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[smc927]

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I'm 25, married, w/a daughter. I have three semesters to go and I'll graduate (at the same time I'll have the pre-reqs done and be ready for the MCAT). <br>
I need some advice in figuring out how to plan my last three semesters. If you have been through it (interviewed or accepted) please post!

1) Did you take calculus?
2) Did you take genetics or a similar course?
3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)?
<br>
I have two options - the minimalist or the super-prepared path. I'm favoring the minimalist path. <br>
I'm just wondering what others have done. Please post!

 

[mlw03]

i'll answer your stuff in the post. the short reply is if you take the minimalist course, you better kick major butt on the mcat.

Originally posted by smc927
I'm 25, married, w/a daughter. I have three semesters to go and I'll graduate (at the same time I'll have the pre-reqs done and be ready for the MCAT). <br>
I need some advice in figuring out how to plan my last three semesters. If you have been through it (interviewed or accepted) please post!

1) Did you take calculus? - definately take at least one semester, as many schools require. plus, it's good to understand the basic concepts in my opinion.
2) Did you take genetics or a similar course? yes, but it's required for my major. it's certainly not a bad idea to take such a course.
3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)? yes, but again, my major requires a lot. i would recommend at least a basic microbiology course, biochemistry, and a genetics class. these will be useful for the mcat and they'll presumably help with med school too.
<br>
I have two options - the minimalist or the super-prepared path. I'm favoring the minimalist path. <br>
I'm just wondering what others have done. Please post!

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by smc927

1) Did you take calculus?
2) Did you take genetics or a similar course?
3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)?

1. Yes I took 1 semester of calculus, but didn't need it. My advisor miscalculated my math credits. I have no idea what I did in that class. Somehow I got a B though.

2. Yes I took genetics. I was a biology major and it was required. Since it is a 1st year course in med school, I am glad I took it.

3. Again as a bio major I did take advanced science courses. I would HIGHLY recommend you take Phyisiology before you take the MCAT. It is by far the BEST course I took in preparation for the MCAT. Take it!! You'll thank me late that you did.

Good luck. I was a mother as an undergrad and it definetly makes it hard to study for classes, study for MCAT and be an active family member. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😎

 

[skypilot]

Originally posted by Amy B
1. Again as a bio major I did take advanced science courses. I would HIGHLY recommend you take Phyisiology before you take the MCAT.

I agree A&P was much much more relevant to the material on the MCAT. You would actually be better off with that instead of general bio.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

yes, yes, yes

 

[exmike]

1. Yes 2 semesters 2. Yes 3. Yes

I agree. Physiology is good for the mcat. so is genetics.

 

[usmaple]

Hi,

I'll be 27 when I enter ('04) and I have a wife and daughter, too, so we're in similar situations.

1. I was a math major so I took Calc and more. I would recommend it for the sole reason that it is required at some schools.
2. I never took genetics.
3. I never took any extra physics or chem courses outside of the pre-req's. I took some higher level undergrad and grad bio courses (neuroscience related, like computational neuroscience, Hopfield networks, etc.), but they weren't at all relevant to the MCAT.

I did very well on the MCAT science sections, and no one in my interviews has brought up lack of science courses, so I'd say go minimalist. I'm kind of worried that I'll get crushed during my first year since many of the other people will have taken things like biochem and genetics, but I'll worry about that next year. 😛

 

[MDmiracle]

Do the minumum and see how you feel. Most med schools do a biochem in the first year so that may of extra benifit if you take it. Also, calc is required at more that a few schools so check into which schools you are applying to. I have 3 kids so I know how tough it can be. Study as much as you can, do the best that you can, and realize that numbers aren't everything.... but they sure do help. I got in with a 2.86 BCMP and 3.04 overall, so keep that in mind. Don't forget about your family in this process because they are the ultimate anchor that will keep you from going insane. Good Luck!

 

[Jsscales05]

1) Took Calc
2)Didn't take genetics, but I took Anatomy and numerous Exercise Physiology course (Majored in Ex. Phys)
3) Took all the required courses+ Biochem.. .I would suggest taking Biochem, it is very interesting and enjoyable.

 

[PianoGirl04]

1) Did you take calculus?

Sort of...I took AP Calc BC and used my credit to skip out of the bio major calc requirement. You definitely don't need calc for the MCAT.

2) Did you take genetics or a similar course?

I took 2 semesters of biochem because they're bio major requirements, but it's definitely the best course you can take beyond intro bio to prepare you for the MCAT. Genetics is also a bio major requirement for me, but I'm suffering through that next semester.

3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)?

Yes, since I'm a bio major. I took biochem, evolution, and some requirements for my neurobio concentration.

 

[dstn2bmd]

Originally posted by smc927
I'm 25, married, w/a daughter. I have three semesters to go and I'll graduate (at the same time I'll have the pre-reqs done and be ready for the MCAT). <br>
I need some advice in figuring out how to plan my last three semesters. If you have been through it (interviewed or accepted) please post!

