<p>I'm in a bit of a dilema. I spoke with my advisor and he wants me to take: Fct. Human Anatomy Lab (3cr), Organic Chemistry I(4cr), College Physics I(5cr), and Calculus and Anal. Geom.(5) next semester. I think that this schedule could possibly be academic suicide in one semester. Well, maybe not suicide, but it would hurt my g.p.a. What do you guys think? In my opinion, I think I should hold off on anatomy until my senior year so that it fresh in my mind for first semester med school. What do you guys think? This course load is very tough. </p>
<p>I'm not in college yet, so I don't know how to help you completely. But I would say that since he is your "adviser" then you have to remember that you have the final say. If it may be too tough for you, see if you can fit some of the classes in other semesters without hurting your chances for medical school. I'm sure someone else on here will be able to comment on that. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Are you a freshman? Are you planning on doing study abroad? Why does the advisor want you in all of these classes now?What is your major? Is there an upperclassman at your school you can ask? It sounds heavy to me, but more than that it sounds really unbalanced. Where are the social science or humanitities, or the "fun" classes?</p>
<p>You don't say what year you are in so the issue of whether you have enough science and math in your past year(s) is not known.</p>
<p>-You need Organic Chem for your MCAT so that cannot be delayed until senior year.
-Med school adcoms definitely want to see that you have been able to handle multiple science and lab coursework in the same semester.
- The Physics and Calc classes are really going to depend on how much "natural" ability you have in those areas. If they are relatively easy for you, you might be all right. If they are inherently difficult you are probably not going to be able to handle the load.
- If your advisor is really pushing this schedule (and you aren't running behind on the ability to get all of the pre-reqs accomplished) you may want to ask if he is trying to push you hard to determine your suitability for med school. If he says yes, ask for a sit down with the Chair.</p>
<p>Sorry for not adding the some critical info. </p>
<p>I'm a Freshman and this is my second semester. Here are the classes I took last semester and the grades. I took Bios 102 (Organismal Biology (4cr)) B+, Chemistry 101 (5cr) B+, Math (4cr) A, University Seminar (2cr) A, which brings my gpa to a 3.598. I am currently taking Bios 101 (Bioscience) (4cr), Chemistry 102 (5cr), Math 112 (4cr), History 101 (3cr), and have A's in all the sciences, History haven't had an exam yet only a quiz. So far so good.</p>
<p>It's not a lot. Math 112= College Algebra II. I'm going to take Trig in the summer, then take Calc I in the fall. Do you think I should do the full year of Calc or just the one semester that most med schools recommend you take. Top Tier med schools (JH, Harvard, Yale, etc.) expect you to take a full year or 2 calc classes.</p>
<p>First, ask your advisor about their experience as an advisor. If they're trying to get you to take all of that in one semester, then I don't think that they have much experience as a pre-medical advisor.</p>
<p>Second, I don't think that you should take more than one science class with organic chemistry. I don't know what kind of student you are, but you got a B+ in general chemistry. Organic chemistry is a great amount of memorization; its much harder than general chemistry. You need to have the highest science GPA possible, therefore, you might be better off spacing out your science courses.</p>
<p>Third, in what kind of extra-curricular activities are you involved? You need to have time to volunteer (gain any form of medical experience). </p>
<p>What's your major? </p>
<p>I haven't been to this site in awhile. I hope that my post helps you.</p>
<p>your doing way too much work. anatomy is generally not taken until senior year, junior year if you are really rushing it. Take Org. chem and make sure you get that calc out of the way first...as well as physics...i dont even think anatomy is on the freaking med school requirement for 90% of med schools...waste of ur time.</p>
<p>I also have taken anatomy, with all the other important/pivotal classes you are taking, anatomy will destroy your gpa. Anatomy is filled with long nights of memorizing obscure latin terms and, although its not extremely challenging, it takes up a lot of time. You want to leave a lot of that golden time for your org. chem/or whatever science you are taking for that year as it is much more important than some random course you dont even need.</p>
<p>--just my 2 cents, i'm not a professional adviser, but lets see if this post stands the test of everyone else :)</p>
<p>Do you think that Organic Chem (4cr), Calc I (5cr), and Physics (5cr) is a good schedule or should I drop one of these and add a gen ed. The only problem I have with taking these classes is spring semester, which is the semester I would take Organic Chem lab. What do you think? </p>
<p>It all really depends. Depends on how hard you work and if you can handle it. Those three classes (calc isnt that bad for me, but may be a killer for someone else or you even) CAN be taken in one semester, but I personally dont see why you are rushing. Take Calc before you take Physics is my one suggestion, as calc may come up in physics, and if it doesnt, the concepts that you learn in calc surely prep you for the physics mentality. Org. chemistry is seen as a big weeder course, and sometimes make or break a premed student because of the level of difficulty involved and usually because of the crazy professors who like to kick up some competition. </p>
<p>Since your still just a freshman, you are on the right track, no need to rush. Keep in mind a possibility of a summer for catching up or taking org. chem (you are a bit behind in calc.)</p>
<p>What I would do if I were in your position; take calc next semester with org. chem, or do calc over the summer. I think since you are behind in calc, taking it over the summer would be the way to go, so you free up for soph. year to take courses for your major. Then next year take the physics. You seem to be pretty much on track, you took english yet? Maybe take some english course to lighten the load, see if you can get away with that. By end of junior year (once physics is done) you should be ready for mcats! What major are you? i may have missed that :P
I think your adviser is a bit off in the fact that he/she is missin the big key to premed. This is to take whatever courses you have to take (the crazy science courses), but keep the schedule light as to be able to handle the hard classes. Overdoing it and all that jazz will just ensure a lower GPA and med school wont even notice it.</p>
<p>I'm going to investigate and see if I can take Calc combined with trig over the summer. My friend is doing that right now, seeing as trig is only 3 credits. That would put me at having one semester of calc down. Now if I choose to take the second semester of Calc, which is recommended by the top med schools in the nation, I would probably do it some other time. Depends. Do you think one semester of calc is enough, or would you go with the whole year of calc?</p>
<p>can't you skip the trig and go straight to calc and get both semesters of calc done over the summer? I don't really understand why you needed the algebra this year, what math did you have in high school?</p>
<p>Anyway, to answer your question - I think you really should have a full year of calc and not take calc after physics. If not before, than definitely during.</p>
<p>Can you take the whole calc year in the summer? Do they offer that? If it is offered at my university or one near me I will go ahead and take it. It will be much more work, but the good thing is that it will be all Calc. </p>
<p>Ummm I really have no idea how you would take a full year of calc in one summer...especially after skipping trig. And I doubt that any university would offer it. None-the-less, aren't you done with trig or whatever prerequisite for calc already? Aren't you taking it this semester? What are you taking this semester? </p>
<p>Jenskate is right, what were you doing in high school, these courses were meant to be taken then. This calc bs is throwing your schedule off on a tangent for a year and half because you need to make sure you fulfill it before you do physics. </p>
<p>Do a full year of calc or no calc is the way I'd put it, if a school requires calc, then they'd require the full year. I came up with a schedule that may work, just need to know what courses u still need to take before calc.</p>
<p>I took the placement test and my elementary algebra was sort of low, eventhough my intermediate, advanced, and trig were above average. So they placed me in an elem. algebra course last semester. I talked to my prof and skipped a class but i'm still stuck with college algebra II right now. I guess you have to take trig before calc, unless I can convince them, which i could. Yeah this has thrown me off, mathematically.</p>