Transferrring from Community College to University

[MugenJin]

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Hello everyone,

I would like to start by thanking everyone who is reading this.

I am a 21 year old student in Michigan with two and a half years of unfocused disorganized college work. After graduating in 2009 from a high school that was extremely limiting in terms of opportunities beyond high school courses (Dual enrollment, early start programs etc) at the time, I set off into the world of college with no idea what to do, what classes to take, or who to ask (the majority of my high school and community college advisors were less than helpful). My first two years in CC consisted of taking electives and some important classes. I breezed through these classes and developed the destructive habit of procrastinating on almost everything I set out to do.

I plan on transferring to Wayne State University in the fall of 2012 (fall would be my first semester there). I have no volunteering experience or any other extra curricular activities. I plan on going for a bachelors in Biology and then applying to Wayne State Med school.

As of now my GPA is 3.79, one drop class, one C in economics,
A's in two biology classes,
B in general chemistry 1,
A's and B's in Math classes,
and A's in the rest of the classes.

It isnt special or anything. I would like some advice as to what I should do in my remaining two years at Wayne to increase my chances and if I will be able to increase my chances enough to be competitive in just two years. If anyone in the area knows of any opportunities whether volunteering, paid work at a hospital/clinic, research, etc I would appreciate it.

As of now I work 20 hours a week at a health foods and supplements store. I have gone through some emotionally draining events in the last year and a half that has left me completely unmotivated. I would also like some advice on what to do to become motivated again to pursue a medical career. I need to build some effective study habits. As of now my total hours of study per week is 0-2 hr/wk. Most of the studying is before a test day or lab. I know this is extremely ineffective so I would appreciate any advice on how to change and develop some effective study habits.

Thanks to all!

(oh and sorry if I posted this in the wrong section!)

 

[theseeker4]

Hello everyone,

I would like to start by thanking everyone who is reading this.

I am a 21 year old student in Michigan with two and a half years of unfocused disorganized college work. After graduating in 2009 from a high school that was extremely limiting in terms of opportunities beyond high school courses (Dual enrollment, early start programs etc) at the time, I set off into the world of college with no idea what to do, what classes to take, or who to ask (the majority of my high school and community college advisors were less than helpful). My first two years in CC consisted of taking electives and some important classes. I breezed through these classes and developed the destructive habit of procrastinating on almost everything I set out to do.

I plan on transferring to Wayne State University in the fall of 2012 (fall would be my first semester there). I have no volunteering experience or any other extra curricular activities. I plan on going for a bachelors in Biology and then applying to Wayne State Med school.

As of now my GPA is 3.79, one drop class, one C in economics,
A's in two biology classes,
B in general chemistry 1,
A's and B's in Math classes,
and A's in the rest of the classes.

It isnt special or anything. I would like some advice as to what I should do in my remaining two years at Wayne to increase my chances and if I will be able to increase my chances enough to be competitive in just two years. If anyone in the area knows of any opportunities whether volunteering, paid work at a hospital/clinic, research, etc I would appreciate it.

As of now I work 20 hours a week at a health foods and supplements store. I have gone through some emotionally draining events in the last year and a half that has left me completely unmotivated. I would also like some advice on what to do to become motivated again to pursue a medical career. I need to build some effective study habits. As of now my total hours of study per week is 0-2 hr/wk. Most of the studying is before a test day or lab. I know this is extremely ineffective so I would appreciate any advice on how to change and develop some effective study habits.

Thanks to all!

(oh and sorry if I posted this in the wrong section!)

First, welcome!

Second, your GPA is very good so far, above the average for MD schools, so you are in excellent shape there.

I don't know what will motivate you better than the thought of, if your grades drop too much, you won't be a doctor. Kick yourself in the butt and get in gear. If you need to work through issues with a therapist or psychiatrist, do that NOW, don't damage your record before you get help.

Take a light load your first semester, as university classes are generally more difficult than community college classes. If you put in the work, though, there is no reason you couldn't maintain your performance. Just give yourself time to adjust.

Take advantage of tutoring. Talk to your professors. Give yourself goals and make yourself stick to them. If you run into any issues, seek help sooner rather than later.

For EC's, look into the DMC and Henry Ford Hospital, both associated with WSU SOM, for volunteering and shadowing opportunities. Look into research opportunities with both the biology department, and the School of Medicine.

I graduated from Wayne in 2005, went back to complete an informal post-bac, and was accepted to their medical school for the Class of 2016, so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[MugenJin]

First, welcome!

Second, your GPA is very good so far, above the average for MD schools, so you are in excellent shape there.

