Non-Required Classes That You Probably Want to Take Before Med School

[NickMB]

These classes are not required for med school admissions, but they come highly recomended from med school students and pre-meds alike.

Health communications (or any class that discusses patient-provider communication)

Immunology

Cellular Biochemistry (some schools require it, some don't. Take it anyway)

Advanced cell biology and/or advanced physiology and/or cancer biology

Advanced human genetics

Those will make your basic science years much more easier to digest.

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[Geekchick921]

I'd be taking this for my own interest, as in this would be an elective depending on the major I choose to finish when I go back to school (take me just as long to finish bio or psychobio when I count in the med-school pre-reqs). They have a Human Genetics and Development biology class without a lab that I really want to take.

 

[Nikki2002]

yeah biochem, neuroscience, genetics, immuno

 

[lord_jeebus]

I disagree with all of the above. I took several. None make me a better physician. I have also forgotten almost everything I learned in those courses. Worthless waste of time -- not worth the 2 hours of studying you save during the preclinical years.

Take something that gives you a life-long skill and makes you more successful in your career. Your goal is to be a great doctor, not a great first year medical student.

Take Spanish, or be different and learn Chinese, Vietnamese, or Japanese.

Public speaking would be another great choice.

Learn about business, because that's where the power to fix our broken system lies. Or public policy, if you think that would help.

I also underestimated the importance of Golf.

You can't learn effective physician-patient communication in a class (and your med school curriculum will attempt to do so anyway). You learn it in clinic and on the wards.

 

[smq123]

These classes are not required for med school admissions, but they come highly recomended from med school students and pre-meds alike.

Health communications (or any class that discusses patient-provider communication)

Immunology

Cellular Biochemistry (some schools require it, some don't. Take it anyway)

Advanced cell biology and/or advanced physiology and/or cancer biology

Advanced human genetics

Those will make your basic science years much more easier to digest.

I totally agree with Lord Jeebus. Especially do not take "Health Communications." When you're forced to take it again during 1st year, you'll be even more bored out of your skull than the rest of your class.

Chinese or Spanish is a great idea. My school is 3 blocks from Chinatown, and during my OB/gyn rotation, we had at least 2 dozen patients who spoke ONLY Chinese. There was a med student who was fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and he was very popular with the nurses.

Take a literature course. Get an idea of which authors you enjoy reading. Learn how to play an instrument - guitar is always popular. Develop your artistic skills and your writing skills.

 

[NickMB]

I totally agree with Lord Jeebus. Especially do not take "Health Communications." When you're forced to take it again during 1st year, you'll be even more bored out of your skull than the rest of your class.

Chinese or Spanish is a great idea. My school is 3 blocks from Chinatown, and during my OB/gyn rotation, we had at least 2 dozen patients who spoke ONLY Chinese. There was a med student who was fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and he was very popular with the nurses.

Take a literature course. Get an idea of which authors you enjoy reading. Learn how to play an instrument - guitar is always popular. Develop your artistic skills and your writing skills.

Those are indeed important classes to take, especially foreign language, but if there are some classes that make transition into med school a bit more smooth, I feel that they would be important, as well . Who wants to dive into biochem head on with little prior knowledge

 

[smq123]

Those are indeed important classes to take, especially foreign language, but if there are some classes that make transition into med school a bit more smooth, I feel that they would be important, as well . Who wants to dive into biochem head on with little prior knowledge

True. But I think that the main point is that the transition to med school is pretty much always going to be a bit bumpy. Unless you study for the first exam like your life depends on it (regardless of your background in that subject), you're going to be in for a bit of a shock.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I don't know many med students who would call biochem the toughest part of med school.

Better to take abnormal psychology and prepare yourself for the various personality disorders you will encounter on Surgery and OB/Gyn

 

[Alvarez13]

Sweet. I've been golfin' and playing guitar for over a decade and have taken 4 years worth of Spanish. Hopefully the adcoms will think like you guys

 

[Anka]

I was glad I had taken an undergrad biochem course before MS1. I wish I would have taken Micro. Mainly because those two courses are so poorly taught at my school, that having some good foundational system down before you walk in is helpful. Micro (and therefore ID) is a weak point to this day (MS4), which I have only now found time to correct.

DO NOT take patient-doctor communication.

