<p>I've been accepted into rutgers, vcu, randolph-macon (with scholarship), etc etc. However, there is something that's holding me back from going to these colleges as a pre-med student. That thing is boxing. I have just recently won my first fight and i have a trainer who wants to take me on through amatures and then continue taking me on as a professional. The thing is that if i want to go with this trainer i'm going to have to go to community college as to stay near home. </p>
<p>My question: i still want to go to medical school and i was wondering if med school would look down on me if i went to NOVA community college for a year or two. (one year if boxing fails, two if it succeeds we'll see from there). So do medical schools look down on students who go to a community college?</p>
<p>Many medical schools will flat-out refuse to accept your premed coursework if it's done at a CC. That should tell you something about what they think of it.</p>
<p>There are plenty of students that go to med school, having attended a community college for a year or two. Believe it or not, you actually only take your basics at a CC. Your "premed coursework" will primarily be completed after you transfer.</p>
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There are plenty of students that go to med school, having attended a community college for a year or two.
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There are also plenty who manage without scoring a 30 on the MCATs. That doesn't make it a good idea.</p>
<p>If that's where you get in, or if your family really can't afford anything else, then you do what you do. But if you actually have options, I can't imagine this is a good idea.</p>
<p>The reality is that being a premed requires you to give up other things. I didn't do the fun, high-paying NYC internships that my finance friends did. Most premeds don't get to go home for the summer. Being a premed while being a Division I athlete is a very hard burden to carry. You can't study abroad during your senior year, or even late in your junior year.</p>
<p>If you want to do this, you may well have to alter your boxing habits.</p>
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There are also plenty who manage without scoring a 30 on the MCATs. That doesn't make it a good idea.
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<p>I don't quite understand how that statement is related. I am referring to the many community college students that attend excellent undergraduate schools afterwards and have no problem gaining admission to graduate schools. If you are inferring that attending a community college would be detrimental to one's academic career, I am requesting evidence.</p>
<p>It's certainly possible, but not the best way.</p>
<p>if you have a good reason for going to a community college that's way better than going just b/c it's easy. I'm definitely not saying that's the reason you're doing this.</p>
<p>Besides just coursework, there are inherent disadvantages that come from transferring into any university. It takes time to get acclimated, time to find the organizations you want to be involved in, time put in as a member before getting a leadership position, time to find a prof for research, time to find places to volunteer at/doctors to shadow. The short time frame of basically a year, maybe two if on the 5 year plan, before applying makes it difficult for you to have a resume comparable to someone who's been a 4 year school the entire time.</p>
<p>You can certainly lessen the impact of going to a cc by taking as few pre-med courses as possible (no ochem/bio/physics/gen chem). </p>
<p>As for your particular situation, this boxing thing is very unique, perhaps enough to warrant just taking the time off from academics completely. Obviously I don't know how good you are, the time commitment needed and all that sort of stuff, but maybe it's just best to avoid the CC question all together (if that's feasible, which I realize it might not be...)</p>
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if you have a good reason for going to a community college that's way better than going just b/c it's easy.
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<p>I agree with your entire post. My point is not to convince people that going to a CC first is a good idea; however, I am ready to argue against the idea that someone that attends a CC will have a very difficult time gaining admission to med school.</p>
<p>Depends on the medical schools you're applying to and what you're reasons for going to CC are. I'm certainly not to argue that it can't be done either as I have one really good friend, and a couple of acquaintances that have gone that route. But in comparison to going directly to a four year institution it is a disadvantage to some extent. Whether that's right or wrong for medical schools to have that sort of bias, I'm not going to debate.</p>
<p>The scenario I always think about when answering these CC questions is my buddy Kyle, who went to a CC to run track, ended up an NJCAA All-American in the decathlon, transferred to my alma mater on a track scholarship and is now a first year medical student. He had to wait a year, retake his MCAT and all, but eventually got in. He also waited to take Organic Chem and physics classes until he got to the 4 year institution, and was certain to take more advanced biology courses when he got to our school. He was also a huge "joiner" and not only got involved in stuff with his team and the student-athlete pseudo-government but also a bit of stuff on campus, enough that he was selected to Mortar Board as a senior (big deal at my school). </p>
<p>He did everything right in terms of going to a CC as a pre-med. But he's obviously a pretty extraordinary guy, knew what he was up against and got some really good advising. Not everyone is going to be like him, and thus for them, especially if they make some "mistakes" along the way, going the CC route can make it a lot tougher on them...</p>