ap credit, any good guideline to follow????

[QuantumMechanic]

Hi this is my first ever sdn post after silently reading the forums for the past month or so...

I am going to apply to med schools as soon as I can this coming summer (I am a junior with a good gpa and I took August MCAT did very well, so I assume my chances are pretty good). My one concern about my application, however, is my lack of biology classes so far. I AP'ed out of all ofintro bio and the first semester of AP chem, which has allowed me to pursue a double major in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Physics. I am pretty sure that they won't care that I didn't take the first semester of intro chem, since I am taking biochem and a load of physics classes that mimic the material of physical chemistry pretty well. The problem is that the only biology class I have taken so far is Cell Biology. I just got screwed over by my school's biology department since the demand for both of the upper biology courses I could use for my major was so high that I was unable to get into either biology class for next semester (so much for quality small liberal arts schools that supposedly cater to their students' needs ) Thus, when I am applying, schools will only see a grade for one biology class on my transcript, when most schools explicitly ask for 8 semester hours of biology taken during college! (They will see that I will be taking an upper level during the fall of my senior year). Will this really matter at the time of application? Or am I just being the anal premed who worries too much about minor details that are unimportant to schools?

Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight!!!

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[Iwy Em Hotep]

Complication of prerequisites is required for matriculation, not application.

 

[chandelantern]

Hi this is my first ever sdn post after silently reading the forums for the past month or so...

I am going to apply to med schools as soon as I can this coming summer (I am a junior with a good gpa and I took August MCAT did very well, so I assume my chances are pretty good). My one concern about my application, however, is my lack of biology classes so far. I AP'ed out of all ofintro bio and the first semester of AP chem, which has allowed me to pursue a double major in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Physics. I am pretty sure that they won't care that I didn't take the first semester of intro chem, since I am taking biochem and a load of physics classes that mimic the material of physical chemistry pretty well. The problem is that the only biology class I have taken so far is Cell Biology. I just got screwed over by my school's biology department since the demand for both of the upper biology courses I could use for my major was so high that I was unable to get into either biology class for next semester (so much for quality small liberal arts schools that supposedly cater to their students' needs ) Thus, when I am applying, schools will only see a grade for one biology class on my transcript, when most schools explicitly ask for 8 semester hours of biology taken during college! (They will see that I will be taking an upper level during the fall of my senior year). Will this really matter at the time of application? Or am I just being the anal premed who worries too much about minor details that are unimportant to schools?

Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight!!!

I'm kind of curious as to how you can have a major in biochem/molecular bio without taking biology courses? You've taken 1, and plan to take 1 more? Obviously it doesn't take much to major in something at your school (we have to take at least 20 upper div units to MINOR in something, major is significantly more.) Anyway, the important thing is that both your bio courses have labs, because the requirement at most schools is 1 year w/ lab...this doesn't have to be before application, just before matriculation. Some schools will even consider AP courses (although you'd have to check with each school individually.)

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I'm kind of curious as to how you can have a major in biochem/molecular bio without taking biology courses? You've taken 1, and plan to take 1 more? Obviously it doesn't take much to major in something at your school (we have to take at least 20 upper div units to MINOR in something, major is significantly more.) Anyway, the important thing is that both your bio courses have labs, because the requirement at most schools is 1 year w/ lab...this doesn't have to be before application, just before matriculation. Some schools will even consider AP courses (although you'd have to check with each school individually.)

Like I said, I am a double major, so I have been trying to get everything done so I can graduate in 4 years (I actually will earn my physics degree a semester early), biology has just had to take a backseat until now due to my schedule. I am going to have to take 3 more upper level bios w/lab to do this major (genetics, molecular, developmental or micro), in addition to the one that I have already done (so a total of 16 upper level bios hours), plus a senior seminar which is in addition to the chem classes required for the material. The major is only about 40 hours (my school is phasing in a weird curriculum that basically makes it impossible to require a major to have more than 50 hours). It turns out to only be one less upper level bio than the pure biology major. In the end, I am learning all the things I enjoy learning about, physics/biology/chemistry, I guess thats what truly counts .