I don't know what will motivate you better than the thought of, if your grades drop too much, you won't be a doctor. Kick yourself in the butt and get in gear. If you need to work through issues with a therapist or psychiatrist, do that NOW, don't damage your record before you get help.

Take a light load your first semester, as university classes are generally more difficult than community college classes. If you put in the work, though, there is no reason you couldn't maintain your performance. Just give yourself time to adjust.

Take advantage of tutoring. Talk to your professors. Give yourself goals and make yourself stick to them. If you run into any issues, seek help sooner rather than later.

For EC's, look into the DMC and Henry Ford Hospital, both associated with WSU SOM, for volunteering and shadowing opportunities. Look into research opportunities with both the biology department, and the School of Medicine.

I graduated from Wayne in 2005, went back to complete an informal post-bac, and was accepted to their medical school for the Class of 2016, so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Hello seeker4,

Thank you very much for your quick reply.

I want to know if the fact that I attended a community college for the first two years is a factor in the med schools decision on whether to accept me or not. Generally, CC classes are easier (and cheaper, which is the reason I went there in the first place) than University courses. I fear that if I do maintain a high GPA they will notice that i attended CC and that it might influence their decision.

Also, seeker4 if you dont mind I would like you to tell me your journey from highchool to where you are now as a student (I dont know if you prefer we PM each other regarding that). Sometimes stories of students who went to local schools and got in seems to motivate me.

So do you think in these two year I can build up a very competitive resume?

Plus do you mind informing of what your MCAT score was when you were accepted?

Thank you seeker4 and everyone else who took the time to read.

 

[Catalystik]

I am a 21 year old student in Michigan with two and a half years of unfocused disorganized college work. After graduating in 2009 from a high school that was extremely limiting in terms of opportunities beyond high school courses (Dual enrollment, early start programs etc) at the time, I set off into the world of college with no idea what to do, what classes to take, or who to ask (the majority of my high school and community college advisors were less than helpful). My first two years in CC consisted of taking electives and some important classes. I breezed through these classes and developed the destructive habit of procrastinating on almost everything I set out to do.

I plan on transferring to Wayne State University in the fall of 2012 (fall would be my first semester there). I have no volunteering experience or any other extra curricular activities. I plan on going for a bachelors in Biology and then applying to Wayne State Med school.

As of now my GPA is 3.79, one drop class, one C in economics,
A's in two biology classes,
B in general chemistry 1,
A's and B's in Math classes,
and A's in the rest of the classes.

It isnt special or anything. I would like some advice as to what I should do in my remaining two years at Wayne to increase my chances and if I will be able to increase my chances enough to be competitive in just two years. If anyone in the area knows of any opportunities whether volunteering, paid work at a hospital/clinic, research, etc I would appreciate it.

As of now I work 20 hours a week at a health foods and supplements store. I have gone through some emotionally draining events in the last year and a half that has left me completely unmotivated. I would also like some advice on what to do to become motivated again to pursue a medical career. I need to build some effective study habits. As of now my total hours of study per week is 0-2 hr/wk. Most of the studying is before a test day or lab. I know this is extremely ineffective so I would appreciate any advice on how to change and develop some effective study habits.

Thanks to all!

(oh and sorry if I posted this in the wrong section!)

If you transfer to a 4-year school and your grades drop like a stone, it will cast doubt about the validity of your currently excellent GPA. Don't go there until your sparkle is back.

Helping others will help you. Start volunteering a few hours a week now for a local organization you care about: soup kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, scouts, homeless or womens shelter are examples.

About 1.5 years before you'd apply, start to volunteer or work in a medical environment.

In the year before you apply, plan to shadow a few docs for at least 50 hours total.

Look for leadership and teaching. Consider research. These aren't required, but they strengthen an application.

 

[MugenJin]

If you transfer to a 4-year school and your grades drop like a stone, it will cast doubt about the validity of your currently excellent GPA. Don't go there until your mojo is back.

Helping others will help you. Start volunteering a few hours a week now for a local organization you care about: soup kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, scouts, homeless or womens shelter are examples.

About 1.5 years before you'd apply, start to volunteer or work in a medical environment.

In the year before you apply, plan to shadow a few docs for at least 50 hours total.

Look for leadership and teaching. Consider research. These aren't required, but they strengthen an application.

Hi Catalystik,

Thank you very much for your advice.

I am pretty sure I can maintain this GPA or even increase it because when I am motivated and when I put hours into studying something I do pretty well. Right now I am at an all time low in terms of morale. Not motivated, and since I have never had effective study habits I am a chronic procrastinator. But I feel that I do have the potential.

