Hi All,
Got quite a lot of information when I first posted and began my DIY post-bacc at University of North Carolina - Charlotte so I’ve just been plugging away and so far no major issues.
Wanted to get some opinions on my progress so far. I’ve been using the advice I got from an admissions rep at UNC Chapel Hill as a benchmark, which was that they like to see 30 credit hours of upper-level science work from a post-bacc who HAS some exposure to the basic pre-med requirements.
So, from undergrad at Wash U I completed Gen. Chem w/labs and Gen. Bio w/labs (all A’s). At UNCC, coursework is looking like so:
Spring 2011: Cell Biology (A), Biostatistics (A), and Parasitology (4000-level BIO elective; A)
Current/Summer 2011: Physics I & II w/labs
Fall 2011: Orgo I, Microbiology, Genetics OR Animal Physiology
Spring 2012: Orgo II, Comparative Vertibrate Anatomy (4000-level BIOL elective), Genetics OR Animal Physio.
I’m also teaching the LSAT full-time (nights & weekends) for a test-prep company, volunteering for Hospice, shadowing a bit, and trying to find a cardio clinical research gig, which limits me to the class load as indicated above. By the end of this schedule, I will have about 35 credit hours completed at UNCC as a post-bacc. My first semester ended with a 4.00 GPA, so if I can keep the grades, should I be planning on taking the MCAT in Spring/Summer 2012 and applying right away?
My original thought was to actually continue classes into the Fall 2012 and maybe Spring 2013 semesters to really crank out an amazing transcript (i.e. Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, etc.), take the MCAT in Spring/Summer 2013, and then apply. One option obviously takes 1 year longer to complete, but I’m thinking it may be worth it if this plan could open more doors to more medical schools, perhaps even my dream school.
Thoughts? Information I failed to include for an accurate answer? Thanks in advance to anyone who replies!
From what I have read on here no one has ever regretted taking more time to get into med-school, but maybe some with more experience can respond.
I’m a graduate of UNCC (BA Chemistry) and I have a few suggestions for your chemistry courses.
If you can and if they’re still teaching, try to get Dr. Brown for Organic Chemistry and Dr. Mattingly for Biochem.
And set your head on fire before you take ANY course with Dr. Walsh, LOL!!! He used to teach Organic and labs and he was a complete nightmare!
I had a really great physics prof but unfortunately, I can’t think of his name. If it comes to me, I’ll post it here. However, I wouldn’t take this class in the summer given your schedule.
- Richard H. Said:
Fall 2011: Orgo I, Microbiology, Genetics OR Animal Physiology
...One option obviously takes 1 year longer to complete, but I'm thinking it may be worth it if this plan could open more doors to more medical schools, perhaps even my dream school.
I took an extra year to finish my regular degree, and I definitely think it was worth it because it gave me more time to get some ECs done while maintaining good grades.
Organic is intense. So if the other classes are considered easy at your school than go for it, but if your genetics or AP is anything like mine were than you've got 3 very study-intensive courses with one easy - might want to drop one of the intense ones for a fun online class to make it possible to really shine in organic.
