<p>Hello, I am a freshman undergrad, and had a question about AP credit for med schools. I know some med schools like John Hopkins don't accept AP credit for some courses (for my concern, biology). I got credit for Bio 1 and 2 at my University; however, if I take two upper division biology classes, will that count for my "2 semesters of biology" for med school?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My son is in the same boat. He’s taken two upper division Bio classes to make up for his AP Bio credits.</p>
<p>Be sure to take some that have labs.</p>
<p>BTW…do you go to school in Alabama? My son is at Bama.</p>
<p>Most kids take Bio starting with very first class. It is much much harder and cover much more than AP Bio. At D’s school it is not possible to take upper division Bio without first Bio class. However, it depends on school so you should address your concern with pre-med advisor at your school. Nobody is advised to skip first Bio at D’s school. She had 5 on her AP Bio exam and was very glad that she took first Bio as other classes were based on this class. AP material was very small portion of it.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Intereresting that your D’s school would not allow using AP Credits to move to the higher level. </p>
<p>Thankfully, my S’s AP Bio class was pretty thorough since it was a “double period” class that was on a modified block schedule…so each class meeting was 3 hours long.</p>
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<p>If you go to a good school, AP classes typically are a lot easier than college courses.</p>
<p>My answer is your mileage may vary. I used my AP Bio credit to get out of intro bio at my college, and ended up doing OK in my intermediate level classes in bio…got a B in one class and an A- in the other (oddly enough, the class I got an A- in had a much harsher grade distribution than the class I got a B in…I took the class I got a B in toward the beginning of college when I was still figuring out what study methods worked best for me). Obviously, you should probably ask advisors in the biology department at your school how well AP bio has prepared students at your school in the past for higher level bio, and possibly talk to the professor of that class; you may want to sit in on the first few lectures to see if you can understand it or if it goes over your head.</p>
<p>“Intereresting that your D’s school would not allow using AP Credits to move to the higher level.”</p>
<p>-I believe that it allows. But the chances of student getting decent grade in upper classes are very slim (according to my D.). The first Bio at her college is taught by 3 profs simuteneously, each teaching his specialty (botany, micro-biology and zoology) and her AP Bio (private HS with very few AP’s) was very small part of this first college Bio class. Later Bio classes are based on first Bio class (D. ended up taking lots, all are very difficult, and currently is taking the easy one - BioChem).</p>
<p>And for a different anecdote, my DD (Berkeley) did skip the intro to bio 1 year sequence and took all sort of fascinating upper div bio classes. I cannot avoid the cliche- when she did anatomy is when she decided for sure to apply to med school, prior to that it was one option and she was taking classes such that she could keep all her options open, but anatomy lab solidified her decision.</p>
<p>She had no problem getting As in all those classes and having the broad spectrum of interesting sub-specialty classes was good for her.</p>
<p>*Intereresting that your D’s school would not allow using AP Credits to move to the higher level. </p>
<p>If you go to a good school, AP classes typically are a lot easier than college courses. *</p>
<p>I can see that would be true in many situations. I guess that also depends on how good your high school AP bio and AP chem classes are. I think my kids’ private high school was right to assign double periods for AP sciences. Plenty of time for lectures and plenty of time for labs. </p>
<p>*I believe that it allows. But the chances of student getting decent grade in upper classes are very slim (according to my D.). The first Bio at her college is taught by 3 profs simuteneously, each teaching his specialty (botany, micro-biology and zoology) *</p>
<p>Interesting that Gen Bio I was taught by 3 different profs for each section. That’s not typical, but it is very interesting. 
What undergrad is she attending?</p>
<p><a href=“D.%20ended%20up%20taking%20lots,%20all%20are%20very%20difficult,%20and%20currently%20is%20taking%20the%20easy%20one%20-%20BioChem”>I</a>. *</p>
<p>Is she a bio major? </p>
<p>My son did take 2 upper division Bio courses to satisfy the bio req’ts, but he’ll have a bio minor by the time he graduates. He is a university tutor for Bio I and II (as well as Gen Chem I and II and Calculus), so he gets constant review in those areas.</p>
<p>I’m a bio major.</p>
<p>I took AP biology back in high school and got a 5, thus allowing me to “skip” intro bio + intro bio lab.</p>
<p>I chose to skip/use my AP credit, and took these other bio classes before applying: genetics, cell bio (with a “lab” that’s really a discussion section), animal physiology (which includes a legit lab), a senior seminar, 2 semesters of research, and developmental biology (well, that one was in progress while applying). </p>
<p>I applied to Boston, Creighton, Drexel, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Loyola, Mayo Clinic, Missouri, Northwestern, SLU, Tufts, and UVA. I’ve had some interviews, picked up an acceptance, and have an interview coming up. No one I’ve ever spoken to about med school apps has suggested that using the AP credit set me up for a disadvantage.</p>
<p>^Yes, D. also took genetics, cell bio, animal physiology, anatomy, taking BioChem and other classes related to neuroscience minor that she had to drop later (psychopharm., abnormal psych…etc.). She had both Honors (the same textbook as her college Bio, different edition) and AP Bio (“5”) in HS. She went to private HS. She said that taking upper division Bio would be very hard without first college Bio. She has all A’s so far, but it was not easy by any means and first Bio was one of the hardest classes. </p>
<p>It depends on college. Only pre-med advisor and upper classmen might know the answer in regard to specific college class sequence. There is no disadvantage in regard to Med. School requiremnts. At some schools student might be at disadvantage skipping first Bio while taking upper Bio because of missing background. As I mentioned, AP was very small part of D’s first Bio class.</p>
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<p>I should probably add that I went to a high school that routinely taught above and beyond the AP curriculum, and had one of the highest pass rates in all AP classes across the country. I currently attend what most people here would call a very good college.</p>
<p>Thanks a bunch to everyone for the answer! I just wasn’t sure if med schools were strict about me skipping General Bio I and II. I took Genetics this semester and got an A and another bio class next semester, and I just wanted to make sure med schools would accept those credits haha. </p>
<p>mom2collegekids: I go to University of Texas at Austin, but my dad went to Alabama haha.</p>
<p>What is your major?</p>
<p>From what others have posted, as long as you take the higher up courses (which it sounds like you’re doing), med schools are ok with that.</p>
<p>Currently, my major is biology, but I am getting a dual major in accounting as well.</p>
<p>If you do skip the intro, do be certain you are well prepared and successful in those upper div classes :)</p>
<p>Hahaha, I think I should be prepared. UT Austin has an honors genetics sequence for people who got 5’s on the AP Biology test and claimed credit for the two Intro to Bio courses. It’s a 2 semester sequence that teaches not only the genetics coursework but fills in a lot of the gaps that the AP courses never taught. Hopefully that will be good enough!</p>