Advice on First-Semester Course Selection for Pre-Med at Case Western

[tiktokParis]

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Hi everyone,
I’m a rising freshman at Case Western on the pre-med track. I’m currently considering majors in cognitive science, neuroscience, and biochemistry. I’m not planning to take a gap year at this time. Biochemistry is the most requirement-heavy of the three, but I believe the triple major could be manageable within four years—especially since cognitive science and neuroscience have less requirements and more flexibility. I do have some AP credits, but I’m not planning to apply them toward biology or chemistry to avoid skipping foundational material for the MCAT.
Below is my tentative fall course schedule:

• BIOL 214 + lab – 4 credits
• CHEM 105 + lab – 5 credits
• COGS 101 – 3 credits
• BIOC 101 (Intro to Biochem majors seminar) – 1 credit
• STAT 201 (Intro class) – 3 credits

I’d really appreciate any feedback on this course load. Thank you so much in advance!

 

[RockClimberMed]

There is 0 benefit to double majoring let alone triple. Just do the major that interests you the most and still leaves you time for ECs. Do any prereqs not covered in major as electives. Study hard for MCAT. ez $$. I would do mathematics or history if I could do it all over again.

 

[dr_dong]

Unless there are serious flaws in your previous AP biology/chemistry or future biochemistry/physiology classes, you would not be missing out on any foundational material for the MCAT. For the most part, most important concepts will be repeated ad nauseum in every class that you take. The basic concepts of cell biology will not only be taught in intro bio, but again in cell biology, immunology, physiology, and any other vaguely related class in college. That, and the MCAT is not primarily a concepts test, in that for the most part the exam doesn't care about testing whether you know a concept perse, and focuses more on testing whether or not you can apply and synthesize them with newly presented topics in more advanced topics.

Of course, this can be made easier with a more in-depth background in specific upper division classes. But my main point is still that you will gain almost nothing by repeating freshman bio and chem, unless you believe that your fundamental knowledge in these classes is severely lacking in some way.

TLDR skip those classes