Taking ALL medical school prerequisites at a Community college? bad idea?

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Bananas99

Bananas99

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First of all I know this probably has been talked about a lot on this website but I have never heard of someone who actually completed ALL of their prerequisites at a community college.

I am planning on spending about 5 semesters at a local community college(have spent 3) and complete all the prerequisites (Gen chems, Gen bios, Orgos, Calculus, and physics) and then transfer to a 4 year to take some upper level courses (biochem, genetics, etc) to graduate.
I have looked at some medical schools I want to apply to but none of them say anything about CC credits.

Is this really a bad idea?
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Bananas99 said:
First of all I know this probably has been talked about a lot on this website but I have never heard of someone who actually completed ALL of their prerequisites at a community college.

I am planning on spending about 5 semesters at a local community college(have spent 3) and complete all the prerequisites (Gen chems, Gen bios, Orgos, Calculus, and physics) and then transfer to a 4 year to take some upper level courses (biochem, genetics, etc) to graduate.
I have looked at some medical schools I want to apply to but none of them say anything about CC credits.

Is this really a bad idea?
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Some people will frown upon this, but some wont. For instance in my case, the CC near my house is much harder then actually the university I attend. There was ZERO curves, so what you earned is what you got.
 
integralx2 said:
Some people will frown upon this, but some wont. For instance in my case, the CC near my house is much harder then actually the university I attend. There was ZERO curves, so what you earned is what you got.
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Yes I agree. My professors do not curve at all as well. The CC that I go to is one of the best in NJ and it has sent students to good colleges in and out of state(Rutgers, TCNJ, Cornell, Drexel, and others)
 
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You will be fine as long as you transfer into a reputable 4-yr univ. I did the exact same thing 🙂
 
If you are going to a CC and then transfer, then you're not really taking classes at a CC to avoid the harder version at your undergraduate so it won't be counted against you. Taking advanced biology courses will even help you to show med schools you can handle your 4-year university's science courses
 
Ansar said:
If you are going to a CC and then transfer, then you're not really taking classes at a CC to avoid the harder version at your undergraduate so it won't be counted against you. Taking advanced biology courses will even help you to show med schools you can handle your 4-year university's science courses
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Couldn't have said it better myself 👍
 
Bananas99 said:
I am planning on spending about 5 semesters at a local community college(have spent 3) and complete all the prerequisites (Gen chems, Gen bios, Orgos, Calculus, and physics) and then transfer to a 4 year to take some upper level courses (biochem, genetics, etc) to graduate.
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i know it's fairly common for people to do 2 years at CC then 2 years at 4-yr. why are you doing the extra sem?

yes, if you do all prereqs at CC, be sure to do some upper level classes at the 4-yr.
 
On a few of the schools I applied to in recommends that you take the pre reqs at a 4 year university, but I think you should be able to get away with it if you take upper level courses. If I were you, I would call the schools you are interested in, and see what they say.
 
Bananas99 said:
First of all I know this probably has been talked about a lot on this website but I have never heard of someone who actually completed ALL of their prerequisites at a community college.

I am planning on spending about 5 semesters at a local community college(have spent 3) and complete all the prerequisites (Gen chems, Gen bios, Orgos, Calculus, and physics) and then transfer to a 4 year to take some upper level courses (biochem, genetics, etc) to graduate.
I have looked at some medical schools I want to apply to but none of them say anything about CC credits.

Is this really a bad idea?
Click to expand...


I did my first two years at community college while I was in high school and so far I have experienced a negative reaction. I did all the prereqs at cc except for the organics, physics 2 and biochemistry. My prehealth advisors recommended retaking everything at a 4 yr university (definitely wasn't going to do this and waste money). I've had a couple of rejections and one interview so far this cycle. In my interview the first thing they addressed was my "unconventional path to medical school". The interviewer directly said the cc classes were not a good foundation for medical school even with all the upper division classes I took and aced at my 4 yr university (I was a microbiology and anthropology double major). The fact that I completed the classes in high school might also have affected his opinion though because he also raised concerns about my age. To be honest when I earned my AA in high school I thought it was the best thing in the world. I had no idea it would be seen as a negative in the medical community. I'm still a little flabbergasted by it, but am trying to make the best of it. My best advice is to research the schools you want to apply to and see how they feel. Some have the info on their website and others will accept phone calls, but even then there is no way to tell how your interviewer will feel about it. I wish you the best of luck and hope eveything works out for you!
 
