Rate these courses 1-5 as most importance toward MCAT

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>There's several courses that are "recommended" but not pre-reqs for med school that people say are beneficial for the MCAT. So, if you could please rate these courses 1-5, it would be a great help. Your opinion is fine. I expect a differences of opinions. An explanation would be awesome too. Thanks.
The courses I am specifically wondering about are:</p>

<p>Cell Bio
Genetics
Physiology
Anatomy
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry</p>

<p>Also, do labs help or is it just the lecture that is important. Thanks in advance for any help.</p>

2

<p>Physiology is probably the most helpful out of the bunch. Anatomy is useless. There will be a little cell bio, genetics, molecular bio, and biochem on the MCAT. None of them are necessary to perform well on the MCAT. The only class that is probably worth delaying taking the MCAT is physiology. If I were you, I’d just finish the prereqs by the end of sophomore year and then take the MCAT at the end of the summer. No sense in delaying the MCAT just so you can take cell bio or genetics. The only knowledge you need will be found in gen bio.</p>

3

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<p>That’s all you need to know!</p>

4

<p>Take Biochemistry. I have no idea if it will help with the MCAT or not (unlikely), but it is being a prereq (or a strongly recommend course) at many schools.</p>

5

<p>Tufts is correct. While only ~15 schools currently require Biochem, 80+ recommend it. </p>

<p>fwiw: While perusing last year’s msar, I found 60+ schools recommend Genetics for admissions.</p>

6

<p>I plan on taking biochem and genetics…but I can delay that until my junior year, so I won’t be taking it by the time I take the MCAT. But from what it seems, I don’t need any of these other classes for the MCAT?</p>

7

<p>Can I get some more replies on this please?</p>

8

<p>D. took all before MCAT, except for Anatomy and Biochem. She got a decent MCAT score. So, here is your conclusion. While anatomy was interesting and D. has enjoy cutting her shark, Biochem was complete waste of time, useless class, D. did not learn anything new, was way too easy and boring at her school. However, there are different Biochems. D. took it only because one of her Med. Schools required it, and others strongly recommended.</p>

9

<p>Are Biochem in Bio and biochem in chem the same thing?</p>

10

<p>at our college, Biochem taught by the Bio dept is offered sans lab. Biochem thru the Chem dept requires a lab, and is a two-semester sequence.</p>

11

<p>I have no idea which Biochem D. took. It had lab. which was also very boring. D. was happy to have her firend there, so that they entertain each other and keep each other awake during lab. On the other hand, Biochem was very easy “A” - for those who are seeking to improve their GPA. But again, it might be that D. took some easier Biochem, I have no idea, it was enough for Med. School acceptances.</p>

12

<p>^^^ Biochem varies by school and by department. Some schools only offer biochem in the chem dept ; some only offer it in the bio dept; some crosslist it with both depts.</p>

<p>And the difficulty of biochem also varies enormously by school and by instructor.</p>

<p>Both of my kids have taken (its’ a pre req for the state med school), neither found it particularly difficult, but there were a lot of low grades in biochem in both D’s classes. (And they’re went to different schools in different states.)</p>

13

<p>And some schools, like mine, offer it through the biochemistry department! (It’s cross-listed as an undergrad and grad class)</p>

14

<p>

[quote]
And the difficulty of [any course] also varies enormously by school and by instructor.

[quote]
</p>

<p>There, I fixed it for you! :)</p>

<p>Even at the same Uni, some Intro Chem profs are more rigorous than others. Ditto lab TAs, which can be the luck of the draw. And, unfortunately, there are still some lab TAs that seem biased against females in science. (And, yeah, not worth complaining.)</p>

15

<p>norcalguy got it spot on. AP Bio is pretty much all you REALLY need.</p>

<p>In terms of prepping you for med school, physio, biochem, anatomy, and cell bio will be quite helpful.</p>

<p>This is coming from a current med student and former kaplan MCAT instructor</p>