Update From The Post-Bacc Trenches

[Engineer2MD]

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I know I don't post much on here, but I wanted to tell everyone about how I'm doing now that I have officially a) quit my job b) moved across the country (and the long-distance marriage is over! Yay!) and c) started school again.

I'm taking Biology 150, Biology Lab, Organic Chemistry, and Genetics. (Have lots of previous Bio experience, just not the official class, so they let me into Genetics). So far, so good. I keep waiting for the "other shoe to drop" with Organic Chemistry, but I'm doing really well so far. Genetics is taught by a visiting medical professor who is now a researcher at a notorious Medical Research insititute. It's really interesting. He told us about going on Grand Rounds one day studying genetic disorders. He came across a Genetic Pedigree where a man and a woman had a son. Then, the mom became pregnant by the son and had a baby boy. He said "Never underestimate what one human can do to another...." 😕

So far the only problems have been the other students. Did I really act like that when I was 18?!?! Twice, I've tried to make friends with some "older looking" students. Turns out, they weren't the students, they were the students' MOTHERS! "Oh, Little Jenny was too sick to come to Organic Chemistry today, she called me from the dorm, so I drove in from ten-buck-two to take notes for her."

WTF?!? I'm trying to picture my 60 year old pre-school teacher mom taking Ochem notes for me! 😱 Seriously lady, are you going to go on rounds for her when she's sick then?!?!

Really though, most everyone I've met has been super-nice and helpful. It's just a little out of sorts being 10-15 years older than everyone else.

I'm looking for volunteer work, and I have two great contacts for shadowing -- two doctors at a children's hospital.

I just finished reading "Emergency Doctor" and one of the authors is Dr. Lewis Goldfrank at Bellview Hosptial in NYC. I told my husband this weekend, as he was cutting tile with a tile saw, not to worry: in the book it carefully explained how to preserve severed limbs during transport to the hospital. He didn't think it was funny...

OK time for bed.
Any other post-bacc-ers out there? How are you doing this semester?

Tracia

 

[cheezer]

physics 2 w/lab, bio 1 w/lab, physiology w/lab, ochem + lab

material isn't hard SO FAR, im just having a hard time keeping up w/ the reading

volunteering at a hospital

waking up early for class blows

 

[Engineer2MD]

Yes! Waking up early STINKS! I keep falling asleep in Biology -- 8:00 AM!

 

[kronickm]

Bio II, O-Chm II at night (piece-o-cake)

Working full time at the hospital (working and going to school sucks, can't wait to have a single focus)

Pretty much biding my time until linkage apps and MCATs, gonna start studying in December for a May MCAT and am not looking forward to it.

 

[elizabetta]

I never post on here but I figure that 2 weeks into my postbac program will give me something to say....

Bio 101 with lab
Chem 103 with lab
Physics 203 with lab.....

Does anyone know if it is possible to take Chem 104 (Gen Chem part 2) WITH OChem 1???????????

 

[CremasterFlash]

depending on your experience level with chem and ochem, i wouldn't suggest taking the last part of chem with anything seriously challenging, it's much more work (in my experience) than the first half.

acid/base chews up a lot of time... but once you get it, it's pretty straightforward.

 

[elizabetta]

thanks for the hints.....I think I'm going to take OChem in the summer..

 

[PTtoMD]

Sounds like you are on track engineer2md. Funny story about the note taking. I am 34 and extremely nervous about starting o-chem tomorrow night (Thurs). My family thinks i am nuts but they are not terribly surprised that i am actually taking steps towards med school. I keep thinking i might find it completely overwhelming and have to drop. I have been looking over my general chem notes (10 years old) and things aren't coming back to me as i'd like.....! When i see everyone elses course loads i feel a little better ans some seem pretty heavy. I will be working 2 long days (PT), taking o-chem at night and being a mommy to my 1 year old. It will keep me plenty busy but it definately seems do-able.
Good luck everyone.

 

[Meatwad]

I know I don't post much on here, but I wanted to tell everyone about how I'm doing now that I have officially a) quit my job b) moved across the country (and the long-distance marriage is over! Yay!) and c) started school again.

I'm taking Biology 150, Biology Lab, Organic Chemistry, and Genetics. (Have lots of previous Bio experience, just not the official class, so they let me into Genetics). So far, so good. I keep waiting for the "other shoe to drop" with Organic Chemistry, but I'm doing really well so far. Genetics is taught by a visiting medical professor who is now a researcher at a notorious Medical Research insititute. It's really interesting. He told us about going on Grand Rounds one day studying genetic disorders. He came across a Genetic Pedigree where a man and a woman had a son. Then, the mom became pregnant by the son and had a baby boy. He said "Never underestimate what one human can do to another...." 😕

So far the only problems have been the other students. Did I really act like that when I was 18?!?! Twice, I've tried to make friends with some "older looking" students. Turns out, they weren't the students, they were the students' MOTHERS! "Oh, Little Jenny was too sick to come to Organic Chemistry today, she called me from the dorm, so I drove in from ten-buck-two to take notes for her."

WTF?!? I'm trying to picture my 60 year old pre-school teacher mom taking Ochem notes for me! 😱 Seriously lady, are you going to go on rounds for her when she's sick then?!?!

Really though, most everyone I've met has been super-nice and helpful. It's just a little out of sorts being 10-15 years older than everyone else.

I'm looking for volunteer work, and I have two great contacts for shadowing -- two doctors at a children's hospital.

I just finished reading "Emergency Doctor" and one of the authors is Dr. Lewis Goldfrank at Bellview Hosptial in NYC. I told my husband this weekend, as he was cutting tile with a tile saw, not to worry: in the book it carefully explained how to preserve severed limbs during transport to the hospital. He didn't think it was funny...

