I’m having trouble deciding which courses to take this fall so I figured you guys would be able to help me. Here’s my situation:
I’m a rising sophomore. This fall semester is going to be my first semester at a new university. Prereqs I took during freshman year are Chem 1 (fall semester) and Chem 2 and Bio 1 (spring semester).
Thankfully, all of my credits were transferred properly, except for one. Registration first didn’t accept the bio credit I had because the class didn’t include a dedicated lab section, but they reviewed their decision after I sent them the class’s syllabus. Though, instead of transferring it as Bio 1, they transferred it as Bio 2, arguing that the description of the contents in the syllabus made this the more fitting solution. My plan was to take O Chem 1 and Bio 2 this fall, but now they want me take Bio 1 (which is similar to Bio 2 at my past university) instead, and thus fulfill the biology requirement.
I have two concerns about this. First is that when I apply to med school, it would appear as if I’ve taken Bio 1 twice and missed Bio 2, therefore disqualifying me from getting into any medical school (is that correct?). What gives me a small relief is that I’m probably going to take molecular biology or genetics in the future, so I would have that “1 year of biology” checked either way. Though, I’m not sure whether upper-level courses count towards the bio requirement.
My second concern is about what I would learn if I take the approach they’re suggesting. The distribution of content in the bio sequence at my new university is different from that of my old one. Bio 1 that is going to transfer as Bio 2 isn’t identical to Bio 2 here. I would probably finish the the intro bio sequence with a weaker biology background than another student’s, who took the sequence at a single institution. That could hurt me badly on the MCAT.
The way I see it, starting biology all over is a good option, taking Bio 1 this semester then Bio 2 in the spring. I like this option because I got a B in my bio class so I have a chance to get an A (but I could also do worse). Or, I just take Bio 1 this fall and then molecular in the spring.
Please tell me what you think about all this; I would really appreciate your help.
You need to take whatever course(s) your college requires to fulfill its graduations requirements, even if you don’t agree with it.
As for the weaker bio background-- your coursework won’t prepare you for the MCAT; you have to prepare yourself for the MCAT. This true everywhere and for every student. Bio classes ≠ MCAT prep
BTW, AMCAS does not allow for grade replacement. This means even if you earn a A by retaking the entire bio sequence at your new school, the old B will never go away, must be reported to med schools and will always be included in your GPA/sGPA calculations for med school admissions.
Thanks for the replies. I’m still unclear on something: Will taking Bio 1 at one university then another Bio 1 at a different university (because the first Bio 1 was transferred as Bio 2) satisfy the biology requirement on a med school application?
My guess would be no since your transcript would show that you’ve taken the same course (Bio 1) twice.
When you apply via AMCAS, you will send an official transcript from each college you’ve attended. Even though College B counts it as Bio 2, your transcript from College A will show it as Bio 1. Thus you will Bio 1 from College A AND Bio 1 from College B. What matters is how the course appears on the original, official transcript from each college.
However, because your situation is not straight forward, you might try sending an email inquiry to a few med school admission offices and ask. Especially ask at the public med schools in your home state.
As @WayOutWestMom guessed, the two Bio courses wouldn’t satisfy the bio requirement because they would be counted as one, according to MU Medical School.
Taking an upper-level Bio course, such as molecular, would solve this problem, provided the course has a lab section (depends on whether the medical school you’re interested in requires a lab section).