Taking the prerequisite classes back to back required?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

BlueAether

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
36
Reaction score
1
I've taken Gen Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, however, while I wanted to go into healthcare, I didn't really commit to becoming a doctor until fairly recently. While I intend to take the rest of the classes, and the Organic chemistry, and some upper level classes, is it bad they aren't in order though? Not back to back? Or is it just what grades I get in the classes, and what score I get on the MCAT, as that seems to show that you really retained the information.

Also, I took them at a Comm College for $$$ reasons, in addition to the fact that I was encouraged to do so. My Chemistry Professor at the CC had a Masters from NYU and a PhD from Columbia, so she knew her stuff. Meanwhile, were I to take General Chemistry from a local 4 yr, I would pretty much be guarenteed a seat in a class of over 300 people taught by a TA who barely knows what they are talking about. In that regard, I'd have to be amazed if anyone looked down on my choice. However I still plan on taking the rest of the classes at a 4 yr. I've just wondering if I should just retake all those classes, because if that's the case, I might as well get a second bachelors that includes those classes.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hi BlueAether,

I posted a similar reply to another person considering retaking a class to improve his grades. Basically, you should only retake the classes if you feel you don't know the content and/or you need a GPA boost.

In your case I have one caveat: If you're going to start the organic chemistry series, take it all the way through. I made the mistake of taking the first two quarters (A- in both) and then waited a year to take the third (C+). It was the worst grade I've ever gotten, and it was simply because the classes were setup to be cumulative; and I had forgotten the material.
 
Regarding the primary question - no, it definitely shouldn't matter if you take the classes in order or back to back. There is no reason why that should matter, as long as you have sufficiently covered the material. Now, if you were enrolled at a 4year university and purposefully took only the pre-med required (perhaps labeled "tougher") classes at a community college just to make them easier, that would be super questionable. But your situation seems quite reasonable. While it isn't always true, it seems like adcoms prefer prereqs to be taken at 4year schools. I would definitely suggest taking the upper level courses at a 4 year school and making sure that you do really well on them. That, and a solid mcat performance, should get rid of any qualms that adcoms might have about your prereqs. Good luck!

I took lots of classes out of order, out of sequence, etc due to a change in major, and none of my advisors even questioned it. I wouldn't worry about your past, just make sure you work just as hard in the future and you'll do great.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Oh no, I wasn't enrolled in a 4 yr, then took the pre med classes at a CC, I agree that would look suspect. And If I'm able to take all the classes one by one, I will. Naijaba, you said you took two and then another, how many do you have to take? I thought it was two, do you mean you took a higher level organic chemistry. I'm not too fond of Chemistry myself, or Physics for that matter, I prefer biology, so I wanted to take higher classes in that.
 
all you need is the basic 2 semesters of gen chem (inorganic), 2 sem of organic, and 2 sem of physics. with labs. for bio, usually do the 2 sem of intro bio and some upper level courses. i'd recommend biochem, as it's very useful and schools are starting to recommend it also (though it might be in a chem dept)
 
Top