Insight regarding Community College

[Prospective MD]

Hi,

I'm a graduate of New York University with a degree in Finance...I've been working for two years in the field, and now I want to change careers for medicine. I am taking night classes at a community college to fulfill my science pre-reqs so I can take my MCATS and apply for Fall 2006.

Do any of you know anyone that went to a community college and got into St. George? Are any of you in the same boat as me? Please any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[FamilyER]

Originally Posted by Prospective MD

I'm a graduate of New York University with a degree in Finance...I've been working for two years in the field, and now I want to change careers for medicine. I am taking night classes at a community college to fulfill my science pre-reqs so I can take my MCATS and apply for Fall 2006 ... Are any of you in the same boat as me? Please any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Prospective MD,

I'm in the same boat in NJ. I am using Community College coursework to review and renew my science skills and meet application prerequisites. I also have a target of Fall 2006.

I have been following the ValueMD forum for some time ... great stuff. I believe that this question has been addressed in the past and caution was given regarding this approach based on common perceptions of the Community College and its role in Higher Ed. However, it was not taboo; just another hurdle (like being a non-traditional applicant or an IMG in the future).

To round out my package, I have sacrificed income to change my occupation from non-medical to direct patient care in an ER. I am seeking to surround myself with opportunities and information related to better understanding excellent patient care in addition to the academic foundations (both being very important).

My personal goal is to be the best candidate possible and the best Doctor (skills, attitude, and perspective). The CC has provided the most cost effective and flexible program, so that is where I go. I should mention, if you are looking to go into research verses patient care, a CC may not be a good choice. Perhaps, someone else can speak to this side of the equation.

The Community College (as an institution) is experiencing a trend where many students complete their first two years at a CC and then transfer to a 4-year. This reduces the overall cost of the education. You may want to look at the types of schools with which your CC has transfer agreements. Often, the CC science programs will be tailored to deliver the prerequisites for the 4-year programs that the CC graduates are seeking to enter. You can also talk to your faculty to determine how committed they are to keeping their programs up to speed with the need. This trend has translated into a great relationship between the CC and the 4-year because CC graduates are arriving for year three better prepared than those that spent the first two years at the 4-year (some research has shown). This may be due to the CC’s effort to fit three years into two. However, it is important to remember the old adage “… you get out, what you put in.”

To fine tune my CC studies, I am using materials from the Princeton Reveiw and Kaplan programs. If the material that I need to know is short changed in the classroom or lab (this is sometimes the case with Physics), I make it clear that I want to know the related material while I am in the class (assuming it is within the context of the material being covered). CC faculty tend to be in the job to teach. They seem to welcome students that want to learn.

I should note that during my summer session at the CC, a classmate was accepted to SGU and another student was auditing classes to sharpen their skills for the MCAT. Looks like you are not alone ...

Best of luck and I hope to see you at SGU in 2006.

[docks]

Originally Posted by Prospective MD

Hi,

I'm a graduate of New York University with a degree in Finance...I've been working for two years in the field, and now I want to change careers for medicine. I am taking night classes at a community college to fulfill my science pre-reqs so I can take my MCATS and apply for Fall 2006.

Do any of you know anyone that went to a community college and got into St. George? Are any of you in the same boat as me? Please any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

I went to a community college to fulfill my pre-reqs for med school and I got into St. George's University. My experience at my community college has convinced me that schools who do not accept that quality education can be obtained from a community college are simply being elitest and ignorant. Unfortunately, that's an irrelevant opinion since it's the same admission boards who decide whether we get in.

That said, SGU seems like a very open-minded school. I got in OK with my community college experience and I've seen people coming in with various methods of fulfilling the pre-reqs. So, SGU really does look at the whole package. The diversity of my class is clear evidence of this positive attitude (hopefully it's not as money-driven as it is driven by getting good students but that's a different topic).

Good luck in your path to being a doctor!

- Docks