Other than that -- take what interests you, makes you calmer, whatever. I can't say there is any way to walk away from the choice with deep regrets other than doing something that will make you miserable, or taking patient-doctor communication, medical ethics, or the like.

Best,
Anka

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

The "should I prepare or not subject" is one of intense debate, and honestly I don't think there's any real right answer.

I overprepared for med school. I took:

Health communications (or any class that discusses patient-provider communication) - Taught in my medical ethics class Junior year

Immunology - Took Sophomore Year

Cellular Biochemistry - This was pretty much my major

Advanced cell biology and/or advanced physiology and/or cancer biology - Took combined A&P class.

Advanced human genetics - Took Senior year.

Also add in a Microbiology class and the anatomy mentioned above. I was glad I took them because I liked the material. Did it help with med school? Marginally. For example, the stuff my undergrad biochem classes emphasized was glossed over in medical school, in favor of discussion of disease states. My Immunology class was drop in the bucket compared to what we covered, as undergrad was more abstract and med school was more applied. My advanced genetics class was more on mechanism of the flow of genetic information, and again my genetics class in college had a lot of a "disease" component.

To make a long story short, undergrad classes tend to not focus the same way medical school courses do. You're not disadvantaging yourself if you don't take them, as long as you use that time to develop some other aspect of yourself that may be useful, like foreign languages and communicating techniques discussed above.

Immunology

Cellular Biochemistry (some schools require it, some don't. Take it anyway)

Advanced cell biology and/or advanced physiology and/or cancer biology

Advanced human genetics

 

[Geekchick921]

I don't know many med students who would call biochem the toughest part of med school.

Better to take abnormal psychology and prepare yourself for the various personality disorders you will encounter on Surgery and OB/Gyn

And peds... crazy, crazy parents. I LOVED abnormal psych when I took it.

My school has a Medical Spanish class that I'm going to try to get into. I forgot that one before.

 

[SCRdoc]

I took a Health Psychology class, and Medical Terminology last summer.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm going against the grain and suggesting that no sciences besides the prereqs are particularly important to take before med school. Med school will teach you all the science you need to know and then some. Heck, if the prereqs weren't required and on the MCAT I'd suggest there is little point even taking all of those.

At many schools things like genetics are not particularly hard and so not worth taking ahead of time, and things like micro and immuno (and "cancer biology") aren't even typically first year classes at most places so you may find you forgot it all by the time you get to it, even if your undergrad course is of much value (most aren't).

I'll echo Lord J and others that the absolute most useful courses you can take before med school are foreign languages (especially Spanish) because that is something you will actually have a use for during your rotations on a near-daily basis in most cities. I would also suggest a few basic business courses because that doesn't really get taught much in med school despite there being a practical need. And statistics can be hugely helpful if you do much research.

 

[Concubine]

These classes are not required for med school admissions, but they come highly recomended from med school students and pre-meds alike.

Health communications (or any class that discusses patient-provider communication)

Immunology

Cellular Biochemistry (some schools require it, some don't. Take it anyway)

Advanced cell biology and/or advanced physiology and/or cancer biology

Advanced human genetics

Those will make your basic science years much more easier to digest.

A and P?

 

[njbmd]

Take any course that:

• You enjoy
• Required for your major
• You can do well in

There is no magical list that will make you the "perfect" medical student. Either you have the study skills to do well in medical school or you don't. I had plenty of non-science classmates who did quite well in medical school with only the pre-med coursework and some science major classmates who struggled.

Take what you enjoy and do well. Once you get there, make sure that you have the skills to stay there.

 

[DescentFan]

Take some humanities courses (literature, foreign languages, history, law, political science, etc.). ADCOM people would like to see a well-balanced transcript.

 

[novastorm]

Your one ambitious premed. All the people I've ever met would run away with their tails tucked in at the mention of half those classes. These days its not about the learning with the premeds its all about the GPA, which is a major disservice to the application process, but the adcoms don't seem to care, so just take underwater basket weaving like everyone else.

 

[da8s0859q]

I don't know many med students who would call biochem the toughest part of med school.

Better to take abnormal psychology and prepare yourself for the various personality disorders you will encounter on Surgery and OB/Gyn

Score! Maybe my psych degree will have a sliver of usefulness after all.

