Cornell for Pre-meds?

<p>I know that College of Agriculture and Life Sciences also offer biology as a major but does it have chemistry courses as well?
And what unique qualities and characteristics colleges of arts and sciences of cornell is attrative for premeds? I found many course examples on-line but I couldn't really find any unique qualities that other universities lack</p>

<p>A little Googling led me to this:
CALS</a> Admissions: Premedical Preparation</p>

<p>Premedical Preparation</p>

<p>Thinking of Medical School? Some answers to frequently asked questions for prospective premedical students at Cornell University:</p>

<pre><code>* Which college should I enroll in?
* What should I major in?
* What courses should I take?
* What kind of education prepares me for becoming a physician?
* What percentage of Cornell students get accepted to medical school?
* What help does Cornell give health careers students?
</code></pre>

<p>Which College Should I Enroll In? </p>

<p>A student in any undergraduate college at Cornell may enroll in the courses required for entry into medical college. Traditionally, Cornell undergraduate applicants to medical school have enrolled primarily in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Human Ecology, and the College of Engineering. These colleges offer majors that enable students to prepare for medical school, and we find no differences in admission rates for students from these four colleges who have equivalent academic credentials. The appropriate choice of undergraduate college depends to a great extent on your other academic and career interests. Consult the University's publications for information about the seven colleges at Cornell—their admission requirements, majors, course descriptions, and financial aid.</p>

<p>What Should I Major in?</p>

<p>Medical schools do not require or recommend any particular undergraduate major course of study, and Cornell does not have a premedical major. Therefore, you should pursue your own intellectual interest in an academic major, such as history, chemistry, biology, psychology, nutrition, or some other field. In any number of majors throughout the university, you can complete the preprofessional core courses while at the same time receiving a broad education and exploring other interests and careers. In this way, you leave open the option of pursuing an alternative career. Also, you are more likely to succeed at and benefit from subjects that interest and stimulate you.</p>

<p>Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), an excellent resource, states that, "Students should select a major area of study that is of interest and that will provide a foundation of knowledge necessary for the pursuit of several career alternatives. Students who select a major area of study solely or primarily because of the perception that it will enhance the chance of acceptance to a school of medicine are not making a decision in their best interest."</p>

<p>Despite statements like the above, many students and some advisors believe that medical schools actually prefer curricula in the "hard sciences" to curricula in the social sciences or the humanities. An article presenting analysis of data of the Association of American Medical Colleges states, "The claim that nonscience majors need higher objective scores (MCAT) for admission is clearly refuted." Furthermore, ". . . data on this factor [undergraduate concentration area] are supportive of the position that medical schools seek liberally educated individuals."(2) MSAR shows 35.3 percent of biological sciences majors, 41.3 percent of physical sciences majors, and 40.2 percent of nonscience majors applying for 1994 were accepted to medical school.</p>

<p>What Courses should I Take?</p>

<p>Medical and dental schools, while not requiring or recommending any particular major, do stipulate that particular undergraduate courses be completed. Listed below are the recommended minimum prerequisite courses medical schools require. Some institutions have specific requirements and/or recommendations in addition to those listed below:
Course Credit Hours
General or Introductory Biology (with laboratory) 8 semester credit hours
Advanced Biology one course
Introductory Chemistry (with laboratory) 8 semester credit hours
Organic Chemistry (with laboratory) 8 semester credit hours
General or Introductory Physics (with laboratory) 8 semester credit hours
English Composition 6 semester credit hours
Mathematics (required by some schools, recommended by most)</p>

<p>What Kind of Education Will Prepare Me for Becoming a Physician?</p>

<p>The science courses required for entry to medical school are only a part of the total educational picture that medical schools consider. While it is generally agreed that an applicant must be able to perform well in science, to think like a scientist, and even to enjoy science to be a competent physician, it also is widely accepted that being an educated person with broad appreciation of human nature and human achievement is equally important to physicians, not only for their medical practice, but also for their personal lives and intellectual maturity. The major you choose is not so important as the critical and analytical capability that you develop. You need to develop the ability to handle data and to think logically, imaginatively, and honestly. The best way to develop these abilities is to explore an academic field that you find compelling, not as a dilettante, but fully and in some depth, with what one dean of admissions calls "a sustained commitment to excellence." </p>

<p>What Percentage of Cornell Students are Accepted to Medical Schools?</p>

<p>In 2003, of the Cornell first-time undergraduate applicants to medical school who registered with the Health Careers Evaluation Committee, approximately 76 percent were successful in gaining admission to a U.S. allopathic (M.D.) school. (Nationally, 50% percent of applicants were accepted in 2003.) Of 2003 Cornell applicants with a 3.4 or above, 89 percent gained admission to a U.S. allopathic school.</p>

<p>It may be misleading to compare undergraduate institutions using admissions data. If students plan to use such data to compare with figures from other institutions, they should be aware that institutions have different practices for recommending students for medical school. Some other undergraduate institutions recommend only selected students. At Cornell, any student may apply to a health professional school, and Cornell will write a letter of evaluation for any student who has taken the courses required by schools of human medicine and who follows the established procedure for obtaining such a letter.</p>

<p>What Help Does Cornell Give Health Careers Students?</p>

<p>Cornell offers a formal Health Careers Program. The senior associate director for health careers, whose office is in Barnes Hall, provides information and orientation sessions and advising for students. Each day she has walk-in advising hours as well as a telephone time from 4:00 to 4:30. Half-hour appointments can also be arranged.</p>

<p>Cornell also writes the letter of evaluation that is a required part of application to most schools of human medicine. The Cornell University Premedical Guide for Preapplicants is available for students and given out at Freshman Orientation. The Cornell University Premedical Guide for Preapplicants is given out when students register to have their letter written, usually in their junior year.</p>

