Taking prereqs without their prereqs

[kittensmeow]

I'm looking for opinions and advice on taking some upper-year sciences without their prereqs. The vetmed program I plan to apply for requires the following courses as prereqs:

Genetics
Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Statistics
Any two half-year Bio courses

It does not require the usual intro-bio, intro-chem and organic chem courses, nor does it require labs. If possible, I would rather not take intro-bio and intro-chem (to save time and money). However, I want to be sure I'll be able to handle genetics, biochem and cell bio.

So my question is: do I need 1st year chem, 1st year bio and organic chem in order to do well in genetics, cell bio and biochemistry?

My background is not in science but I did take Gr. 12 Chem and Bio recently via distance ed and got high 90s in both. Because they were done through correspondence the courses covered the entire curriculum and my approach was very thorough, so I feel that I already have a fairly solid grounding in basic chem and bio. The chem I took also had a unit on organic chemistry, but it was pretty basic - naming and drawing various hydrocarbons, recognizing functional groups, polymers.

I've also heard that 1st year chem and bio can be more or less a repeat of the Gr. 12 material, and the course descriptions certainly appear to be very similar. But I could be wrong and I suppose a lot depends on the school and the instructor. I will, of course, ask the professors what they think, and I'll need their permission.

Any thoughts? I figured I would post this on the non-trad forum since some of you may have tackled the above-mentioned courses without having completed all of the preqs.

Thanks!

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[Seattle Mariners Fan]

Biochem is: the hardest parts of general biology combined with intermediate levels of general and organic chemistry knowledge. It was the hardest course I've taken anywhere, including o-chem.

Assuming you need an A, I wouldn't touch it without the prereqs.

 

[kittensmeow]

Biochem is: the hardest parts of general biology combined with intermediate levels of general and organic chemistry knowledge. It was the hardest course I've taken anywhere, including o-chem.

Assuming you need an A, I wouldn't touch it without the prereqs.

Thanks for the advice - I definitely won't take biochem lightly!

 

[Vet_Squared80]

In my experience, these classes build on one another and are very inter-related. While you could probably get away without basic chem, I wouldn't attempt bio chem without organic chem. I second the notion that it is one of the most difficult classes out there, and my instructor assumed you had a good *working* knowledge of organic chem before taking the class. The same went for my cell biology class. The instructor taught at a graduate level, expecting students to have a working knowledge of basic college level biology concepts. I haven't taken genetics yet, so I can't give advice on that.

 

[kittensmeow]

In my experience, these classes build on one another and are very inter-related. While you could probably get away without basic chem, I wouldn't attempt bio chem without organic chem. I second the notion that it is one of the most difficult classes out there, and my instructor assumed you had a good *working* knowledge of organic chem before taking the class. The same went for my cell biology class. The instructor taught at a graduate level, expecting students to have a working knowledge of basic college level biology concepts. I haven't taken genetics yet, so I can't give advice on that.

Thanks for the advice about cell biology. I'd still like to know whether basic university level bio and chem (1st year) are a whole lot more advanced than Gr. 12 high school bio and chem - it the material similar or does it go much deeper?

 

[femmegoblue]

I would go as far as saying that 1st year college gen chem is the exact same as high school gem, just at a quicker pace and tested more difficult.

 

[kittensmeow]

I would go as far as saying that 1st year college gen chem is the exact same as high school gem, just at a quicker pace and tested more difficult.

That's what I suspected. Would you say the same for 1st year college bio?

 

[femmegoblue]

That's what I suspected. Would you say the same for 1st year college bio?

Yup, for sure!