<p>Hello, I am determined to get one (if not both) of these so that I can work as one during undergrad.</p>
<p>Problem is, I'm a sophomore. I feel so stretched for time. I can actually start EMT classes this Saturday at a community college, but I would need to buy a car (is over 2 hours away and starts in the morning). With car it is about a 15 minute drive. Seems kind of like a rush move, especially since that car would not be too lovely with the money I have lol. I could also rent a car for 60 bucks a day....</p>
<p>Is it worth it? I could also do CNA classes in the beginning of summer and work a few times that summer and more next (mom was a CNA and still has lots of connections), but that means I would do EMT classes after my CNA ones.</p>
<p>Also... I am doing Orgo this summer + doing research..</p>
<p>There are many options, but I honestly don't know what to do?</p>
<p>You do what you wnat. This is NOT a question of “worth” or not, it is a question if you personally want to do it. What is up with taking classes in a summer. This should be avoided. Summer is for R&R and ligh ECs. You will NOT have summers off after UG, enjoy while they last. And DEFINITELY DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT take Orgo in a summer as well as any other med. school requirements. Other than that, most (all?) UGs work including pre-meds. My D. was working and interning at Med. Research lab and volunteering during schools year for at least 3 years of each of these activities. She also (and most of her friends) had 2 minors and graduated with one (which again has nothing to do with “worth it”, but strictly with what she personally wanted to do). She did very very little during all of her UG summers, mostly spending time with her friends. And this was definitely worth it, now she can only have memories of nice relaxing summers, no more ever in her life. Not even few days break between 3rd year and 4th year in Med. School, nope, just a weekend.</p>
<p>I understand, but your daughter is clearly a way better student than me. It takes me more time to do everything. 
Unless I want to barely complete my Biology major and not have my Chemistry major + electives of my choice, I need to… I am volunteering + doing research now, I just want to get more clinical experience during the summer.</p>
<p>Do you even know if you have time during the school year to work as an EMT? I got my EMT cert. and only realized afterwards that all the places around me wanted a minimum of 20 hours a week with long shifts so I couldn’t do it.</p>
<p>That is a good point, that’s why if I got my certification this summer or now, I would work as one during the summers only… CNA is pretty much a guarantee.</p>
<p>Better or not is again irrelevant, DO NOT TAKE ORGO in a summer, period.</p>
<p>Another question - why double major? Are you truly perosnally enjoying both? Does one provides R&R from more challenging classes in another? I am just trying to figure out why are you doing it. Most of D’s pre-meds friends had combo of major(s)/minor(s), but they were combined with Music, Art, Spanish (non-science), primarily to pursue your personal interest. I would understand if you are also pusuing personal interest, otherwise, I do not know any reason for having double major.</p>
<p>I am sorry, I meant a minor in Chemistry. I love Science and is the only major at my school I would want to pursue (besides Religion which is a newly discovered love).</p>
<p>I have to take Organic in the summer… There is no way around it… It is devastating as I will be paying 10k. I can maybe just take one or two quarters instead of all three, but either way I need to play catch up.</p>
<p>…it is not advisable to take ANY Med. School pre-reqs in a summer. I do not have a personal experience as D. did not have a single summer class, but others here have been saying that it will put you at disadvantage in comparison to other applicants. I do not even think about 10k. I simply would not pay it, period, but it is none of my business. We did not have to pay for D’s UG, she had full tuition Merit award.</p>
<p>How would I be at a disadvantage by taking the same class with the same professor…? I have heard of many advantages of taking it in the summer along with the negatives.</p>
<p>I do not know how. You have to read here. As I said, no experience with summer classes in my D’s schedule. Many, many here advised not to take summer classes for Med. School pre-reqs even at the same school. Persoanlly, I myslef was taking summer classes when I was doing both BS and MBA. I was working full time and had family, I did not want to go to school forever. But they were business classes, I have never had anything to do with the Medicine. From this experience, I have to tell you (which most people probably know anyway), summer classes (at the same school withe the same prof.) are easier, they were easier in my case. And that might be the reason why Med. Schools do not like to see pre-reqs taken in a summer. Again, cannot tell you about your school, your classes, your profs and cannot tell you what to do. You have to decide, we here just share our experiences both personal and what we have been reading here for years.</p>
<p>Thank you, I’m still thinking about it as it is a huge time commitment. From what I heard on actual pre-med forums, admissions don’t care/never ask/probably don’t even know.</p>
<p>^Well, they would know because it’s stated on your transcript, but apart from cc I’ve never actually heard of it being detrimental if you take it at your school.</p>
<p>I feel like taking it in the summer (and whatever disadvantages it has) is trumped over taking it during the year and not being able to take most higher up courses until senior year.</p>
<p>^Additional suggestion. You senior year should have ligher schedule filled with somewhat easier classes. This one is based on my D’s experience. You will be going to Med. School interviews. It was a big deal for her to arrange some make up exams, change her work schedule and Med. Research Internship schedule. Thank goodness, she took care of harder classes previously. I do not believe that she had more than 16 hours / semester in her senior year.</p>
<p>Part of the general wisdom here is that you want to do everything in your power to reduce the number of “red flags” or “dings” against your application. It is suspected by many that taking orgo over the summer, regardless of the prof or school, is probably a “ding” against you. For that reason, you should avoid taking orgo over the summer if you can avoid it–eg you could take other, less important classes over the summer to make room in your schedule for orgo. </p>
<p>As far as EMT and CNA go, neither will make you a more appealing applicant to medical schools. But if you want to be an EMT or a CNA, then go for it. You will probably have some interesting interactions with patients while working in those fields. But keep in mind that EMTs and CNAs aren’t MDs, so learning those skills might be intrinsically valuable in your opinion, but won’t really apply to life as an MD, and thus won’t be super impressive to med school adcoms. Things that are more impressive are anything you are passionate about and anything that supports it–eg if you’re interested in academic medicine/eventually teaching at a medical school, doing things like volunteering at an after school program or working as a tutor demonstrate that interest. Or maybe you’re interested in women’s health–volunteering at a women’s shelter makes sense. Or maybe pediatrics–summer sports camp for kids, camp for kids with cancer, etc. You can supplement these interests with research–medical education; ob/gyn/fertility/basic sciences; diabetes–respectively would go with the aforementioned ideas.</p>
<p>(For what it’s worth, I’m currently a med student, and I’ve been around these boards for quite some time, but I haven’t been posting lately because I’ve been busy with rotations! Just wanted to give you some background since I don’t recognize your username.)</p>
<p>Welcome back kristin, you have been missed!</p>