<p>My opinion: this debate is almost not worth having, since you’ve already stated that you must attend the CC for personal/family/whatever reasons. So whether it would “look bad” or not doesn’t really matter, since the decision is already made. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>So I think the question should be, “What can I do to minimize the potentially negative impact of taking prereqs at a CC?.” My advice to you–and virtually every other premed out there–is the following:</p>
<p>-You need a great GPA. At least >3.7. You need to take hard classes. If you take your prereqs at the CC (my advice would be to minimize the number of premed classes you take there, just to be on the safe side), then taking upper level classes in relevant departments at your university would logically offset the potential negative aspect of the prereq at the CC. (Eg: An A in bio101 at a CC would be enhanced by an A in physiology at a university)</p>
<p>-You need to do well on the MCAT. I’d shoot for a score of around 35, which would put you toward the better test takers, and would further demonstrate that you are academically capable of medical school.</p>
<p>-You need to do all the extracurriculars other premeds do, and you need to do them well. Look for a variety of high quality experiences in research, shadowing, clinical work, volunteering, leadership, employment, hobbies, etc. If these aren’t all available where you are, do the ones you can do, and do the others later (perhaps after you transfer).</p>
<p>-You need to develop relationships with professors that can go to bat for you and attest to how great you are. Ideally these would be people who have known you for a long time. Since your university is likely going to be writing your committee letter for med school, you should get recommendation letters from faculty at your university. This may pose a problem since you won’t have much time to get to know them compared to students who started out at that school. With that in mind, you should hit the ground running when you transfer–take challenging classes, get to know tough professors, figure out who can write your letters, etc.</p>
<p>-You need to be able to communicate very well–essays and interviews are all about selling yourself and charisma, in addition to their content. Don’t be afraid to talk about the compelling reasons you had to change your college plans. Don’t sell yourself short or make excuses either. Know why you want to go into this field and be able to demonstrate–by your academic record, involvement, and recommendations–that it is the best field for you.</p>
<p>In all, you need to prove to the adcom that investing in your future is in their best interest. You can do this by developing a convincing array of classes, experiences, recommendations, etc etc and communicating about those elements effectively and with charisma.</p>
<p>(As for JH being your dream school: There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to go to JHU. The problem is, most high school students think med school admissions is analogous to college admissions, in that there are various “tiers” of medical schools. There really aren’t. All med schools in the US grant the same degree, teach virtually the same curriculum, have virtually the same set of clinical rotations, etc. All graduates must pass the same licensing exams and all graduates are certified to practice anywhere in the country. From an applicant perspective, your best chance for admission is to your home state’s public school, which is also likely your least expensive option. Another thing to keep in mind is that all med schools are tremendously competitive–you’re probably looking at a 20% acceptance rate as the most generous acceptance rate, and the competition for those spots is fierce considering it takes so much work to even get to the point of applying. </p>
<p>That’s not to say there’s no difference between med schools or that dreaming to go to JHU is foolish. I just wanted to point out that you may believe there are more differences among med schools than there really are.)</p>