1) Did you take calculus?
2) Did you take genetics or a similar course?
3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)?
<br>
I have two options - the minimalist or the super-prepared path. I'm favoring the minimalist path. <br>
I'm just wondering what others have done. Please post!

1. I took Calculus 1 and 2 (it was required for my major). I felt that after taking calculus I was better able to understand the concepts of physics 1 and 2 and for biophysics we are learning the basis of the michaelis-menton equation which was derived from calculus. (I might be a nerd but I REALLY liked my math classes)😀

2. I took Genetics and Molecular Cell Biology and Biochemistry 1 and 2. I also took a semester of Anatomy and a semester of Physiology and a semeter of Biophysics (it is a really cool class).

3. I think the "well established in the sciences path means alot". I have a friend who didn't do very well in her sciences on the MCAT (8 and 9) and one medical school (the admissions coordinator)told her acceptance would be hard for her because she hasn't had enough good science grades. They saw her basic minimum of science classes and a WEAK MCAT as "not being able to cut it."

I look at it this way if I prepare for med school now it will only help to make it a little easier once I am there.

Good luck!🙂

Heb

 

[taehong81]

1) Did you take calculus? I took two semester of college calc because I was thinking about majoring in math

2) Did you take genetics or a similar course? Nope

3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)? I only took the bare requirements. I was thinking about taking biochem on my senior year but decided not to and just take it easy. Also my friend in med school recommend me not to take it. Even though I took the bare requirements, it has not negative affect on my application process.

 

[essbe]

1) Yes, through multivariable (helped w/ pchem). Stat and linear algebra, too.

2) Yes - genetics, microbio, a couple more upper-level bio.

3) I took extra bio and chem; chemistry was my major. I only fulfilled the bare-bones physics requirement, but took the class for majors (pro: no premed gunners, much smaller classes, and you really learn the stuff; con: it may kick you in the pants if it doesn't come intuitively. I was nursing the proverbial sore arse by May). I strongly recommend biochem -- b/c of it, I knew material I wasn't "supposed" to know on the MCAT.

It was sort of an accident that I took extra classes; I took everything because I just wanted to learn as much as I could, well beyond the cursory glance that I thought most intro courses adopted. I mixed it up to keep a balanced schedule. But I was at the library. A lot. Since you have a family, it's essential to put them first. I suspect it would be much harder to divide your attention as a result, and the adcoms will consider that vs. the 20-y.o. kid who has an already-paid-for education and few other responsibilities outside of school (and related activities). I'd say, see what fills your plate -- just a tad beyond what's comfortable -- and use that to gauge how to shape the rest of your schedule. Best of luck!

 

[emily69]

In response to your concerns about taking calculus and upper division physics and chemistry... don't sweat it and don't take those classes unless you're really into those subjects. (yes, that is possible with some people - I had a friend of mine who LOVED organic synthesis questions so much she'd still do them while intoxicated/hanging out - she now goes to Yale for her PHD in Chemistry)

I am a Human Biology major (mostly sociology and psych with a sprinkling of bio) and I still manage to do well on the MCAT (34S). I used to love math in high school but since I got to college it bored me to death and I was never a fan of physics nor chemistry. So I took the bare minimum pre-med requirements. Instead of wasting my time trying to impress adcoms by taking "hard" upper division science classes, I decided to take classes that I was really interested - in the humanities. I think those humanities classes really aided in developing my writing and reading comprehension skills (thus a 13S on the verbal). I have read something in the Kaplan Medschool Admissions Guide that adcoms view a high verbal score as a gauge of intelligence and potential to exel in medschool. (Okay, okay, I am bragging a bit!)

I guess in the end, take classes you're really into and get to know the profs. You could potentially have them write you a stellar letter of rec! (once you get past the numbers game, those carry so much weight).

 

[Robz]

Originally posted by smc927


1) Did you take calculus?
2) Did you take genetics or a similar course?
3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)?

1) yes I took both calculus I and II (and II kicked my butt big time cause I took at the same time as orgo 2)

2) I was a molecular biology major so genetics was required. I also took bacterial genetics and labs associated with them.

3)Yes again. I have taken biochemistry, virology, immunology, medical microbiology, other biology/chemistry classes and have done research.

minimalist is ok but I took the path that I have to learn this stuff at one point so why not get a understanding of it in undergrad. I'll have enough sleepless nights in medical school as is.

 

[Naphtali]

Originally posted by smc927
1) Did you take calculus?
2) Did you take genetics or a similar course?
3) Did you take courses outside of the absolute basic med school requirements (1 year bio w/lab, 1 year physics w/lab, 1 year chem w/lab, 1 year organic chem w/lab)?

1. Yes, 1 semester (calc I). Some schools require it, including a school I was really interested in... though I ended up going to a school that doesn't. Still, I shows some rigor, and it actually helps for the physics section on the MCAT. Take it, unless you're sure you're not going to apply to any schools that require it, AND you think you won't do well (C or worse).

