Cell bio vs microbio

[wjs010]

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Hey all. This is a name you will be seeing a lot more of, as I am now full blown committed to DO .. No turning back now.

I graduated last year in clinical kinesiology and cell bio was one of the reqs. I took it along with biomechanics, pro speech, strength conditioning, and sports medicine all in one quarter ( 14 hours /12 hr max) and made a "b". That was one of the craziest quarters ever. However, something tells me microbio means more to DO schools. My undergrad listed them like this:

Bio2 something: microbio
Bio 315: cell bio.

Do you guys think cell bio is better or worse? I'm trying to decide what I can take with orgo. Thank you.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Hey all. This is a name you will be seeing a lot more of, as I am now full blown committed to DO .. No turning back now.

I graduated last year in clinical kinesiology and cell bio was one of the reqs. I took it along with biomechanics, pro speech, strength conditioning, and sports medicine all in one quarter ( 14 hours /12 hr max) and made a "b". That was one of the craziest quarters ever. However, something tells me microbio means more to DO schools. My undergrad listed them like this:

Bio2 something: microbio
Bio 315: cell bio.

Do you guys think cell bio is better or worse? I'm trying to decide what I can take with orgo. Thank you.

Take microbiology, no question about it.

 

[coolingglasses]

I mean if you have a choice take micro. Cell bio was mandatory at my school and micro was recommended, I wound up taking both along the way. LOVED micro.

 

[DrMaximus]

I would take microbiology for sure if you've already had cell. I think it would help in med school and it's an amazing class. I absolutely loved micro.

 

[HipChick]

Why would micro mean more to DO schools? Of the schools I've looked at, if they require additionals outside of the "norm" it was genetics and/or biochem. The number one recommended class by all my doc friends said phys followed by micro.

 

[dntke1518]

Both micro and cell are pretty important tools to have under your belt so having both would be a good thing.

 

[costales]

You need to know microorganisms that cause diseases, regardless of whether it's a DO or MD school or veterinary school.

 

[411309]

I hated cell bio so much in undergrad, it was the only class I ever got a C- in and my biggest regret, lol. Awful teacher combined with a dry long textbook and nothing but essay equestions on the test made me hate life

 

[wjs010]

Ok thanks guys. Will def take then. Do you guys recommend taking it with organ 1 or 2?

 

[MedPR]

Cell bio is harder and more useful for the MCAT.

Undergrad micro doesn't even scratch the surface of medical school micro. Neither does cell, but micro even less.

 

[coolingglasses]

Cell bio is harder and more useful for the MCAT.

Undergrad micro doesn't even scratch the surface of medical school micro. Neither does cell, but micro even less.

I think our micro class was different at my UG. The people that teach the med school class also teach the undergrads, and we're told they grade undergrads harder. But maybe they just say that last part to scare us into studying harder. 😉

Cell bio is definitely more useful on the MCAT though.

Ok thanks guys. Will def take then. Do you guys recommend taking it with organ 1 or 2?

Not sure it matters here.. just make sure you balance your courseload.

 

[nirvikalpa]

I'm going to go against the grain and say cell bio. Cell bio topics are becoming more and more prominent on the MCAT (PCR). Cell bio is a hard as hell class... but if everything about pre-med was easy, everyone would be doing it. It's hard for a reason.

Study your butt off, don't slack off, and there's no reason why you can not take Cell Bio and Orgo together. It'll be a lot of lab time, but it will help you indefinitely.

 

[jrporte3]

Both classes are needed for med school seeing as they will be the foundation that medical school will build off of. Cell bio will pay off quicker as it will help more for the MCAT, but microbio is also tested just not as heavily.

Taking Orgo and cell bio together will be challenging, but not impossible. I would do it, it will help you get a feel for what med school would be like.

Sent from my ADR6350 using SDN Mobile

 

[chiddler]

My cell bio class was rather useless. The vast majority was sheer memorization of cell pathways that seemed to have no importance to the grand scheme of things. There were useful parts to the class, but overall I did not enjoy.

I didn't take micro, but I cannot imagine it being worse xD

therefore, i suggest microbio.

 

[wjs010]

Thanks again for responses guys. I'm so glad to hear people saying cell matters more and is harder, because I've already completed it lol. I must say it was hard as ****. No multiple choice tests, no attendance grad. Ahhhh.

I'm glad it's a higher up number than micro. I'll still take micro just to look good. That and genetics and that's prob it

 

[MedPR]

Yea, the only bio class I took that was harder than cell bio was cell physiology. And I took cell physiology after taking cell bio.

Genetics, A&P, Micro, etc were all much easier.

 

[jinobi]

Cell bio is more relevant for MCAT.

Microbio is more relevant for medical school (but heck, you'll still have to relearn it anyways given the detail/patho we have to know it in)

 

[MedPR]

It also depends on your microbiology class. Ours was almost exclusively bacteriology. Very little parasitology, mycology, and virology. We also barely even touched on mycobacteria.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

What if you can only take one?

 

[MedPR]

What if you can only take one?

Anatomy&Physio > Cell > Genetics > Micro.

 

[dntke1518]

Anatomy&Physio > Cell > Genetics > Micro.

Disagree... If you haven't taken the MCAT then it is Genetics>Cell> physiology> Micro> Anatomy

 

[MedPR]

Disagree... If you haven't taken the MCAT then it is Genetics>Cell> physiology> Micro> Anatomy

Why genetics? Through my MCAT prep as well as on my actual MCAT the only place genetics helped was on genetics based questions. Physio helped on every single passage and cell helped with most everything as well. I don't know of many UG schools that separate anatomy and physiology.

In addition, genetics is much easier to learn on your own. Physio isn't hard to learn on your own, but if you take a class and learn it in depth it will help you on tons of MCAT questions. Genetics is only good for genetics. In physio you learn about neuro, endocrine, cardio, digestive, reproductive, integumentary, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, metabolism, enzymes, DNA structure/function, and cell cycle. That's basically everything biology on the MCAT except genetics and micro. Perhaps genetics is higher yield than any one of those topics, but it certainly isn't more high yield than all or even a few of them combined.

 

[wjs010]

dammit i wish i hadn't taken physiology 3 years ago. I'm probably very rusty in that.

 

[coolingglasses]

dammit i wish i hadn't taken physiology 3 years ago. I'm probably very rusty in that.

I wound up having it twice... apparently my UG has human physiology and animal physiology... yet both cover humans specifically in great depth.