Pre Med Transfer To Berkeley

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hello! I am going to be a second year undergraduate college student in a community college in California, planning to transfer to UC Berkeley by the Fall of 2013, and I am having confusion on what courses I should take being a premed</p>

<p>Here is the deal. I was originally pursuing a MCB Biochemistry major for Cal, and I am planning to finish with 1 year of General Biology, 1 year of General Chemistry, 1 year of Calculus, 1 year of Physics (for scientists, not engineers) and 1 year of organic chemistry, IGETC and GE’s done, and I was going to be set. If I get in to Cal or UC Davis, I was planning to apply to medical school on my 4th undergraduate year and hopefully get in.</p>

<p>However, I have heard that many medical schools frown upon taking premed courses in the community college, especially organic chemistry. However, I cannot transfer to UC Berkeley as MCB Biochem without taking organic chemistry. So I was going to switch majors into Chemical Biology for Cal (alt major: Psychology) and take Organic Chemistry in Berkeley.</p>

<p>So my questions are:

  1. Would it be legitimate for me to take Organic Chemistry at the university level because it might hurt my admission chances?
  2. If so, how hard is it to appeal for a 5th year in case I have to finish a lot of courses?
  3. Is it possible to transfer from psychology into MCB/Chemical Bio in berkeley in case I do not get accepted in Chemical Biology?</p>

<p>Thanks for your time!</p>

2

<p>Most medical schools can care less if you take your prereqs at a cc as long as you prove to them you can handle the material through the mcat and upper division science courses.</p>

3

<p>I think medical schools understand that applicants who were full time CC students who took all of their lower division courses at a CC before transferring to a four year university have no feasable alternatives to their CC for taking premed requirements and will not hold it against you. What medical schools do not want to see is students who started at a four year school as freshmen but enrolled in a CC to take their premed required courses but took all their other courses at their four year university.</p>

4

<p>What if you’re a UC-UC transfer? I’m planning on transferring out to another UC from UCSC next fall so I’m taking summer classes at my local CC right now. I’m taking Chem 1A and Calc 1A right now to transfer but they’re also med requirements. Will this go against me?</p>

5

<p>some great advice. thanks guys!</p>