<p>So this fall I will be heading up to Stanford with every other freshman and I have garnered some concerns about the premed track. I'm not that bright per Stanford standards but I work hard and am capable to an extent (valedictorian, 2200's SAT, 4s and 5s on APs, natioanl ap scholar). </p>
<p>The thing is, I'm not that prepared for premed/prepharm/predental in terms of the scientific background. On all accounts, I'd be considered one of the weaker students as most of my high school years have been devoid of premed science/math classes. I didn't plan to pursue the medical path come Senior year, but at the brink of deciding a major I realized that the medical path would be most rewarding. Due to my myopic outlook, I have only taken my favorite subject, AP Bio (and in the same vein AP Environmental Sci--scored 5's on both), but have not taken AP Physics, Calc, or Chem.</p>
<p>Are the intro courses basic enough so I can catch up? I know I'll have a disadvantage, but I'm hoping to offset it with hard work. Do any current students know of any friends that were in the same situation and emerged successful? </p>
<p>FYI I'm thinkin of doing HumBio for the secondary emphasis on the humanities and I'm not sure whether I'm going premed, prepharm, or predental, but It's good to know that their respective requirements overlap.</p>
<p>The majority of the people in your freshman class doing the premed thing will have taken AP or equivalent coursework in all the areas relevant to medicine: Chem, Calc, Physics and Bio. How much this HS experience helps is hard to judge. It's not like taking AP classes in HS means that the first couple classes will be a joke. Everybody - and I mean everybody - on the premed track has to hit the ground running or get hit by the bus. Chem 31 and 33 are hard courses, prior exposure to the material or not. The material is tough, the curve is tough; whether you believe the 'weeding out' myth or not, the learning curve for the premed track is steep.</p>
<p>That being said, it's undeniable that having seen the material before is an advantage, and similarly that a lack of prior exposure to the material is a disadvantage, but I don't think that should single-handedly rule out an entire career for you. Everybody has to take these subjects for the first time at some point.</p>
<p>Will it be harder for you to catch up compared to others? Yes but you will be able to catch up in the intro classes if you work hard enough and by the end of your freshman year you'll be on the same level as all your peers.</p>
<p>My really good friend was in your exact shoes last year and she managed to do it and so can you. Stanford accepted you and with that act implied that they believed that you could excel in any major you want. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>