<p>I'm really starting to get quite paranoid about the fact that I started out at a CC. I did it for financial reasons and pretty happy with the way things turned out. Since finding out that med schools really frown upon starting at a CC and don't like pre-reqs to be taken at a CC I've started rethinking things. I joined the Honors Scholar Program at my CC and will be writing a 25 page thesis paper. I was wondering I've really only taken so far intro to Chem, BioI, and pre-calc. Should I focus on a different major other than biology? Say religion? That way I'll be taking mostly religion oriented classes instead of my med pre-reqs. Then when I transfer to my four year school take the med pre-reqs but graduate with a theology degree. That way I'll be taking the majority of my science classes at a four year school. Am I thinking about this too much or am I making some sense. I just know that medicine is what I want to do and want to give myself the best chance possible. Thanks so much to everyone who has responded I know I've posted quite a bit here. Thanks again.</p>
<p>Don't worry about it. Go ahead and take a year of premed science at your CC, get in some other classes as well while you are there for cost reasons and transfer to your 4 year when you are ready. You just want to take most of your premeds at the 4 year (but it doesn't have to be all). </p>
<p>And major in what you want to major in - something in which you will be happy studying and do well.</p>
<p>While you are at CC , you might want to look into some volunteering opportunities, or research or shadowing of doctors, ect.... - it's really not so much where you go, but what you do with your time while you are there. Relax.</p>
<p>On prestige, notice we are discussing medical students competing for residencies, but the logic probably holds:
[Quote]
Bluedevilmike: The general consensus is this: they have a list of "good schools" and list of "other schools"...</p>
<p>If you are from a "good" school, and your application has no glaring flaws, then you get an interview. If you are from an "other" school, and your application does not have any glaring HIGH points, you do not get an interview. Once you get an interview, that becomes the most important component of their decision, although other things still matter.</p>
<p>Special features - either good or bad - might be board scores, class rank, a second degree, etc. </p>
<p>Bigredmed: That's a great way of putting it. What I have tried to say all along, whether it's undergrad, or medical school, or even residency, if you do well, then where you went is not likely to impact your chances. Doing well is a panacea for almost everything.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'll be at the CC for two years and earning my AA and then transferring out. As of now I only have two semesters left. It just financially makes sense for me to stay. I do have a genuine interest in biology which is what I'm planning on majoring in. I also have a genuine interest in religion. I do as much volunteering as I can I work also as well as taking about 18 credits. Most of my volunteering goes towards an animal refuge because I started my own refuge for dogs that need a home and I work in correlation with another organization. Between working school and that it doesn't leave too many hours but it leaves some. In the two years of being at the CC I would of completed Bio I and II, Gen Chem I and II, Calc, leaving basically just physics and organic chemistry. Maybe I'm thinking too much about this. I have about a 3.8 which I know for being at a CC isn't fantastic, but it took me a while to get back into the swing of things at first after being out of school. Thanks for the feed back. Bluedevilmike thanks for the advice it definitely makes a lot sense. I'm just wondering if I'll have anything that is a glaring high point. Which I'll clearly need coming from a CC. Thanks again and keep it coming.</p>
<p>Another solution is to take your premed prereqs at the CC and then take upper division science courses at your university to prove you can handle science courses at that level. You don't really need to know orgo for medicine and yet every med school requires it. Why? To demonstrate that you can handle a difficult and competitive course within the context of a full courseload (something you will have to do in med school).</p>
<p>I e-mailed the doctor who heads UNC's Alpha Epsilon Delta chapter also, he reinforced to me that not all med schools will accept CC credits. That is a chance I am not willing to take. He recommended taking as many pre-req courses at the four year school I transfer to. I'm still somewhat torn but I don't want to take the chance of not having some of my credits (courses) count. I'd rather major in something else to ensure everything getting completed. Thanks to all who have responded if anyone else has anything else to add I'd be happy to hear it. Thanks again.</p>
<p>Oh wow, this is a new twist which I hadn't realized. Schools will refuse to accept CC credit? This certainly ought to make your dilemma easier.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Yes, it certainly does. He didn't say that all medical schools do he said that some won't accept them. For obvious reasons I wouldn't want to take the chance. No problem maybe it will help out someone else or maybe someone will say that is completely not true. He seems reputable though. I don't think UNC would have someone head up their chapter who was a fraud (I hope not or else I've just been had).</p>
<p>I didn't know that about med schools (accepting CC hours), but I do know some universities won't accept CC hours in transfer in undergraduate.....so maybe sounds legit?</p>
<p>My undergrad I'm not worried about those I planned out to work to where I want to go. Med schools on the other hand is a whole different story. I was unaware that there were some med schools who didn't even accept the credits I knew that it was looked down upon, but I didn't know they just didn't accept them in some cases.</p>
<p>In light of the new information I've received I've decided it is definately best to cease taking all my science courses at my CC. My concern now is that I'm taking summer courses three. My speech class I already withdrew from to take as an honors course in the fall. My other courses are chemistry however as I know now it's a waste of my time. If I were to drop them it would give me more time to work and put in more hours with the dogs. I'm worried what it will look like having three W's on my transcripts. What do you all think? How will this look, or will it not really matter? Thanks.</p>
<p>...bump...</p>
<p>I probably would finish what you have started. But talk to someone in med admissions--maybe call a school you think you would be interested in? All I can tell you is that my son talked with an med school admission com. person at Vanderbilt and was told that do not like to see "excessive" Ws on the transcript ---talked like more than 3 in the 4 years of undergrad. Maybe if you had a chance to explain why the drops it would be okay, but I don't know if you would always have that chance.</p>
<p>Anybody else have any experience with or knowledge of W's on a transcript?</p>
<p>...bump...</p>
<p>...bump...</p>