Here is where I am. Currently I’m taking Physics II and Organic I without the labs. After this semester what I have left for the basic pre-reqs is Organic II lecture, Organic I Lab, Organic II Lab and Physics II Lab. The only other class I have taken in addition to the main pre-reqs is Genetics because my state school requires it. I am trying to figure out where to go from here…
Here are my options with the note that I work full-time.
Do I take Organic II lecture only next semester and study for a May MCAT? or…
Do I take Organic II lecture, Organic I lab, and Physics II lab, then study over the summer for a September MCAT and wait to apply in 2014? I would need to wait until mid-June to really start prep as I am planning to take a missions type trip during the first couple of weeks of June.
My job can be pretty demanding sometimes…I ended up having to drop my Organic I lab this semester as I got behind due to long hours at work and working on weekends.
If there are any of you who have faced a similar delimma, I would loved to hear how you reasoned it out. Also I plan to take an online Kaplan course, I think I will do better in a structured environment.
- piperlilee Said:
I think your statement here is pretty critical to your choice. Physics and Organic labs can be really time consuming (depending on your professor, some of those lab reports take hours.) But you have to have the labs in order to apply to med school (at least my schools were specific in requiring the lab element)... so you have to get them done sometime.
If you want to just take Orgo II and MCAT this spring, it's probably fine to sit for a late spring MCAT--the labs won't really help you there. Then, you have lectures pretty fresh on the brain. You could always apply next summer and indicate that you are finishing up your lab elements that summer/fall (there is an option on your AMCAS application to enter in future course work). It might work for applications, but I'm not sure.
If you are going to wait and take the MCAT in September, you might just want to put it off until spring 2014 to give yourself some more time to study. Either way, in that scenario, you are applying for the same cycle.
Lots to consider--I'm sure others will have opinions as well. I'd just make a firm decision on when you want to apply, and then find a way to get the work done within the timeframe you have. Best of luck, whatever you decide!
I think taking the September MCAT and applying in 2014 (the year I’m applying too ~ Yeah!!) may be the answer. Then all you’ll have to concentrate on is MCAT prep during the summer; no classes/labs, just MCAT 100%. 
- carrieliz Said:
You need the labs to matriculate, not technically required at time of application. This is true of all prereqs though then the issue is how competitive your application would be. However a lab course is likely the least likely to be an issue.
- carrieliz Said:
While taking the MCAT right after Organic Lecture might be fresh in your mind, you have to do well in organic so that takes time. You to do well in MCAT so that takes time. You have extreme work time commitments so that takes time.
I think that trying to do all that would risk doing badly in both Organic and in MCAT. I would agree with CarrieLiz that taking the MCAT in early spring of 2014 is a much better course of action
My reasoning for picking September would be that I would like to take additional classes in the fall or spring semester, take my Organic II lab and an upper division biology or if I am pushing it out another year then I really need to try to get biochemistry in at some point because the requirements for my state school are changing again… and biochem will be a requirement. I’ve also heard that if you can take biochem before matriculating then do it. And at the university where I am taking my pre-reqs, you have to take Analytical Chem I (as well as Organic) before you can take Biochem I and Biochem I is only offered in the fall…geez… plus I would need to finish the Organic II lab before they would let me into biochem.
My state school is also adding some additional psychology requirements and I would need to pick a couple more psyc classes. Its a tough call because as I extend my time I too expand the classes I need to take. And since I work full-time I am really only able to take one day class, Organic II lecture will be the last class I am able to take at night besides the psyc classes.
Registration is in two weeks for the Spring semester. I think I will go ahead and register for the 2 labs as well as my organic II lecture and then ponder some more.
In looking at the kaplan courses, I could start one in December that runs through March and take the MCAT in April, but like a couple of you have said, that may be too much at one time. I guess taking the MCAT in January of 2014 might be a good compromise; I would still need to take Organic II lab in the fall while I am studying for Jan. Pushing out another year would also mean I would have more money saved for this journey.
dilemmas…dilemmas!