 

[Law2Doc]

but the adcoms don't seem to care,

Actually quite a few adcoms would just as soon folks didn't take med school courses until they get to med school. So yes, they would rather see the A in basket weaving then see you bored or trying to slack while taking physio a second time.

 

[jbar]

I took a statistics class in undergrad. It was a good biostats class, looking at things like the false positive rates of HIV testing. It has really helped me when looking at research. We get some stats here too, so not crucial to take before med school. But worth taking if you are interested in it.

 

[medguy83]

These classes are not required for med school admissions, but they come highly recomended from med school students and pre-meds alike.

Health communications (or any class that discusses patient-provider communication)

Immunology

Cellular Biochemistry (some schools require it, some don't. Take it anyway)

Advanced cell biology and/or advanced physiology and/or cancer biology

Advanced human genetics

Those will make your basic science years much more easier to digest.

Many of the physicians I've shadowed suggested taking business courses. One who bought a private practice for himself said he had to spend a lot of time figuring out the business aspect of operating a medical facility; something med schools don't teach you. I also think some experience in biochemistry and cell bio will be useful as a prelude to med school. Granted, the level of difficulty upon entering professional school will probably make any undergrad class seem like a cakewalk, but it still might dull the shock of being hit with subjects you have very little experience with.

 

[Drogba]

Lot's of people mention the nebulously defined "business course." Do you guys actually have a course in mind or do you just wish you had more business acumen going into med school that you think a particular course would bestow but of which you've no personal knowledge?

In any case is there much you could learn in a business classroom that you couldn't teach yourself (accounting for example)?. I'm assuming most of this comes from working anyway.

 

[PreMed4Dummies]

i have heard many people recommend histology before med school? what you you all think?

 

[Auron]

I'm actually really interested in taking marketing. I'm considering MD/MBA.

 

[lord_jeebus]

i have heard many people recommend histology before med school? what you you all think?

 

[lord_jeebus]

In any case is there much you could learn in a business classroom that you couldn't teach yourself (accounting for example)?. I'm assuming most of this comes from working anyway.

There's not much in college that you can't learn on your own. But if you're going to do some learning you may as well get credit for it, while you can.

 

[lord_jeebus]

statistics can be hugely helpful if you do much research.

 

[Law2Doc]

In any case is there much you could learn in a business classroom that you couldn't teach yourself (accounting for example)?. I'm assuming most of this comes from working anyway.

Smart businessmen do not teach themselves accounting. They hire accountants, folks who spent years in school learning it. Or they take the classes themselves. You might be thinking of bookkeeping, a dying field.
You may want to take some basic courses on management, marketing, maybe operations. Depends a lot on your school's offerings. While one would think you should glean much of what you need to know in terms of business while working, physicians are notoriously lousy businessmen who needlessly get themselves repeatedly into messes. Having worked with quite a few physicians who poorly managed their practices into the ground (I saw far more physicians do this than any other profession) I assure you that not everyone figures out what they need to know on the fly. I don't know if physicians simply don't have time to pay attention to business issues, or are too arrogant to get help at the appropriate juncture but it's pretty common for doctors to tank at this. So yes, if you can get some basic business knowledge while in undergrad it may at least keep you from acting as naively as your classmates will when they enter business situations.

 

[Drogba]

Smart businessmen do not teach themselves accounting. They hire accountants, folks who spent years in school learning it. Or they take the classes themselves. You might be thinking of bookkeeping, a dying field.
You may want to take some basic courses on management, marketing, maybe operations. Depends a lot on your school's offerings. While one would think you should glean much of what you need to know in terms of business while working, physicians are notoriously lousy businessmen who needlessly get themselves repeatedly into messes. Having worked with quite a few physicians who poorly managed their practices into the ground (I saw far more physicians do this than any other profession) I assure you that not everyone figures out what they need to know on the fly. I don't know if physicians simply don't have time to pay attention to business issues, or are too arrogant to get help at the appropriate juncture but it's pretty common for doctors to tank at this. So yes, if you can get some basic business knowledge while in undergrad it may at least keep you from acting as naively as your classmates will when they enter business situations.

Management definitely seems like it could be useful. I'm not sure how useful marketing would be in most specialties however. Perhaps you have a different (more informed) take on this? What exactly is a course in "operations"?

To clarify, I wasn't doubting the usefulness of such classes but whenever someone recommends "taking business courses" they rarely seem to have anything specific in mind.