Also, I was thinking of going for a Bachelors in Biology. I read that many Med schools dont focus too much on your major but in terms of a fallback degree in case I don't get accepted would it be better if I went for a major that is more,how should I say this, more practical? meaning like an engineering degree, or something that will allow for a rewarding career. Basically what I am asking is what can you do with a Degree in Biology if I dont get accepted and am waiting to apply again.

Also, many people advised me to take my MCAT exams during my Junior year of college which would be in the beginning of the upcoming fall semester. I dont feel that is possible because I dont feel as though I have 'mastered' (meaning understood to the best of my ability) the subjects in question (Biology, chemistry) since I am still taking low to mid level courses of Bio and Chem. when do you think is the ideal time to take the MCAT exams or is it entirely based on your specific circumstances.

Again, thank you very much for your advice.

 

[theseeker4]

Hello seeker4,

Thank you very much for your quick reply.

I want to know if the fact that I attended a community college for the first two years is a factor in the med schools decision on whether to accept me or not. Generally, CC classes are easier (and cheaper, which is the reason I went there in the first place) than University courses. I fear that if I do maintain a high GPA they will notice that i attended CC and that it might influence their decision.

I have heard that some schools care about CC classes. A few I have heard don't accept any (though how they deal with someone who started out at a CC and graduated from a university, I don't know, they may just want the pre-reqs taken at the university level.) I have never heard that Wayne had a problem with them. CC courses can be a red flag for students who are trying to boost a low GPA or who took all their sciences at a CC, which could make the adcoms wonder if you could handle university-level sciences. If you are going to Wayne for the next two years, majoring in Biology, you will take quite a few upper-level science classes, which should be plenty to demonstrate you are a capable student in science.

If you maintain your GPA, I doubt your first two years at a CC will hurt your chances. The thing that would hurt you the most would be a sudden drop in grades, especially if they didn't go back up the next semester. That would definitely make schools wonder if you could actually handle the university-level classes. For that reason, take a light load the first semester; people might say you need to maintain a heavy course load to show you can handle it, but a light load one semester at a 4.0 will help you MUCH more than a heavy load at a 3.0.

Call Wayne SOM directly and see what they say, as that will be more accurate than anyone on here.

Also, seeker4 if you dont mind I would like you to tell me your journey from highchool to where you are now as a student (I dont know if you prefer we PM each other regarding that). Sometimes stories of students who went to local schools and got in seems to motivate me.

I have already posted my story at various times on this site, so I don't mind including it here. I went directly from high school (graduated in 2001) to Wayne State, luckily had a full tuition scholarship there, and got a BA in history. At the time I was planning to be a lawyer, but had decided against that by the time I graduated in 2005. I worked throughout college, but lived at home so didn't have to take on any debt.

After graduation I got a job in Louisiana for three months working as an armed guard after hurricane Katrina. While there, I decided to take the pre-reqs and pursue med school. I took a job as a manager as a restaurant for several months, then started an informal post bac, taking the standard bio, chemistry, organic and physics, plus trig, microbiology, cell bio and biochemistry because they were on the pre-med advising sheet. I used Federal Stafford loans to pay for the classes, and worked part time as well.

I met my wife during the post-bac, so despite taking the MCAT the last semester of classes, I didn't apply then for medical school. I got the job I have now, and started taking classes toward a biochemistry degree because I needed to be working toward a BS for this job. We bought a house in the Summer of 2009, and got married in the Summer of 2010. In the Spring of 2011, my wife developed pre-eclampsia and delivered our son at 32 weeks. She was hospitalized for the birth and once after the birth, and he was in the NICU for over a month.

That gave me the final push to actually become a doctor, so I retook the MCAT as the scores I had already were expiring shortly (I thought I wouldn't get in this year, applied as a "hail Mary" expecting to have to re-apply due to almost non-existent clinical experience) and applied in the summer. I applied to Wayne only through the early decision program, and they notified me I was accepted the last Friday of September, 2011. Now, I am just biding my time before I matriculate in August, and haven't taken any courses since the semester I took the MCAT.

So do you think in these two year I can build up a very competitive resume?

Plus do you mind informing of what your MCAT score was when you were accepted?

Thank you seeker4 and everyone else who took the time to read.

You definitely can build up a resume that will make you competitive. It obviously depends on your numbers when you actually apply, but I would argue short of a school that doesn't accept any CC credits at all, you could be competitive for any school. Unlike a lot of people looking for advice here, you have no real blemish on your record that makes admission an up-hill battle.

Start clinical volunteering and some shadowing, as well as volunteering in anything else that interests you. Don't just do things that look good for med school; pursue your interests since you won't have the time to do so during med school, residency, etc. Look into the various departments at Wayne and the medical school for research opportunities. I had no research and less than a month of volunteering when I submitted my application (still have no research). If I was starting over, I would definitely make sure I had clinical experience, as well as some research if it was convenient. The lack in clinical exposure especially is what convinced me I would have to re-apply.

