Freshman questions

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>I will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this Fall, and I am pretty determined to attain an MD. I have a bunch of questions regarding how this all works.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>My high school transcript is absolutely crap. How badly will that affect me?</p></li>
<li><p>From what I read, it doesn't matter what major I pick, but some people say that history/humanities majors are better because of their enhanced critical thinking. I was considering majoring in Economics (maybe alongside Biochem if that's even possible). Would that be a wise decision?</p></li>
<li><p>My fall semester courses are as follows: Chem232 (Elementary Organic Chemistry I), GS101 (Exploring General Studies), MCB150 (Molec & Cellular Basis of Life), PSYC100 (Intro Psych), and SHS120 (Child, Comm, & Lang Ability). Is this current setup good for starting to complete the core requirements for applying to med school?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thank you in advance for your responses!</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Your high school transcript will not even be remotely considered. Any college classes you took during high school if you took any, will be used in your med school app. If you have no college courses, don’t worry about it.</p></li>
<li><p>Major doesn’t matter. Just as history could increase critical thinking (even though those who go into those majors are probably already good at it), majoring in science helps with… and majoring in english helps with…blah blah blah. Don’t major to do better on the MCAT. You should explore your interest as a UG. If you don’t make it to med school, all you will have is a major you don’t care for, all because you wanted to increase say reading speed to get a 3 point boost on MCAT. That will frustrate you. Major in what you feel. Econ and biochem together will destroy you lol. Biochem and econ along are hard enough, why major in both? Your GPA will suffer, and that is a key component in your app. If you really want to, go ahead, but I would major in econ and take a biochem course after premed reqs. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>3.Why aren’t you taking gen chem? Don’t take O chem. It will hurt your GPA, and you will loss your base for the rest of sciences. Take gen chem and leave o chem for sophomore year. You should probably take a math class, depending on where you placed (you should finish calc I, II, and statistics by the end of your junior year). Is MCB a non-major course? Usually, there is a intro bio course, MCB may be it but I am just asking. I haven’t seen an intro class like that. Everything is is ok. There is usually a premed path, which can be found on your schools site most likely. Follow it</p>

3

<p>Oh darn. I feel like i messed my schedule up bad then.</p>

<p>The adviser put me in OChem because of my ChemAP score. I took chem I and II at a local college before. Should I still take your advise and try switching down to gen chem?</p>

<p>I was originally going to take Calc II (depending on my AB score), but then we dropped that. I can do it next semester or something, so I’m not too worried. Right?</p>

<p>I’m not sure about MCB. I think it’s the first class.</p>

<p>Hmm ok I’ll try to find the premed path. Is that just following the premed requirements?</p>

4

<p>Since you have college credits for gen chem 1 & 2 already, Ochem is the correct placement for you. </p>

<p>Do not switch down since then you will have 2 sets of grades for gen chem --and unless your original grades are awful (C- or lower in which case they aren’t acceptable to medical schools), you don’t want to repeat coursework. It looks bad and you will have to explain why you repeated a class you passed. </p>

<p>You can take Calc 2 later if you want or if your degree program requires it, but only a handful of med schools require Calc 2. Taking stats is probably a good idea, though you don’t need to take it immediately. Any time before senior year is fine.</p>

<p>MCB 150 is the intro to biology at UIUC for molecular & cellular bio majors–so that’s also the correct placement. </p>

<p>Your schedule looks fine.</p>

5

<p>Pre med advising information here:</p>

<p>[Pre-Health</a> | The Career Center](<a href=“http://www.careercenter.illinois.edu/prehealth]Pre-Health”>Pre-Health at Illinois | The Career Center | UIUC)</p>

6

<p>I attend UIUC, so I can answer some of these questions.
MCB 150 is the typical intro bio course. This is definitely a class you will want to keep on your schedule.</p>

<p>UIUC splits its biology curricula into Integrative Biology (Zoology, botany, easy anatomy) and Molecular and Cellular Biology (Genetics, Microbiology, Biochemistry, chem-based anatomy, etc.)</p>

<p>If I didn’t have AP credit for it, I would have taken it instead of a higher level course. My question is, why aren’t you taking MCB 151, the lab component? Med schools require (generally) 1 year of bio with labs.</p>

<p>As far as CHEM 232 goes, you should consider that UIUC does this class online. You will not have a lecture section, you will have online videos and notes and quizzes and exams. You will have a discussion section, but you will have to learn the material on your own time. You should also be taking CHEM 233, the lab component along with it.</p>

<p>I don’t recommend double majoring if you are doing it because you want yourself to look better, as it will just be more work and more stress and cram-packed semesters, and you will not get any significant edge in admissions for it. Feeling good in side because you think you look better for having two majors is NOT worth the extra commitment. Pick one major, and take classes that interest you to supplement your intellectual growth, which will pay off more than an extra major. This goes especially if it gives you more time to do extra-curriculars or excel in the classes you DO have.</p>

