Better Elective

[ufdoc11]

I am undergraduate who will be matriculating to medical school in the Fall. I will be taking one biology elective in the Spring, and I have narrowed down my choices to immunology and neuroscience. I am equally interested in both subjects, so I was wondering which you believe would be more useful in medical school

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[silverhorse84]

I didn't take neuroscience in undergrad but I found that taking immunochemistry in college (same course as immunology just different title) made our immuno blocks in medical school a review. That said, having taking immunology only helped me out for 2 weeks in MSI and 2 weeks in MSII.
On the other hand, our neuroanatomy class was 3 months long, so having had a look at it before might have been more beneficial than immuno was. Since I didn't take it in undergrad I don't know how much overlay there would be between an undergrad and a medical school course, so maybe someone else can comment on that.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Youre a senior. Get Drunk, go party, do your elective in "how to sleep in and not go to classes on friday."

People in their 4th year of medical school make the same mistake you are making. They beleive that doing a Sub-I month in an ICU will somehow give them an advantage when they arrive in their residency and are asked to do a month on an ICU rotation. THe amount you learn as an Intern in the ICU is 30-40 times what you can learn as a medical student in that month.

You are taking an undergrad course with the intention of getting some advantage in the medical school. Don't bother. You can read an entire immunology textbook in undergrad, only to realize the emphasis is different. You'll likely be taking a PhD-type course, which is TOTALLY different from medical school. The small advantage you will have for one class is not worth your sacrifice in your senior year of college (the best year of your life).

You will be in class 4-8 hrs a day, reading another 4-8 hrs a day, relearning everything you thought you knew in a manner that your school wants you to learn it, only to relearn it a third time for the Step 1. Seriously. If you can get away with taking a bull**** gut class, do it. If you really have to, take the one thats easier and meets the least amount of time.

 

[ArcGurren]

Youre a senior. Get Drunk, go party, do your elective in "how to sleep in and not go to classes on friday."

People in their 4th year of medical school make the same mistake you are making. They beleive that doing a Sub-I month in an ICU will somehow give them an advantage when they arrive in their residency and are asked to do a month on an ICU rotation. THe amount you learn as an Intern in the ICU is 30-40 times what you can learn as a medical student in that month.

You are taking an undergrad course with the intention of getting some advantage in the medical school. Don't bother. You can read an entire immunology textbook in undergrad, only to realize the emphasis is different. You'll likely be taking a PhD-type course, which is TOTALLY different from medical school. The small advantage you will have for one class is not worth your sacrifice in your senior year of college (the best year of your life).

You will be in class 4-8 hrs a day, reading another 4-8 hrs a day, relearning everything you thought you knew in a manner that your school wants you to learn it, only to relearn it a third time for the Step 1. Seriously. If you can get away with taking a bull**** gut class, do it. If you really have to, take the one thats easier and meets the least amount of time.

Not to be a contrarian but I took immunology in my senior year of undergrad and had a ton of time to party etc. I agree that he should enjoy the hell out of his spring semester but I also did without having to give up taking a biology elective... also he might be required to, and I never found immuno to be a very time intensive subject anyway.

I personally would suggest that class as it usually teaches more to human immunology whereas neuroscience classes often try to teach you animal neuroscience (and that too on a basic level, not a clinical level). My teacher in undergrad for neuro was notorious for hating premeds (who knows why) and refused to teach anything human body related.

 

[pingouin]

moving to pre-allo..