<p>Son is a rising sophomore and just decided that he wants to pursue the premed 'track'.</p>
<p>There is two chemistry classes that he is able to sign up for:</p>
<p>a. A class meant for those who have not had chemistry before. It is meant to be a taken before the class described below if he takes the exam below but does not pass.</p>
<p>b. A class that requires him to take an exam for be placed in the class. This class assumes you already have a background in chemistry.</p>
<p>He has taken Chemistry during his sophomore year of High school but does not remember a whole lot. It is taking him quite some time to brush up on for the exam and is convinced that he should just opt for class (a) to have a fair background for the class that requires the exam. He fears he will not have enough skills to be successful in this class.</p>
<p>His premed adviser insists that he takes the class that requires the exam despite the concern my son has.</p>
<p>Is the premed adviser giving sound advice or should my son just follow his own intuition?</p>
<p>OP, is your S an “A” student? Has he ever struggled with “intro” type classes before? The adviser may be concerned that the “a” option may not be an acceptable college level chemistry class and that he would eventually have to take both classes.(a big waste of time)</p>
<p>Your S. can get quick re-fresher by himself and take exam. I would listen to pre-med advisor much closer than any advice here. We are not familiar with situation and specifics of your S’s ability and his UG as much as his pre-med advisor who is also very interested in your S’s success.
BTW chemistry is the easiest science class in pre-med track. But again, this is just my D’s opinion (2nd year Med. Student). It is different from student to student and from UG to UG. She did not take the most difficult one at her UG, she took the one that most pre-meds were taking. Engineering majors had the harder one. However, D’s Chem. served her very well in Med. School, so apparently it was high enough in UG for what she needed.</p>
<p>I am concerned that your son is hesitant. Chemistry classes can vary between high schools and it has been many years since he took a class. Also the pre-med track is very competitive. Will he be competing with students who have already taken AP Chemistry but are taking it again hoping to get a good grade? I know many students who have found college level chemistry to be very challenging- not easy at all.
The pre-med adviser is correct in a sense that the lower level class may not be acceptable or be seen as acceptable to medical schools. Is it possible to take both level classes?
Also, he has to take an exam, but if he does not do well on it, the class is not an option. Colleges must realize that students come from various backgrounds and there hopefully is a way for your son to get the right level class at his school- and the med school prereqs. The school may not award credit for both classes- but can he still take them?
The adviser is correct that taking the easier class may put him at a disadvantage, but putting an unprepared student into a pre-med class and having them get an unsatisfactory grade may not be good for med school admissions either. It’s important to work hard, but is it a set up for failure to not be prepared for a class? </p>
<p>But you know your son, and he seems to know himself. To me, I would put his education first- choose the class that he is at the level of so that he learns the material the best… but, I am not pre-med or a parent of one so my choice may not be the pre-med choice.</p>
<p>The lower level class will not be acceptable to med schools, but if the only chem your S had was a standard HS course, I would follow his intuition and opt for the Intro to Chem. Ideally, he would have taken it over the summer, but that is not an option now. A good foundation leading to A’s is much more important than than rushing to finish all the prereqs (even if he has to take a gap year).</p>
<p>He could take Intro to Chem and Bio this fall, and Gen Chem 1 in the spring if your college offers it. Pickup Gen Chem 2 next summer.</p>
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<p>Exactly. “Passing” the exam just means that he can probably pass the Gen Chem course. But premeds cannot just accept pass-level grade, they must ace the course. There will be a LOT of Frosh in Gen Chem who have already taken AP Chem and earned a 5 on the test. It is those students who are the competition for the top grades.</p>
I’m glad you added that statement at the end as you can’t generalize all schools like that. Each school has it’s own “weeder class”. For many it’s Orgo, but for some, it’s Gen Chem and I’m sure there are other schools that might have a different course.</p>
<p>^There are also such a great variety of first Chem. classes at (each??) UG. At least at D’s state public, there were very many. And they could sign up for them only after taking math placement test. Actually, no freshman at her UG was allowed to register before taking placement tests in math and foreign language, all majors, it was official policy. In addition, AP class also greatly depend on HS and may be lower level than regular Chem. at another school.<br>
It isimportant to listen to pre-med advisor who knows all specifics.</p>