Timing everything.

[ChodeNode]

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So I will graduate in Spring of 2013. As it stands, I'll be knocking out my minor (9 credits) this summer. So I have Biochem and 4 physiology courses to take over the 2012-2013 year. I also work full time, have a wife, 1 year old, and am getting trained now for hospice volunteering. I still need to do more shadowing since I only have 20 hours with an ED physician. I also need LOR's, which I think I will start lining up sometime soon. I also need to study for and take the MCAT.

The more I look at all of this, the more I worry this is more than I can handle to be ready by June 2013. My current plan is to take four classes in the fall and the final one in spring. My perception is this will give me the time to study properly for the MCAT.

My gut is telling me this is too aggressive. I have no idea what kind of stresses are involved with putting all together at the end. Would you guys recommend I slow down a tad and just resign myself to applying in 2014? Or does this plan seem reasonable to accomplish in this amount of time?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[LingoLaine]

It sounds like too much to me. How do you expect to handle taking four classes while working full time this fall? Do you really need all those courses?

 

[ghostman]

What's the goal here? If it's medical school, then do you need to take those classes in order to graduate? Are you currently pulling A's with that schedule? If possible, shed some of that course load and start focusing on your core science courses (the ones tested on the MCAT). Those elective courses will only help marginally - and most likely, not at all - with the MCATs. Also, minors are not terribly useful; if you don't need it to achieve your goal, then see if you are willing to part with it. Then spread the classes you DO need to graduate in that time span.

Treat studying for the MCATs like two classes that assigns A LOT of homework. Regardless of whether you take a prep course, you have to really buckle down, read through your review books and start taking all the full-length practice tests (in test-like, timed, cubicle conditions). When you can hit your target grade, you are ready to take the MCATs. If you can't, you are not ready.

BTW, I took Biology 2 and OChem 2 in the same spring semester that I ended up taking my MCATs. But I also do not have kids or a full-time job. If I had either, I don't think I would have had enough time.

 

[ChodeNode]

Every class I mentioned is one I need to graduate. So yes, I need all these courses. I've taken 3-4 classes every semester for the last 3 years and gotten all A's, except for 1 B. I'm not so much worried about the courses, but am worried about trying to take the MCAT in 2013, which I don't see being able to start studying for until Dec. 2012 if things go okay. I'm worried there's a lot of work with lining up my application items and being completely ready.

At this point, not doing the Spanish minor doesn't help me finish faster. The three 300-level courses I'll be taking actually count as elective credits I need in my Physiology major. Plus, the school I want to get into highly values students who work with the local population and can speak Spanish.

I don't intend on taking the prep-courses for the MCAT. I plan to use SN2ed's schedule. But also doing all of that, plus getting LOR's, plus doing my PS, I'm worried I'll not be ready with it all and have problems with my app.

Edit: Finishing O-chem 2 this semester is the last of my pre-med req's.