<p>So I know that many schools require a year of english. Are they very strict on this, or would they allow substitutions from other humanities departments (like history)?</p>
<p>Typically, they are strict. Most schools have plenty of applications to sort through, and rejecting those that don't fill the requirements is quick, easy and painless for them. It's one of those things that they can be very non-negotiable on and there's nothing the rejected applicant can do.</p>
<p>Not to mention, this is a very important requirement. Med schools are typically flexible on their math requirement, but English is an important one. Your Verbal MCAT is the most important predictor of your preclinical performance, and your Writing MCAT (seriously) is the best predictor of your clinical grades.</p>
<p>You do a lot of reading, responding to instructions, communicating clearly with attendings, residents, nurses, and -- most importantly -- patients.</p>
<p>do AP's count?</p>
<p>Some schools yes, but enough schools don't count APs that you effectively have to retake them.</p>
<p>I got a 4 on my AP Literature exam which exempted me from 1 semester of intro english at my university. I'm going to take 1 semester of a more advanced english class. I hope this is enough to cover my requirement for med schools. what do you all think?</p>
<p>If you apply to med schools that need a year and don't accept AP credit -- probably a majority -- then no, that's not enough.</p>
<p>I had AP credit in two english courses. There is usually enough diversity in english courses that you should be able to find something that interests you. I ended taking Honors Comp II, 20th Century Fiction, and Health and Illness in Literature during undergrad, all were great courses. Seriously, expand your knowledge base...you'll be a better person and doctor because of it.</p>
<p>its not that im not interested, its just my school ahs alot of general ed requirements, and i'm not a science major. Therefore none of my premed classes count towards my major. I also want to take 2 additional chem classes to raise my science gpa and do a chem minor. Therefore with all my goals i will be taking pretty much 17-18 credits every semester from now (freshman year) to graduation if i want to graduate in 4 years. Also, those general education requirements in my school require stuff like a year of philosophy/ethics, year of theology, a semester of sociology/anthropology, a semester of psychology, etc. So I will be getting alot of humanities under my belt... just not a full year of english.</p>
<p>hmm ok, but I feel like the skills you'd develop in a history class mimic those from english</p>
<p>Well, you may feel that way, but that's not how the medical schools feel.</p>
<p>How often do you talk about metaphors or the human condition in history class? Almost never, but they're common topics in any literature class.</p>
<p>How often do you write creatively in a history class? Again almost never. Sure you may have a lot of writing to do, but expository writing is much different than narrative writing, and requires a variety of different skills.</p>
<p>When was the last time a history professor went over grammar or sentence construction?</p>
<p>Certainly there is some overlap, but there is enough difference in the skill sets that is significant to the medical schools.</p>
<p>I mean, I have a brilliant younger sibling who dropped out of the premed track because it was dictating his life (true).</p>
<p>Sometimes, you're not in charge, and you just do what they tell you.</p>
<p>Many don't count APs. Whether that's fair is irrelevant; they don't and they're in charge. Maybe History would overlap with English skills quite well; but if they require English, then that's what the people in charge require.</p>
<p>The class I never understood was organic chemistry. Sure, it matters some, but really you could get by with four chapters in a twenty five chapter course. You need to know your carboxylic acids, and that's really it. So why do schools require a full year -- specifically, a full year where I was bored out of my mind and performed poorly? But that's what they ask for, so that's what they got.</p>
<p>Medicine, at least for your training phase, is often about taking, understanding, and responding to orders that do not seem important. (Orders that seem harmful, of course, are another matter, but must still be dealt with delicately.) To whatever extent the premedical track is preparation for that, it's an accurate representation.</p>
<p>I don't think that what you wrote represents a very sophisticated understanding of English (which you confuse with literature classes at one point) and History, but I do agree with your first statement: "Well, you may feel that way, but that's not how medical schools feel." so I won't argue the point.</p>
<p>Literature usually would fall under the English requirement.</p>
<p>Literature can be a part of English. All English is not literature. In fact, at my school, Yale, the departments are even separate. </p>
<p>But aside from what is what, I do concede that practicality is what's important. I'll give the medical school's what they want, and I'm happy to do it. </p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for insulting me. You asked the question, I gave a response in line with the general intentions of most medical schools. Next time I'll be sure to tailor my response to your distinct situation in New Haven...</p>
<p>I have the fullest respect for you and I think you're a great contributor to CC. Anyone who would insult you, or another individual, on their views is a fool.</p>
<p>I didn't mean to insult you, and I'm sorry if it came across that way. I only meant to say that in my opinion, what you wrote doesn't capture the bigger picture. If that's an insult to you, I stand by it. It's a difference of opinion. </p>
<p>I don't want you to tailor your response to New Haven. Thank you for twisting my words. By pointing out that at my school, the departments are different, I meant to prove my point that there is a very distinct and acknowledged difference between the two.</p>
<p>
[quote]
at my school, Yale, the departments are even separate.
[/quote]
If Yale were the people you were answerable to, this would matter. They're not. Medical school admissions committees are, and many of them (I would even assert *most *of them) will accept literature.</p>
<p>I think all of them would accept literature. My point was that they are not the same. I elaborated on that point in post 17 (the one above yours!), if you look.</p>
<p>"The class I never understood was organic chemistry. Sure, it matters some, but really you could get by with four chapters in a twenty five chapter course. You need to know your carboxylic acids, and that's really it. So why do schools require a full year -- specifically, a full year where I was bored out of my mind and performed poorly? But that's what they ask for, so that's what they got."</p>
<p>A year of organic is probably overkill in terms of the factual knowledge required for medical school subject study (mainly pharmacology, some physiology) but the skills required for succeeding in organic are very similar to those required for success in medical school: either fantastic memorization skills and hard, hard work or mastery of concepts and mechanisms.</p>