<p>Most premedical questions freshmen and sophomores ask pertain to the fit between major and college requirements on the one hand, and premed course requirements on the other. These can be answered by your academic advisor or by the member of the Health Careers Advising Network in the various colleges:
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Health Careers Advisor is Cate Thompson, located at 140 Roberts Hall.</p>

<p>Courses</a> of Study 2008-2009: College of Arts and Sciences
Under CAS, they do have Chemistry as a major.
But under CALS
Courses</a> of Study 2008-2009: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
They don't have it. But I think you can possibly take classes between the two as long as you have enough credits.
For my major - Atmoshereic Sciences, I'm suppose to be able to take CALS and CAS classes, since they both share the major.</p>

<p>
[quote]
But I think you can possibly take classes between the two as long as you have enough credits

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is incorrect information....you are welcome to take classes in all colleges without having a minimum number of credits in your home college. Although CALS has some guidelines that must be followed when creating schedules. </p>

<p>Biology majors are required to take general and organic chemistry. CALS students may take 55 credits in endowed colleges for free....however it is very difficult to exceed this number.</p>

<p>You can take courses from different colleges? But you can't switch to a major that's in another college though, right?</p>

<p>You can't double major across colleges. If you find that you would like to switch your major to one that is in a different college...then you can go through the internal transfer process.</p>

<p>And yes...you can (and will) take courses that offered through different colleges.</p>

<p>CALS concentrates heavily in chemistry for premeds such as gen chem, biochem, organic chem, and lets not forget more chem if you decide to concentrate in biochem program of study for bio majors :)</p>

<p>How hard is it to transfer to another college once admitted? Cause some colleges have a much higher rate of admits and thus easier to be accepted to</p>

<p>Does CALS have a premed study program? Cause in here CALS</a> Admissions: Premedical Preparation
it says that there is one, but when I clicked on it, it's only the advices and FAQ of premeds. So there is no actually program?</p>

<p>None of the top colleges really have a premed major mainly because a premed major is useless and prepares you for nothing in life but to apply to med schools. The good thing is that you can literally major in whatever you want (from bio to architecture to industrial labor relations) and still apply to med school. Nothing you learn in college will prepare you for med school. The one point of making you go to college is to establish an academic track record on which med schools can judge your academic potential (and hence the odds you will make it through med school).</p>

<p>I don't understand why it's necessary for people who want to be doctors to first go to undergrad, then Med school. I mean, I know that's the way it works in society, but why? What would be wrong with having a system where after HS, everyone takes a test (like the MCATs) for Med school placement, and goes straight to Med school?
That way, people interested in studying something else for undergrad could still go to undergrad, then Med school, but those 100% sure they want to be doctors and interested in Medicine could go straight to Med school. It would save a lot of time/money.</p>

<p>Colleges don't wanna save your time and money; They WANT your time and money haha :P</p>

<p>No just kidding but yeah, I get you...
But I kindof like going to undergraduate school first :) You can make sure that its really what you want (even though I've been 100% sure since I was a little girl, who knows if my mind will change when I see new options), and also you can explore other stuff that you like. Once you get to med school its just med. No fun little extra classes or time to just explore new hobbies and stuff...</p>

<p>stargazerlilies- you see, this would the be ideal situation in an ideal society. you can make the same case for law and other professions as well.</p>

<p>however, it would be a strange world (to me) if medical students of age 18 or 19 or 20, who would presumably be learning, among other things, the vast intricacies of the biochemical processes of the human body, were not allowed to have a beer.</p>

<p>Would it be totally out of the question to take courses for pre-med while being a CALS Communication major? CALS obviously has their required sciences, which fills like half of it (the basic two semester bio/two semester chem anyway.) I'm also taking Statistics this spring at the school I'm transferring from, and possibly Calc later on (maybe summer.)</p>

<p>Basically, I've been really interested in genetics, and I'm considering a field in that. However, my focus is on Communications (I know they're very different). I'm just worried I'll have way too many COM courses to take each semester and not be able to fit in a double science if need be.</p>

<p>im not a communications major but i am pre med. Ive heard from friends saying that COMM major is very easy. Since im not a comm major, don't take my word for it, it could just be their opinion. But its definitely possible for you to take premed classes and if you only take like 1 at a time it doesn't really increase your workload by that much. Its just troublesome/hard when you have several hardcore science classes + other required classes.</p>

<p>Makes sense; I can probably take 3 COMM courses, one general course (whichever I haven't already gotten out of the way now) and a chemistry course my first semester.</p>

<p>That way, at the least, I can get the required material needed to apply to med-school if I choose to go down that path.</p>

<p>bluedevil - ya know, now that I think about it, I don't think most 18 yr olds are ready to tackle that kind of stuff so early. The problem is that this system works out better in other countries, because in their HS's, you can pick the "science track" and study a lot more science in HS rather than a general liberal arts education. Then again, a ton of pre-meds don't even major in a science in undergrad...</p>

<p>I'm pre-Law (most likely) and I couldn't see myself going to Law school so early. I want to study Econ policy for undergrad first, something we don't really learn about in HS. Plus Law school is only 3 yrs, whereas Med is longer + residency and all sorts of stuff.</p>

<p>Yea this countries education system is not the best.</p>

<p>Well, our university education system is the best IMO. K-12, not so much. But I think it's good we teach a lot of liberal arts instead of forcing students to pick what they want at an early age. In some countries, at the age of 14-16 you take a test that determines your future and the government decides your job for you - e.g, wanna be a lawyer? too bad you have to be a pharmacist, sucks for you.</p>