Anatomy class worth taking?

[jwindsor1]

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My schedule for next fall (junior year) looks like this so far:

Neurobiology
Neurobiology Lab
Developmental Biology
Biochemistry I
American Fiction

One professor (who is probably going to be my thesis sponsor) is having a small (15 students) anatomy & physiology class for about 2 hours a week every Friday. Is it even worth taking, since anatomy will have to be retaken anyway in med school? Are there any benefits for the MCAT?

Pros:
Getting to know professor better for stronger LOR & thesis work
Maybe help with MCAT?
Make material (somewhat) less difficult for med school

Cons:
Heavier work load
Waste of time?

 

[jwindsor1]

Opps, I posted in the wrong thread. Could a moderator please move this to pre-allo? Thanks & sorry.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Moved.

 

[mmmcdowe]

My schedule for next fall (junior year) looks like this so far:

Neurobiology
Neurobiology Lab
Developmental Biology
Biochemistry I
American Fiction

One professor (who is probably going to be my thesis sponsor) is having a small (15 students) anatomy & physiology class for about 2 hours a week every Friday. Is it even worth taking, since anatomy will have to be retaken anyway in med school? Are there any benefits for the MCAT?

Pros:
Getting to know professor better for stronger LOR & thesis work
Maybe help with MCAT?
Make material (somewhat) less difficult for med school

Cons:
Heavier work load
Waste of time?

Take it if you are interested. It won't help with the MCAT and won't really lessen the difficulty of medical school though it might make anatomy a little more palatable compared to what some of your classmates will think of it. That doesn't mean it's a waste of time. If you are interested you are interested.

 

[Seven of Nine]

Like MMMCDOWE said, if you're interested, you're interested. I say go for it as long as you can handle the courseload. If you can, you get the added benefit of a GPA boost (if applicable).

I'm not sure one should dismiss MCAT-related benefits so quickly. Originally I prepped for the MCAT last year, and then after deciding to postpone graduation/application due to some unforeseen family issues, I decided to that there was no need to take the test at that point. After a year of additional upper level/narrow range coursework, I feel (and am doing) significantly better about the MCAT. Yes, the information may not be directly applicable, and the courses won't "teach" you how to take the test and answer those questions. It can, however, put things in perspective so-to-speak, and ultimately give you more exposure and familiarity with topics that can translate into grasping convoluted passages better.
...but, then again, it might not 😉

Just be realistic with yourself, will you be building a significantly stronger application by investing that year or could you suffer from diminished returns? Do you genuinely want to take those courses and could regret turning down that experience that might not be available later on in your career? Or, are you at risk for getting burnt out or bored and consequently sabotaging your application?

As far as Anatomy goes, check what coursework your potential schools require. I know that my local school will be requiring it for the first time for applicants matriculating in 2012.

 

[CoolWhipp]

had a great time in my anatomy class. Made all the upper div science classes feel a little bit more clinically relevant.

It's fun learning about yourself.

 

[Perrotfish]

It's not a really significant decision either way. If it was me I'd take it because of the professor and because it makes medical school classes a litte less intimidating if you've heard the words before.

 

[Xcited392]

Take if you're interested and if your schedule allows you to have enough time to study.

Surprisingly, my anatomy experience was more difficult than I had anticipated. The level of memorization was beyond my expectations, but it might be due to my professor, who used to teach anatomy at the local medical school, but is now retired and teaching undergrad. Anyways, not only did we have to memorize a huge amount of material, but also we had to memorize tons of specific things.