem to find a thread on this situation - please feel free to post a link if you find one.

Is it frowned upon by admissions committees if you take summer classes at your regular 4-year institution? I know the summer should be a time for other experiences but due to my major, I would like to free up some time for classes helpful for the MCAT.

Also, how valuable are poster presentations at SURF programs?

Thanks.

Nah nothing wrong with it. I, along with hundreds of other pre-meds at my school, did the exact same thing and used summers to get pre-reqs and electives out of the way. We all still had time to do extracurriculars too.

I am not familiar with SURF programs but poster presentation experience is always a plus. There is a category for such activities on the AMCAS application.
 
Thanks for your response!

Yeah, and as a ChemE major there are a lot of pre-med classes to fit in.

I see, I'm really wondering how much they strengthen your app. I have the opportunity to do full-time research with a poster presentation at the end or stay home and take some classes+do research at my home institution with no poster presentation (but possibility of getting published).

Thanks for your help 🙂
 
I am not a fan of summer classes. They reduce the lectures so that it can fit. I took physics during the summer. Now that I'm studying for the MCAT, there are things that I haven't seen...so just a fair warning.

Also, don't burn yourself out. Exercise, go outside and have fun. It's summer anyways.
 
Hey everyone,

I can't seem to find a thread on this situation - please feel free to post a link if you find one.

Is it frowned upon by admissions committees if you take summer classes at your regular 4-year institution? I know the summer should be a time for other experiences but due to my major, I would like to free up some time for classes helpful for the MCAT.

Also, how valuable are poster presentations at SURF programs?

Thanks.

Heck no! Summer classes show you can succeed at a faster pace if anything!
 
Thanks for your response!

Yeah, and as a ChemE major there are a lot of pre-med classes to fit in.

I see, I'm really wondering how much they strengthen your app. I have the opportunity to do full-time research with a poster presentation at the end or stay home and take some classes+do research at my home institution with no poster presentation (but possibility of getting published).

Thanks for your help 🙂

I would choose the 2nd option. You get classes out of the way and you join a research effort at your home institution which you can continue to be involved with after the summer ends. Continued research involvement can lead to a solid rec letter, leadership/management experience, as well as poster/paper publications in mainstream academia. A simple undergraduate poster presentation, in my opinion, is not enough to trump this.
 
I would choose the 2nd option. You get classes out of the way and you join a research effort at your home institution which you can continue to be involved with after the summer ends. Continued research involvement can lead to a solid rec letter, leadership/management experience, as well as poster/paper publications in mainstream academia. A simple undergraduate poster presentation, in my opinion, is not enough to trump this.

Thank you, I appreciate the advice.

Not sure if I'm going to stay in this lab (I've been in it for awhile now) but it doesn't seem logical to give up everything just for one poster presentation.
 
I am interested in Summer courses, would anyone know if there are schools in NYC area offering 10 or 12 week sessions?
 
I say go for the summer classes, they aren't viewed as a shortcut. 👍
 
I am not a fan of summer classes. They reduce the lectures so that it can fit. I took physics during the summer. Now that I'm studying for the MCAT, there are things that I haven't seen...so just a fair warning.

Also, don't burn yourself out. Exercise, go outside and have fun. It's summer anyways.

This👍

but...there's nothing wrong with them, they're worth exactly the same but I've taken 2 courses over the summer and for some reason I feel I learnt less.

On the other hand what they don't like is...

Med Schools don't like you taking community college classes though if you're at a 4 year institution already. It might be viewed as GPA-protecting. Expect to be asked about it at interviews if you do this. (maybe 1 or even 2 is ok especially with a high MCAT). If your whole BCPM is done there though expect some trouble.

***And I don't mean to say CC college classes are ALWAYS easier...it's just that I know a lot of students who take orgo, physics, and calc and other universities due to their own university's version having a reputation. Medical schools don't like dodging.
 
This👍

but...there's nothing wrong with them, they're worth exactly the same but I've taken 2 courses over the summer and for some reason I feel I learnt less.

On the other hand what they don't like is...

Med Schools don't like you taking community college classes though if you're at a 4 year institution already. It might be viewed as GPA-protecting. Expect to be asked about it at interviews if you do this. (maybe 1 or even 2 is ok especially with a high MCAT). If your whole BCPM is done there though expect some trouble.

***And I don't mean to say CC college classes are ALWAYS easier...it's just that I know a lot of students who take orgo, physics, and calc and other universities due to their own university's version having a reputation. Medical schools don't like dodging.

I had to take Biology 1 (retake because mine is a decade + old) at a CC because the University I go to offers biology I only in Fall and I started in Spring. I really needed the refresher for MCAT and improve the grade. But I'm a post-bacc DIY 🙂

Q: I'm debating whether to take Gen Chem over this summer and O-Chem over the regular terms, which would lead me to take calc-based physics II over summer 1 next summer (long story on why I'm opting for calc-based physics other than algebra-based physics sucks, is the pits, I'm in the weeds, instructor "checked-out", I really like math, calc, trig. etc... 😉

OR: I can do O-chem over the summer of next year and do the calc-based physics over the regular terms.

BTW: I'm very disciplined so work is not an issue; just never took Ochem and have no clue what to expect...😳 Cheers friends!!
 
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