Summer term -- take classes or ....

[dec0y]

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Okay. So, I am a sophmore, and I just did some organizational stuff with my schedule for the next 3 years, (including the upcoming year) and it seems that if i dont take summer courses adding up to about 8-14 credits, then i will not graduate in spring of 2007.

We are on the quarter system.

Now, I have a few questions about this.

If I do end up taking the summer coures, I will be right on track to take the 06 april MCAT, and thus would be able to apply in Fall of 07, senior year, for the 2008 med-school year. But, my current ECs are not that extensive. I am hoping to do a lot of volunteering at the hospital in the next year, and also take on some research for the summer term, but I probably wont have the chance to shadow the physician that i wanted to (he lives in my home town, not the college town). its possible that I could do this in my college town, just with a different MD. Also, im not sure how one year of ECs in the healthcare field would look to the adcoms, favorably im sure, but two would be better

If I do not take the summer courses this year, I will basically be taking 4-8 credits for about two terms in 07-08, and will be graduating in Winter 2008 most likely. Possibly Fall 07. Seems like a bit of a waste of time academically, but it would allow me to get some more ECs done.

Id kind of like to get the MCAT done with,and apply directly after that like most people seem to do, but unless i take the MCAT in august 06 or april 07, then it wont work without those summer classes.

sorry if that seemed jumbled.

I really dont know what I should do, although im leaning towards taking the extra time and working on ECs and exploring other interests. Any opinions? I'm not sold on either path.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

Study abroad during the Summer for a few credit hours.

That's what I did, and I loved it!

 

[dec0y]

Im gonna bump this.


bump.

 

[liverotcod]

Have you considered taking some of those credits at a school in your home town? In my summer courses at VCU, many of the students were actually Duke, UNC, Georgetown etc. students home in Richmond for the summer. These were intro level classes, though; I don't know if you could transfer upper-levels in the same way.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Okay. So, I am a sophmore, and I just did some organizational stuff with my schedule for the next 3 years, (including the upcoming year) and it seems that if i dont take summer courses adding up to about 8-14 credits, then i will not graduate in spring of 2007.

We are on the quarter system.

Now, I have a few questions about this.

If I do end up taking the summer coures, I will be right on track to take the 06 april MCAT, and thus would be able to apply in Fall of 07, senior year, for the 2008 med-school year. But, my current ECs are not that extensive. I am hoping to do a lot of volunteering at the hospital in the next year, and also take on some research for the summer term, but I probably wont have the chance to shadow the physician that i wanted to (he lives in my home town, not the college town). its possible that I could do this in my college town, just with a different MD. Also, im not sure how one year of ECs in the healthcare field would look to the adcoms, favorably im sure, but two would be better

If I do not take the summer courses this year, I will basically be taking 4-8 credits for about two terms in 07-08, and will be graduating in Winter 2008 most likely. Possibly Fall 07. Seems like a bit of a waste of time academically, but it would allow me to get some more ECs done.

Id kind of like to get the MCAT done with,and apply directly after that like most people seem to do, but unless i take the MCAT in august 06 or april 07, then it wont work without those summer classes.

sorry if that seemed jumbled.

I really dont know what I should do, although im leaning towards taking the extra time and working on ECs and exploring other interests. Any opinions? I'm not sold on either path.

I'm not really familar with quarter system so i can't comment on that. it is possible to do some of what you proposed at once. First of all, why are you behind that you need extra credits to graduate on time? You can take 8 credits over a summer. I just took 8 credits of organic chem, (of all things 😱 ), and also managed to do 40 hours volunteer work in a hospital while studying for the MCAT. As someone suggested, try to take the courses at home and shadow the doctor you already know. I think it's very important to have as much volunteer hospital work/shadowing experience as possible, even if it means applying a year later. This will not only enhance your application but make you more aware of the medical field and what you will essentially have to deal with as a doctor. Good luck.

 

[dec0y]

Well, I have transferred schools twice now. This makes for some confusion in the way that credits transfer because of the liberal arts requirement at the university that I am at now, which I will *probably* be graduating from. Basically, I have too many social science credits of group A and not enough of Group B. Also I have 42 quarter credits for my first year instead of 45 which is the norm.

I suppose it is possible for me to take summer classes in my home town at the University there, but i think it would probably be wise to leave all the hard sciences at the university that I am planning on graduating from so I can get to know the instructors and eventually get LORS.

Another question, how important is research as a undergraduate?

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I'm sure research is important and lots of people have it. Unfortunatelky i don't have anything noteworthy so tha thas me quite worried. But since research is not wher emy hjeart lies; i'd rather work with patients; that's what i will say on an interview. I've done numerous hours working and volunteering with a diversified group of patients. I'm hoping that counts for something.


And I had to take summer school courses this summer due to switching from engineering to neuroscience after two years and also b/c i thought i needed organic chem for the MCAT. But I will graduate with many more credits than i need for the same reason.