from University of Miami College of Medicine's website:
http://www6.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/0,1770,66825-1;66827-2;47735-3,00.html



Can I take all of my premed courses at a junior college near my home? Most admissions committees feel that there are differences between junior college courses and senior college courses. Whether this view is justified or not, you should contact medical schools in which you are interested to see how they view coursework taken at the junior college level. The Miller School of Medicine will accept junior college courses but much prefers that the premed courses be taken at the senior college level. Perhaps a more important question to ask yourself is how these courses are going to prepare you to take the MCAT and to survive in medical school.

So... I wouldn't take all my prereqs at a community college if I were you.
 
Medicine is an elitist field, brah.

Ivy/Stanford > Rest of Top 30 > 4-year research university > 4-year non-research university > community college.
 
I don't really see the big problem, community/junior colleges are a lot cheaper, and you have a lot more interaction with the teacher than you would have with 300+ students in an auditorium at a big state school. And I've heard that 2 year schools are actually a lot more difficult than 4 year schools because of the (stupid) stigma put on them of being "easier."
 
iqe2010 said:
And I've heard that 2 year schools are actually a lot more difficult than 4 year schools because of the (stupid) stigma put on them of being "easier."
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I didn't realize penis envy extended way down to the community college level.

The elite school vs. non-elite school flame wars never end here, but the cc vs. 4-yr is kind of ridiculous really. Regardless, if pre-reqs at a 4 year are easier than cc, that's another reason to do it there.

Zeusicus said:
The interviewer directly said the cc classes were not a good foundation for medical school even with all the upper division classes I took and aced at my 4 yr university.
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The pre-reqs at a respectable 4-year have the type of soul-crushing curve that you have to endure and overcome.
 
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There are people who have gotten into med school with pre-reqs done at the cc. It all depends on where you want to attempt to go to medical school at. Will you accept getting in anywhere or do you want the best of the best?

When calling/e-mailing med schools, I would also ask whether there are people who have been accepted with cc pre-reqs.
 
I have completed the following prerequisites at the community college.

General Chemistry I and II
General Biology I and II
Organic Chemistry I
English composition I and II
General Psychology

I am taking physics I, Calculus I, Organic Chemistry II, and microbiology(thinking of taking this later at the 4 year) next semester

Then in fall 2011 I will take physics II, calculus II, other electives.

Don't you guys think it is too late. I am planning on transferring to a 4 year university an enroll in spring 2012 and get a BA there.

I am seriously thinking if I should just transfer after this spring semester and take physics II and calculus II over there but I don't think it is a good idea to do 1 semester at a CC and continue with the second part at a 4 year.
I am already almost done with the prerequisites (except physics I and II, orgo II, and Calc I and II). The university I am transferring to will only count my science classes toward my major if both semesters are taken at the community college).

I am seriously afraid that none of the medical schools I apply to will accept my cc credits.

I would like to get into a decent medical school but nothing like harvard, yale, or anything around that level.

What should I do?🙁
 
I would complete all of my pre-reqs at the CC since you are almost done. Physics and Organic might look better coming from a 4 year, but if your community college classes will prepare you then go ahead. However, most medical schools like seeing that your pre-reqs come from a 4 year college.
 
Do well on your prereqs, transfer to a good school and then do well in your upper division.
 
at times I have been worried about the same thing. I took 100% of my pre-reqs at cc. I transferred to berkeley where I have taken tons more bio-related classes (biochem, genetics, neuro...) I've received A's in all my classes up until now. If medical schools cut me short for my cc curriculum I will for sure see it as a mistake on their part. It is also important for you to prove your knowledge on your mcat. unfortunately my mcat is a messy to say the least.

1st mcat: VR: 7 BS: 12 PS: 12 (uhh verbal??)
2nd mcat: VR:10 BS: 10 PS: 10 (yay verbal! the rest pretty unsatisfying)

my mcat scores at least proved that I was capable of achieving high grades in the sciences, but not sure how they will interpret the strange combination of scores.

I think it is especially important for cc transfers to prove themselves at their 4 year. GOOD LUCK. work hard and you'll do fine!
 
