I am going back after I finish my masters to do the required pre-reqs to get into med school. I just spoke with the advisor at my school who said I would have to take a course on Botany and on Evolutionary Principles.

Has anyone else had to take these classes (other than BIO majors/minors)?

Will they at all help with the MCAT & Med School?

Or is this guy just trying to extract more money from me?

No, those are not required for any medical school that I know. I don't think they will help at all for MCAT. You need two semesters of biology, and in some cases, Biochemistry. That's it as far as biology is concerned.

Botany and ecology are topics typically covered in first year biology. And no, they're not on the MCAT. See http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/bsprep.htm.

This adviser, like many pre-health advisers, isn't being helpful. I suggest the Iserson book "Getting into Med School, a Guide for the Perplexed" as a good source of information.

These courses are required if you want to bore yourself the **** to death.

As for the MCAT, there will be no botany, and you may get like 1-2 questions on evolution. But it will be simple, like based on that equation that I can't remember anything about. No phylogenic trees or anything. Not that I can remember, anyway.