Hello, I'm a nontraditional student trying to get all my prereqs in so I can take my MCAT in the later summer of 2011 for 2012 entry to med school, if all goes well. I'm able to take Bio Chem and Organic Chemistry (only one semester required) during an 8 week session starting next June. Just wondering if this would be insane to try and get excellent grades in these two classes taken together RIGHT before I take my MCAT. Are these two classes better taken apart or so they can build upon each other? I don't want to have to put my application or my MCAT off another entire year. My fall and spring semester 2010/2011 will be Chemistry, Physics and A & P. I have a Healthcare Admin BA so my sciences are the focus of my prereqs. Any help would be appreciated. I'm pushing 40 and anxious to make every year count!
Thanks!

Insane. Yes.

I know everyone is different... and every course is different (i.e. my o-chem instructor made perfect sense to me, biochem instructor seemed to be rambling about nothing...) but I think that is a really bad idea.

O-chem isn't that hard with a very good general chemistry foundation, but it is still a lot of work. Biochem is a lot of work, and, for me anyway, was almost entirely new information. When I took biochem (and again, some of it may be the instructor), I had 5 science courses. I got 4 A's and 1 C that term. It was a nightmare. Is biochem required for you? I don't think it was very helpful for the MCAT. Cell bio was moderately helpful, and physiology. Probably any advanced biology class would give you the same preparation.

Next story: I took physics over the summer. It was doable, but I was doing hours of physics homework every night. That said, it would be tough to do two classes like this at the same time.

Finally, the MCAT. I actually didn't spend the three months or whatever people do to study for this. I looked at the material a couple of times in the preceding months, but not much. I buckled down and did a pretty decent amount of studying (cut my work hours back to part time, studied all the rest of the time) for about 2 weeks, and I did well. I had just taken a lot of the courses, which helped - just wanted to give you an idea of how much time it took, in case that helps your planning.

Yes, it does. Thanks. Just want to schedule the best MCAT prep classes for that summer or before, and then my year in waiting can be the ones that are unnecessary for the MCAT but necessary for admission. Thanks again.

I agree. Insane!

I'd personally recommend saving biochem for the year in waiting, if you can swing that.

You are gutsy! Got to love you for that!