I got to look at the post dates more often.
 
It doesn't matter, as long as you make sure you take some upper-level science courses as soon as you go to a university.

I'm taking the majority of mine at a CC, don't listen to anyone who's against it.
 
On a similar note, I'm thinking of doing MD/PhD, with a PhD in bioengineering. However, I don't have a lot of the prereqs for bioE (linear algebra, advanced calculus, comp sci). Would taking them at a community college also be looked at negatively?
 
Amalgamate said:
I'd like to hear from someone that has been accepted with cc credits, or at least been to an interview instead of people saying "no I haven't applied to med school but I'm telling you they are fine"
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👍+1
 
Amalgamate said:
I'd like to hear from someone that has been accepted with cc credits, or at least been to an interview instead of people saying "no I haven't applied to med school but I'm telling you they are fine"
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Will A's at a community college prevent you from getting into medical school:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s[/YOUTUBE]


(Provided you're a jedi badass on the MCAT)

Non-urm accepted at UCLA, UCSD, Miami, Hawaii, Indiana, Buffalo....etc
 
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Amalgamate said:
I'd like to hear from someone that has been accepted with cc credits, or at least been to an interview instead of people saying "no I haven't applied to med school but I'm telling you they are fine"
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Agreed! I noticed that all of the people saying " I did take them all at the CC" aren't in medical school, nor did they even mention if they applied yet. I was in a similar place a year or two ago, and decided to err on the side of caution and I'm saving all my pre-reqs, except math, for after I transfer this fall. In retrospect, I wish I had at least nocked out 1 pre-req at CC. It also leaves me going into my Junior year, with utterly know idea how I'm actually going to fair on the hard pre-med class at a UC. 🙁😱
 
I actually took nearly all of my pre-requisite courses at a community college. I took all of physics I and II, general chemistry and general biology, as well as calculus, statistics, writing, and a smattering of other classes.

Biochemistry, organic chemistry, and a bunch of other upper-level prereqs were taken at a 4-year school.

I have not applied to med school yet, but to be honest, I do worry about my CC prereqs. It's the only part of my academic history that I do worry about, for most of the reasons mentioned in this thread.

Has anyone compiled a list of schools that WILL NOT accept community college credits or STRONGLY advise against CC credits? I know these schools exist.
 
took Gen Chem I and II, Gen Bio I and II at a CC, before transferring to Maryland...nobody really brought it up. in medical school now.
 
torshi said:
....not a deal breaker.
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Not a deal breaker is a good way to put it. And also not a best strategy if you have a choice.

You guys are looking for a black and white answer and that isn't how it works. Look at the passage in #10 above from Miami, that tells it all.

It's a competitive process. Will someone from a selective school have an advantage over someone from a mediocre school? Everything else being equal, likely yes. Will someone with great grades and 4 years at a strong school look better than someone with a junior college background? Not always, but likely yes.

Can you get in with a community college background. Yes, of course. But the more and better you can do after transferring, the more competitive you'll be. Does that matter? Of course it does, there are more applicants than seats. The stronger ones get the seats. It's no more complicated than that. Do what you can to have the strongest app you can. Taking some of your pre-reqs after transferring can only help.
 
I wouldn't do all of the pre reqs at a community college. This has not always been my opinion though. I took bio 1 and chem 1 and trig my last semester at salt lake community college and I found them challenging. I switched up to the University of Utah for Chem2 and Cell Biology and I found it to be quite a bit more difficult. It's not the material itself that was harder it was the way you are tested on the material that was more challenging then community college. I went and talked to the professor since I was having a difficult time and he confirmed exactly what I was experiencing, that cc is not as rigorous as university level. One of the arguements are that it is variable but in general university is more difficult then cc. Also, my state med school claims they do not care about cc but that doesn't mean other med school do not care. Play it safe and get up to university level whenever you can. It is better that you make the adjustment earlier rather then later!
 
My bachelor's degree was in engineering, so I went back to CC for most of my medical school pre-reqs. I walked in the door of that CC not knowing the first thing about biology or chemistry. I walked out 4 semesters later with a 4.0 GPA and a 90th percentile MCAT score (on practice exams). I also got a job at the CC tutoring kids in chemistry, which has been one of my most rewarding experiences on my path to med school.