 

[Law2Doc]

Management definitely seems like it could be useful. I'm not sure how useful marketing would be in most specialties however. Perhaps you have a different (more informed) take on this? What exactly is a course in "operations"?

Marketing can be relevant if you hope to open your own practice and attract customers. Operations, aka Operations Management "is the systematic direction and control of the processes that transform inputs into finished goods or services. Operations is one of the primary functions of a firm. While marketing induces the demand for products and finance provides the capital, operations produces and delivers the product (goods and services)."(from Dartmouth's MBA program, which has a nice definition IMHO). Basically it is a course on business processes and efficiency. You might learn how to efficiently provide medical services to the maximum patients at the minimum costs, how to best leverage employees, prevent logjams.

 

[Drogba]

Marketing can be relevant if you hope to open your own practice and attract customers. Operations, aka Operations Management "is the systematic direction and control of the processes that transform inputs into finished goods or services. Operations is one of the primary functions of a firm. While marketing induces the demand for products and finance provides the capital, operations produces and delivers the product (goods and services)."(from Dartmouth's MBA program, which has a nice definition IMHO). Basically it is a course on business processes and efficiency. You might learn how to efficiently provide medical services to the maximum patients at the minimum costs, how to best leverage employees, prevent logjams.

I was under the impression that building a patient base was more a result of networking with other physicians and establishing referral networks as well as having patients refer other patients to you, but I'm obviously very dimly informed as to these aspects of medicine. I don't see how marketing might be immediately applicable to most practice environments but I will research it further. If you could provide some concrete examples it might be helpful for me to make the connection.

I will definitely explore some business classes, especially management, since I have a pretty awesome business school at my disposal.

 

[choo301]

Definitely take some business classes if you can, if not to help you become a good doctor, then to at least help yourself out so you don't doom yourself financially come time to start a family, settle down, etc.

My personal recommendations include personal finance (luckily the prof also gave a crash course early on in the semester on basics of accounting) and micro-, possibly macroeconomics.

 

[LadyDemosthenes]

I took an Ethics and Professionalism in Medicine course offered by my school. It was taught by the ethics professor at Baylor (so if I have the chance to go there, I'll get to see him again). Even though I've probably forgotten all the little details about the different medical philosophers, I have to say that it was an eye-opener. I didn't realize how difficult some of the situations in medicine were, ethically speaking. I always naively hoped things would be more black and white. If you think you'll enjoy it, I'd suggest taking a medical ethics course.

 

[CigarTragic]

A Must Have:

-- A legit public speaking course: You will learn and master a TON of things like eye contact, vocal inflection, and how to communicate effectively and concisely.

 

[pinkpanther88]

A Must Have:

-- A legit public speaking course: You will learn and master a TON of things like eye contact, vocal inflection, and how to communicate effectively and concisely.

I second this one. Some schools have a large group public speaking and small group public speaking. At our school the interpersonal communications class is geared more towards pre-med and pre-law students

 

[ufgrad00]

Best course I ever took: Meat and Animal Science; ANS 3***

On one of our exams/quizzes we went in a moderately refrigerated room and graded cuts of meat like prime, select, choice, etc...

At the end of the day, you could take home what you wanted all covered in butchers paper. I took home like three pounds of ribeye for the grill.

 

[Law2Doc]

A Must Have:

-- A legit public speaking course: You will learn and master a TON of things like eye contact, vocal inflection, and how to communicate effectively and concisely.

I like this idea as well. Will help at the interviews as well as your multitude of presentations in med school.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you could provide some concrete examples it might be helpful for me to make the connection.

Pick up whatever magazine bears the name of whatever city you are in/near. Flip to the back. You will see nothing but physician ads, especially cosmetics/plastics, but also other specialties. At most ballparks you will now see ads for various healthcare groups and hospitals. You probably even see ads running on local cable stations for new cancer or imaging centers. Marketing is huge in medicine, everything ranging from market research as to where to set up a practice, ads to bring patients in, selling ancillary and related services (ophthalmologists also selling glasses).

 

[Drogba]

Pick up whatever magazine bears the name of whatever city you are in/near. Flip to the back. You will see nothing but physician ads, especially cosmetics/plastics, but also other specialties. At most ballparks you will now see ads for various healthcare groups and hospitals. You probably even see ads running on local cable stations for new cancer or imaging centers. Marketing is huge in medicine, everything ranging from market research as to where to set up a practice, ads to bring patients in, selling ancillary and related services (ophthalmologists also selling glasses).