I am sure you will have a lot of opportunities to do so, but make a point of getting close to some of your professors at Wayne, so you have a good selection to draw LOR's from. I didn't make this a priority, so I was lucky that I had a couple professors impressed enough with my work in their classes to write strong LOR's for me.

I got a 32Q on the MCAT, 10 on PS and 11 on the other two sections. I did minimal studying both attempts (first time was 32R, 11VS, 9PS 11BS) and didn't realize at the time how big of a risk that was. I simply had the attitude of "I have the pre-req classes done, so I won't really have to study." I would suggest you take the time to study for the MCAT and do as well as you can on it, unlike what I did. Anecdotally, Wayne seems to prefer applicants have a balance between MCAT sections, and between the MCAT and their GPA. A high score in one of them doesn't seem to make up for a lower score in another as much as it may in some other schools. Something to keep in mind.

You are starting from a very good position, and considering WSU SOM matriculates ~30% of the applicants who went to Wayne for undergrad, you will have a great shot at WSU if you maintain your good grades and do well on the MCAT. Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[Catalystik]

I was thinking of going for a Bachelors in Biology. I read that many Med schools dont focus too much on your major but in terms of a fallback degree in case I don't get accepted would it be better if I went for a major that is more,how should I say this, more practical? meaning like an engineering degree, or something that will allow for a rewarding career.

1) Basically what I am asking is what can you do with a Degree in Biology if I dont get accepted and am waiting to apply again.

Also, many people advised me to take my MCAT exams during my Junior year of college which would be in the beginning of the upcoming fall semester. I dont feel that is possible because I dont feel as though I have 'mastered' (meaning understood to the best of my ability) the subjects in question (Biology, chemistry) since I am still taking low to mid level courses of Bio and Chem.

2) when do you think is the ideal time to take the MCAT exams or is it entirely based on your specific circumstances.

1) There are many other health-related careers that are less competitive to get into with a Biology degree if your GPA takes a dive ( Look at the subforums of SDN to see what they are). The Bio degree itself does not prepare you well for a temp job, other than maybe Researcher.

Engineering is typically math intensive and represents a greater challenge for many to maintain a high GPA. Don't do it unless you love it and are willing to accept that consequence.

2) Best time to take the MCAT is when you're ready, and when there is enough extra time to retake before application time if your score is not representative of your knowledge.

 

[Humans]

Hello everyone,

I would like to start by thanking everyone who is reading this.

I am a 21 year old student in Michigan with two and a half years of unfocused disorganized college work. After graduating in 2009 from a high school that was extremely limiting in terms of opportunities beyond high school courses (Dual enrollment, early start programs etc) at the time, I set off into the world of college with no idea what to do, what classes to take, or who to ask (the majority of my high school and community college advisors were less than helpful). My first two years in CC consisted of taking electives and some important classes. I breezed through these classes and developed the destructive habit of procrastinating on almost everything I set out to do.

I plan on transferring to Wayne State University in the fall of 2012 (fall would be my first semester there). I have no volunteering experience or any other extra curricular activities. I plan on going for a bachelors in Biology and then applying to Wayne State Med school.

As of now my GPA is 3.79, one drop class, one C in economics,
A's in two biology classes,
B in general chemistry 1,
A's and B's in Math classes,
and A's in the rest of the classes.

It isnt special or anything. I would like some advice as to what I should do in my remaining two years at Wayne to increase my chances and if I will be able to increase my chances enough to be competitive in just two years. If anyone in the area knows of any opportunities whether volunteering, paid work at a hospital/clinic, research, etc I would appreciate it.

As of now I work 20 hours a week at a health foods and supplements store. I have gone through some emotionally draining events in the last year and a half that has left me completely unmotivated. I would also like some advice on what to do to become motivated again to pursue a medical career. I need to build some effective study habits. As of now my total hours of study per week is 0-2 hr/wk. Most of the studying is before a test day or lab. I know this is extremely ineffective so I would appreciate any advice on how to change and develop some effective study habits.

Thanks to all!

(oh and sorry if I posted this in the wrong section!)

Hi there,
Your story is almost like mine, I am currently in CC trying to advance to a University for Microbiology or Biochemistry. I've procrastinated and have gone through emotional road bumps in the past year (I'm a freshman) but am still getting good grades. The one thing you have to remember is to put everything on hold EXCEPT school. School is your number one priority and nothing should stand in the way. For studying I usually start a week before since last minute cramming is not my thing. Also try volunteering at a hospital, this will get you back into being motivated seeing all the doctors.
Good Luck