<p>Hello,</p>
<p>Since I hope to graduate in two years after transferring and I sill need to complete Bio 1A/B, Chem 3A/B, and physics 8B for medical school, I was curious to see what the most efficient and realistic schedule for myself would be.</p>
<p>This summer I plan to complete the AC requirement and take Chem 3A/L. </p>
<p>Provided that I still have the above lower division requirements to take, would anybody advise me against taking Chem 3B/L, Bio1a/L, and Physics 8B/L together in the fall? I am sure people have done this before and I am eager to hear some input on the idea.</p>
<p>I am willing to work hard and am a very determined student, however if this is not a very reasonable course load than I will reconsider it. </p>
<p>In addition, if I am interested in biochemistry and, if for some future reason, do not want to go down the MCB route, what are my other options? Could I just elect to take upper division biochem courses for a major like IB or public health ect? </p>
<p>I am just most interested in doing what it takes to graduate in two years while studying in a discipline that I am passionate towards. </p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who has been able to help out a new Berkeley student.</p>
<p>It would be a very ambitious and quite risky undertaking. Not only is that pretty tough to combine in one semester, but it is your first full semester when there is added risk of underperforming, and as a premed the risk of a lower GPA because of doing these together is important to focus on. very important. </p>
<p>You can take any undergrad class to which you satisfy the prerequisites. As a practical matter, some upper division courses are so popular that most seats will be reserved for people in the major or in a small group of majors. For example, there are some IB courses where an MCB major would have a tough time registering due to the reservation of most seats for IB majors; similarly, there will be MCB classes where an IB or PH major would find it challenging to snag a seat. No absolute prohibition, more of a practicality thing. </p>
<p>Now, when you are a senior you will have a pretty early registration timeslot and the odds are better, even for those high demand classes outside your major, unless the department manages the categories to ONLY allow declared majors to register during phase I, opening up the slots for others later. Too much effort for almost any class, but some of the ultratight classes such as Bio 1A do that kind of management (allowing only lab in one phase and the class itself to be selected in the other phase, but only if you were successful with the first). </p>
<p>For med school, you actually do not have to complete all of them before applying and being accepted, you just have to be prepared to finish them before you arrive for first year classes. That is, you could take one or two in the summer AFTER you graduate from Cal, and they could be taken anywhere qualified not just at Cal.</p>
<p>As an MCB major, however, you have the same classes as pre-reqs for the degree which does constrain you to take them unless you have AP credit to count in lieu of some. You would still take the actual course for med school (post acceptance by the way) but could be after you graduate Cal.</p>
<p>There is a reason to take them a bit earlier, simply to be prepared to do well on the MCAT, which is drawn from the material in the premed sequence of classes.</p>