Timing of Labs

[mehc012]

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Hey SDN
So, I'm trying to pull together a DIY postbacc here. Unfortunately, due to multiple reasons (working more than fulltime, already taken all of the prereqs and so I have to take upper levels, which are more difficult to find and schedule as a non-degree seeker, etc.) I have only been able to pull off 2 courses/semester. Unfortunately, that means that my GPA is improving more slowly than I'd like.

The other downside is that this institution offers labs entirely separately from the course itself. This means that, due to tuition (1-credit labs cost the same!) and time constraints, if I take a lab in a semester, I can only take 1 other course. Ugh.

Fortunately, I was a science-heavy undergrad, so I only need Phys1 and Phys2 labs.

Here's my question: I know that you can submit your transcript with a 'and currently taking...' section. Would it be alright to fill the semesters between now and my application with full courses, allowing me to bump my GPA up that extra little bit to a 3.4, and then take the labs during my app cycle, listing them as my 'currently enrolled' courses, or is it more important to finish all prereqs, even though my GPA will fall a bit short of the 3.4 with that? I know it's a tiny difference in the end (0.02), and yet the psych impact of hitting the next tenths digit is real.

I don't want to delay another year because a) I am running out of courses to take, b) I am an impatient person, let's be real, c) my free rent ends next summer, d)I am taking the 2014 MCAT and want it to be around for multiple cycles if need be, e) I do not want to take the 2015 MCAT because I think the very idea behind it is flawed.

¿Qué piense, SDN?

 

[487806]

Hey SDN
So, I'm trying to pull together a DIY postbacc here. Unfortunately, due to multiple reasons (working more than fulltime, already taken all of the prereqs and so I have to take upper levels, which are more difficult to find and schedule as a non-degree seeker, etc.) I have only been able to pull off 2 courses/semester. Unfortunately, that means that my GPA is improving more slowly than I'd like.

The other downside is that this institution offers labs entirely separately from the course itself. This means that, due to tuition (1-credit labs cost the same!) and time constraints, if I take a lab in a semester, I can only take 1 other course. Ugh.

Fortunately, I was a science-heavy undergrad, so I only need Phys1 and Phys2 labs.

Here's my question: I know that you can submit your transcript with a 'and currently taking...' section. Would it be alright to fill the semesters between now and my application with full courses, allowing me to bump my GPA up that extra little bit to a 3.4, and then take the labs during my app cycle, listing them as my 'currently enrolled' courses, or is it more important to finish all prereqs, even though my GPA will fall a bit short of the 3.4 with that? I know it's a tiny difference in the end (0.02), and yet the psych impact of hitting the next tenths digit is real.

I don't want to delay another year because a) I am running out of courses to take, b) I am an impatient person, let's be real, c) my free rent ends next summer, d)I am taking the 2014 MCAT and want it to be around for multiple cycles if need be, e) I do not want to take the 2015 MCAT because I think the very idea behind it is flawed.

¿Qué piense, SDN?

Ok you just overwhelmed me with a complicated scenario...

1. Not sure why you "have to take" upper level classes for a DIY postbacc if you had a science-heavy UG...
2. Are your cGPA and sGPA both 3.4?
3. You can take the labs during the app cycle. Just have them before matriculation.

I think the question at hand is basically #1

 

[mehc012]

Ok you just overwhelmed me with a complicated scenario...

1. Not sure why you "have to take" upper level classes for a DIY postbacc if you had a science-heavy UG...
2. Are your cGPA and sGPA both 3.4?
3. You can take the labs during the app cycle. Just have them before matriculation.

I think the question at hand is basically #1

Because I have already taken the lower levels...it is better to take a new, upper level course which is interesting than to retake (at an easier institution) a bunch of lower-level sciences which I got B+'s in the first time...not only does it look better to get an A in a brand new, upper level course than to improve from a B+ to an A in an intro, it's waaaay more interesting to me (and when I get bored I get sloppy).

No. My cGPA and sGPA were both shy of a 3.2 at the start of this postbacc.
Now they are around 3.3
If I take full courses, they will hit 3.4 by application. If I take labs, they will be upper 3.3s - it's more of an appearance difference than a numerical one, I know, but somehow it seems to count.

PS thanks for replying!
And yah, I know it's a bit overcomplicated, but the ones which seem simple to me are not the ones I'll be asking about (yay Search function!)

 

[487806]

Because I have already taken the lower levels...it is better to take a new, upper level course which is interesting than to retake (at an easier institution) a bunch of lower-level sciences which I got B+'s in the first time...not only does it look better to get an A in a brand new, upper level course than to improve from a B+ to an A in an intro, it's waaaay more interesting to me (and when I get bored I get sloppy).

No. My cGPA and sGPA were both shy of a 3.2 at the start of this postbacc.
Now they are around 3.3
If I take full courses, they will hit 3.4 by application. If I take labs, they will be upper 3.3s - it's more of an appearance difference than a numerical one, I know, but somehow it seems to count.

PS thanks for replying!
And yah, I know it's a bit overcomplicated, but the ones which seem simple to me are not the ones I'll be asking about (yay Search function!)

Ok. So you're taking the upper level classes because you're bored and want to continue with grade repair. So... yeah. Get the required labs done before matriculation and do whatever you want to ensure your GPA bumps up to a 3.4 (hopefully before you actually begin to apply, so you don't have to overwhelm with grade updates).

