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So I'm thinking of taking AP Psych at my school next year and it's supposed to be a joke (GPA booster)....So say I get a 5 on the AP test, is Psych a pre med course in trajectory for medical school
Way back when I took it in HS it was a really easy class, but unfortunately we did not prep too well for the AP test and I got a 3. At my undergrad institution, this was good enough for 3 general social science credits, but a 4+ on the AP test was needed to pass out of intro psych.
As a current applicant (accepted this cycle), none of the med schools I applied to required Psych, but I'm sure a lot recommended it, which I just ignored as Intro Psych at my undergrad is not easy. I would not be surprised if other med schools that I did not apply to did require it (maybe others can chime in with their experience).
If you can take it and pass out by scoring a 4 (or 5, to be safe, as some undergrad schools might have different standards for what "counts" to replace their intro psych), I think you'd do yourself a lot of good for a number of reasons. First, by the time you get to the point where you're applying to medical school, more schools might require it (or maybe not, but who knows!?). Second, if you decide that you do not want to go to med school, not having to take intro psych is useful for a psych major or, more importantly (at my undergrad at least) it is required for entrance into the business school, which is why it was so competitive. Also, even if you only get a 3 on the AP test, at least there are some general social sci credits that you won't have to worry about. Finally, in my experience, the more credits you have, the earlier you sign up for classes, which helps with scheduling and logistics.
So even though psych is not expressly required for most medical schools in the current application climate, I still think you would be well served to take it for the reasons above. Best of luck!
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I agree-- it's an easy AP class, but it's still no cakewalk. I had a great time with it and I'm sure I enjoyed it more than I would have enjoyed a 300-person intro psych lecture!
Psych is now covered on the MCAT-- if it isn't a requirement for med schools now, it probably will be soon! Either way, knowledge of human behavior can only help you in your medical career
Psych is now covered on the MCAT-- if it isn't a requirement for med schools now, it probably will be soon! Either way, knowledge of human behavior can only help you in your medical career