I don't doubt that but I guess I found its relavence questionable to private practice level physicians who do not provide cosmetic or "related" services. I can see how they would be relavent to larger health centers, but I imagine the individual physicians are doing very little of the marketing themselves in this scenario. Perhaps, my perspective on what a marketing class would teach is simply too narrow, but I don't see its relevance to individual physicians in most practice contexts atleast not as directly as management or public speaking.

 

[etf]

read a few books on investing. better yet, visit http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=176

 

[Vihsadas]

Physiology, Physiology, Physiology, oh, and Physiology.

 

[Thewrongstuff]

A Must Have:

-- A legit public speaking course: You will learn and master a TON of things like eye contact, vocal inflection, and how to communicate effectively and concisely.

Haha this is basically a major required class for my major (communications)

I was talking to my counselor (major comm counselor) and shes like wow take it easy on the sciences in college otherwise you will burn out, stagnate and age well beyond your years in college

I totally disagree with the OP and I think that things like physics should be eliminated from the requirements and that sociology should be added instead. Basis for statement: lots of great teachers out there that open your eyes to the world, and sociology ones particularly excel in doing so.

 

[wisconsindoctor]

Dad: Hey son, please come here. I need to talk to you.

Son: Yes dad?

Dad: How did the semester go (son is home for Christmas break of junior year)?

Son: fine! I only have physics left for my pre-med requirments. Now I'm thinking of taking A&P, physiology, human genetics, immunology, microbiology, and other science classes.

Dad: That is nice, but why is everything you do and talk about refer to you getting into medical school. People don't give a **** if you want to become a doctor.

Son: Yup! I want to prepare myself for medical school and make me a better doctor.

Dad: I knew you should have gotten a real job while in college. Do you realize that it doesn't do you any good if you don't know how to communicate with others, or how to speak to a person that only speaks Spanish, or how to market your skills? You will just be a person that is full of this knowledge that doesn't know how to use it beyond saying a bunch of big words to other people that they won't have any idea of even knowing how to pronounce the words you just spoke.

Son: yes dady.

Dad: I don't want you to take all of those science classes. I want to see you take some marketing, speech, stats, and economic courses. This way you will learn how to speek correctly in certain situtations, how to analyze data, and how to market your skills. Do you realize that the richest people on this planet know how to market themselves?????????

Son: you are so smart dad. I guess I should get my face out of the organic chem textbook and learn what it takes for a person to be a success in life instead of memorzing the name of this molecule and that molecule all night long.

Dad: yes son, you are starting to open your mind up. Take some time during this break and learn about a different culture instead of having your head in that science book all day long while sitting in your room.

Dad: AND STOP READING THAT STUPID SDN WEBSITE ALL DAY AND NIGHT LONG.

 

[emttim]

Dad: Hey son, please come here. I need to talk to you.

Son: Yes dad?

Dad: How did the semester go (son is home for Christmas break of junior year)?

Son: fine! I only have physics left for my pre-med requirments. Now I'm thinking of taking A&P, physiology, human genetics, immunology, microbiology, and other science classes.

Dad: That is nice, but why is everything you do and talk about refer to you getting into medical school. People don't give a **** if you want to become a doctor.

Son: Yup! I want to prepare myself for medical school and make me a better doctor.

Dad: I knew you should have gotten a real job while in college. Do you realize that it doesn't do you any good if you don't know how to communicate with others, or how to speak to a person that only speaks Spanish, or how to market your skills? You will just be a person that is full of this knowledge that doesn't know how to use it beyond saying a bunch of big words to other people that they won't have any idea of even knowing how to pronounce the words you just spoke.

Son: yes dady.

Dad: I don't want you to take all of those science classes. I want to see you take some marketing, speech, stats, and economic courses. This way you will learn how to speek correctly in certain situtations, how to analyze data, and how to market your skills. Do you realize that the richest people on this planet know how to market themselves?????????

Son: you are so smart dad. I guess I should get my face out of the organic chem textbook and learn what it takes for a person to be a success in life instead of memorzing the name of this molecule and that molecule all night long.

