<p>I'm caught between two majors (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and General Biology) with Medical school as my ending goal. For those who don't know, the BMB major focuses more on molecular and cellular levels, which I feel would be immensely helpful on the MCAT however the major has so many requirements. In order to take all the necessary classes to help me do well on the MCAT, I, in turn, end up pushing many of the requirements until senior year, which is just an awful idea. I've been thinking of using my AP Physics B credits in place of the 2 non-calculus-based physics courses (whether or not med schools will accept this is an different issue). So in essence, my questions are:
1. Can I still transfer AP credits this late in the game?
2. Should I still take Physics in college?
3. Should I change my intended major to Biology which offers more flexibility but also requires that I take biology courses that focus on ecological aspects which aren't helpful for the MCAT?</p>
<p>1) If you’re already matriculated at your college, it’s probably too late to ask for AP credit. But you really need to check with the registrar’s office at your college as to what its policies are.</p>
<p>2) Yes. Not all medical schools will accept AP credits in lieu of coursework. Those that do accept AP credits may require additional upper level physics coursework in addition to AP credits. (Do you really want to take Modern Physics?) </p>
<p>3) Choose the major that appeals most to you. A major shouldn’t be merely “prep” for the MCAT. You might also consider which major offers the best employment prospects post-graduation. (Every pre-med needs a viable Plan B since 70% of freshman pre-meds never actually get as far as applying to med school, and 60% of those who do apply to med school don’t get accepted anywhere.)</p>
<p>This must be school dependent as I’ve never heard of such a potential restriction. Hell, I didn’t even have formal recognition for my AP courses on my transcript until I was preparing to apply to medical school.</p>
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Look at the requirements for each/plan out potential 4 year schedules and see which one maximizes the classes you would want to take regardless of your major and which one minimizes the classes you are only taking because of your major. Choose that one.</p>
<p>The MCAT subjects are ONLY based on material learned in the lower division science pre-requisites that you need to take for Medical School. No advanced upper division biology courses would have material that’s relevant for the MCAT, as in there is no advanced physiology, microbiology, macromolecular synthesis, neurobiology etc.</p>
<p>The new MCAT in 2015 will have biochemistry, but it will probably be biochem basics like protein structure, metabolism etc.</p>