Do I need high school chemistry for pre med?

Hello!
I am planning on going to NYU and I would love to follow the pre med track however I have a slight problem.
I was in a school in Malta for the first 2 years of high school. There, I had to choose between physics, biology and chemistry. I chose physics and the way the school worked was such that you would pick a science and you would spend the rest of high school preparing for your o-level (which I have in physics). I then transferred to another school with a different system. I wanted to take IB biology but I had to take biology 9 as a junior first, I will be taking AP biology as a senior. I had also started taking online chemistry (0.5 credit). However I did not like learning online and my counselor told me that I would take chemistry 10 my senior year so I left the online course for a few months to later find out that 10th grade chemistry didn’t fit into my schedule. Due to this, it will be very hard for me to study until the course deadline as I am quite behind and I know that my grade will be an 80 at most because I did terribly on one test. My question is, let us say I get a 65, would it be worth it to include that on my transcript? It’s only one semester but I feel like admissions officers won’t like it that I want to do pre med but haven’t taken chemistry. If I don’t put chemistry on my transcript will it lower my chances of acceptance? Obviously if I get an 85, that’s another story.
Thank you!

You’re asking a much different question than your subject heading implies. You’re subject asks whether the average person needs a basic understanding of high school chemistry before undertaking college-level Organic Chemistry which many people consider the weed-out course for pre-med students. The answer is, yeah, you probably do need to know the basics before tackling a fairly advanced college level course.

But, what you’re really asking is whether you should conceal the fact that you received a low grade in a high school course that you have apparently studied for. Far different question and one that I would direct to your guidance counselor.

You have no choice. You have to report all your coursework, whether it appears on your HS transcript or not. If you’re in danger of a 65, get tutoring or, as a last resort, take a W. And assuming you don’t need chem for a HS graduation requirement, yes, it will be a disadvantage applying to colleges without chem.

I did discuss this with my counselor, I was instructed to try my best with what I have. NYU says I must have 4 years of science which I do but doesn’t specify what courses. I tried calling NYU but they are closed for summer. I also apparantly don’t need to show colleges my chemistry grades If I don’t want to.

Yes. It will make you less competitive for admissions. But if you do get in, you will also be underprepared for college chem classes.

Alright! I have to study for 4 units (2 tests) by December I hope I can do it. Thank you for the help!

Good luck

Pre-meds need to take general and organic chemistry in college. Not having had high school chemistry (or doing poorly in it) would leave you at a disadvantage in your first chemistry course in college filled with pre-meds competing for scarce A grades. Some of the pre-meds you will be competing against for scarce A grades in general chemistry will be repeating their AP or IB HL chemistry.

@MarMarBunny02

  1. It depends on where you are doing your online Chem course. If it is in community college or any other accredited 4 year college, you must report eventually in AMCAS application, if not for your UG college admission. Do your best and get a decent grade and complete the 1 semester chem course. Because the credit will be used in calculating the GPA for MD admission.
  2. If your medium of instruction in Malta is not English, then you need to do the English language (TOEFL) test for NYU since it has a req of 3 years.
  3. Coming back to Chemistry, among Chem, Phy, Math the most important is Chem for Medical education. You do these subjects not to meet req or score in tests, but to understand the concepts to learn. Plan to take Chem 1 & 2 in 1st year at NYU, OChem 1 & 2 in 2nd year and BioChem in 5th semester to prep yourself for MCAT in summer after completing 3 years at NYU. The sequence is important.
  4. You don’t have to inform anyone you plan to do Pre-med at the time of applying for UG. You do that later after you join the college.
  5. Don’t attach yourself to a particular college whether NYU or any other school either during UG or later for MD. Apply to few schools and do well in any schools.

You have good advise from all the above. What you have not indicated if you are US citizen or PR status or not. It’s almost impossible to be admitted in a US med school as an international student, so you don’t have to prepare for a premed intention.

@MarMarBunny02

Why NYU?

Did you retake the SAT? Your 1100 or so SAT score will be a problem in terms of NYU admissions for undergrad.

Really? Where did you call? Their admissions office is open all summer…except for some time before classes start

Most schools want to see a sequence of bio, chem, and physics.

Do the best you can to pull your grade up.

NYUdoesn’t say 4 years of science. It says, “laboratory science.” That means , as momofsenior1 noted, bio, chem, and physics.

And when they see you want a pre-med track, you can bet they’ll look for 4 years. Plus, grades and scores that show you’re prepared for the college courses. Unfortunately, grades, scores, rigor, etc, are all used to understand your readiness. They do reflect what/how much was learned.

But more than that, even asking if you need to report the online course does seem to hint you don’t know enough about what this (or any) college expects. You need to catch up on this understanding, before planning a reach as where you’ll go.

@artloversplus
I am a us citizen

@thumper1

My sat was low but I have been studying for 5 hours a day to get my grade up.

@lookingforward
In terms of the courses I took in high school to prepare for pre med. I took 2 years of the highest level physics in my old school. I also have an o level in physics. My junior year in my current school I took biology 9 that way I could take ib biology HL my senior year. And I am currently studying hard for online chemistry.

Also as a side question, if I take 1 semester of chemistry would that mean that in college I will be put in a lower grade chemistry college course. Will I have enough time to complete the courses needed for medical school or for my MCAT?

Some schools will have a “chemistry for people with minimal prior background” class. It might add time to your course progression, or it might be an accelerated class (heavier workload, more credits) that catches you up in the same number of semesters.

Some schools will not, and you’ll be taking Intro Chem with people who had 4 semesters of high school chemistry and a 5 on the AP exam.

@allyphoe
Thank you so much! I’m not afraid of being in a class with people who have more experience in chemistry, I know I cam handle it. I just want to make sure I take all the classes for med school and for my mcat. Could I ask you a question or two about the high school courses I took and if they look good (to college admissions officers) in regards to my pre med track?