<p>I keep hearing that medical schools don't like community colleges. is it true?
I would take the pre- med classes at a university after I transfer but the program I want to get in requires several classes that are pre- med requirements.
I have to take
principle of biology 1&2 with labs
chemistry 1&2 with labs
Calculus 1&2
English 1&2
Physics
organic Chemistry 1&2</p>
<p>I want to get in microbiology combined undergraduate and masters ( non thesis)</p>
<p>I did not get in to the school I wanted to so I decided to go to a CC... My counselor thought it was a good idea but now every one keeps saying that I am screwed.
Is it true? what should I do?
for the fall semester I am taking
Principle of biology one and lab
Chemistry and lab
College algebra
Composition one</p>
<p>I also work at a pharmacy. ( would that count as a positive?)
I also have over 300 volunteer hours at our hospitals ER
and I know I can get excellent recommendation letters both from the pharmacy and the volunteer office.</p>
<p>However, if you have a serious, legitimate reason why you are attending a CC, then it's not an absolute negative (reasons being finances, or illness of a family member, or some sort of athletic scholarship. I'm not sure that going just b/c you didn't get into the one school you you wanted is going to draw any sympathy...it comes off as pretty immature). I imagine that what med schools dislike the most is students who cherry pick three or four courses (or even one or two) at a CC while doing the rest of their education at a four year school.</p>
<p>All that said, the perception is that CC classes are easier, and thus you need to do two things - 1) get your associates degree with as close to a 4.0 as possible. Because people assume CC classes are easier, it's a no win situation for you b/c if you get a 4.0, people will go "yeah, at a CC". If you don't, then people will wonder what's wrong with you. You need to at least stay above a 3.8.
2) Try to take as few Pre-med requirements at a CC as possible. Again, doing great in these courses at a CC is not going to win you many points. You need to prove to med school admissions officers that you can handle high level science. Taking the pre-med pre-reqs at a 4 year uni, and then following them with several upper level science courses at that school will do a lot to prove that you can handle high level science...</p>
<p>A somewhat more encouraging perspective. If you are in a state with a well developed CC system, then students starting in CC and transferring to the state university is quite common and not frowned upon. It is important to show that you can do well in the science courses at the 4 year campus. So your plans to major in microbiology will ensure that you take upper level science courses at the big campus. </p>
<p>The only problems I see are making sure that the CC courses by content and title meet the premed requirements-check with your premed advisor at the 4 year college on this. Med schools may want to see some chemistry from the 4 year college. This might force you to take more advanced chemistry that would not ordinarily be part of a microbiology curriculum.</p>
<p>One user on these boards (who was at a CC at the time and had talked to his advisors) commented that some medical schools would refuse entirely to accept premedical coursework from a CC. How common this is, I don't know -- but he was worried enough that he was going to fit them all in once he got to university.</p>
<p>but what if the program you want to get in to requires you to take those classes before you transfer?
but I wonder if you take upper level science class at the university would it matter? I know with going to a CC anything but a science major is probably out . I can take the classes required to get in to the program at CC then when I transfer InshAllah I can take upper level classes there.
Or should I consider majoring in a non science major that way I would be able to save those classes till later. However I really do love microbiology and really think I can do good at it.</p>