My MCAT score proves I learned something at the CC. I am applying this summer, and I know some schools will be prejudicial to the point of not even looking at me.

Being an older student, I have a little better idea of what going into debt actually means, especially student loan debt, which can never be discharged. I am not willing to put myself into debt unless I'm getting a medical degree in exchange for that crippling debt burden. That is what I plan to tell admissions committees if I'm asked, but in my opinion, the issue shouldn't come up.

CC + great MCAT should be a non-issue.
 
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artsciencelove said:
Being an older student, I have a little better idea of what going into debt actually means, especially student loan debt, which can never be discharged. I am not willing to put myself into debt unless I'm getting a medical degree in exchange for that crippling debt burden. That is what I plan to tell admissions committees if I'm asked, but in my opinion, the issue shouldn't come up.

CC + great MCAT should be a non-issue.
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I feel the exact same way. I'm not going to take out loans to pay for prereqs when I can take them for 1/4 of the price at a CC in addition to the fact that there are more open sections with a better schedule here than at the local university. At the 4 year state school that I was accepted to, there were only 1 or 2 sections of orgo for instance and they were only offered 3 days a week in comparison to the CC where I could take the same class 2 days a week. I plan on telling the adcoms the exact same thing you are if it is brought up. Will it cost us admissions at some schools? Possibly, but I'm pretty sure that its not a definite rejection because we didn't take them at a 4 year university.
 
The CC thing did not come up in my interviews. I would think that it's becoming more acceptable to admissions committees. With the economy and the increase of college tuition (like the UCs!), I'm sure more people are taking classes at a CC.

I've never regretted doing the CC --> university route. I saved a ton of money and because of my performance in CC, I got a nice hefty scholarship from the university I attended. Just had to borrow money for living expenses for 2 years.

And I got in with a low MCAT. So although I'm sure it helps, a high MCAT is not a requirement if you attended a CC.
 
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If you do take classes at CC, you better be getting A's. Despite what some people on this thread may argue, the standard at CCs are on average lower than the 4-year universities. You're crazy if you think adcom is going to wade through stats on CCs to see which ones are "harder".

My Anecodotal "evidence":
C+,B- at Organic Chemistry at university, 6 hours studying/week
A at Organic Chemistry at a "tough" CC, 0.5-1 hours studying/week

Yeah, CC credits will work at pre-reqs. But, you're going to need a much higher equivalent grade.
 
I think there is a big difference between when people take CC classes for prereqs, consider these two applicants:

1) A postbacc student who is working full time, takes CC classes due to $ and schedule.

2) A full time college student who takes all prereqs at CC, no upper level science classes upon transferring to a 4 year university, and majors in basketweaving for junior and senior year.

I can't imagine that if an adcom was going to hold CC against applicants that the first applicant would be looked upon as negatively as the second.
 
If you have to take pre-reqs at a community college for your major, that is acceptable, considering you will obviously be taking a lot more upper div science classes once you transfer (which will prove/disprove your academic ability no matter what grades you got at a cc). If you're a non-science major, you should avoid taking all pre-reqs at a cc (like just take 1, MAYBE 2). I'm taking general chemistry (2 semesters) and math at my cc before I transfer, which leaves everything else for my university (I'm a political science major). Either way, the main thing is that you prove to admissions that you can perform well in science classes at a university level. If you really want to take all of your pre-reqs at a cc and you're NOT a science major, then you should definitely take several upper division science/lab classes. I think this is makes sense, but don't take my word for it! 🙂
 
violetchild said:
If you have to take pre-reqs at a community college for your major, that is acceptable, considering you will obviously be taking a lot more upper div science classes once you transfer (which will prove/disprove your academic ability no matter what grades you got at a cc). If you're a non-science major, you should avoid taking all pre-reqs at a cc (like just take 1, MAYBE 2). I'm taking general chemistry (2 semesters) and math at my cc before I transfer, which leaves everything else for my university (I'm a political science major). Either way, the main thing is that you prove to admissions that you can perform well in science classes at a university level. If you really want to take all of your pre-reqs at a cc and you're NOT a science major, then you should definitely take several upper division science/lab classes. I think this is makes sense, but don't take my word for it! 🙂
Click to expand...

This 👍
 
I have a question. I'll be taking general biology I and II along with general chemistry I and II at CC. Then I can either take Orgo I and II or Physics I and II. Which should I take at CC and which should I save for university, Orgo or Physics?
 