<p>If, however, you feel the extra major enlightens you and improves your life, go ahead and do it. Just don’t do it for the wrong reasons. It won’t be worth it. Too many people want two majors just so they can feel better about themselves or feel superior to others or get a med school “edge,” which really is silly. Sure, a 4.0 with two majors looks better than one, but a person with one major who used the extra time to do research or more volunteer work would truly have the “edge.” Med schools will know if you’re good at school; extra school isn’t necessary unless it is warranted by a pure, personal reason. For this same reason, many on this board recommend against summer classes, but that’s for another topic.</p>

<p>Don’t be afraid to PM me if you have other questions about the university.</p>

7

<p>Ah ok. I got a C in Chem I and an A in Chem II. So I should just keep with OChem and try really hard?</p>

<p>I also already took Composition I and II (both with As) at my local college. So I don’t have to take more English courses right?</p>

<p>Sorry for the barrage of questions. My sister is a med school student right now, and I do ask her questions, but I just want to make sure that I do everything I possibly can in the right way.</p>

8

<p>Yeah its ok to take organic chem than. Since you actually took it at a college it is fine (but if it was AP credit than you should have took gen chem). I think you should take at least one math course your freshman year. You need calc II for upper level science classes so I would take it now, or next semester. Take stats next year or when your schedule is at its hardest, since stats is generally an easy class. If I were you, I would actually take physics, bio, and math now, and start o chem next year. I still think its too hard for freshman year (especially with gen chem coming from a CC). But your current schedule is not bad. You need a year of physics so getting out the way now would be good (then you won’t have to ever take 3 science classes with 3 labs at the same time). Unless you already have physics credit from the cc.</p>

9

<p>That C will be on your med school app, and you defiantly don’t want another. You will need 6 A’s just to have a 3.7. Thats why I advise to take ochem later. Of course, if you feel up to it take it. You will be one year ahead of everyone in chem (if that means much to you). But that will be your decision to make and live with. By the book, go over a chapter and the practices and see how you feel.</p>

10

<p>I have a question after reading this: So if we transfer credits (like a 5 for an AP class), from an HS, does the grade stamp itself on the med school transcript (or even the college’s?) I would imagine that such a thing would only take place if someone were to transfer grades from COLLEGES, not HS. Just wondering.</p>

11

<p>@Liveulife, No, the grade will not be on your transcript, only the credit. Only college classes, not ‘college level’ courses but actually college class will show up.</p>

12

<p>@Liveulife, all of my AP scores and the college equivalent credit are indeed part of my transcript. I don’t know if this is just my university, or if this is how it is generally done.</p>

13

<p>AMCAS will ask you about AP credit in your med school app.
With that being said, schools sometimes differ on how it is on your transcript. Some will list the actual class equivalent, others will just list it as general credit or transfer credit.</p>

14

<p>I think liveforlife is asking whether the grade in the class will be on the transcript. Of course the credit is, but not the grade. For instance, ap english will show up for college english 101, or whatever the intro english class is. But there will be no grade there, only the credit total and possibly the class name. </p>

<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC App</p>

15

<p>^ and in my case (possibly others) each AP Exam Score.</p>

16

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Really?</p>

<p>Just checked my kid’s transcript…only the course it “replaced” is showing.</p>

17

<p>^^^ Yes, Really! :)</p>

<p>It believe it was helpful when I was applying for summer programs.</p>

18

<p>@UncannyCrayon: I sent you a PM about some of my questions too. Thank you so much :slight_smile:
@DWalker: It doesn’t matter that I got that C between my sophomore and junior years? How bad would it look if I took Gen Chem again (and, obviously Aced it since i took AP Chem (got a 5) and took Chem I+II)?</p>

<p>Thank you all so much!</p>

<p>Also: Sorry! I actually got a B in Chem I, NOT a C.</p>

19

<p>I never heard of an AP score being on a transcript. I can’t even imagine where it would go. Im pretty sure you just sent your scores in like everyone else. Either way med school doesnt accept AP credit.
OP, a B is good enough. You will probably get more Bs, maybe not, but its a good grade. I am not sure how bad it would look to retake it. If I was you I would call a med school and ask if you really really want to. But it sounds like your strong in chem so I would take physics instead and review gen chem before sophmore year, unless you are confident. Shot, I would still do it.
Calc II, PHYSICS I, intro bio,etc. Then you can take stats while your taking o chem. Your major is not chem so there its no need to rush. Finishing physics early will put you in the same place as finishing ochem because you’ll be ahead (but with a better grade).
Sent from my DROIDX using CC App</p>

20

<p>Oh wow I dont know why I hadnt thought of that! That’s a good idea, no online OChem as a freshman and a slightly easier science as well.</p>

<p>I’m banking that I got a 4 or 5 on my Calc AB (so I won’t have to take Calc I then). If you were me, would you take Calc II this semester or next?</p>

<p>I hate how I can’t change my schedule myself. I’ll have to try emailing my adviser to see if he can swap OChem for Physics.</p>

<p>I asked UncannyCrayon this question in PM, but what’s up with my lab requirements? Are those different classes that I was supposed to sign up for or what?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>