<p>These are my plans:</p>
<p>Physics, semester one = summer 2012
Bio, chem = fall/spring 2012
Organic chemistry = winter 2013
2nd semester of Physics = summer 2013
Molecular/Cell biology, Genetics, maybe Biochem = fall/spring 2013 (junior year)
MCAT = summer of junior year</p>
<p>Is this a good plan? Is it too much crammed in? I'm debating whether I should take an extra year or just do it like this, any input is really appreciated guys. PLEASE</p>
<p>Aren’t you missing a second semester of Organic Chemistry?</p>
<p>good catch haha, but I read that the new changes in the MCAT de-emphasize organic chemistry and only recommend one semester but maybe I’ll take the 2nd semester in the summer.</p>
<p>that wont apply to you. and you dont need Molecular/Cell biology, Genetics, Biochem for the mcat</p>
<p>biochem will be on the new MCAT</p>
<p>new mcat starts in 2015 no?</p>
<p>I wonder why so many people recommend it then? Especially genetics</p>
<p>it could be helpful but not necessary. I didnt and wont be taking genetics</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if the new MCAT doesn’t require a second semester of OChem. What matters is what medical schools require.</p>
<p>It’s unlikely that med school pre-reqs will change before Fall 2016. You’re still going to need a second semester of OChem until then.</p>
<p>But I could take it in my senior year, no?</p>
<p>At my school, for chemistry they recommend:
152 Gen Chem 1
154 Gen Chem 2
232 Organic Chem 1
234 Organic Chem 2</p>
<p>Does this mean a full year of chem 1 and a full year of chem 2 and so forth?</p>
<p>OChem is often one of the courses that med school adcoms look closely at. (It’s a proxy for the ability to memorize large quantities of unfamiliar material quickly and efficiently. Which is exactly the kind of skill that all med school classes require.) I think applying without a second semester of OChem on your transcript could hurt your application.</p>
<p>@ Sportygirl–each of those classes you listed is one semester long.</p>
<p>General chemistry is 2 semester course that encompasses Gen Chem 1 and Gen Chem 2</p>
<p>Same for Ochem–2 semester course that encompasses OChem 1 and OChem 2.</p>
<p>in the future, i can see schools not requiring ochem 2 anymore. for you, it is in your best interest to take ochem 2 before you take the mcat. the ochem on the mcat is pretty easy and you can probably teach yourself using review books if you have a good ochem1 foundation. ochem is also 25% of the bio section, which isnt that much.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who answered! I’m thinking I should take orgo 2 now but do you think taking it in the summer would hurt me?</p>
<p>Actually, I just found out a second semester in orgo is NOT required rather one semester in orgo and one semester in biochemistry IS required.</p>
<p>As you mentioned in your other thread…you KNOW that you shouldn’t take pre-reqs in the summer. </p>
<p>Take a non-pre-req in the summer…like cell bio or genetics.</p>
<p>I’m fairly certain ochem 2 is required and biochem is not required (biochem is school specific, but few make it a prereq). Not sure where you found out your info.</p>
<p>I’ve never seen a medical school that didn’t require a full year of org chem. Now I know for my son’s bio major only one semester is required, but he has to take the second semester to fulfill the med school req’s.</p>
<p>P.S. Even if you did find such a school, you are limiting yourself if you don’t fulfill what a majority of the schools want. You never know which school you will get accepted to so why limit your options?</p>
<p>I did find one school that only requires 1 term of Org Chem, University of Florida. The 3 others in the state all require 2 terms (UM, USF, and FSU).</p>
<p>Here are UF’s requirements:</p>
<p>UF
Basic Science Requirements
The minimum science admissions requirements include basic introductory courses and laboratories in the following subjects:
• Biology – 2 semesters, with labs (8 credit hours)
• General Chemistry - 2 semesters, with labs (8 credit hours)
• Organic Chemistry – 1 semester, with lab (4 credit hours)
• Biochemistry - 1 semester (3 or 4 credit hours)*
• Physics – 2 semesters, with labs (8 credit hours)</p>
<p>But it’s a really huge risk to take only 1 semester of OChem and hope to get accepted into the one school that only requires 1 semester. Chances of getting accepted into med school are much, much better if an applicant applies widely to many schools----most of which require 2 semesters of OChem.</p>