<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I just joined this forum so I apologize if this type of question has been asked but I searched and didn't find it in this fashion. I'm community college now in orange county,ca and I have never attended a university. I finished almost all my general ed to transfer to a UC and next semester I will start taking my pre reqs for my major, Neuroscience or bio engineering. My plan is to go to med school after undergrad. However, upon doing some research I found that med school look down upon pre med course work at CC--I found that this is from concern of University students accused of "taking the easy road" during summers taking pre med course work at CC. My intended major's pre reqs overlap the Med school pre reqs (1 year both gen chem and o chem, 3 semesters calc, linear algebra, differential equations, 3 semesters of physics w/lab, 3 semesters of bio,). So will med schools understand why I took my pre med course work at CC and overlook that assuming I excel at these courses? Or is it really worth it to spend more money and switch majors and go straight to university and take the pre med courses there?</p>
<p>Others may have a different view but I see much less a “gamesmanship” negative being assigned to a student who (because of finances or other circumstances) starts in a CC and follows the rules to get to a UC than I do with somebody from a UC taking summer CC courses. That’s just the way I’ve always seen it. </p>
<p>Is it the best path? Doesn’t really matter if it is the only resonable path available to you. </p>
<p>Do what you have to do. Go to CC. Excel. Use your summers wisely. Get to the UC and kick butt to prove your skills in upper level courses.</p>
<p>If you’re already at a CC in Calif and your goal is to transfer to a UC, then you pretty much have to continue as is. You can’t just now go to a UC because there are rules in place for CC transfers…2 years at CC, 2 years at UC. </p>
<p>If you’ll be done with your second year by next spring, then you’ll submit your app this fall for fall 2013 UC admission. </p>
<p>Are you doing TAG to make sure that you have all reqs to transfer to a UC?</p>
<p>Also, if you’re on Cal Grants, etc, you need to be careful. Aid is only for 4 years…2 years at a CC, then 2 years at a Calif univ (or 4 years at a Calif univ). Be sure to meet with an advisor so that you don’t run out of aid before completing your degree.</p>
<p>As for your concern about CC classes. Since Calif CCs are very good, it’s less of an issue than in states that have lousy CCs. And, to even further your app, if you apply to med school AFTER you graduate from a UC, you’ll show 2 years of upper division science classes at the UC level.</p>
<p>See if your juco has an Honors program; if so, get in to it. It will serve you well for transferring.</p>
<p>At this point, it won’t much matter that taking premed prereqs at a juco maybe frowned upon by med adcoms. Transferring as a Junior, generally means that you have to complete the major prereqs prior to matriculation at the four year. Some of the UCs even make that clear on their website. UC-Davis, for example, requires Organic Chem be taken prior to transferring there (for science majors, obviously).</p>
<p>The way to strengthen your professional school app is to take upper division science courses at the four-year Uni. And earn A’s. That will remove any doubt about your ability.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I live in California and like the above posters agree that under the Master Plan for Higher Education in California, CCC students really have no alternative to taking their premed courses at a CCC before the will be able to transfer to a UC or Cal State for their BS or BA which must be obtained within two years of transfer. I think most medical schools understand the situation and do not look unfavorably on these applicants. The thing that I believe medical do not like to see are students who are enrolled from freshman year in a four year college or university and take all their classes there except for their medical school prerequisites which they take at their local community college.</p>