Chemistry Course Question

[ChemEMeddie]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have been seeing a lot of questions recently about combined classes and the like. As you can tell, I'm a chemE student and our curriculum has us take a condensed Gen Chem course that satisfies my university's Gen Chem I/II. I have taken an Analytical Chemistry course and a Physical Chemistry course in addition to the OChem requirements, since then to satisfy the remainder of my curriculum. I'm wondering if there will be an issue with prereqs since I will not have completed two semesters of Gen/Intro Chem, but rather a condensed one semester version that covered both semesters. Does anyone have any insight on this? Do I need to take some other Gen/Intro Chem course or something in order to meet the prereq designations for most schools? Or are the Analytical/Physical courses sufficient?

 

[Wolvvs]

Have you taken biochemistry? That's more likely to satisfy requirements than analytical or physical.

You will need to look at each school's website and probably talk to them as well. See for example:

Premedical Course Requirements | School of Medicine

medicine.tufts.edu

1 semester of general chemistry is fine as long as you have orgo I and II along with biochem. It really depends on how each school looks at your class, as noted exemptions don't satisfy prerequisites and that's pretty universal. You're probably going to have to ask unfortunately.

 

[ChemEMeddie]

Have you taken biochemistry? That's more likely to satisfy requirements than analytical or physical.

You will need to look at each school's website and probably talk to them as well. See for example:

Premedical Course Requirements | School of Medicine

medicine.tufts.edu

1 semester of general chemistry is fine as long as you have orgo I and II along with biochem. It really depends on how each school looks at your class, as noted exemptions don't satisfy prerequisites and that's pretty universal. You're probably going to have to ask unfortunately.

Oof, I was kind of worried about that. The thing is, at my university, we aren't allowed to take either of the Gen Chem courses (I or II) once you complete the accelerated course. I will complete Biochem by the time I matriculate so that would at least satisfy specifically for Tufts, but obviously there are way more schools out there. Would this be on a case by case basis where I have to email each individual school asking how I should go about this? I know a lot of pre meds took the accelerated version as well with the ChemEs, so I imagine that it works out? I feel like it would be kind of ridiculous if a med school would say that I haven't fulfilled the requirements when I have taken a plethora of other Chemistry courses on top of the combined course. Headaches abound I suppose

 

[Wolvvs]

Oof, I was kind of worried about that. The thing is, at my university, we aren't allowed to take either of the Gen Chem courses (I or II) once you complete the accelerated course. I will complete Biochem by the time I matriculate so that would at least satisfy specifically for Tufts, but obviously there are way more schools out there. Would this be on a case by case basis where I have to email each individual school asking how I should go about this? I know a lot of pre meds took the accelerated version as well with the ChemEs, so I imagine that it works out? I feel like it would be kind of ridiculous if a med school would say that I haven't fulfilled the requirements when I have taken a plethora of other Chemistry courses on top of the combined course. Headaches abound I suppose

Yes you'll need to evaluate each school, but the Tufts sequence isn't uncommon:

Requirements | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

www.bumc.bu.edu

Prerequisite Courses

General Comments Regarding Course Requirements

meded.hms.harvard.edu

Of course you need to know if your course qualifies as a semester of general chemistry as many schools require classes intended for majors in that department. I think you'll be fine but you may need some type of prerequisite waiver.

Does your school have premed advising? If so they might be really helpful as they've definitely had to deal with this before

 

[ChemEMeddie]

Yes you'll need to evaluate each school, but the Tufts sequence isn't uncommon:

Requirements | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

www.bumc.bu.edu

Prerequisite Courses

General Comments Regarding Course Requirements

meded.hms.harvard.edu

Of course you need to know if your course qualifies as a semester of general chemistry as many schools require classes intended for majors in that department. I think you'll be fine but you may need some type of prerequisite waiver.

Does your school have premed advising? If so they might be really helpful as they've definitely had to deal with this before

Well, thats reassuring to see that other schools do have similar requirements (rip Harvard hahaha). Yea I definitely will be contacting my pre med advisor this afternoon, Would the individual schools provide the waiver or would AMCAS be the place to look for that? Also, thank you for doing that hunting around online for me, I appreciate it!

 

[Wolvvs]

Glad to help! I'm in Boston so pretty familiar with all three schools here already 🙂

Prerequisites are determined by each school, so it would be up to them to give you an exception. Premed advising should help you, keep in mind the quality of their advice can be questionable but for this very school-specific issue they or any classmates you know currently applying are a great place to start.

 

[ChemEMeddie]

Glad to help! I'm in Boston so pretty familiar with all three schools here already 🙂

Prerequisites are determined by each school, so it would be up to them to give you an exception. Premed advising should help you, keep in mind the quality of their advice can be questionable but for this very school-specific issue they or any classmates you know currently applying are a great place to start.

Hey, me too! I'm from just over the border in NH! I'd be looking to apply to a bunch of the Boston/surrounding schools, so that's helpful. Oh yea, I have definitely gotten some middle of the road, less than stellar advice on the overall process, but good specific info for my school and that's why I'm here on SDN 😆

 

[Wolvvs]

At many schools Biochem is now required and you cant use one course to fulfill two prereqs

While the 1 course accelerated with likely be ok with the general chem prereq content, it will not satisfy the needed credits. An additional advanced chem course will be needed

They've got 2 semesters of organic and 1 each of physical and analytical chemistry, with that plus biochem shouldn't that satisfy the requirements?

 

[ChemEMeddie]

They've got 2 semesters of organic and 1 each of physical and analytical chemistry, with that plus biochem shouldn't that satisfy the requirements?

I was just about to ask this questions as I feel like at least one of those two courses ought to be able to fulfill the chem requirement?