I am currently a sophomore at the University of Alabama majoring in psychology and minoring in biology.
My main problem is I am going to Ghana for a medical missions trip for the first half of this coming summer, and Organic 1 is not offered at many schools I’ve looked at during the second half (STL or Tuscaloosa). That would mean I would have to take organic 1 fall of my junior year, organic 2 in the spring, and biochemistry during the summer. Is this putting me behind since most take the MCAT spring of junior year or early summer?
I have been doing research for the past year with a Child and Adolescent Psychopathy Lab on campus where I have done things from participant recruitment in local juvenile detention centers, data entry, and helping perform EEGs and fMRIs. I am in a sorority and a few different honors societies, and I currently have a GPA of 3.72. I have shadowed briefly at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital and hope to continue volunteering there. During the medical missions trip this summer I will spend a month observing and participating in a traditional daily clinic and taking part in public health outreach to outlying more rural communities. What else can I be doing to better prepare myself for medical school and applications?
Biochem in the summer? Yikes. Were you planning on taking Orgo 1 during the summer? I’m sure a student can chime in on this, but taking either Orgo or Biochem during the summer is generally not advisable. As far as the mission trip goes, I second @plumazul.
You don’t need biochem prior to the MCAT. Take it senior year.
The mission trip sounds like a neat experience, and since it seems that your schedule won’t allow you to otherwise study abroad, this is your chance to see a different part of the world. Don’t gine that up for MCAT study time.
It looks like you are doing all the right things. Work to bring the GPA up,if you can, do well on the MCAT and keep doing your research and volunteering.
Following up on Plumazul-- Adcoms would be more impressed with volunteering in Alabama than oversees. These oversees mission (vacation) trips are often not viewed as altruistic as volunteering at home (google any of the threads on SDN to see Adcom responses). There is so much need here in the US – and this is the population you are going to be dealing with as a practicing physician.
However, if you are set on this, then you will end up delaying the MCAT and your application cycle probably. You can always take it in January after Biochem in fall senior year and apply as a graduate (taking a gap year). Many students are already doing this anyway. At D’s interviews this fall, only 10-20% of the kids were actually still in college. No worries about doing it this way!
I stand corrected that the MCAT2015 now expects a semester of biochem prior to the exam. That sure is going to decrease the number of kids who can go straight from undergrad to med school. What an interesting development in a world where the chatter in post-graduate education is that we should shorten the medical training timeline.
Can you take Biochem concurrent with O Chem in junior year?
While I agree that there is much to be gained from volunteering locally, I still see the trip to Ghana as a net gain for the OP, both in giving her interesting things to talk about in her interviews (she can compare care in the hospital where she volunteers with care in the local clinics) and a neat life experience. I was a super nerdy, don’t get off the conveyor-belt type pre-med and really benefited from such an overseas missions trip for fun and a worthwhile experience.
@plumazul, @GA2012MOM, and @camomof3 I have always wanted to study abroad and been passionate about travel, and I think this trip is the perfect opportunity to do something beneficial and meaningful with abroad time rather than taking a vacation or pointless study abroad course. Not to mention the program director is the chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UA, which is the field I am hoping to go into. So I suppose that doesn’t hurt.
I plan to continue volunteering locally (I forgot to mention I am currently a part of the DREAM Alabama program. This program provides one on one mentors to at risk middle school children in high poverty areas.) I also plan on finding more medically geared forms of local volunteering.
@VSGPeanut101 O Chem 1 and 2 are both prerequisites for Biochem at UA.
I do have an appointment with a premed advisor tomorrow. I am just impatient and wanted more information right away. I just wanted to be sure that possibly taking a gap year would not look bad in the application process.
Surprised about ORGO 1 and 2 being prerequisite. As I understand it the new premed requirement is only ORGO 1 followed by biochem. Or maybe it’s just my son’s school. Last spring premed advisor had a meeting with premeds to let them know that ORGO 1 course is now changing to incorporate more material and only orgo 1’will be a required course. Btw depending on how good you are at chemistry, you can definately take ORGO and biochem together. Son took orgo2, biochem 1, physics 2, and Chem research last spring. But he’s really good at chem. I wouldnt advise it for someone who somewhat struggles with Chem. But he tripled and quadrupled on all his premed courses starting spring of freshman year. He was able to finish all his premed requirements by the end of sophomore year including stats, biochem Andy psyc . This way he was able to take MCATs summer after sophomore year.
But only you know how much you can handle
The best is talk to pre-med advisor at your school. Only pre-med advisor at your UG will know specifics of prereqs at your college.
i would not take biochem in a summer. D. took it in the very last semester of her UG, last semester of senior year.
I am assuming that a trip to Ghana is not in lieu of volunteering locally because one is expected to do that also.
There are certain medical situations that one can see in countries with a lower standard of medical care that you would never come across in US. One would also be able to get some practical experience in medical situations they would never be able to in US.