^ Can anybody answer this?
 
Ideally, you should take both at the university. You've been lucky enough (so to speak) to take the other half of the pre-med requirements at the CC, and adcoms would prefer you take the remaining two series at the 4 year college. However, if you can't, then it would look better to take orgo at university and physics at the CC.
It will be very difficult.
 
Zeusicus said:
I did my first two years at community college while I was in high school and so far I have experienced a negative reaction. I did all the prereqs at cc except for the organics, physics 2 and biochemistry. My prehealth advisors recommended retaking everything at a 4 yr university (definitely wasn't going to do this and waste money). I've had a couple of rejections and one interview so far this cycle. In my interview the first thing they addressed was my "unconventional path to medical school". The interviewer directly said the cc classes were not a good foundation for medical school even with all the upper division classes I took and aced at my 4 yr university (I was a microbiology and anthropology double major). The fact that I completed the classes in high school might also have affected his opinion though because he also raised concerns about my age. To be honest when I earned my AA in high school I thought it was the best thing in the world. I had no idea it would be seen as a negative in the medical community. I'm still a little flabbergasted by it, but am trying to make the best of it. My best advice is to research the schools you want to apply to and see how they feel. Some have the info on their website and others will accept phone calls, but even then there is no way to tell how your interviewer will feel about it. I wish you the best of luck and hope eveything works out for you!
Click to expand...

Do you mind sharing your age?
 
Okay, I normally go on this website in my spare time and don't comment -- but this has gone too far.

I took ALL of my pre-reqs at a community college. I went to a 4 year university for a Bachelor's in Humanities, and after I received my B.A. I took two years off to work full time. After these two years, I enrolled in COMMUNITY COLLEGE full time to complete my ALL of my BIO, CHEM, OCHEM, PHYSICS, and the second part of math. And I got into nearly ALL the MD schools I applied to!

I mainly chose the CC route because I seriously could NOT grasp why anyone would go and spend $1000/course when you could spend $100/course for the SAME exact material! I just couldn't see the logic!! Of course, though, I got straight A's at CC, did TONS of volunteer work, legit letters of rec, etc. all that jazz. I even became a T.A. for my Chem and OCHEM past professors. At my interviews they asked about why I took all of my classes at CC and I just told them the truth, that I just couldn't understand why saving money was a bad idea!
 
jayde said:
Okay, I normally go on this website in my spare time and don't comment -- but this has gone too far.

I took ALL of my pre-reqs at a community college. I went to a 4 year university for a Bachelor's in Humanities, and after I received my B.A. I took two years off to work full time. After these two years, I enrolled in COMMUNITY COLLEGE full time to complete my ALL of my BIO, CHEM, OCHEM, PHYSICS, and the second part of math. And I got into nearly ALL the MD schools I applied to!

I mainly chose the CC route because I seriously could NOT grasp why anyone would go and spend $1000/course when you could spend $100/course for the SAME exact material! I just couldn't see the logic!! Of course, though, I got straight A's at CC, did TONS of volunteer work, legit letters of rec, etc. all that jazz. I even became a T.A. for my Chem and OCHEM past professors. At my interviews they asked about why I took all of my classes at CC and I just told them the truth, that I just couldn't understand why saving money was a bad idea!
Click to expand...

Despite what SDN says with n=1, you're probably not the only one. Do you mind sharing your school list?
 
I would not take all my pre reqs at a CC. I am taking physics 1 and 2 over the summer (at a CC that's apart of the CUNY system which contains some of the most competitive CCs in the country) to make room for classes in my double major but that's it. I did take clac 1 and 2 at a private school over the summer but most of the schools I'm applying to are D.O and most of them don't have calc as a pre req. Can anyone say this is a okay or bad idea?
 
Started at CC after blowing off high school. All of the classes I needed to transfer as a bio major were the med school pre-reqs (gchem, ochem, calc, physics and bio). Did that all there, transferred and graduated.

A lot of white tower elitists will look down on you, evidenced by this thread and my current PI lol dude always takes the opportunity to talk smack about my community college work. Just gotta work through it.

3 interviews and 1 acceptance so far 🙂 not bad considering I didnt take the SAT or ACT LOL
 
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