<p>Okay guys, so I'm looking for some advice on my academic career.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman attending a community college due to forces out of my control, and my school basically put all premed students in to the AS biology program. I'm wondering if this is a good way to go. I'm certainly not uninterested in biology, but is it a good idea to take 15 credits of gen chem, 15 credits of organic chem and 15 credits of biology at a CC? Shouldn't I try to take these classes after I transfer? I feel like I could be a more successful student with a different major, but I'm just wondering how this decision might affect my chances of acceptance to medical schools later on. </p>
<p>Also, how much consideration is given to external factors in an applicants life? The reason I ask is I have sort of a sob story about how i was really sick in high school and how my family was screwed up by a drug addiction. Not that I want to pull the sympathy card or anything, but does that sort of thing matter?</p>
<p>sorry for the essay, and thanks for any advice</p>
<p>Take those courses later.</p>
<p>It matters some, but not like it would for undergrad. Scientific competence comes first.</p>
<p>What about my other prereqs? I'm trying to get my calc and english courses out of the way ASAP, would it be unwise to take those at a CC?</p>
<p>thanks for the advice btw, this forum seems a lot more knowledgeable than any counselor I've talked to thus far.</p>
<p>I'd still stay away from those if I could, but the sciences are the really important ones. Can you take GE requirements, like ... well, I don't really know what public schools have for GE requirements, but presumably there's going to be some things in history or whatnot.</p>
<p>If you do take premed requirements in CC, no problem -- just make sure to take higher level courses at the university once you get there to establish a track record. Most people find it easier just to wait.</p>
<p>I am now planning to save my science prereqs for post transfer. That kinda creates a new problem though. Wont that mean I have to(or should) delay taking the MCAT until i finish most of my science courses?</p>
<p>Yes, it will almost certainly delay your application such that you have to find a way to occupy yourself for a year between undergrad and medical school.</p>
<p>First, the average medical school applicant enters at age 25, so you'll still be a couple years younger than most.</p>
<p>Second, you would have wanted to do this anyway. Otherwise you'd have only had one year of a track record at a university, and one year is a very small sample size. This way, you get your full two years of records on your transcript -- you double your sample size -- to reassure medical schools that you're a capable student.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for the advice man, I appreciate it.<br>
I have another question that doesn't really warrant a new thread, if you don't mind:
Considering that approximately 1/2 of all prospective med students are not accepted at any school, are these mostly well-qualified students, or do a lot of student with below par stats apply?</p>
<p>Certainly there are people who have no business applying, but go ahead anyways.</p>
<p>But there are many, many more very well qualified students who don't get accepted at all.</p>
<p>Among the kids that I know, mostly it's very well qualified kids who botch the application process.</p>
<p>Either they don't apply to the right schools, or they apply late in the cycle, or they don't take essays and interviews seriously.</p>
<p>I know one student who seemed to think it was acceptable to claim that a comfortable lifestyle and honoring his parents was his motivation for entering medicine; even a 4.0, 33 couldn't get him in anywhere. (Also, he had no research and insisted on applying to research-ranked medical schools.)</p>
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<p>Nationally, I suspect the situation is **not **like that -- I guess I just happen to know an exceptional number of inept very bright people.</p>
<p>The average MCAT among applicants is 27, while the average MCAT among eventual medical students is a full 30. So it sounds to me like the application process really does include a lot of students who simply aren't qualified but want to try anyway.</p>
<p>I remember one graph was posted online which included one kid applying with an eleven. What he was thinking is beyond me.</p>