Redundant to take virology, immunology, or developmental biology?

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

I'm not taking anatomy and physiology because I will learn it in med school. Can the same be said for virology, immunology, and developmental biology? Which of the three are most studied in med school? Which do med schools recommend?

Thanks,
Ibn

Originally Posted by IbnSinavicenna

I'm not taking anatomy and physiology because I will learn it in med school. Can the same be said for virology, immunology, and developmental biology? Which of the three are most studied in med school? Which do med schools recommend?

Thanks,
Ibn

Developmental Biology is useless for you unless it includes Embryology or Neurodevelopment.

Immunology is a good thing to take because Medical Immunology is like learning a foreign language.

Virology can be useful too, but won't pay off until probably the beginning of second year of med school.

I recommend you pick something you think you can do well in and that also interests you... keep that GPA high but explore things that you like (so that you will naturally do well in!)

Originally Posted by IbnSinavicenna

I'm not taking anatomy and physiology because I will learn it in med school. Can the same be said for virology, immunology, and developmental biology? Which of the three are most studied in med school? Which do med schools recommend?

Thanks,
Ibn

With that mentality, don't bother taking virology, immunology, or developmental biology. You'll learn these topics in medical school.

Physiology could be taken to help prepare you for the MCAT.

Every physician I've talked too said physiology is one of the best pre-med school courses to take....

Originally Posted by HipChick

Every physician I've talked too said physiology is one of the best pre-med school courses to take....

Or Biochemistry...

<-- might be a biased Biochem major.

I would rank the courses as follows

1. biochem - definitely covered and covered early in med school. also strongly recommended by many med schools

2. A&P - anatomy (which i have no experience with) is supposed to be brutal, physiology is great to have a background in. physio is recommended by some med schools

3. Immuno - covered in med school, good to have a background in

4. Viro - covered to an extent in med school, I don't want to generalize so i'll just say that at my med school it is taught in the same course as immuno and other pathogens so an undergrad course could go more in depth

5. Developmental - not high yield on STEP 1 i believe? (correct me if i'm wrong) and one of the topics least emphasized in your first two years.

In general, undergrad courses have less of a clinical and more of a molecular focus - i took biochem, physio, immuno, and viro during undergrad, and those that i have covered in med school have had much less to do with molecular biology and underlying genetics, and more to do with clinical relevance. two different flavors of a topic - don't think things will be too redundant

The second half of Medical Biochemistry was foreign to me, but the first half I just slept through. It was quite helpful.

I can't imagine Immunology will be much different... it's even shorter than Biochemistry!