2. Yes, but I was a biochem major, so it was required. It's a good course as prep for MCAT.

3. Yes (see above). No extra physics. I got in the mid 30's on my MCAT. Physiology is a good one... so is biochem. Other than those and genetics, there's not much else. I don't know why people are talking about microbiology... totally irrelvant to MCAT and admissions. You need to focus on getting in. Don't worry about taking courses to prep for med school. It'll hit you like a ton of bricks anyway. You're better off with a high GPA than with any particular courses.

Naphtali

 

[jlee9531]

1. 2 semesters of calculus and 1 of statistics

2. yes i took a genetics related course.

3. and yes again.

i was a biochem/molecular bio major so yes to all 3 of these questions.

i would assume a minimalist approach would lead adcoms to want a relatively higher gpa than to someone who took intensive science classes....oh and like someone said i would think you would need to do well on the mcats here to show that you are on par with science majors.

a super prepared journey might lead to more leeway on gpa but they prolly expect a good mcat score.

 

[twinklz]

Not following the general trend....

I was an English major and decided in the last three semesters of college to "become pre-med"...so....

1) Yup, took one semester of Calculus...before I knew I wanted to be a doctor.

2) Nope

3) Nope

I would have liked to take more classes, but didn't have the time. I did fine on the MCAT. I only applied to five schools, got three interviews, and so far one acceptance. So, I recommend the minimalist approach if you're crunched for time.

 

[Spacekat]

Minimalist Minimalist Minimalist!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taking a semester-long class because it will help you on the MCAT is absolutely ridiculous. Everything you need to do really well on the MCAT is in any one of those big thick MCAT study books. I used Kaplan, but I'm sure they're all fine.

I took the path of minimizing coursework and studying for the MCAT on my own (which I could not have done with extra classes crammed in). Not a single school flinched at my bare-minimum, requirements-only transcripts (they accept Art majors, you know!). If those other things were requirements, they'd be listed under REQUIREMENTS!! I did extremely well on the MCAT and I work full time - I guess that's where you would insert time with your daughter.

Keep in mind that you're asking folks who want to latch onto all of the "insurance" they can get toward acceptance. Chances are good that we all do too much in an effort to make our applications look better. If you followed all the advice on this forum you'd be an undergrad for 9 more years and would average 1.2 hours of sleep per night. You might ask the M1+ folks who probably have a much calmer persepective at this point.

Best of good luck to you and your family.

 

[topherius]

I think what you're seeing from the variety of responses on this thread is that there are many, many ways to approach your situation. I guess the most important thing is to decide what's right for you, given your lifestyle and its needs. Does your school have a pre-med advisor? He/she would be a good person to talk to.

You might be best off by paying most attention to what the the less-traditional students say. I was sort of in your boat (and like Twinklz)-- latecomer to pre-med, a liberal arts major. I had a math background as well, so the calculus wasn't an issue...but:

1) You may need calculus to fulfill the requirements of the med schools you're applying to. Many do require it. If the schools you're interested in don't, it's not necessary for the MCAT. But, as someone pointed out, the analytical skills it gives you are very helpful. On balance, if it's not too much of a burden, I'd say take it.

2) I did take one biochem and one genetics course in my one-year-take-all-pre-med-reqs-a-thon. I think they were somewhat helpful on the MCAT, but I also think I could have gotten most of it from the genetics and biochem section of the basic bio course at my ug school.

3) Other than that, I didn't take anything I didn't absolutely need for the MCAT or med school requirements. I didn't take physiology or anatomy, cell bio or micro.

In your situation, I would go with the minimalist approach. Focus on learning what you need to know for the MCAT. That means gen chem, physics, organic, and bio (you'll get all the anat/phys from a decent science major bio course) and not much else. Studying for the MCAT itself will take a lot of your time in and of itself, so you really don't want to burden yourself with anything you don't need. There are tons of other great courses from which you'd learn a lot of really interesting stuff, but those may have to be sacrificed given your needs.

 

[essbe]

To be honest, I didn't go the minimalist path because I really loved school and wanted to milk every penny of my tuition for what it was worth. I didn't intend for extra classes to pad my transcript or help me on the MCAT, but I guess there's that added bonus. For example, I knew that it didn't make any difference on my transcript if I took non-calc physics vs. calc-based -- no adcom has time to look for individual school course descriptions -- but I wanted to learn it as Newton et al intended. I chose to take classes with notoriously tough profs (in the humanities as well) because I knew they were going to be the ones to force me to learn. And they really did, and I admire them for it.

Sure, my GPA wasn't as high as it might have been if I took fewer/easier courses, but I did well on the MCAT. And I'm happy that I didn't go to college just for a GPA or just to get in to med school. I got a great education. It may be more practical to go minimalist -- especially if you have such huge outside obligations like family -- but I'm a big advocate of intellectual curiosity for its own sake.