I have just decided to pursue a career in medicine. I finished undergrad in 2007/2008, physics and econ, and I kind of wandered a bit career-wise, but have now settled on medicine.
So naturally I’m full of questions!
Right now, I am wondering about the best way to get my pre-req’s done. I think I basically only have the physics pre-req covered since my bio and chem class in college didn’t have lab components.
The first thing I’m wondering about is how much it matters where you take your pre-reqs. A friend of mine in med school said I should just go with community college. Is that really ok though? I would expect admissions people to care about where you took those classes, but he was saying they really just care about the grade. My undergrad was at MIT, so maybe I just have a bias toward thinking I should go to the most prestigious school I can. It would be good to go with community college, since I’m not flush with cash, and since I’d probably be able to start classes in the spring semester.
Also, I would love some feedback on my projected timeline:
Spring 2013: chem I, Bio I
Summer 2013: chem II, Bio II
Fall 2013: Organic Chem I, possibly anantomy etc.
Spring 2014: Organic Chem II
Summer 2014: MCAT
Fall 2014: Apply
There would be additional classes in there I suppose, but those would be the main ones, I think. Does that seem realistic?
You guys have already been and really inspiring, so thank you so much.
Welcome! Community college versus 4-year university has always been a subject of debate. Personally, I still think it is better to take all pre-req courses in a 4-year university. A 4-year university is still more respected than a community college. Why take any risks if you don’t have to? In general, professors at 4-year universities also have more experience in writing letter of recommendations, which is an essential part of an application. However, if you simply can not take pre-reqs at a 4-year university, it would not completely destroy your chances for admission either, as long as you have good grades and rock your MCAT. Although I took some pre-req courses at a community college due to scheduling and financial constraints, I have been relatively successful in this application cycle. Many OPMers also took community college pre-reqs and still gained acceptances at very good schools.
Good luck on your journey!
Main thing is, don’t apply in the fall!!! Apply early is a VERY important thing to increase your chances of acceptance. Having said that, your course sequence is fine. Just adjust to : Fall - OrgChe