Class selection

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>So I'm transferring from a community college to a 4 year this Fall. I'm planning on going to medical school. However, I have done none of my pre-reqs, instead saving them to do at a 4 year. I think this might have been a bad idea.</p>

<p>I want to major in Spanish, but to get that major, in addition to doing my pre-reqs, would be very difficult. I'd be taking O-Chem and Physics, plus 3 other Spanish courses, at the same time, for example.</p>

<p>My other option is to major in Biology, where there is a lot of overlap between the pre-reqs and major requirements. The problem is...I don't really want to major in Biology. My interest, after medicine, is in foreign languages.</p>

<p>So, I'm debating between trying to do the pre-reqs and Spanish major at the same time, and just doing my Spanish major and doing the pre-reqs later.</p>

<p>I think keeping my GPA up while trying to do the pre-reqs and Spanish would be difficult, but I'd be done a lot faster. </p>

<p>Another option is to get my Spanish degree, find a job for a year or two (maybe Teach for America...), and complete my pre-reqs at a cheap community college or cheap in-state university. This would be easier, but would take me an extra year (if I do a compressed summer course of chemistry). </p>

<p>I'm tempted to go the route that will take longer, solely because I know I can keep a near 4.0 GPA, and I'll have more time to work on my ECs.</p>

<p>Any input/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Ochem + physics + 3 humanities courses is pretty standard at my college.</p>

3

<p>Hmm, interesting. The pre-med advisor said that would be an unusually heavy load. I have no experience with a 4 year environment, so I dunno, and this school has a weird credit system where every class is 1 credit.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

4

<p>Yeah, doubling up on sciences is pretty standard for a pre-med schedule.</p>

5

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<p>I notice in your previous posts you talked about applying to Amherst, which does have the 1 class=1 credit. If so, I’m pretty sure you have to have advisor permission to take 5 classes instead of 4. But yeah, 2 sciences + labs is standard for those on a pre-med track per semester.</p>

6

<p>I’m sorry, I left something out. I can only get it down to 2 science courses per semester if I take compressed summer classes at another university, where I would do one year worth of general chemistry in 10 weeks, and the next summer the same for physics (and I imagine there would be lots of FA issues with doing that). Otherwise, I’d have 3 science courses and 2-3 Spanish courses per semester.</p>

<p>My brain is tired, can’t believe I left that out. =/</p>

<p>Thanks for the input!</p>