Classes should or shouldn't take?

[Jmukhalian]

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I am wondering what classes I will need to take for a better chance in getting into a top med school, if I should just take the minimum required classes or what? Here is a list of the classes I have in mind for my Biomedical Sciences Degree

English 1 & 2
Speech
Humanities 1 & 2
College algebra
Calc 1
Statistics 1
General Psych
Ethics
Social Problems
Biology 1 & 2
General Chem 1 & 2
Organic Chem 1 & 2
BioChem 1 & 2
Wellness 1 & 2
Medical Terminology
Introduction to Microcomputers
General Physics 1 & 2
1 year of history
Introduction to Sociology
World Religion
AIDS/HIV and the Healthcare Worker
Issues in Science and Religion
General Microbiology
U.S. Healthcare Systems
Literature and Fine Arts
Aging and Society
Introduction to Epidemiology
Genetic
and the rest are electives

Any suggestions on what I should add or remove?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I am wondering what classes I will need to take for a better chance in getting into a top med school, if I should just take the minimum required classes or what? Here is a list of the classes I have in mind for my Biomedical Sciences Degree

English 1 & 2 Highly recommend, likely a GER( general education requirement)
Speech Recommend
Humanities 1 & 2 Sure, if you need it to grad or like humanities.
College algebra Do you need it or have you placed in different math?
Calc 1 Recommend if good at math, also might be a requirement for major.
Statistics 1 Highly recommend.
General Psych Highly recommend.
Ethics Recommended, highly recommended if you need to grad.
Social Problems Eh, only if you need it to grad.
Biology 1 & 2 Obviously
General Chem 1 & 2 Obviously
Organic Chem 1 & 2 Obviously
BioChem 1 & 2 Recommended
Wellness 1 & 2 Recommend only if for GER
Medical Terminology Eh, recommend
Introduction to Microcomputers Only if for GER
General Physics 1 & 2 Obviously
1 year of history If for GER
Introduction to Sociology Highly recommend
World Religion Recommend if for GER
AIDS/HIV and the Healthcare Worker Only if your interested or for GER
Issues in Science and Religion Only if for GER
General Microbiology Highly recommend
U.S. Healthcare Systems Only if interested or GER
Literature and Fine Arts Recommended
Aging and Society Only if your interested or GER
Introduction to Epidemiology somewhat recommend
Genetic Recommended
and the rest are electives

Any suggestions on what I should add or remove?

Well those are my opinions on your classes. Basically my advice is check your general education/ core requirements for graduation. Cut back on taking excessive amounts GER classes just to the point where you're still going to be able to graduate and still taking interesting classes.

 

[Jmukhalian]

English 1 & 2 - Is required

College algebra - I tried to test out of it but they require you get a 100% on the test to pass I got a 97...

Calc 1 - Not good at math but req lol
Statistics 1 - Was recommended to me
General Psych
Ethics
Social Problems - was the only interesting class under the list given
Wellness 1 & 2 - Required
Introduction to Microcomputers - Required for degree
1 year of history - Oddly required for degree
World Religion- Required for degree
AIDS/HIV and the Healthcare Worker- Required for degree
Issues in Science and Religion- Required for degree
U.S. Healthcare Systems- Required for degree
Aging and Society- Required for degree
Introduction to Epidemiology- Required for degree
Genetic- Required for degree
and the rest are electives

Calc 1 is the minimum requirement for Med school I was wondering if I should take calc 2 or would it even make that much of a difference?

 

[2050vlsb]

I went through my undergrad with the mindset that I wanted to go to some medical school, ANY medical school that would take me .. so our philosophies might vary quite a bit.

If you're shooting for an acceptance at one of the super competitive, high GPA/MCAT schools, my only suggestion is that you research your classes ahead of time, including the difficulty of the material and the professor, and plan your schedule accordingly so you're stacking some of your harder classes with easier classes .. I personally was a little cavalier with taking a bunch of very difficult classes together, and my GPA paid for it. I got the same advice (tho a little too late) from a friend who graduated from Berkeley with a 3.9, currently at UCSD Med, if that offers some justification

And it seems like you have a fair amount of humanities/general ED classes on your list. Again, this will probably depend on you, but I would recommend keeping your courseload balanced and adding in humanities. Beyond the fact that it might help bolster your cGPA, a lot of the reading and writing you're required to do in those classes will probably help with your MCAT verbal and personal statement .. writing, unlike ochem, isn't something you can cram for. Plus, almost every school I've applied to has mentioned they like to see diversity in your educational experience, aka four years of science classes may not be the best

G'luck!

 

[solicitous]

I am wondering what classes I will need to take for a better chance in getting into a top med school, if I should just take the minimum required classes or what? Here is a list of the classes I have in mind for my Biomedical Sciences Degree

English 1 & 2
Speech
Humanities 1 & 2
College algebra
Calc 1
Statistics 1
General Psych
Ethics
Social Problems
Biology 1 & 2
General Chem 1 & 2
Organic Chem 1 & 2
BioChem 1 & 2
Wellness 1 & 2
Medical Terminology
Introduction to Microcomputers
General Physics 1 & 2
1 year of history
Introduction to Sociology
World Religion
AIDS/HIV and the Healthcare Worker
Issues in Science and Religion
General Microbiology
U.S. Healthcare Systems
Literature and Fine Arts
Aging and Society
Introduction to Epidemiology
Genetic
and the rest are electives

Any suggestions on what I should add or remove?

I've always thought of Wellness as a class that future PE teachers have to take, but that's just me(Plus, at my school they have a "lab" for that class)

I wouldn't take college algebra unless it's been a while since you took algebra II in high school or just really don't understand algebra. Just go to pre-cal(if you never took it in high school) or cal to save time.

Also, I don't think you can take college algebra and get into calculus I unless you take a CLEP test to get a pre-cal credit.

The courses I put in bold are the ones I think would be most helpful. The underlined and italicized are ones that might be helpful, but only if you're interested(I wouldn't take them unless they were part of some graduation requirement from your school or if I was interested) and only take the rest if you're interested in them or they're part of a graduation requirement.

I think inorganic chemistry, immunology, general physiology, cell and molecular biology, or quantitative analysis might be helpful or interesting.

 

[armybound]

I think admission to a top school is going to be based more on what you do outside of classes than which classes you take (assuming a 4.0 or close regardless of which classes you take).

From what I've read, your top schools are looking for something special in a person, and that isn't based on your coursework. They're looking for research, volunteering, leadership, and some "X" factor.

 

[SudLagniappe]

Calc 1 is the minimum requirement for Med school I was wondering if I should take calc 2 or would it even make that much of a difference?

Hmm, I thought only a select few med schools required Calculus?

 

[Jmukhalian]

You may be right, I just know the ones I want to apply for require it and so does my bach program

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Hmm, I thought only a select few med schools required Calculus?

Only about 15 or so require calc. Most require simply college level mathmatics, I'd see it much more fit to take statistics and biostatistics.