Taking Labs after Lecture Courses?

[chemdoctor]

Hello. I am a freshman. I was wondering how medical schools would react to me taking the labs (say for Organic Chemistry or Physics) AFTER I had completed the lecture? I would still be taking it but maybe the next semester when I am not taking the lecture. Also, I was gonna take a small prereq online. (Not a major prereq for medical school) but its like a petty course I have to take for my major at my college. How do they respond to labs done at a different time?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted785918]

They don't care when you take them as long as you take them. I wouldn't worry about it and do whatever works best for you! Your online class will also be fine just so long as it isn't a med school prereq. Good luck!

 

[Citizen #3]

I took all of my chemistry labs the semester after I took the corresponding lecture, and no one cared.

Is it a med school prereq that you're planning on taking online, or is it a class that is not a prereq but is required for your major?

 

[coralista]

In the eyes of the adcoms, it doesn't matter whether you take the laboratory course alongside the classes or after. It may even be advantageous to take it after you finished the lecture series, especially for organic chemistry. At my undergrad, some of the reactions covered in the lab course are those you only learn in the second semester of lecture. Taking the lab before you actually learn these reactions may affect your understanding of the assignments, pre- and post-lab write-ups, written exams, and overall performance.

 

[libertyyne]

I took a science lab 3 years after taking the class. It was fine.

 

[NoPMHx]

They don't care as long as you took it. I did the same because I just didn't have any spot in my schedule to squeeze in Orgo Lab when I was taking Orgo.

 

[chemdoctor]

They really, really, dont care about when you take lab

However, the difference between a "big" prereq and and a "small" prereq is only in an applicant's mind. Many medical schools will not accept any online courses for fulfillment of prereqs of any kind; some will accept a few specific courses. You need to get the MSAR which will show you or read each med school's website to find out what is the specific requirement. However, if you want to be open to the broadest array of medical schools, they you should not take any prereq online.

It's not a "prereq" for medical school. Just a petty pre req course for my major at my college. It's not one of the main core pre reqs for medical school.

 

[chemdoctor]

I took all of my chemistry labs the semester after I took the corresponding lecture, and no one cared.

Is it a med school prereq that you're planning on taking online, or is it a class that is not a prereq but is required for your major?

It's not a prereq. It's a silly, petty class that is mandatory for my major lol.