Teh n00b

Medical schools do prefer their students to complete prereqs at 4 year institutions.

 

I got in, did all my re-reqs at a community college.


Everything in this process is 6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other. For every statement you hear, you will hear it's polar opposite from someone else.

 

Getting done with a 4 year degree in 3 years shouldn't be detrimental, but keep in mind that not all med schools will accept your AP credits. This means that they would require you to take some additional courses in place of the ones you AP-ed out of.

Some med schools are picky about taking prereqs at CCs, but many are not.

Check around. There are some threads about all of this out there.

 

I doubt that the CC classes will be an issue as you did well in them..just continue to do well in the university classes, too.

The AP credits may still come into play if they are any non-science pre-req for the med school...but that may or may not end up being an issue.

 

Absolutely, especially when almost everyone else has taken them at regular colleges. That isn't to say that you can't get in, but it will certainly be much harder to do so. In fact, many medical schools stipulate that pre-reqs in the sciences have to be done at an accredited 4-year college. You will need to do upper-level coursework in all the hard sciences at your college as well as do well on the MCAT to overcome the fact that you took pre-reqs at a CC. It's fairly obvious why this is the case, as CC courses are much easier than their equivalents at a 4-year instituion.

 

But according to the OP, the only science pre-req taken at the CC is bio, and this person plans on being a bio major. Therefore, he/she will be getting all the other science pre-reqs at a 4-year institution, plus plenty of upper-level bio. That leaves calc, which most schools don't care about and some actually don't require, and English. It might be wise to take another English class at the 4-year institution, just to make sure that base is covered. And any interesting Enligh class shouldn't be hard to find, especially at a liberal arts college.

 

I was speaking more generally, but you're completely correct. To the OP, if the path towards degree leads you to upper-level sciences, you'll be just fine.

 

Ugh this has been argued in so many previous threads, but neither of those things are true, for the love of all things holy. How many students can't afford a four year school right out of HS and go to a transfer college? Uh, Like, tons? And they all have taken their basic stuff at a CC....
And as far as CC courses being easier - I think you'd find the same books being used, the same labs required, etc etc ad nauseum, and come on, it's basic biology, how much harder can one be from another? And even still, my JC was renownded for the rigor of its science dept., so much so that people went elsewhere to avoid those basic classes.

OP just keep up your good work, You're gonna be fine! Don't listen to any of the meat heads here - even me!!

 

That's probably the best advice you'll get all night!

 

Luv ya Swipes!

 

You rock, dude...


Ok, sorry OP, back to your situation... do well in your classes, but more importantly, ENJOY the heck out of them. Be an active learner and be excited about the material, and everything else will fall into place - no matter where (CC, 4-yr institution, etc.) you learn the material.

 

Best advice yet - I take back the part about not listening to anyone. You can listen to Swiper. But not me. Isn't that a Catch 22?

 

Hey prozach,
are you trying to escape the MCAT? With all your credits and qualifications, it seems that you'll probably be able to get into many medical schools. Why choose upstate???