Undergrad curriculum

[davemo]

Hey everybody...

I'm enjoying reading this forum so far!
I've got a couple of questions/concerns, and I was hoping to get some feedback. I'm an undergraduate sophomore interested in becoming an O.D., and I'm trying to plan my path as early as possible. As a freshman I completed non-science courses (towards my school's graduation req's...general courses, psychology, writing, etc..) and this semester among some graduation req' classes I am taking intro Bio and Chem courses, and pre-Calculus (taking Calc in spring). As it stands I've got a 3.75 GPA (non-science of course) and I'm doing very well in my current courses. So, here's where I'm unsure...
I've read that the "normal" time to apply to Opt. school is the junior/senior summer, and that most students take the OAT in February of their junior year. First of all, how accurate is that info? Because, based on that, I want to figure out how to plan my curriculum to best be ready for the OAT...by what I've read on most Opt. school sites, it's best to have 1 year of physics and one year of o-chem done before taking the OAT, and one year each of the intro bio and chem labs. Second question - how true is that?
By the end of my sophomore year (school goes by 2 split semesters, fall and spring) I'll have completed Calculus, 1 year of the intro chem and intro bio. No physics yet...no o-chem. Should I try cramming in physics in the summer? Or...should I take just 1 semester each of Physics and O-chem next fall and then take the OAT? Or should I take an entire year of physics and o-chem next year and then put the OAT off until October of my senior year? I hear it is smarter to take the OAT in Feb. of your junior year, but at the same time I think it's important to be well-prepared for it. Or should I take 1 semester of o-chem and one of physics and then take the OAT in Feb, then, (assuming I need to) re-take the OAT in October after I've gotten through more o-chem and physics? Just trying to figure out a good strategy. Summer courses could be intensive, but, it would be beneficial if I learn/excel in them -- though I've read somewhere before that summer courses "don't look as good" to admissions (though I think that was on a pre-med site...dunno if it's accurate or if it should matter).

Anyway, any suggestions? I just want to use my time wisely so that I can prepare thoroughly for the OAT while still getting high grades (and learning)...any feedback is much appreciated!

- Dave

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[lazgirl24]

just wondering... is o-chem on the MCAT?

 

[croco]

I think the smartest thing you can do is take classes like chem and physics right before taking the oat. This way the info will be fresh when you do an overview of it.

 

[cpw]

Originally posted by croco
I think the smartest thing you can do is take classes like chem and physics right before taking the oat. This way the info will be fresh when you do an overview of it.

definitely true. I rocked the physics section because I'd just taken it the semester before. (go night classes!!)

 

[Petec]

DaveMO

Yes definetly try and take those chem and physics as close to oat as possible. But as far as summer courses go, I took the 2 ochem classes this summer in ten weeks. There's definetly pros and cons to doing this:

Pros:
*Getting these prereqs out of the way in such a timely fashion (usually just ten weeks for the two classes)
*I would argue that most students can potentially get a better grade because they can focus all there efforts on the one subject (Also, the opto schools that I'm applying to never said it "looks bad" or anything to take these in the summer, but who knows?)

Cons:
*The ten weeks is hell (especially with these boring, dry subjects)

*Summer is a good time to make some cash, and for me, I was only able to work about 15 hours/week (and get a decent grade) so I'm broke as a joke right now going thru the fall semester.

 

[r_salis]

Originally posted by Petec
But as far as summer courses go, I took the 2 ochem classes this summer in ten weeks.

You took *both* Orgo semesters in 10 weeks, including labs??? I took Orgo II (with the lab) the summer before last and I think it was 8 weeks -- like you said, it's a great way to get it over with, but it sucked because there was so much to cram into your head in such a short time. I can't imagine taking both in just 10 weeks. Hats off to ya for doing it...

 

[davemo]

Thanks for the replies!

 

[J.opt]

Originally posted by davemo
I've read that the "normal" time to apply to Opt. school is the junior/senior summer, and that most students take the OAT in February of their junior year. - Dave

I think most people take the test on the fall of their senior year. I?m a junior right now taking Physics + o-chem. But I haven?t decided if I should take the OAT in February, and maybe have another shot at it, or go for it on October 2004.