Biology question?

[CCEMTP2DOC]

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I know you need a year of Biology. What classes will fill this requirement?
I am taking Bio I this year, is there another class that would fulfill besides BioII? Thanks


Rob

 

[Amy B]

Some schools do except other classes in place of bio 2, but my suggestion is to take all the courses required so they can compare you to the other applicants who have taken the required courses. I hated bio1 which was all plants, but i suffered through it.

Just my opinion, but as an older student you want to compare to be like the other younger students. Too many deviations from the norm, in my opinion is not to your advantage.

 

[CCEMTP2DOC]

Some schools do except other classes in place of bio 2, but my suggestion is to take all the courses required so they can compare you to the other applicants who have taken the required courses. I hated bio1 which was all plants, but i suffered through it.

Just my opinion, but as an older student you want to compare to be like the other younger students. Too many deviations from the norm, in my opinion is not to your advantage.

ok, thanks Amy. I was just on the AAOCMS (SP?) website and it states bio/zoology/ So I was just wondering if it had to be specifically "Bio II"?

Rob

 

[Kubed]

ok, thanks Amy. I was just on the AAOCMS (SP?) website and it states bio/zoology/ So I was just wondering if it had to be specifically "Bio II"?

Every undergrad school will call freshman biology (mine was biology for majors 1 and 2). You need to take both semesters of this. Some schools may say they accept zoology or something else in place of this. Don't buy into it. Not having the second half of freshman biology will be seen as a deficiency by the admissions committee. It's just one of those classes that you need to take (for your application as well as MCAT prep).

Just a side note: you should take lots of upper division science. More and more schools are looking at the amount of upper division science classes as an indicator of how successful you will be in med school. At our school, the dean said he likes to see about 50 science credits. This is not a hard rule as we have people in out class who were English majors and took only the required classes. However, schools wanting more science credits is a trend seen all over the country.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Every undergrad school will call freshman biology (mine was biology for majors 1 and 2). You need to take both semesters of this. Some schools may say they accept zoology or something else in place of this. Don’t buy into it. Not having the second half of freshman biology will be seen as a deficiency by the admissions committee. It’s just one of those classes that you need to take (for your application as well as MCAT prep).

Just a side note: you should take lots of upper division science. More and more schools are looking at the amount of upper division science classes as an indicator of how successful you will be in med school. At our school, the dean said he likes to see about 50 science credits. This is not a hard rule as we have people in out class who were English majors and took only the required classes. However, schools wanting more science credits is a trend seen all over the country.

Not true. The freshman biology class equivalent at the University of Oklahoma is zoology. There is no freshman course titled "biology."

 

[JohnnyOU]

Yep. Zoology is biology, but without the botany junk.

ie...Biology = Zoology + Botany

 

[Kubed]

Not true. The freshman biology class equivalent at the University of Oklahoma is zoology. There is no freshman course titled "biology."

ya..... looks like I left the ending off and gave that new meaning. It should have read "Every undergrad school will call freshman biology something different." The year of college freshman biology goes by many names and many numbers. Just about all of them cover the same things.

 

[Khenon]

My school only had 1 semester of "Biology." For the second semester requirement I took zoology. Some schools specifically require zoology, but others will accept any other course from your biology department (eg botany).

 

[cfdavid]

Every undergrad school will call freshman biology (mine was biology for majors 1 and 2). You need to take both semesters of this. Some schools may say they accept zoology or something else in place of this. Don’t buy into it. Not having the second half of freshman biology will be seen as a deficiency by the admissions committee. It’s just one of those classes that you need to take (for your application as well as MCAT prep).

.

I agree with this. They're not going to accept 1 semester of general freshman biology and then a 400 level physiology.

Also, if you have a zoology class that is more about classifying other species like nematodes and all that, I'd try avoiding that. Perhaps you can take it later, but a good Cell Biology class will be great for med school.

I understand that many schools don't have "Freshman Biology I" and "Freshman Biology II". But, I'd steer clear of the botany's and zoologies if possible, in favor of a Cell Bio class. It'll help immensely for the MCAT, and should fullfill the basic requirement.

 

[crys20]

My bio was only 2 quarters long, instead of 3 quarters like gen chem, ochem, physics, etc. I was a bio major though and any other class I took could have fulfilled that extra quarter to make a full year. Microbiology is great, cell bio, something like that.

 

[djnels01]

My bio was only 2 quarters long, instead of 3 quarters like gen chem, ochem, physics, etc. I was a bio major though and any other class I took could have fulfilled that extra quarter to make a full year. Microbiology is great, cell bio, something like that.

Anything taught by the BIO department will work just fine. Higher level courses, like cell, anatomy/physiology, genetics, biochem, and molecular will help you MUCH more on the MCAT than a botany or zoology class. Take more of those if you can.