Dad: yes son, you are starting to open your mind up. Take some time during this break and learn about a different culture instead of having your head in that science book all day long while sitting in your room.

Dad: AND STOP READING THAT STUPID SDN WEBSITE ALL DAY AND NIGHT LONG.

See, the only thing I disagree with is the pre-med agreeing with his dad. A typical pre-med would be like "omg u just don't understand!! omg omg its just so hard to get into med school, I HAVE to do all this!!"

 

[Law2Doc]

See, the only thing I disagree with is the pre-med agreeing with his dad. A typical pre-med would be like "omg u just don't understand!! omg omg its just so hard to get into med school, I HAVE to do all this!!"

And then the dad would lock him in the cellar.

 

[167649]

I disagree with all of the above. I took several. None make me a better physician. I have also forgotten almost everything I learned in those courses. Worthless waste of time -- not worth the 2 hours of studying you save during the preclinical years.

Take something that gives you a life-long skill and makes you more successful in your career. Your goal is to be a great doctor, not a great first year medical student.

Take Spanish, or be different and learn Chinese, Vietnamese, or Japanese.

Public speaking would be another great choice.

Learn about business, because that's where the power to fix our broken system lies. Or public policy, if you think that would help.

I also underestimated the importance of Golf.

You can't learn effective physician-patient communication in a class (and your med school curriculum will attempt to do so anyway). You learn it in clinic and on the wards.

Public speaking is by far the most useful course I ever took. I'd say this and business are the two best ones to have.

 

[TMP-SMX]

You can self-teach yourself business and investment. You cannot self-teach yourself organic chemistry or physics without much more time investment. I'm not recommending taking all science classes because that's a waste of time and tuition money, but you do need to take the core classes and spend a whole lot of time on it.

You should take courses you enjoy first and foremost. Communication is also very important along with getting a well rounded education. Of course your degree will likely require you to take classes that are outside your major, so of those pick ones that will be fun and helpful.

 

[NickMB]

Dad: Hey son, please come here. I need to talk to you.

Son: Yes dad?

Dad: How did the semester go (son is home for Christmas break of junior year)?

Son: fine! I only have physics left for my pre-med requirments. Now I'm thinking of taking A&P, physiology, human genetics, immunology, microbiology, and other science classes.

Dad: That is nice, but why is everything you do and talk about refer to you getting into medical school. People don't give a **** if you want to become a doctor.

Son: Yup! I want to prepare myself for medical school and make me a better doctor.

Dad: I knew you should have gotten a real job while in college. Do you realize that it doesn't do you any good if you don't know how to communicate with others, or how to speak to a person that only speaks Spanish, or how to market your skills? You will just be a person that is full of this knowledge that doesn't know how to use it beyond saying a bunch of big words to other people that they won't have any idea of even knowing how to pronounce the words you just spoke.

Son: yes dady.

Dad: I don't want you to take all of those science classes. I want to see you take some marketing, speech, stats, and economic courses. This way you will learn how to speek correctly in certain situtations, how to analyze data, and how to market your skills. Do you realize that the richest people on this planet know how to market themselves?????????

Son: you are so smart dad. I guess I should get my face out of the organic chem textbook and learn what it takes for a person to be a success in life instead of memorzing the name of this molecule and that molecule all night long.

Dad: yes son, you are starting to open your mind up. Take some time during this break and learn about a different culture instead of having your head in that science book all day long while sitting in your room.

Dad: AND STOP READING THAT STUPID SDN WEBSITE ALL DAY AND NIGHT LONG.

Several months later

Son: dad?

Dad: yes?

Son: I'm busting my butt in basic medical sciences and I don't have any time for networking with with other students and med school/hospital faculty, and no time for other med school activities, which will be so essencial to me in the future, such as when trying to get into top residencies.

Dad: why?

Son: well, dad, did you know that A&P, physiology, human genetics, immunology, microbiology, and other science classes are 18 weeks long in undergrad, but the same amount of material is covered to a greater complexity and in half the time during med school?

Dad: be a man and suck it up betch.

 

[smq123]

Son: well, dad, did you know that A&P, physiology, human genetics, immunology, microbiology, and other science classes are 18 weeks long in undergrad, but the same amount of material is covered to a greater complexity and in half the time during med school?

"Half the time" is being a little optimistic. Try something more along the lines of "1/20th the time."