<p>I can’t really say if Public Health is easier than IB, but IB is a pretty easy major and I think that (almost) anyone who is good enough to get into Berkeley will do just fine in IB.</p>
<p>well for our CC, if you want to do transfer to berkeley as pre-med, the counselors said major in psychology and public health as the physics requirement is not as strict. We do not have the calculus based physics for the life science majors that articulate to Berkeley that MCB and IB ask for.</p>
<p>For life science majors, we only have the two semester trig based physics.</p>
<p>i’d say take a semester or 2 of the pre-med courses before you make up your decision. if you’re blowing through everything (especially the chem and bio pre-reqs), go MCB. if not, maybe consider an easier major.</p>
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<p>Couldn’t you take the “Physics for Scientists and Engineers” course that articulates to UCB Physics 7A/7B instead, if there is no course that articulates to Physics 8A/8B? (Of course, medical schools don’t require any specific major.)</p>
<p>@ Methrocket - After reading through all of the comments, I think you are right. It seems that there are too many varying opinions to make a choice now, so I will wait and see.</p>
<p>One last thing I am curious about is the public health major (as many of you brought it up). What are public health upper divison classes like? What are the topics?</p>
<p>Oh, one more question. Is Math 16A curved? or is it a relatively easy A? I am taking Calc BC this year, so would I most likely do well?</p>
<p>And for the premed requirement of one year of calculus, do Math 16A and 16B count as that year? Do Math 1A and 1B? Or would I have to take a separate calculus course? Also, I read on the Berkeley page that Math 1A and 1B are required for the MCB major…but I heard from someone else that Math 16A and 16B can be taken instead…who’s right?</p>
<p>You may want to ask in the pre-med forum or the various medical schools directly about math requirements for medical schools, since there seems to be more variation there than with other pre-med course requirements. For example, UCLA requires [“One</a> year of college mathematics to include the study of introductory calculus and statistics”](<a href=“http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/offices/admiss/admreq.cfm]"One”>How to Apply | UCLA Med School).</p>
<p>Also, if you are taking AP Calculus, you may want to ask about whether substituting more advanced math courses for freshman calculus is acceptable.</p>
<p>Thundercat -
The Cal course catalog will display upper division courses for each department
[General</a> Catalog - Public Health Courses](<a href=“http://sis.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Public+Health&p_dept_cd=PB+HLTH]General”>http://sis.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Public+Health&p_dept_cd=PB+HLTH)</p>
<p>Each department has a site describing the requirements for the majors it offers. That will include the versions of calc that are required. MCB does require 1A and 1B, while IB requires only 16A, and PH asks for two of a list that could be as little as 32 (precalc) + 16A; students can always up-level, e.g take 1A even if they were intending to declare IB. [MCB</a> Major Requirements - At a Glance](<a href=“http://mcb.berkeley.edu/undergrad/major/major-requirements/requirements/]MCB”>MCB Major Requirements - At a Glance | Molecular and Cell Biology)
[New</a> Curriculum | Integrative Biology](<a href=“http://ib.berkeley.edu/undergrad/major/new_curriculum.php#lower]New”>http://ib.berkeley.edu/undergrad/major/new_curriculum.php#lower)
[Undergraduate</a> Major Course Requirements : School of Public Health Web Site](<a href=“http://sph.berkeley.edu/students/undergrad/coursereqs.php]Undergraduate”>http://sph.berkeley.edu/students/undergrad/coursereqs.php)</p>
<p>The “one year of college mathematics to include the study of introductory calculus and statistics” might represent one semester of each, as in Math 16A plus one of the stats courses which could include a Berkeley Extension online-only, take-anytime class. The math requiremenets are not very specific and highly variable by med school, unlike the clearly articulated requirements in chemistry, ochem, biology, and physics. </p>
<p>However, if you might intend to focus on research after med school, then establishing an advanced math background would be very helpful, although this is not the typical pre-med aspiration.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks. Now i have one more question. Can anyone confirm that Chem 1A is easier in Spring? I heard that professor Nitsche is the best and taught in spring…does he still teach? Is there anywhere that I can see who will be teaching Chem 1A next year and what time of year they will be teaching?</p>
<p>Hi, I hope no one minds if I revived this thread? I will also be starting at Berkeley next year as a premed, so I also have several questions on the topic.</p>
<p>The first one is the same as thundercat’s: Is Chem 1A significantly easier in the spring?</p>
<p>Also, would taking Math 1B + a statistics class (not sure which one yet, suggestions welcome!) satisfy most if not all medical school requirements? I took Calculus BC this year and did well, so I don’t want to take Math 1A and Math 1B. </p>
<p>Third, which classes should we definitely have taken before we take the MCAT? I noticed in a lot of the sample 4-year plans that MCB students saved Physics 8B until fall junior year, but isn’t there a physics section on the MCAT? But if I do try to finish Physics 8A and 8B before junior year, I would have a semester in which I take bio, chem, and physics, something I hear is a terrible idea.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your help!</p>
<p>I am also an incoming Premed and am curious about the above ^^</p>
<p>Summer sessions are your friend if you are a premed trying to jam through all the prereqs to support early MCATs. that way you don’t overload in any particular semester. </p>
<p>Med schools tend to not accept AP credit for their requirements - thus if a med school wanted one year of calculus (which most do not, by the way), you would NOT meet that with Math 1B, a stats course and AP credit.</p>
<p>What you will find frustrating is that each medical school is able to define their own requirements and are not all that consistent with each other. The only commonality is the requirement for one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of biology, and one year of physics. </p>
<p>There are 161 medical schools in the US, the pre-med student would find that the majority do not have a calculus requirement, those that do may only have a requirement for one year of college math which might be a semester of calc and a semester of statistics, some require statistics, and a small number want a full year calc. They also vary in terms of what they will accept - some few allow AP, others do not. Sometimes their requirements are ambiguous; the student may need to write to or call the school to validate that they will meet the requirements with their planned coursework. It can come down to perusing the requirements of each school that you might send an application. </p>
<p>Here is a GREAT source of information for pre-meds. You could be reading from now straight through until the first day of Fall classes, there is so much here [Student</a> Doctor Network Forums | An educational community for students and doctors spanning all the health professions.](<a href=“http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/]Student”>http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/)</p>
<p>Thanks for the information, but I am also wondering is it worth it to take Chem 1a in the spring in hopes for a better grade? or would that just put you too far behind?</p>
<p>@MDFrier: i seriously doubt it makes a difference. 40% of ppl in both semesters get A’s.</p>
<p>@MDFrier: If you’re good at Chem, just take it in the Fall. If you suck at Chem, Fall or Spring won’t make much of a difference lol.</p>