Timeline Advice for a Nontrad?

[LoKif26]

Hello everyone! Here is my deal:

I started college as per usual in 2013, although... I started at art college. I did two years there, transferred home for a year to do art at our state school, went back to the first art school this past fall for two more quarters, and then decided to transfer back home to my state school to switch to premed with a major in psych.

I've got some unique experiences as a previous film major, game design major, and then illustration major, and I've done almost all my gen ed requirements aside from bio/chem/math (not required for art), so I'm going in as a senior. I'm starting psych major in a 375 class so I'm not completely starting over there, but I'm going to take intro bio/chem/math before I start premeds because I haven't taken a science class since 2012. The intro bio and math I will be taking this summer, and chem in the fall.

So that's the rough outline of my academic life at this point. I'll be 23 later this year and if all goes well I'm hoping to graduate in 3 years in 2020. I'm beginning a two month training process next week to volunteer at a domestc violence shelter for women (including ER advocacy) and will be starting classes at the end of May.

Can yall give me some advice on how I should try to plan my timeline? I know it's common for students to take the MCAT as juniors and apply the summer before senior year, so I'm not sure when I should do either of those things, considering I'll be taking premeds right up until I graduate as I have no gen eds left to put off until senior year. I want to be adequately prepared for the MCAT obviously but don't want to get behind in the admissions process. Thanks!

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[amuseddoughnut]

You can probably do a typical pre-med timeline and apply in June 2019 to start med school in 2020. That assumes all of your pre-med classwork goes smoothly and you don't experience a lot of difficulty with the MCAT, etc.

Fall 2017 - Chem I, Bio I, Labs, English
Spr 2018 - Chem II, Bio II, Labs, Physics I
Fall 2018 - Org I, Physics II, English
Spr 2019 - Org II, Study for MCAT
Summer - Take MCAT, Submit Applications no later than beginning of June
Fall 2019 - (You can take any other classes that might be required for schools here
Spr 2020 - like Biochem, Statistics, Etc.)
Fall 2020 - Start Med School!

If you find yourself struggling to keep up with the somewhat condensed pre-med schedule and studying for the MCAT, then you could move your timeline one year and apply 2020 for starting in 2021.

 

[LoKif26]

You can probably do a typical pre-med timeline and apply in June 2019 to start med school in 2020. That assumes all of your pre-med classwork goes smoothly and you don't experience a lot of difficulty with the MCAT, etc.

Fall 2017 - Chem I, Bio I, Labs, English
Spr 2018 - Chem II, Bio II, Labs, Physics I
Fall 2018 - Org I, Physics II, English
Spr 2019 - Org II, Study for MCAT
Summer - Take MCAT, Submit Applications no later than beginning of June
Fall 2019 - (You can take any other classes that might be required for schools here
Spr 2020 - like Biochem, Statistics, Etc.)
Fall 2020 - Start Med School!

If you find yourself struggling to keep up with the somewhat condensed pre-med schedule and studying for the MCAT, then you could move your timeline one year and apply 2020 for starting in 2021.

Okay, that all sounds reasonable to me. I'm pretty new to this and wasn't quite sure how to break it down, especially with a premed advisor who is a crazy person. Thanks very much!! I appreciate it !

 

[amuseddoughnut]

You're welcome. Be careful with crazy advisors. They can derail you! Try to ask another advisor if you don't have much faith in the pre-med advisor assigned to you. You can show them your plan and ask if they see anything that would make the plan not feasible.

You are doing the right thing in coming up with a multi year plan. You should revisit this each semester and make sure you are on track.

And FYI, you want your MCAT scores to be available to schools starting at the beginning of July, so the latest you should take the MCAT is like May 15th.