<p>I am transferring as a sophomore and looking to go to a med school. Would it be unwise to take both Orgo and Physics my first semester at Cornell? My Chem is decent, not great, and I have never taken a single Physics class in my life, besides a physical science class I took in my freshman year of high school.</p>
<p>I have heard people advocating to finish all the medical school requisites before junior year to give my self time to study for MCAT and others saying Orgo + Physics at the same time= tough as hell. </p>
<p>So I think I have a couple of options. I have 52 units transferring as a sophomore, so I can take a small number of credits as I transition into the Cornell academics/life. So I can take Orgo + Orgo lab + Physics + easier fillers this year. </p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>Take either Orgo or Physics, and then take the other one my junior year.</p>
<p>Please provide some input on how tough it is to take Orgo + Physics at the same time, and what I should do, etc. THANK YOU!</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend taking one this year and another one your junior year, preferably ochem this year and physics next year. The reason I advise this is because from what I’ve gathered, physics is much more heavily tested on in your MCAT than ochem is so if you take it later on, you’ll be more “fresh” for it when taking the MCAT since you JUST learned it as opposed to forgetting some material you took a year ago. This isn’t to say that ochem should be taken lightly though be sure to study that well too, just my two cents. As for studying for the MCAT on time, don’t sweat it; many people (going the route I mentioned) typically take it after their junior year and before senior year, still learn the material, and apply on time.</p>
<p>Taking both courses would also mean having lab courses to deal with, which in my opinion, is an extreme pain. I think separating them would allow you more free time to focus on extracurriculars for med school, such as getting clinical experience, research opportunities, shadowing, etc. Keep in mind you’re also new here so joining a few clubs to meet new people wouldn’t be a bad idea at all to adjust to your new life.</p>
<p>Also, since you’re transferring to Cornell, I think it’s wise to take an easy course load when you first get here. Unless you came from a college with a more rigorous curriculum, I think it’s safe to say that Cornell will be much more challenging and it’s important you get used to the way things are done here. Keep in mind that by sophomore year, the average credits you’re “supposed to have” is roughly 30. (Assuming 4 years = 8 semesters and 15 credit hrs/sem). 52 is quite ahead of the game so there’s no need to rush. GPA’s a big factor when it comes to med school so it’s important that you maintain a solid GPA. Again, take this with a grain of salt, but I think that a 3.8 with 12 credit hrs is more favored than a 3.5 with 18 credit hrs. </p>
<p>Looks like simple advice turned into a long rant lol. Hope that helps, but remember, it’s ultimately your decision. Good luck!</p>
<p>It really depends on your own intelligence and abilities. I never took a single physics class in high school and still did fine when I took orgo and physics together at Cornell. I think the main advantage of finishing all your prereq’s in your sophomore year is that you can use the summer to study for the MCAT. I look the MCAT at the end of the summer after my sophomore year and the rest of my college experience was cake. It’s a lot easier than trying to study during the school year.</p>
<p>AznGambit17: I see your point…you have deal with both labs. Thanks for your input!</p>
<p>norcalguy: Yeah, it’d be great to get them over with and focus on MCAT…</p>
<p>ugggh haha I did hear though that Physics auto-tutorial isn’t too difficult at all. Any other inputs?</p>
<p>Well, you don’t have to take Orgo lab along with the lecture. If you decide to take Orgo lecture + Physics this year, you can always take Orgo lab next year. Personally I wouldn’t recommend taking Physics and Orgo at the same time especially for a transfer. As a transfer, the first semester will be used to figure out Cornell/how the classes are/how much you can handle. Keep in mind that most students taking Orgo and Physics will be current Cornell students, who are already used to Cornell. Like others have mentioned above, there are advantages of doubling up on Orgo and Physics such as being able to study abroad, being able to take the MCAT early, etc…so figure out where your priorities lie =) In the end, you can always sign up for both and drop one of them after the first prelim.</p>
<p>I would not do these the same semester if you don’t have to. Orgo at Cornell was one of the worst things I’ve ever done, and I would have considered myself great at chem before that class. I took engineering physics and it wasnt that bad, but you’re better off spacing the two courses out so you can attend all the office hours for the classes and still have a kind of life. My really hardcore premed roomie took physics her second semester junior year while she was in an mcats prep class, and she didn’t think it was bad at all. Having the physics fresh for the mcats actually makes sense. She hasn’t taken the mcats yet, so I can’t attest to this method, but it is what her advisor told her to do, and it wasn’t a problem for her at all.</p>
<p>You still have physics fresh even if you take orgo and physics together in your sophomore year since, presumably, you’ll take the MCAT at the end of the summer. I scored a 15 on the physical sciences section of the MCAT that way.</p>