<p>I'm in my first semester at a CCC. I want to major in psych, transfer to UCLA, complete pre-med reqs & upper division Psych classes, apply to med school my senior year, & have a gap year to do extra research & volunteering.
Do you recommend I take ALL my pre-med reqs (ochem, general chem, calc, bio, physics) at UCLA OR complete bio, general chem, & calc at my CCC??</p>
<p>I would think that would be fine, but I feel some, if not most, medical schools do not view CC courses as equivalent to those taken at a 4-year college. For example, I believe Johns Hopkins does not accept pre-reqs from a CC, but they have changed their stance for next admission cycle. Here is Miami’s take:</p>
<p>“Most admissions committees feel that there are differences between junior college courses and senior college courses. Whether this view is justified or not, you should contact medical schools in which you are interested to see how they view coursework taken at the junior college level. The Miller School of Medicine will accept junior college courses but much prefers that the premed courses be taken at the senior college level. Perhaps a more important question to ask yourself is how these courses are going to prepare you to take the MCAT and to survive in medical school.”</p>
<p>With that in consideration, if you decide to take all of your pre-reqs at CC, as long as you excel in them and supplement with upper division science courses when you transfer (some courses in the psych department will count towards BCPM) you should be fine. It’s not that CC courses are of lesser quality or don’t prepare you as well or anything, it’s just that if you completed your pre-reqs at UCLA and did well, it shows the admissions committee you are capable of dealing with the rigor and pressure, especially at UCLA where there is intense competition and curved classes. Then again you do want to maximize your GPA, so it’s a delicate balance. Choose wisely what courses you want to leave for when you get here. </p>
<p>Thanks!! Gave me some hope. I contacted UCSD, UCI, UCSF, and UCLA med schools. UCLA said it’s ok only if you complete some pre-reqs at uni or upper-division science classes. UCSD, UCSF & UCI all said it’s completely OK and UCSF specifically said “we don’t look down upon pre-med reqs taken at a cc”. </p>
<p>I’m planning on taking them all at my CC except for Organic chem. </p>