<p>I heard that undergrad bio courses like evolution, ecology, alegae/fungi, insects, and plant physiology are useless. But what about the courses below? I want to take only the bio courses that are worthwhile and useful.</p>
<p>Vertebrate biology
Invertebrate biology
Microbiology
Cell physiology</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>the last two. Animal phy would be better though, less overlap.</p>
<p>what about courses like Anatomy and Physiology for Health Sciences and Microbiology for Health Sciences? how important are these extra courses that aren’t requirements?</p>
<p>Minimal importance. They aren’t required, and the material isn’t tested on the MCAT. You do gain a firm grasp of basic material by taking a lot of classes, but it isn’t anything that you couldn’t do when studying for the MCAT without them. Since many of the passages on the MCAT are material that you aren’t expected to know, it wasn’t uncommon for some of that material to overlap with my upper level courses. Whether or not that allowed me to perform better on those passages, I do not know.</p>
<p>What about a bio course called “Intro to Experimental Techniques”? It’s a third year course and its course description says that it’s designed to introduce students to basic measurement methods and intrumentation as used in modern biology. The topics inclue statistical inference, formal scientific writing, electrical measurements, pH measurement and pH buffers, dissolved oxygen measurement, UV-visible spectrophotometry and radiotracer techniques. (This is a lab course, so obviously it won’t be useful for the MCAT, but I want to know if it’s still worthwhile to take.) I do research in biochem and my research doesn’t involve measuring pH, dissolved O2 or spectrophotometry, so I’m not sure if it will be helpful for improving my lab techniques either. But I’ve heard that the prof for this lab course is great and this is the main reason that I want to take this course.</p>
<p>What do you mean, “What about this course?” If the prof is great and you want to take it, go ahead.</p>
<p>
I guess what I want to ask is this: If the prof is great and you want to take the course, then are that sufficient reasons to take the course, even though the course itself might turn out to be not that useful intellectually or for med school?</p>
<p><facepalm> </facepalm></p>
<p>I’m having trouble understanding why you’d even ask this question. God forbid you have any fun in college as a pre-med or take any courses that won’t directly benefit you in medical school. </p>
<p>If you want to take the course because you think you’d like it, then do it. Too many pre-meds see college as an obstacle course to be endured on the way to their dream medical school, and that’s a shame. College should be enjoyed for the pursuit of intellectual challenge and personal development.</p>
<p>Agreed with shades. College is about more than medical admissions. You will be better off for it in the end, much more passionate about the things that you have done because you loved them rather than because you had to. I took dance and history, only minimally useful for a pre-med but I loved every minute.</p>