Hi all,
I have been reading a lot on these topics, and I can’t seem to get a firm grasp on taking science courses at a CC. Some say it is a bad idea completely and others say just long as you do well and take upper levels at a university (and continue to do well), you are fine. However, if I save my science courses completely for a university, I would be a year behind and considering my mom and I will pay on an installment plan, I dont know if that would be good. But if I save my science courses for a Univ, I would have enough science courses to be able to apply to med school my senior year (assuming I take the MCAT junior year). Sooo. what do I do? I am not crazy about having a gap year between univ and med school (which hopefully I get in). Hopefully this makes sense.
I was trying to get my A.S. but Idk. I have a 3.66 (27 hrs) and have taken things like history, english, government, etc. In the fall I am taking general psych, intro to sociology, music appreciation, intro to computers, and possibly Bio 1. But ideally I am trying to take general chem 1 and general bio 1 and adjust my other classes accordingly. I am a TX resident and plan to transfer to UTD, Tech, Baylor, or AM. I know BU and Tech would take majority of my courses, including sciences, but not sure about UTD or AM.
Go ahead and start taking the intro level sciences at your CC. Med school adcomms understand financial necessity and only a small handful of med schools won’t accept CC credits (Creighton, VCU, maybe 2 or 3 others). So long as you take some tough upper level sciences at your 4 year college (and do well) to confirm that your CC sciences grades aren’t a fluke, you will be fine when it comes to med school admissions. Assuming, of course, all other parts of application are acceptable.
Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to avoid a gap year. You will need time at your 4 year college to develop relationships with your professors so they know you and can write a strong, positive LOE for you. LOEs are absolutely critical to getting acceptance. One bland, generic one won’t sink your app, but if all of them are that way, you can toss your application straight into the trash and save yourself a lot of $$.
Also some of your potential 4 year schools use a committee letter recommendation process for pre-meds. It’s very unlikely the pre-med committee will endorse you with only a semester’s worth of grades from the school. (You’ll apply for a committee letter early in the spring so only fall grades will be available.)
You will probably need an additional year so that you can find and get involved in science research–which is a EC med school applicants are expected to have.
Remember you want to develop the best possible application you can. Applying prematurely will not only hurt your first round of applications, but also any subsequent rounds. (Reapplicants have a higher bar to jump than first-time applicants.) Applying to med school is an exhausting and expensive process. You really, really want to do it just once.
When you get to your CC, ask to meet with the transfer counselor who can tell you which courses will transfer to which schools. Use that information to plan your course schedule.
Okay, so I would finish out my last two years at the Univ continuing to do EC’s, volunteer stuff, shadowing, etc … (which I am doing now! ) At my four year I would be involved in research (but not sure how much). So you are saying the year after I graduate would be for research (preferably at the Univ?). When would I take the MCAT… could I take it before graduation so that would be one less worry? So I would be applying for med school my “research” year …? Would my LOE’s/committee letter still be relevant (or I guess if I am doing research at the Univ they would know me more and still do it despite me being a grad? would they still write the letter if I am a grad?)
Sorry for all the Q’s … my CC doesn’t really deal with this and aren’t helpful with transfers!! @WayOutWestMom
You could take the MCAT as soon as you’ve finished all the pre-reqs for it. I’d suggest the summer after junior year----maybe in August which would give you the entire summer to study for it without any other academic obligations.
Research–you could seek out a position as soon as you arrive on campus at your 4 year and spend a full year plus the following summer working in the lab. Maybe senior year too. That would give you plenty of lab-time.
OR you could wait until after graduation to look for research lab position and work at it full time during your gap year.
Either would be fine.
(But in terms of feasibility, it would be better to find a research position ASAP after you start at your 4 year. Even if you didn’t find one until senior year, you could still use that experience as a platform to help find a full-time position after graduation. PIs generally won’t hire graduates who lack relevant hands-on research lab experience.)
Med schools require LOEs to be from professors who have taught you in class or from your college’s health profession committee…. so yes, the LOEs/committee letter would still be relevant. Colleges offer committee letters to students for at least 2 and up to 5 years after the student graduates. (Exact policies vary.)
You would get your LORs from your profs before you graduated, because you would be applying to med school within about a month after graduation.
You can spend that gap year as you choose, working a job or doing research. I suspect that you may need to work a job since it sounds like money is tight in your household and your mom will need you to bring in income to support yourself, to pay for travel for interviews, and to pay for your application process (which is very expensive).
) At my four year I would be involved in research (but not sure how much). So you are saying the year after I graduate would be for research (preferably at the Univ?). When would I take the MCAT… could I take it before graduation so that would be one less worry? So I would be applying for med school my “research” year …? Would my LOE’s/committee letter still be relevant (or I guess if I am doing research at the Univ they would know me more and still do it despite me being a grad? would they still write the letter if I am a grad?)