OK time for bed.
Any other post-bacc-ers out there? How are you doing this semester?

Tracia

Just curious, what state is this school in? BIO 150 is a course at my school. 150 doesn't seem like a common course number (usually intro BIO is 101 or something), so there's a chance you're at my school.

That's funny that some people's mothers are there. That is grossly pathetic

 

[Meatwad]

Sounds like you are on track engineer2md. Funny story about the note taking. I am 34 and extremely nervous about starting o-chem tomorrow night (Thurs). My family thinks i am nuts but they are not terribly surprised that i am actually taking steps towards med school. I keep thinking i might find it completely overwhelming and have to drop. I have been looking over my general chem notes (10 years old) and things aren't coming back to me as i'd like.....! When i see everyone elses course loads i feel a little better ans some seem pretty heavy. I will be working 2 long days (PT), taking o-chem at night and being a mommy to my 1 year old. It will keep me plenty busy but it definately seems do-able.
Good luck everyone.

Don't fear organic chem! I took Organic 1 in the summer without ever taking General Chem 2 (they don't enforce pre-reqs in the summer, open enrollment)! So, even if you remember very little about chemistry, you and I are in about the same boat. The course material was not this ridiculously difficult beast, although in the summer it required A LOT of reading (I'd have to read roughly 50 pages of a dense text a night to make sure I was keeping up with lectures).

Since you're taking it during the year, you'll be more than fine. I just went through the text with an underliner and a pen to scribble notes in the margins. Doing practice problems when you have some spare time doesn't hurt either. Good luck.

 

[PTtoMD]

Thanks for the boost of confidence-i had a sigh of relief when i read your e-mail! I am willing to put in the time, do problems, get a tutor, whatever it takes.....hopefully this will get me through with a good grade.

 

[Engineer2MD]

Hey PTtoMD -- don't worry about Organic Chem!! I haven't taken General Chem in over 10 years and I'm doing fine. It's kind of a "different" sort of Chemistry and everything you need to know, they will review. As long as you understand that different atoms have different numbers of electrons in their outer shells (Valance Electrons) and that these electrons are responsible for the Chemistry that happens, you will be FINE! Just be sure to read the text and work all the problems -- buy the solutions manual too. I'm going into the first test and I haven't even been to a study session. I'm doing so well I think I'm going to go it alone for awhile and see how I do.

And don't think of it as hard. Seriously, after having been in the real world for awhile, and studying problems that don't have any answer -- Organic is actually pretty easy. (She says, as she's about to flunk her first exam.... lol)

Meatwad -- I'm at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. We live in K.C. Apparently Bio 101 is for non-health majors. ???? There's also 600 students in my class. 599 18 year olds and me. hehehe.

 

[Meatwad]

Meatwad -- I'm at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. We live in K.C. Apparently Bio 101 is for non-health majors. ???? There's also 600 students in my class. 599 18 year olds and me. hehehe.

Ahh, gotcha; I'm actually in New York (certainly not Kansas!). Funny, the BIO 101 here isn't for Biomajor's either; BIO 150 is. Interesting to see we're not the only place like that.

 

[sweetpea13]

ok this has to be one of the stranger things i have heard on SDN: parents going to class for their kids to take ochem notes for them when they are sick (ie, hungover)?? Ka-raaaazy!!

I know I don't post much on here, but I wanted to tell everyone about how I'm doing now that I have officially a) quit my job b) moved across the country (and the long-distance marriage is over! Yay!) and c) started school again.

I'm taking Biology 150, Biology Lab, Organic Chemistry, and Genetics. (Have lots of previous Bio experience, just not the official class, so they let me into Genetics). So far, so good. I keep waiting for the "other shoe to drop" with Organic Chemistry, but I'm doing really well so far. Genetics is taught by a visiting medical professor who is now a researcher at a notorious Medical Research insititute. It's really interesting. He told us about going on Grand Rounds one day studying genetic disorders. He came across a Genetic Pedigree where a man and a woman had a son. Then, the mom became pregnant by the son and had a baby boy. He said "Never underestimate what one human can do to another...." 😕

So far the only problems have been the other students. Did I really act like that when I was 18?!?! Twice, I've tried to make friends with some "older looking" students. Turns out, they weren't the students, they were the students' MOTHERS! "Oh, Little Jenny was too sick to come to Organic Chemistry today, she called me from the dorm, so I drove in from ten-buck-two to take notes for her."

WTF?!? I'm trying to picture my 60 year old pre-school teacher mom taking Ochem notes for me! 😱 Seriously lady, are you going to go on rounds for her when she's sick then?!?!

Really though, most everyone I've met has been super-nice and helpful. It's just a little out of sorts being 10-15 years older than everyone else.

I'm looking for volunteer work, and I have two great contacts for shadowing -- two doctors at a children's hospital.

I just finished reading "Emergency Doctor" and one of the authors is Dr. Lewis Goldfrank at Bellview Hosptial in NYC. I told my husband this weekend, as he was cutting tile with a tile saw, not to worry: in the book it carefully explained how to preserve severed limbs during transport to the hospital. He didn't think it was funny...

OK time for bed.
Any other post-bacc-ers out there? How are you doing this semester?

Tracia

 

[Engineer2MD]

Yup, I swear to you it is the 100% truth. And really, what could you gleam from your mother's notes?

 

[Meatwad]

Yup, I swear to you it is the 100% truth. And really, what could you gleam from your mother's notes?

Hmm... they might be onto something here! I think my mother would take better notes than I would; she'd probably be more awake at 8:20 AM than I would!