Nostraadms Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Hello everyone, I took general biology 1 and anatomy last semester and got A's in both. The concepts were relatively easy, but memorizing for Anatomy was a challenge. This semester, I am taking general biology 2 and physiology. The biology course is really two classes, since the lab portion has its own lectures and exams. I'm a little worried that I will most likely end up getting a B in either both classes, or get a C in at least one class ( bio 2 or physio). This is because all of my exams are on the same day. So I'm thinking of taking phyiology next semester and take Spanish instead (it is a pre-req for USC PA school). Have any of you done this before? What were the results. Any advice? Should I bite the bullet and take both classes to get a challenge of what I should expect in PA school or should I pace myself? FYI, I plan on applying to PA school next year (2014). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 I would just take the bio 2 and physiology in the same semester and just plan ahead and study in advance. If you do this, it shouldn't matter that the exams are on the same day, because you should be prepared in advance and not be cramming the night before. Also, you will be taking 5-6 or more science classes per semester in PA school, and they will be of greater rigor than most undergraduate classes. Obviously you do not want to sacrifice GPA and do poorly in a class because you overloaded yourself, and I don't know your personal situation (i.e. do you work full time and go to school, are you a typical undergraduate student), so its a decision you will have to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 I don't think the problem is with the material.. But having your final grade based on 2 or 3 exams and both on the same day may be setting yourself up for failure. Is there a different section / class time / professor you can take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostraadms Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 Unfortunately all other sections are closed or there is a time conflict. I know taking two exams on the same day for all 3 exams will destroy my gpa. I'm the type that needs a day or two day buffer in between to get the A or high B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 I guess your best bet then would be to take them different semesters. If you've never been able to do having multiple exams in the same day or consecutive days, I'd be very picky about where I decided to apply to PA schools, as many programs have multiple exams on a given day or consecutive days. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostraadms Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 Which schools, that you know, have their exam ddays spaces out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 I do not know any in particular. That's something you really can't find on a website. Its probably best to contact the programs that you are interested in applying to about that, or contacting students of those programs through this forum or others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briepm Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 You should take them both to help you get used to it. We frequently have more than 1 test a day, and certainly more than 1 a week (this semester we're averaging 3-5 difficult tests a week.. ugg).. You don't want to set yourself up for failure in your semester, but more importantly you don't want to set yourself up for failure in PA school. You need to learn how to manage your time and practice having several things going at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjl12 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Unfortunately all other sections are closed or there is a time conflict. I know taking two exams on the same day for all 3 exams will destroy my gpa. I'm the type that needs a day or two day buffer in between to get the A or high B One or both of those classes should be available during the summer. I'm taking Bio 2 in summer 1 and A+P2 in summer 2. Going to be a pain in the ***, but I think it's better than trying to do both of those at the same time and other classes. Just my personal opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyquil Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 I'm doing this right now actually - bio +lab + physio + lab + one more class and a full-time job and a family life. Is it possible? Yes of course but you have to absolutely manage your time with the utmost skill and even then, luck helps. This could be a short way of saying "yes, but it will be hard!". From what I am seeing on this board and in having spoken with some people at different PA programs, there is a huge emphasis on academic performance to the point that for many - not all! - schools, grades will trump everything else including real-world experience and intangibles. Getting a pair of B's or possibly a C is not going to help you in that realm and the hypercompetitive nature of PA program admissions is only increasing. I'm finding an eerie parallel to nursing programs from 10-15 years ago and how it became super competitive in that field even as the satisfaction of people in that profession is dubious at best. Hopefully the PA profession will remain positive with a strong market for graduates. If you have a great deal of real-world experience then perhaps the lower grades will be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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