Summer Classes!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Rochester
1

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>I am a freshman at the UofR and was thinking of taking summer classes off campus at a school in NJ or New York, NY. I am from North Jersey and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which class to take and where I should take it. I am a Cell and Developmental Biology Major (B.S. degree) and am pre-med. I was thinking of taking physics maybe at Rutgers Newark or NYU. I am 30 minutes away from Rutgers and 5 minutes away from NYU, to put my location into perspective. It will be ridiculously expensive since it is off campus but I want to be home for the summer. Also, should I consider community colleges at all? And is physics a good choice, considering I have heard that med schools like to see that you have taken the pre-reqs during your school year at the collge you are attending??</p>

<p>Any input is greatly appreciated!!</p>

2

<p>Read through this page about transferring credits back to UR: [Transfer</a> Credit : Center for Academic Support](<a href=“Transfer and Pre-Matriculation Credit : Advising Handbook : College Center for Advising Services : University of Rochester”>Transfer and Pre-Matriculation Credit : Advising Handbook : College Center for Advising Services : University of Rochester)</p>

<p>Go talk to your adviser about making sure the credits will transfer. there is some work to do up front - get it approved BEFORE you go take the class. If you haven’t officially declared your major and therefore don’t have an adviser in teh Bio Department yet, go talk to a prof in the department anyway with specific questions about choices for summer classes.</p>

3

<p>It is true that med schools expect you to take your pre-reqs at your home campus during the regular school year. Not somewhere else. Not during the summer.</p>

<p>Taking them elsewhere, esp at a community college, looks like you’re trying to duck the more challenging competition/coursework you’d face at your school. It would be a black mark against your application. (Not necessarily fatal, but still any dings hurt your chances.)</p>

<p>Since UR requires a calc-based physics for its bio majors and most other schools do not, your taking the class elsewhere would be a more obvious duck than most. You WILL have to explain why you took a “lesser” course on your med school application.</p>

<p>Rule of thumb w/r/t to pre med requirements: never take a CC class (except calc) UNLESS you plan on taking a higher level class in the same field at your regular college. Will you be taking a higher level physics class at UR? (Probably PHYS 123)</p>

<p>If you want to take a class at NYU or Rutgers, consider taking a non-science elective class this summer. You may want to consider taking sociology or psychology or a class on medical ethics since all of those topics (along with stats, biochem and genetics) will be on the new MCAT.</p>

<p>One more thing—UR has very good pre-med advising. If you haven’t been to CAS and introduced yourself to the advisors, you should. (BTW, they will also tell you not to take your pre-reqs at another campus over the summer.)</p>

<p>~~~~</p>

<p>There is a sub-forum here just to ask this kind of question. The posters there are doctors, medical residents, current med students, current pre-meds, parents of med students and pre meds, a couple of bona fide members of med school adcomms.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-medical-school/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-medical-school/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I post there also. I’m a parent to a current med student and a upperclassmen pre med (who is at UR).</p>

4

<p>@ck</p>

<p>Since you want to go home this summer…have you done any hospital volunteering yet?</p>

<p>t’s one of those expected things every pre-med has to have. If you haven’t, this summer would be a good time to start. There must be medical facilities near your home. Your volunteering doesn’t have to be at a hospital. It could be at a clinic (like Planned Parenthood or Healthcare for the Homeless) or long term care facility (aka nursing home).</p>