Hello everyone,
I am currently studying in UIC in the senior year. My major is biological science. My GPA in UIC 4.0, and 3.96 overall. I have a question about medical school. I have been taken a 2 general chem class, 2 physics, 1 bio, and 2 calc classes in my local community college. After I transferred to UIC, and complete organic chem, and bio, my last 2 pre-med prerequisites, here with A. I am wondering how my community college experience will affect on my med school application. If I will retake a few classes here in UIC, will it improve my application or it just a waste of time?
You may get better answers in the pre-med forum section: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/
Repeating courses is generally considered bad by medical schools (i.e. will have a negative effect on your medical school application), so do not repeat any that you do not otherwise have to. However, many medical schools do prefer that, if you took some pre-med BCPM* courses at community colleges, that you take some more advanced BCPM courses at a four year school. Since your major is in biological science, you presumably have several upper level biology courses taken at UIC, so that may show medical schools that you are capable of earning A grades at a four year school. Note that upper level biochemistry, upper level genetics, and statistics are commonly advised, so you may want to make sure to include these if you have not already taken them.
- BCPM = biology, chemistry, physics, math
Taking more advanced science classes will help regardless.
I second the above wrt biostatistics, genetics, biochemistry, but also neuroscience, sociology, psychology/cognitive science, and bio ethics.
Have you shadowed doctors, do you have hours of experience volunteering in clinics, hospices, etc?
You need to go meet with the pre-med advisor at UIC, and have a nice long chat about the med school application process. What has that person seen in recent years for students with grades and experiences like yours? Which higher level coursework does that person say you should take?
Even if you decide not to take any additional UL science, be sure to take biochem. Not only it is required by a majority of medical school, biochem topics make up about 30% of the questions in the biological science section of the MCAT.
Stats and biostats questions also appear in all 4 sections of the MCAT.
Yes, I do have 100h of volunteering in the University of Chicago medicine emergency room, but I don’t have any shadowing experience
Get some stat or your application will be DOA.
You’ll also need community service if you want to be taken seriously as an applicant.
Whatever you do, do not retake ANY class with a gpa of 3.96. You also have to build up for a good, personalized LORs, get close to your professors ASAP.