Taking stand alone classes during gap years? Pros? Cons?

[curiouschemist]

Late bloomer to medicine here! I just graduated last week, and will be taking a couple of gap years before applying to gain more experience and to verify that this is the right path for me. I am not interested in (and I don't need) a post bac program, but there are couple of classes that I never got the chance to take while at school due to scheduling conflicts (double major problems), but would really like to purely for personal interest. So...questions:

1) What's the consensus on taking classes during a gap year that don't go towards a degree? Does it affect one's application in either a positive/negative way?

2) Would there be a difference in taking these classes at a four year institution vs. local community college (unfortunately, $$ is a big issue)

3) If you've taken a course in the list below, I would really appreciate feedback on whether you enjoyed it and would recommend (or why you didn't/wouldn't recommend) taking it!

FYI here are some of the classes I was considering choosing between taking:
-some sort of advanced biochemistry course (I love biochem!)
-immunology
-endocrinology
-biostatistics
-microbiology
-molecular genetics
-cancer biology
-anatomy & physiology
-neuroscience
-pathology

Side note: I have a full time job during the day and also am involved in volunteering and other activities, so I would be taking these in the evening/night. I would likely end up taking maybe one a semester if I could afford it.

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[moemoekyun]

1 and 2 I can't answer. As for 3, I took most of those classes:

-advanced biochem: my school offered it and I was eligible to take, but I graduated before I had chance (I took advanced orgo, didn't feel like taking another grad course). My knowledge of course is that it focused on studying of kinetics and mechanics, going beyond Michaelis-Menten which isn't completely accurate.

-immunology: loved it, some topics showed up on MCAT, biochem makes it so much easier. Interesting material, a lot of memorization of different wbcs, function, mechanism, pathways, genetics, innate vs adaptive immunity, but to me, was relatively simple compared to the other classes you have. Got a 99% in my class

-endocrinology: loved it. My professor was MD/PhD, and she claimed to teach at clinical level (pt comes in c/o tiredness, cold, what's your Dx). A lot of material, knowing all organs, hormones, pathways, drugs, diseases, differential dx

-microbiology: took as freshmen, didn't study too much, got B+. Interesting class, but a lot involved. Having genetics, immuno, biochem, orgo chem make the class much easier as class covered basic metabolism (TCA cycle), bacteria cell structure (lps), growth, medical applications, morphology. Lab was fun (the smell convinced some students to drop lol)

-molec genetics: I took both genetics and molec bio 1/2 which I consider genetics hardcore. A LOT of memorization (like what does DMC1 do, BRCA1 do), but not too difficult. Helped with biochem, especially DNA structure, DNA-protein interactions). Out of all the classes I've taken on your list, this one was the most boring (genetics was easy, molec bio was challenging, but got all As).

-A/P- my school offered as 2 separate classes. I goofed off taking anatomy as freshmen, got C, basically memorize all bones, muscles, nerves, vessels, connections, and clinical applications. Professor was also MD/PhD. A lot of good info, helped me on MCAT (answer to one question was peritoneum). Physio I got A, and loved. Took with biochem, some similarities (hormones and pathways). Looked at cell functions, cardio, respiratory, digestive, etc and clinical applications, more understanding/reasoning than memorization. Material came to me more easily. Had same prof as endocrine.

-I took neuroanatomy and neuroscience: Was a lot of info. Had same prof as anatomy. Was working ~30 hrs a wk, volunteering, 3 other classes (endo, got As in them), and got C. So much information, like where is red nucleus located, but so much interesting clinical stuff (spinal tap, babinski's sign, etc).