<p>Oh, actually, I did take a visit to the MCB department… well I talked to an advisor about MCB - Neuro, and she said you’d have to talk to a faculty advisor if they can accept your math 16A 16B courses, and I think you do this once you begin the upper div’s and they see that you can manage the courses pretty well.
You can check once again when exactly to talk the faculty advisor, maybe it’s when you’re getting ready to declare…? </p>
<p>K good luck!</p>
<p>oh and one more thing… they won’t automatically accept it (it’s not guaranteed), it’s more of a case-by-case situation… (accepting 16A/B as a replacement)</p>
<p>yeahh… I don’t think I’m going to do MCB neuro… I have a feeling it’ll be too microscopic and I’m more interested in the macro level… but we’ll see. Anyone have previous experience in how difficult the upper div MCB neuro classes are?</p>
<p>I was never intent on majoring in Psych, I’m still exploring my options and I am being realistic in understanding that if I were to take higher math courses, my GPA would diiiiiiiie and I’d never get into med school. Public health interests me way more than psychology does, don’t get me wrong XD.</p>
<p>ohk well there’s nothing wrong with finding one thing more interesting than the other, go for public health if that’s what interests you more. I just questioned whether you were dropping psych only because of 1 class, but you’re not so that’s good.</p>
<p>everyone on this thread is a premed hopeful scared of MCB grindhouse!</p>
<p>Better than being in MCB and going through it and ending up with a crap GPA that lands you in a crap position that you regret for the rest of your life. People need to realize (and there are plenty who only think it is MCB or IB) that there are lot of other great Bio majors like MEB, Micro Bio, MolTox, Nuri Sci and Genetics & Plant Bio.</p>
<p>what if ur taking a math course at a local CC that is the equivalent of EITHER 1 or 16 series (it can count as either)?</p>
<p>You’re right calbear2012, because I haven’t even heard of those other majors or looked at requirements for them yet as a premed hopeful. Any links?</p>
<p>I think for most of the CNR bio majors you have to just take 16B and Physics 8B to meet the full pre-med, but the good thing is a HUGE portion of pre-meds will lose interest in pre-med and go a different route (ex. me). So if you do decide later on that pre-med is not right for you than great because than you dont have to take Physics 8B for a lot of CNR majors (I think all CNR bio majors dont require 8B for the major in fact)…oh how I hate physics and am so glad I am not forced to take it. Oh and a HUGE PLUS is that most upped division classes for CNR bio majors are small like 20-30 people so you get really personal with professors, which leads to great letters of recommendations and lab positions. Dude one upper division Molecular Toxicology class had a class size of 2 people and was actually taught by a tenured professor! Because MCB has thousands of people in the major than most upper div classes are still huge…like in the hundreds so even at the upper div level it is still pretty hard to get noticed especially when dealing with other hundreds of MCB kids. I think its true when people say CNR is Berkeleys best kept secret. Oh and BTW I can see a REAL distinction between my MCB and CNR/IB/PH friends.</p>
<p>And just wanted to add… simply because you’re a premed major, doesn’t mean you HAVE to major in something bio-related… Medical schools don’t want cookie cut versions of the same application, they want to see what distinguishes you from the rest and hopefully see where your interests are developed. I don’t see why premeds automatically pick MCB as the best major, I mean - do you really think a low GPA will help your chances? I understand when someone chooses MCB because they find microbiology fascinating and want a career in it, but I don’t understand the students who pick it because every other premed is in it… Just saying, keep your options open to other majors, you’ll probably end up with much higher chances of getting accepted.</p>
<p>But considering the turn of the worse in this economy, a major in microbiology will serve you well in the long run. People majoring in the sciences do well in most pre-med classes and on the MCAT than people majoring in the humanities. If person A does not get into any med school that person can work for biotech or proceed with graduate research. If person B does not get into any med school that person will have a roadblock for the next 2 years.</p>
<p>@ sn0angel07
People choose MCB because it covers over 6 emphasis with notable professors who can get you into a lab and write stellar recommendations. No one cares too much about learning the stuff, they just want to be in a community with the most resources available to them!</p>
<p>@babydragon Your logic there is flaw since many majors besides MCB have emphasis/focuses, of which people hardly ever know…like you. IB let alone has 16 focuses. </p>
<p>Integrative Biology
Areas of focus within the major can be:</p>
<pre><code>* behavioral biology
<p>MEB also has as many concentrations as MCB:
<p>@babydragon I have to say a good portion of all professors are notable here at Berkeley so that cannot be a major factor of picking one bio major over the other. Do you really think all MCB labs are empty just open to hundreds upon hundreds of MCB students. As an MCB student don’t be surprised to not land any lab positions in the MCB department.</p>
<p>In medical school or graduate school it is imperative to get the best recommendation letters as possible and many advisers recommend that students should get them from their upper division professors since that is when classes get smaller and more specific…but in MCB they stay large. Sure going to office hours might help, but in smaller a class there is a better chance a professor can note in a recommendation letter how well you performed tasks, which is hard to do in a giant lecture. Just after looking at the schedule the core MCB upper division classes still remain huge.</p>
<p>MCB 102 (Biochem): >400
MCB 104 (Genetics, Genomics): >400
MCB 110 (Molecular Bio): ~140
MCB 130 (Cell Bio): >300
MCB 132 (Bio of Human Cancer): ~200
MCB 135 (Physiology): 200
MCB 140 (General Genetics): 200
MCB 150 (General Immunology) : >150
MCB C160 (Intro to Neuro): >100</p>
<p>Not only will you be in a giant lecture, but you will have to compete for the professors attention in office hours just to get a letter of recommendation with hundreds of other MCB students and be sure they will…since you did say that they are notable 
Sure you can ask questions in a giant lecture and be the shinning star, but be honest many of us are shy and can’t bring ourselves to look like a dummy in front of the professor by asking questions that might seem unintelligent. And as Leftist mentioned very few go into MCB for the emphases and subject. Heck a great majority of my MCB friends are still undecided on what emphasis they will choose.</p>
<p>@anon5524485 and calbear2012</p>
<p>I’m just curious. Did either of you actually get into medical school or planning to apply? And what major/year?</p>
<p>@anon5524485</p>
<p>I just found out that you are IB non-premed. I agree with what you wrote on the “premed requirement” thread. What bugs me is that you seem to know a lot about a career for which you show no interest of pursuing, namely medicine. What do you plan to do after you graduate in 2010?</p>