<p>What? YSM requires general bio?! If it is really so, I learn something new today!</p>
<p>Many Yale bio or mbb(biochem) majors who have taken AP bio in high school may take the shortened, one-semester version of general bio (likely called molecular biology.) These students do not take “bio 101” followed by “bio 102.” (I think they are mcdb 120a and eeb 122b there, unless they have changed their course numbers recently. eeb 122b requires a research/project paper write-up at the end of the semester but some field trips will do something good to the body of those premeds who tend to stay in the library too long ) I heard that the one-semester version of general bio is pretty “good” (relevant to those aspiring premeds. The idea is they send out the best professors to teach the freshmen in order to attract the best students to their department. Otherwise, the “premed atmosphere” may drive many bright students away, and these students may take the prereqs there (and many get very good grades) and head to other departments as soon as they have taken enough science classes to please the medical school adcoms.</p>
<p>“Don’t count on BIO 101 and 102 being a GPA booster. They are often weed-out classes with very strict grading curves and can easily end up being a B when you were counting on an A.”</p>
<p>-Confirm that being the case at D’s UG. First Bio was weed out killer, known even to other majors in Honors dorms since they all had to witness poor pre-med roomates laboring for hours completing their lab papers. Genetics was even much harder and practically impossible to do good without taking the first classes. Again, take advice here, but research at your UG. Talk to pre-med advisor and current pre-meds. IT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL.</p>
<p>"but “most” premeds are barely scraping by with B’s in one major, "</p>
<p>-Incorrect at D’s UG. Their pre-med advisor was very happy with Med. Schools acceptances, actually very proud of the graduating pre-emds. “Scraping by with B’s in one major” just would not do the trick. Got to have high college GPA to get into Med. School. They had awesome choices. Granted, most aplied regionally, but we do have awesome Med. Schools in Midwest, not all of them on the coasts. D. has her UG classmates at her Med. School, and some from previous years (after gap year).</p>
) I heard that the one-semester version of general bio is pretty “good” (relevant to those aspiring premeds. The idea is they send out the best professors to teach the freshmen in order to attract the best students to their department. Otherwise, the “premed atmosphere” may drive many bright students away, and these students may take the prereqs there (and many get very good grades) and head to other departments as soon as they have taken enough science classes to please the medical school adcoms.</p>