Confused about Baylor School of Medicine Requirements

[vivax]

• Math (3-4 semester hours) - Biostatistics (preferred), but any course with quantitative math. Examples: statistics, physics, calculus
• Expository Writing (4 semester hours)*
• Humanities-Social/Behavioral Sciences (12 semester hours)
• Organic Chemistry (2 semesters; 6-8 semester hours) - lab is NOT required
• Biochemistry (3-4 semester hours) - lab is NOT required
• Advanced Biology (3-4 semester hours) - Genetics, cell/molecular biology; lab is NOT required
• RECOMMENDED: Spanish

So what exactly are semester hours? How many semester hours is one semester? Also, what counts as "humanities-social/behavioral sciences"? And what do they mean by advanced biology? Do the normal general biology courses count as "advanced" enough?

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[Holmwood]

Basically this:

1) 1 math courses
2) 4 Humanities/social/behavioral science courses (easily covered from GEs)
3) 2 Organic chemistry courses
4) 1 Biochemistry Courses
5) 1 Advanced biology courses (INTRO COURSES DO NOT COUNT AS ADVANCED)

 

[Lucca]

A semester hour is the amount of hours a class is designated for on your schedule. For example, Bio 301 is a three hour course. Math 408 is a four hour course,etc. Universities do this differently but browsing your college's grading policy website and the amcas conversion tables should help you figure it out if your university happens to not use the semester system.

 

[NickNaylor]

• Math (3-4 semester hours) - Biostatistics (preferred), but any course with quantitative math. Examples: statistics, physics, calculus
• Expository Writing (4 semester hours)*
• Humanities-Social/Behavioral Sciences (12 semester hours)
• Organic Chemistry (2 semesters; 6-8 semester hours) - lab is NOT required
• Biochemistry (3-4 semester hours) - lab is NOT required
• Advanced Biology (3-4 semester hours) - Genetics, cell/molecular biology; lab is NOT required
• RECOMMENDED: Spanish

So what exactly are semester hours? How many semester hours is one semester? Also, what counts as "humanities-social/behavioral sciences"? And what do they mean by advanced biology? Do the normal general biology courses count as "advanced" enough?

See @Holmwood's post above for a general breakdown. In terms of the "advanced biology" questions, "advanced" courses are typically considered to be junior/senior level courses, though it could also mean anything that isn't the intro biology sequence that a freshman would typically complete. Depending on your institution's course numbering system, these may be courses numbered as 3XX/3XXX and 4XX/4XXXX.

 

[vivax]

Thank you! So for expository writing, would 4 sem hours typically be one course or two courses?

 

[Holmwood]

Thank you! So for expository writing, would 4 sem hours typically be one course or two courses?

"The expository writing requirement may be accomplished through coursework in a number of disciplines that require intensive writing. Examples include formal courses in English, Philosophy, History, Public Policy, Political Science, or Religion. This requirement also may be accomplished through an Honors Thesis or completion of a major research paper.".

That's the weird one. I'm not sure why they said 4 instead of 3. Just to be safe, you'd want two coursework... which isn't even that bad, mind you. From what I can see, it's basically 2 coursework that has writing/reports involved. They made it broad to accomodate other non-english subjects that are also writing-intensive.

I say an armwavy way to fulfill this is to include whatever coursework where your exams consisted of essays/reports.