Biological Sciences, Pre-Medical, and Summer Courses

Colleges and Universities A-Z Virginia Tech
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<p>I'm currently a General Engineering major and a sophomore (due to class standing/transfer credit). I've already done all of the paperwork and the interview needed for an internal transfer to Biological Sciences. </p>

<p>Let me outline the courses I have that apply towards a degree in BioSci and Prereq for Med School:</p>

<hr>

<p>General Chem - CHEM 1035
Calc I - MATH 1205
Freshman English - ENGL 1105
18 transfer credits towards General Studies/CLE.</p>

<p>Currently taking:
Foundations of Physics - PHYS 2305</p>

<h2>Calc II - MATH 1206</h2>

<p>I'm retaking General Chem and Calc in the Fall to improve my grades, since I didn't do so well in them. I'm planning on taking the following courses in the Fall:</p>

<p>BIOL 1105 - Principles of Biology -3 CR
BIOL 1115 - PoB Lab -1 CR
CHEM 1035 - General Chem - 3 CR
Don't have to retake the lab.
MATH 1205 or MATH 1016 - Haven't decided - 3 CR
UH 2004 - Careers in Medicine - 1 CR</p>

<h2>PHYS 2305 - Foundations of Physics - 4 CR - May take 2306. I'm debating Force Dropping 2305 to take Chang, if teaching, in the Fall.</h2>

<p>Total Credits: 15</p>

<p>Now for my question:</p>

<p>For anyone who has taken courses in Biology, what are they like? What do you think of the teacher: George Simmons for Freshman Biology? What is the Careers in Medicine course like? What is a good teacher to take for Calculus 1205? I took Zwiesler in Fall 2010 and I hated my life. He sucks.</p>

<p>What is the best way to increase my chances for medical school? I recently paid my dues for the Virginia Tech and US Chapters for the AMSA (American Medical Student Association). I plan on doing volunteer/community service or Physician shadowing over the summer. I'll most likely try to do both. When I return to VT in the fall, I will probably try to do some type of volunteering at the local hospital. I also want to look into MCAT Prep so I can do my best to get a good score on it. I just need some ideas on how to make my resume look good.</p>

<p>I'm looking into taking maybe 1 or 2 classes over the summer in order to try to get back on track for a Spring or Fall 2014 graduation. I really don't want to go into 2015, but I will if doing so will benefit be somehow. What would be a good class to take? I can take the 2nd freshman english, but it is a Pre-Med course and taking summer or CC classes is frowned upon. Most med schools want prerequisites to be taken with a full course load, 15 credits.</p>

<p>So what do you all think I should do? Volunteer/Community Service or Shadowing over the summer? Take summer classes at VT? Half and half? Or do both at the same time and just work my schedules around? I would like to get at least 100 hours of volunteering or shadowing during the summer. Is that do-able? Should I add anything to my Fall 2011 schedule? Let me know your opinion.</p>

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<p>bump bumpity bump</p>

3

<p>wow. can’t believe I have to bump this again.</p>

4

<p>James,</p>

<p>I have read many of your supportive and informative posts to fellow VT newcomers and students. As a medical professional myself, now retired, I thought I’d try to answer a couple of your questions. First though, might I suggest you find the pre-med site on VT, and break your questions into smaller, more numerous posts. Also, there should be a VT pre-med advisor who could help you work on the specifics of your scheduling questions.</p>

<p>Medical schools accept students from a wide array of backgrounds. Find your special focus or interest in life, and develop it: show enthusiasm, innovation and compassion for your work and colleagues and let the rest fall as it may. Doctors are simply people: the more you mature your person, the more solid and knowledgeable about who you are and your personal ethics, the more likely you will succeed in any profession, let along medicine.</p>

<p>The nuts and bolts of med school acceptance are much like college acceptance: strong GPA, high MCAT, and well rounded volunteering or work showing compassion for one’s fellow man. If at first you don’t succeed with admission, try, try again.</p>

<p>America will need many, many more general MD’s in the next decades. Not specialists,but generalists. Keeping this in mind may help you develop an approach now, while at VT, toward your goal of becoming a physician. Maybe VT or surroundings have a clinic you could volunteer at on weekends. Perhaps during the summer you could work along side some family practitioners. Specific volunteer or paid work in cities and rural county’s in the States where volunteer medical services are lacking would be very generous and fruitful.</p>

<p>I hope more might add further suggestions. It’s great to see you are interested in medicine, as our country is going to run a shortage of general physicians shortly. I’m pretty confident you will succeed in your goal if you lay it out well.</p>

<p>Always remember: physicians serve as benefactors to their patients. This is a responsibility few in life ever truly have, and which makes you very special and the patient and family very fortunate. A win-win indeed.</p>

<p>Good luck, James.</p>

5

<p>Thank you so much for your reply. I was starting to think that my topic is one that the people of College Confidential are less knowledgeable about. I greatly appreciate the advice you have given. I am doing my best as a Pre-Med student to get everything in order for my medical school application. I have filled out several volunteering and shadowing applications at various places and hope to get some experience over the summer and during the Fall and Spring semesters. Not to mention I have already began reading over MCAT material and becoming more familiar with the test each day. </p>

<p>My goal is to attend Virginia Tech’s new Carilion School of Medicine. I have researched a few medical schools and I like it the best. They have a problem based learning system in effect and provide numerous amounts of research for their medical students. Their mean MCAT score was a 32 or 33, so I’m aiming for 90th percentile on the MCAT. I hope to achieve my goals of being a physician.</p>

<p>Once again I thank you for the information you have given. I’ll contact Pre-Health advising at Virginia Tech and keep working hard towards my overall goal.</p>

<ul>
<li>James</li>
</ul>