Questions to all the pre-health students

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
1

<p>So I'm attending Fordham at Rose Hill starting in Fall 2013 and I had some questions regarding the core and class requirements for the pre-health track.</p>

<p>1) I'm taking AP Calculus right now, does a 5 in the exam exempt me from the math requirements in the pre-med track?
2) Since the core is HUGE, how would I be able to, as a pre-dental student, combine the core with all the requisites for dental school?
3) If I take an introduction to comp science, would that fulfill my requirements for the pre-med track and Fordham's core?</p>

<p>I'm extremely nervous about the core, I don't know how my schedule's going to look like, nor do I know what/how many classes I'm going to have to take every year, for which requirement.</p>

<p>I'm just a nervous wreck atm, especially with 4 AP tests coming in the next week or two haha.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

2

<p>The pre-med track is a lie. “Declaring” pre-med before you get to Fordham means you get put in chem and bio first semester and are flagged for extra advising, but that’s it. There are no requirements to “graduate pre-med” since it’s not a major.</p>

<p>To be a pre-health-anything, the only coursework you have to complete is what’s specified by the med/dental/vet schools you want to apply to. To get into USC, for example, ([link](<a href=“404 Error - Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC”>Doctor of Dental Surgery DDS - Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC)</a>), you don’t need any calculus or computer science. Generally, pre-med students just take certain courses required by most or all schools, with those who want to get into the Very Best Programs planning ahead and taking any extra courses those programs require.</p>

<p>I took two core courses and multivariable calc, chem, and physics (with labs) both semesters freshman year, and the workload wasn’t bad at all. But pre-health students are advised to take four courses (+labs) instead of five (+labs) each semester freshman year, and since bio+lab is more intensive than physics+lab, you might want to take just two core courses, chem, and bio each semester. Each semester sophomore year you’d take organic chemistry, another bio course, and (supposedly) three more core courses. Junior year would be physics, two bio courses (or calc and one bio course), and two more core courses per semester. Senior year…? Ha, if you’re still pre-med by then, you’ll know what to take and be able to handle the workload.</p>

<p>Despite there being no firm “pre-health” requirements, you still have to complete coursework for your major. If you got a 4 or 5 on AP Calc, you’d satisfy the math requirement for a bio major (one semester of any kind of calc required) but not the chem major (two semesters required). Even if you didn’t have a high AP score, you wouldn’t need compsci for a bio or chem major–although it indeed satisfies the core requirement in math, you’d have to take calc anyway, so compsci would be superfluous (because the calc for your major would satisfy the core). But if you majored in “general science,” you’d have to take two computer science courses in addition to two semesters of calc.</p>

<p>The core isn’t so bad and, in many cases, fulfills med/dent schools’ “humanities” requirements.</p>

<p>Also–unrelated–if you’re taking the American Gov AP, it’s super-easy to get a good score because nobody else seems to care about that thing :cool:</p>

3

<p>Kids who get recommended by the Pre-Med Advisory group tend to do well: a 90% acceptance rate for Med school last year I believe. That is one of the higest rates in the nation…so the core adds to your presentation and quality of education. </p>

<p>Do well; get a good GPA, do some research in a science and get a good MCAT score and you should have an very good shot at med school.</p>

4

<p>@anglegrinderman</p>

<p>So let me get this straight.</p>

<p>Freshman year - you recommend 2 core courses, chem w/ lab, and then physics with lab OR bio with lab (Both semesters)
How would a 5 in AP Bio affect me with the bio courses?
Sophomore year - I’m guessing orgo, another bio course, and THREE more core courses (both semesters)
Junior year - Physics w/ lab, two bio courses, and then 2 more cores.
Senior year - You said I’d figure it out, but i’m curious to why you said “Ha, if you’re still pre-med by then”. That scares me lol, is it really that bad?</p>

<p>And gotcha :smiley: The comp sci course (I just wanted to because the idea of programming always intrigued me a bit) would be useless if I’m taking calc anyways to fill the req. </p>

<p>Makes sense, thanks for the help, you were an AMAZING help.
Now I can just focus my worries on fitting in with the student body I guess, I think I may be dorming at one of the “pre-med dormhalls”, or so they called it, any advice/statements on the dorming life? Like is there a sense of, as hard as it is to say it, fun?
Nonetheless, thanks for the help :D</p>

5

<p>@RamRay </p>

<p>I’m guessing being recommended by the Pre-med advisory group is what Anglegrinderman was saying with the being “flagged for extra advising” - how does that affect my course selection or schedule?</p>

<p>And thanks for the luck/advice :stuck_out_tongue: I’m looking into dental school actually ;D</p>

6

<p>If you’re set on pre-health, then yeah, I’d recommend:</p>

<p>Freshman year - 2 core, chem+lab, bio+lab (each semester) - don’t think a 5 in AP Bio would get you out of much since a) you still have to take the labs, which are the time-consuming part; b) med/dent schools want a year of intro bio anyway; c) Fordham’s bio course isn’t a cakewalk; d) you want to know that material as well as you can–why not retake material you supposedly already learned?</p>

<p>Sophomore year - 2 core, orgo+lab, bio+lab (3 core if you think you can handle it, but orgo is a large time investment - look ahead at at your core to see if you can get away with just 2 per semester)</p>

<p>Junior year - 2 core, physics+lab, bio+lab, bio (not all bio courses have labs - don’t take 3 lab courses in a semester; you’d be miserable.)</p>

<p>Senior year - finish core, major, and any other requirements for the schools you’re applying to. And yes, many people drop out of pre-med, but with quite a few (like myself) it’s because they realize they like something else more, that med school isn’t worth the effort/$$$, etc. Lots of kids stay on a pre-health track with mediocre grades, and lots “drop out” with great grades.</p>

<p>The freshman SILC, in South, is apparently a good time. I lived in Queen’s and loved it, and there were always pre-med types to study with even though it wasn’t a science dorm. There’s usually a bit of freshman dorm drama but it’s all in good fun if you’re not looking for reasons to be bitter about things :rolleyes: …Also, in solidarity with the College Republicans here, I have to ask you to steer yourself and your friends away from Howl. Someday you’ll understand what I mean…</p>

7

<p>I was wondering about the SILC floor , it is fun, worth it and what type of atmosphere it is?? Does it actually help in studying and doing work?</p>

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<p>@anglegrinderman</p>

<p>That should be good :stuck_out_tongue: Thanks for the help again!</p>

<p>@ange12
Yeh I was thinking about the South Alumni Court in the SILC floor as well :open_mouth: I’ve heard it’s alot of fun and it’s an amazing atmosphere to study for pre-med with the lounges and format etc.</p>

<p>I just don’t know when we’re supposed to pick our dorms :O</p>