 

[scotty_premed]

My first year I took Bio I. I was advised that Human Anatomy and physiology would be considered Bio II. Which is what I did.

 

[OSUdoc08]

My first year I took Bio I. I was advised that Human Anatomy and physiology would be considered Bio II. Which is what I did.

Was your A&P offered in the biology department?

There is a nursing/allied health anatomy & physiology that is not part of the biology department, which is most commonly taken in undergrad. This would not be considered biology.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Not true. The freshman biology class equivalent at the University of Oklahoma is zoology. There is no freshman course titled "biology."

Yeah, at my undergrad it was called Cell Biology. At my postbacc school, there are actually two intro level series -- one's called General Biology and the other is Principles of Biology. General is for non-science people, and Principles is for majors and pre-professionals. I wonder if adcoms can catch the distinction or not. General Bio is 100 level, and Principles is 200 level.

Anyway, schools call them lots of different things. Getting back to the main topic, I think it's best to take the full year intro biology sequence because some schools really do require it, and it's just good prep for the mcat. Also, it gives you a good foundation in biology and general scientific topics. I thought Principles would be a big waste, but I really wound up enjoying it.

 

[CCEMTP2DOC]

Yeah, at my undergrad it was called Cell Biology. At my postbacc school, there are actually two intro level series -- one's called General Biology and the other is Principles of Biology. General is for non-science people, and Principles is for majors and pre-professionals. I wonder if adcoms can catch the distinction or not. General Bio is 100 level, and Principles is 200 level.

Anyway, schools call them lots of different things. Getting back to the main topic, I think it's best to take the full year intro biology sequence because some schools really do require it, and it's just good prep for the mcat. Also, it gives you a good foundation in biology and general scientific topics. I thought Principles would be a big waste, but I really wound up enjoying it.

So at end of next semester i will have, Bio I,Microbiolgy, and A&p = 14 credits. So technically i have the bio covered.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Yeah, at my undergrad it was called Cell Biology. At my postbacc school, there are actually two intro level series -- one's called General Biology and the other is Principles of Biology. General is for non-science people, and Principles is for majors and pre-professionals. I wonder if adcoms can catch the distinction or not. General Bio is 100 level, and Principles is 200 level.

Anyway, schools call them lots of different things. Getting back to the main topic, I think it's best to take the full year intro biology sequence because some schools really do require it, and it's just good prep for the mcat. Also, it gives you a good foundation in biology and general scientific topics. I thought Principles would be a big waste, but I really wound up enjoying it.

Cell biology was a freshman course for you?

I find that odd, since that is an upper-level class at most schools.

 

[Raven Feather]

I am not a bio or chem major and leaped over bio 1 and 2 and just took bio 3 and 4 which were cell biology and intro molecular bio/genetics for my general bio courses.

I dont think, as long as one meets the requirements, that it matters if a person is nontraditional and does extemely well in more advanced classes.

 

[Raven Feather]

Anything taught by the BIO department will work just fine. Higher level courses, like cell, anatomy/physiology, genetics, biochem, and molecular will help you MUCH more on the MCAT than a botany or zoology class. Take more of those if you can.

I agree, and med school doesn't care how much you know about plants, but courses like genetics and cell biology and such. I was told this by premed advisors, docs, and med students.

 

[Amy B]

I am not a bio or chem major and leaped over bio 1 and 2 and just took bio 3 and 4 which were cell biology and intro molecular bio/genetics for my general bio courses.

I dont think, as long as one meets the requirements, that it matters if a person is nontraditional and does extemely well in more advanced classes.

I am amazed at the number of people who say that they skipped over something to get to the higher level courses. At my undergrad school you HAD to take gen bio 1 and 2 before you could go on to any other biology course. There were no expecptions to this rule.

 

[Raven Feather]

I am amazed at the number of people who say that they skipped over something to get to the higher level courses. At my undergrad school you HAD to take gen bio 1 and 2 before you could go on to any other biology course. There were no expecptions to this rule.

Not if you sign a waiver at my school, that states the student will be responsible if he or she does not perform well. And again, I am not a bio or chem major so I didn't need bio 1 and 2 as requirements for my degree.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Cell biology was a freshman course for you?

I find that odd, since that is an upper-level class at most schools.

basically, it's an intro bio course with a focus on the cell. we covered cell structure, function, basic genetics, transcription & translation, etc. -- all the same stuff you cover in intro bio. i don't know why they called it cell, but i doubt it's at all similar to the upper-level cell courses at other schools. when i was there, it was also only one term with no lab, which doesn't work well for lots of medical schools (and i went to very premed undergrad, so go figure). now, it's two terms with a lab, so i imagine that it totally mirrors intro bio anywhere else just with an odd name.

 

[scotty_premed]

To answer the question if i took A&P in the Biology department. yes