Have you considered DO schools and their grade repair systems? Worth a look but I don't think you'll be at a disadvantage with MD if you can annihilate the MCAT (36+).

 

[mehc012]

Ok. So you're taking the upper level classes because you're bored and want to continue with grade repair. So... yeah. Get the required labs done before matriculation and do whatever you want to ensure your GPA bumps up to a 3.4 (hopefully before you actually begin to apply, so you don't have to overwhelm with grade updates).

Well, bored and honestly I don't think it shows much, if anything, to get an A in a course which I already got a B+ in...especially not an introductory-level course, and ESPECIALLY not when my first attempt was at a difficult school and my current courses are somewhat less so. The purpose of this postbacc is to show that I am strong academically, and the more challenging the courses, the better, especially as I am taking so few at once.

Have you considered DO schools and their grade repair systems? Worth a look but I don't think you'll be at a disadvantage with MD if you can annihilate the MCAT (36+).

I have considered DO...current plan is to rock the MCAT (good plan, huh? How come no one else ever thought of it 🙄), apply early and broadly with a 4.0 postbacc of upper-levels which was accomplished while working 2-3 jobs, and some solid LORs from my research thesis advisor and various other profs who knew me well (yay LACs and 2-person classes!)

Failing that, plan B is to move to a favorable state for next year (as my free rent is up and I don't like CA anyway), establish residency, up my GPA further, and apply MD, DO, and perhaps backup SMP the next cycle while my hopefully-rocked MCAT (yes, I still know that's optimistic, but I like standardized tests, and they like me) score is still valid.

I want to get as much of a GPA boost as I can, though, so I would definitely prefer to take full courses now and labs during the app cycle (they're not even worth an update letter, as all I have to do is pass them so as to meet requirements). I just don't want them to think "well, she's a borderline GPA and look she didn't even finish all of the prereqs" and bury me.

 

[487806]

Well, bored and honestly I don't think it shows much, if anything, to get an A in a course which I already got a B+ in...especially not an introductory-level course, and ESPECIALLY not when my first attempt was at a difficult school and my current courses are somewhat less so. The purpose of this postbacc is to show that I am strong academically, and the more challenging the courses, the better, especially as I am taking so few at once.

I have considered DO...current plan is to rock the MCAT (good plan, huh? How come no one else ever thought of it 🙄), apply early and broadly with a 4.0 postbacc of upper-levels which was accomplished while working 2-3 jobs, and some solid LORs from my research thesis advisor and various other profs who knew me well (yay LACs and 2-person classes!)

Failing that, plan B is to move to a favorable state for next year (as my free rent is up and I don't like CA anyway), establish residency, up my GPA further, and apply MD, DO, and perhaps backup SMP the next cycle while my hopefully-rocked MCAT (yes, I still know that's optimistic, but I like standardized tests, and they like me) score is still valid.

I want to get as much of a GPA boost as I can, though, so I would definitely prefer to take full courses now and labs during the app cycle (they're not even worth an update letter, as all I have to do is pass them so as to meet requirements). I just don't want them to think "well, she's a borderline GPA and look she didn't even finish all of the prereqs" and bury me.

But you had a science-heavy schedule in UG... I really doubt adcoms will harass you for not taking "additional" reqs. Physics labs are the most important, but if anything, focus more on the sociology/psychology side of things. And take biochem. That's basically about it. Apart from the good MCAT score and ECs/LORs/essays, there really isn't anything else stopping you.

And note if by stroke of luck you score near ~40 (39-45 range), your 3.4 won't be much of a problem even for top tiers 😉

 

[mehc012]

But you had a science-heavy schedule in UG... I really doubt adcoms will harass you for not taking "additional" reqs. Physics labs are the most important, but if anything, focus more on the sociology/psychology side of things. And take biochem. That's basically about it. Apart from the good MCAT score and ECs/LORs/essays, there really isn't anything else stopping you.

And note if by stroke of luck you score near ~40 (39-45 range), your 3.4 won't be much of a problem even for top tiers 😉

I've taken Biochem...and I was a Chem major who was 3 courses away from completing a 2nd major in Bio (couldn't stomach the plant Bio courses for the extra major)
I took 6 Psych courses and my school had both Writing and Diversity requirements, so those are filled out. I tried Sociology once but it was the most mind-numbingly boring and terrible class that I ever had the misfortune of attending, so I scrapped it for a really cool course on Personality
Most of my semesters were 17 or 18 credits. I was a solid A-/B+ student at a top school, who unfortunately also had a few semesters of '**** in real life hit the fan' scattered in with multiple C+'s which I do not care to explain to adcoms beyond 'I did not have adequate time management to recover from extenuating circumstances. Now I do.'

I am not concerned about my courses - I simply think that a grade repair is less impressive if it is full of repeats. I am not taking upper level Bios because THOSE are expected, but merely because repeat intros are frowned upon and these are the next best option for me. Plus they're super cool...taking them while working in the ED is actually super helpful because I test myself on real patients...Why is this person anemic? What do the RBC indices show? Why the eosinophilia? Why that instead of a ß-blocker? Where did they likely acquire Hansen's disease and which antibiotics were they likely prescribed? What do I think of this EKG? It's fascinating and I am enjoying the he11 out of it!

Anyway, thanks again for the responses and the vote of confidence. I intermittently feel well-prepped for applying next year and doomed. Ah, well, c'est la vie! I'll get there eventually!