Coursework

<p>Nobody will care.</p>

<p>BDM: On the logistics of timing, if you take the MCAT after May of any year, your scores are back too late to be considered for that cycle? Is that what I am understanding you to say?</p>

<p>So, when you talk about the app cycle beginning in June, the schools actually are doing work on the apps over the summer, it's not just a deadline for paperwork?</p>

<p>Hi SM: Sorry if I'm being unclear.</p>

<p>A May exam is fine for that cycle. The disadvantage is threefold:
1.) It will set you back by a couple weeks.
2.) It will make it harder to target schools appropriately, although you can always go back and fix this.
3.) No possibility of a retake in the event of catastrophe (i.e. car accident on the way to exam).</p>

<p>None of these are major problems.</p>

<p>The official deadlines are not in June, they are usually in October or November. However, schools do actually do work on the apps over the summer -- a lot of it and so getting your applications in early is crucial. "Official" deadlines should be ignored -- you need to get things in far earlier than that.</p>

<p>So, if a student is planning to take the MCAT summer (Aug) after junior year, they should just wait and apply the next year and plan to take a year off? We thought that taking it over the summer would be fine, but she was going to defer entry anyway (teach for america most likely) so it is not a huge deal, just trying to get a handle on the logistics of the timeline and procedures. I guess I thought that submitting the apps in June with the MCAT in Aug would work- good to know before wasting time and money that it is not the way to proceed</p>

<p>August after junior year is DEFINITELY wait-worthy, yes. May is not a huge problem, but August is. (Plus, being able to talk about TFA in the application cycle will help a lot, so waiting on that grounds alone is worthwhile.)</p>

<p>thank you......</p>

<p>So if i have taken AP bio in high school and was accredited in college I would have to take the course again in college because most med schools dont look at AP science credits?</p>

<p>You wouldn't necessarily have to take THAT particular course in college. You could take a more advanced biology course, if you preferred.</p>

<p>Hello, I'm new here. My school combines gen bio into a one semester course. I know 1 year of gen bio is required for application. I have already taken one year of A&P as required of my undergrad major, in addition to cell bio without taking the gen bio course; this was before I decided to apply to med school. I'll be taking the gen bio course this coming semester and wanted to know if that will cause any issues when I apply; technically having only one semester of gen bio? For the bio majors at my school, first year bio consists of gen bio (104) and zoology. Thanks.</p>

<p>If you'll notice the pre-med requirements simply state one year of biology. It doesn't have to be "general" biology. So long as you have 1 year of biology courses that have attached lab sections you're fine. Anatomy, ecology, genetics...whatever, it counts.</p>

<p>The "general" tag on chemistry is to differentiate it from organic chemistry.</p>

<p>Thanks bigredmed, that clears things up. Is it still a good idea to take gen bio for the sake mcat prep? Would the adcoms see it as padding my gpa since I'm a grad student taking undergrad prereqs?</p>

<p>i have 2 questions (from friend) that i know have been asked but i can't find them, so..</p>

<p>1) w/ the intent on pushing the plants/evol/ecology intro bio class to senior yr, would that affect any chances of taking upper division courses? like would that part of intro bio be a prereq for any upper division bio courses?</p>

<p>2) assuming that the college has a general physics course for science majors (but not for engineers) that's alg/trig-based, would that meet the med school physics req? or do med schools require physics w/ calculus?</p>

<p>many thanks guys</p>

<p>1) A true pre-req is a course that a college or university says you must have credit for in order register for a certain class. At my school, you needed BIOS 201 (Cell Structure and Function) before you could sign up for BIOS 301 (General Genetics). It is not necessarily an issue that there is information within the first class required to understand the second (though that's often true), as it is a procedural/paperwork designation and as such, will be HIGHLY dependent on what school your friend attends.</p>

<p>This pre-req rule (again the knowledge within the class is irrelevant), coupled with the more interesting upper division bio courses that typically aren't any more demanding than intro bio, is why I encourage HS students to take the AP Bio course and the exam. Then if you get a qualifying score and get credit for the intro bio course at your school, the issue is a moot point. </p>

<p>2) Algebra based physics is more than okay. All physics on the MCAT is algebra based.</p>

<p>so if the plant/evol/eco intro bio class is not a prereq for anything else, would it be okay to just not take it, so i wouldn't even need to push it back to senior yr?</p>

<p>thanks BRM</p>

<p>Correct. If it's not required for anything, then there's no need to take it. But again that may not be the case. They need to carefully research it to make sure that they truly won't need the class in order to get into an upper division class later on. </p>

<p>Another caveat - if your friend is going to be a biology major there will be classes they aren't interested in that will still be required. The option to push it back remains, but sometimes it's just better to get it over with.</p>

<p>good pt, i'll tell him that</p>

<p>just wondering, what are the parts in intro bio? b/c i've seen some schools' intro bio classes that have like 90% diversity, ecology, evolution and 10% cell stuff, and like no animal stuff (physiology, anatomy) at all</p>

<p>^ (10 chars)</p>

<p>So I plan on taking the MCAT between sophomore and junior year so I'm trying to planning out which science classes to take before the MCAT. I will definitely have completed Bio 1 and 2 and Chem 1 and 2 by then. My question is, which of the following should i definitely take BEFORE the MCAT: physics 1, physics 2, orgo 1, orgo 2, biochem, calc II. From what I understand, the physics on the MCAT is not very difficult, but I have no experience physics so I would have to take at least physics 1. Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>One more question...
My college gives me credit for 2 semesters of general biology due to AP/IB exams. I know I still need to take 2 semesters at the college level however. I was wondering if taking anatomy/physiology classes to fill the 2 semesters would be generally acceptable or if some medical schools have specific requirements of what "general" biology entails. Thanks.</p>

<p>Hmm, how much recommended are those extra courses that you suggest (Genetics, Microbiology, etc.) as opposed to just taking the 4 cores and doing another major? I know it can be done, and I'm still a declared Biology - Biomed Emphasis major going into my freshman year, but I just feel that I would be at a disadvantage going into the MCAT and med school if I did something like International Business and only took the 4 cores. I guess that I'm also at a disadvantage if i remain a bio major, since those are a dime a dozen I guess.</p>