<p>i'm doing pre-med at berkeley, but i don't know what specialty i should take within molecular-cell biology.</p>
<p>is there a better one for med school?</p>
<p>-is it a good idea to transfer and start at calc 2? (or should i start at calc 1)
-is it a good idea to transfer anything?
-is it a good idea to transfer physics?
-any other ideas on classes and stuff i should take or not take? </p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>avoid math at Berkeley, except for lower-div stats courses......you can major in anything and still apply to med school (as long as you take the required classes) so major in a subject that you are interested in.......if you do MCB, it's better to do one of the "softer" emphases such as Cell/Developmental or Neuro rather than Genetics or Biochem/BMB.......take physics at Berkeley if you take math at JC.........get involved outside of classes b/c high GPA/MCATs alone are NOT sufficient for getting into a top med school.</p>
<p>Avoid math at berkeley? Im thinking of taking Math1a/1b series for my freshmen year, and im pre-med, do you think thats advisable? I did get a 5 on BC Calc during my junior year in high school.</p>
<p>med schools could care less what you major in, and they actually might like you majoring in something that isnt MCB, as long as you cover the med school prereqs. It would show a diversity in interest and an ability to handle a tougher courseload (as youd have to take care of major requirements AND med school requirements, which wouldnt be the same if you majored in french literature).</p>
<p>im in the same position you are in monkeyavenger, i want to go to med school and I will be a freshman in the fall at cal. From everything ive read so far, a good first semester, which is all you need to worry about right now, is math 1 (a or B, im going a most likely), chem 1a, 3a, or 3b (1b is apparently useless for our needs, correct me if im wrong), a humanities course, and maybe a freshman seminar (im looking at that rhetoric one).</p>
<p>acbdefg has a good point, its dumb to go into one of the really hardcore MCB majors like biochem/bmb when you could just as easily major in integrative bio or chem and have a lot of cross-requirements. for now, find a cool humanities class for this fall, a cool seminar, and join me in math and chem.</p>
<p>ancdefgclass2006, i am going to be a freshman next year studying pol sci and a premed. I have not taken AP Calc in high school because i took AP Sats instead. I am planning on taking Math 16A at Cal then a lower-div stats class. Do you think i will have to work REALLY hard to ge the A/A- in 16A? I cant take calc this summer, but do you think that i should take calc at a JC next summer at Berkeley Comunity college instead of taking 16A during the year?
Thanks</p>
<p>I can't tell you much about 16A because I didn't take it nor do I know many people who took it, but I'd save any calculus for JC. Just be sure to take a stats course at Berkeley though. And don't worry about taking pre-med classes as soon as possible......many pre-meds take the MCATs before taking all the required (science) classes.....you can save calculus for your junior/senior year if you want to. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>yeah that did help a lot thanks. You do have to take clac before physics though, right? You said that you dont have to take all the science courses before the MCATs and i was wondering if there were any of the courses that you should definetly take before MCATs and any that you can do junior/senior year.</p>
<p>Thanks again</p>
<p>I'd recommend taking Chem 1A, 3A, 3B; Bio 1A; Physics 8A before the MCATs......Bio1B stuff isn't tested, and you'd probably want to study 8B material from MCAT prep material to give you an advantage when you take the actual class. Save MCB 102 for after the MCAT to give yourself time to study. If you can, study the MCAT material (from a prep book) WHILE you take the actual courses......the learning will be reciprocal.</p>
<p>All Gen Chem stuff is covered in Chem 1A</p>
<p>All O chem stuff is covered in Chem 3A/3B.....but the MCAT won't expect you to flat-out know the more complicated o-chem material....if complicated topics come up, the answers will be in the passage they give you so you don't have to memorize complex reactions/mechanisms. </p>
<p>Most Biology stuff is covered in Bio 1A ( I say most because some physiology/anatomy stuff are not covered in Bio 1A but are covered in prep books and quick guides to anatomy/physiology)</p>
<p>All physics stuff is covered in Physics 8A/8B but the MCAT is more descriptive than the Cal courses......hence you should rely on prep material for physics because they will teach you exactly what you have to know and what kind of questions to expect.</p>
<p>Thanks so much. The advice is greatly appreciated. One last question: I have taken AP chem this year and i plan on a 5. Do you think that will make chem 1A a lot easier or is it way harder?</p>
<p>AP chem covers a whole lot from what i remember. i got a 5 on it sophomore year, and I plan on taking chem 1a in the fall as a freshman. the stuff will probably be easier for you, as you just took it, but i feel pretty confident about chem 1a. the stuff will come back to me, just little things like solubility and hybridization that i will need to brush up on. if you get a 5, youre ahead of the pack, you should be fine. i still think its the hardest AP, and I will have taken 11 come thursday.</p>