Choosing Major & Courses

[Futuredoc0614]

Hi Everyone,

Okay, this may seem like a such an amateur and ridiculous question, but I just started my pre-med journey and am the first person in a few generations to go to college..so I am still learning how all this works..

I have been reading literally dozens of posts on SDN about choosing majors and courses. For example, the question was raised if it is worth taking pre-chem/pre-bio or just Gen Chem 1/ Gen Bio 1 etc.. I found this to be interesting because my biology-pre med program at my school requires me to take these course and before staring the standard series.. Even though I would like to jump right into Gen Chem, my school won't let me until I have completed these courses..However it seems that many of the members here seems to have been able to "choose which class they take and when they take them..

I guess my question to all of you is- Is there a way for you to "choose" the classes you take? Can you take courses out of order? For example can I take BIO 1 before Chem 1? Is my pre-med major preventing me from having more flexibility when it comes to choosing my classes? Is the bio-pre-med major a way for the school to shove courses don't necessarily need down your throat?

I am 27 years old and trying to get to my med school prereqs already, but they are keeping me held up with all these "intro classes"..

any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[GreenDuck12]

Every school has different policies regarding course registration order. At my undergraduate institution, you could not take bio unless you had already completed general chemistry. At my post-bac program, that rule doesn't exist. Your best bet, is to become familiar with your schools policies and do what is required. The idea of taking pre-chem/pre-bio is new to me. Is there a way you can test out of it/ show proficiency another way?


As for what major to choose, there is not any one major that leads to medical school. Many pre-meds are bio/chem majors because the pre-reqs fulfill many of their major requirements. Many other pre-meds are philosophy/music/psych/anything majors that simply take the pre-req classes in addition to their major classes. The important thing is to pick something that interests you and do well academically.

 

[DrMikeP]

Did you not have bio or chem in high school? I'd say go ahead for the heck of it and take both if the school wants, as long as you get a grade! Make A's in them and it could help your science gpa and prep you for the later courses.

Bio before or after chem doesn't matter. You will need Chem 1 < Chem 2 < Org 1 < Org 2 ~ Biochem

Check out a few med schools and see what they recommend!

The degree doesn't matter much, but some do find the non-science degrees a bit easier as you don't get stuck with a half dozen extra non-required science courses. The key is keeping the gpa high in science and everything else.

Best of Luck!

 

[Coltuna]

Hi Everyone,

Okay, this may seem like a such an amateur and ridiculous question, but I just started my pre-med journey and am the first person in a few generations to go to college..so I am still learning how all this works..

I have been reading literally dozens of posts on SDN about choosing majors and courses. For example, the question was raised if it is worth taking pre-chem/pre-bio or just Gen Chem 1/ Gen Bio 1 etc.. I found this to be interesting because my biology-pre med program at my school requires me to take these course and before staring the standard series.. Even though I would like to jump right into Gen Chem, my school won't let me until I have completed these courses..However it seems that many of the members here seems to have been able to "choose which class they take and when they take them..

I guess my question to all of you is- Is there a way for you to "choose" the classes you take? Can you take courses out of order? For example can I take BIO 1 before Chem 1? Is my pre-med major preventing me from having more flexibility when it comes to choosing my classes? Is the bio-pre-med major a way for the school to shove courses don't necessarily need down your throat?

I am 27 years old and trying to get to my med school prereqs already, but they are keeping me held up with all these "intro classes"..

any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

This is strange to me. You may want to start out as undeclared in that situation. My college recommended the "pre" classes and my advisor strongly urged me to take them; however, I took the regular classes instead and excelled in them. I took Bio 1, gen chem 1, and anatomy 1 all during my first semester as an undergrad; however, this was at a community college where "majors" don't exactly matter. Do these classes have a "or with instructor permission" option in their registration?

 

[Futuredoc0614]

Thank you all for your insight and advice. It seems that my school only had a test-out option for intro to chem..but not for intro to bio... weird..

I spoke with my adviser (if you can call her that lol) and she stuck to her handbook and said there was no way around these courses and that I would need to take them to on to the standard science series.. Will keep digging though and will keep you all posted. Thanks again!

 

[DrMikeP]

Thank you all for your insight and advice. It seems that my school only had a test-out option for intro to chem..but not for intro to bio... weird..

I spoke with my adviser (if you can call her that lol) and she stuck to her handbook and said there was no way around these courses and that I would need to take them to on to the standard science series.. Will keep digging though and will keep you all posted. Thanks again!

Are the courses for credit and do you get a grade?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Hi Everyone,

Okay, this may seem like a such an amateur and ridiculous question, but I just started my pre-med journey and am the first person in a few generations to go to college..so I am still learning how all this works..

I have been reading literally dozens of posts on SDN about choosing majors and courses. For example, the question was raised if it is worth taking pre-chem/pre-bio or just Gen Chem 1/ Gen Bio 1 etc.. I found this to be interesting because my biology-pre med program at my school requires me to take these course and before staring the standard series.. Even though I would like to jump right into Gen Chem, my school won't let me until I have completed these courses..However it seems that many of the members here seems to have been able to "choose which class they take and when they take them..

I guess my question to all of you is- Is there a way for you to "choose" the classes you take? Can you take courses out of order? For example can I take BIO 1 before Chem 1? Is my pre-med major preventing me from having more flexibility when it comes to choosing my classes? Is the bio-pre-med major a way for the school to shove courses don't necessarily need down your throat?

I am 27 years old and trying to get to my med school prereqs already, but they are keeping me held up with all these "intro classes"..

any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Sounds like your school is just looking for ways to get more money out of students. I'd just major in something else that you enjoy (I'm a math nerd, so I majored in math) and take the prereqs somewhere else.