Classes To Take Before Med School

[Detective SnowBucket]

Hi all, I'm coming down the the end of undergrad and I've got a lil wiggle room left with what classes I could take and between the options, I'm wondering what would be most useful for medical school (having already taken the MCAT).

My potential options will be:
-Molecular Bio
-Histology
-Immunology
-Virology
-Microbio (prokaryotic to be exact)
-Human Physiology
-Neuroscience

I'm leaning towards physio and molecular or micro but tell me what you'd recommend. Of the usual candidates, I've already done a cell structure, genetics and biochem class.

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[Jdp00921]

I don't begin medical school until 2018 so I guess I couldn't be too sure, but I would assume nearly any of those classes would be really good prep for medical school. I would, however, put my vote for immunology as I have taken that and it was a really, really cool class! Definitely the most interesting of the upper levels I have taken! Histology was kind of boring for me so I would vote against that only for that reason! Good luck, whatever you choose!

 

[AttemptingScholar]

I'm not a med school student, but one I was talking to mentioned he wished he'd taken immunology so he was a least a tiny bit better prepared for it in med school.

 

[gyngyn]

Take something we don't teach in medical school.

 

[Anti-PD1]

Take something we don't teach in medical school.

So true!

If I could go back, the number one class I would take right before medical school is statistics. You'd be amazed at the paucity of statistics knowledge among medical students and doctors. And speaking more pragmatically, knowing statistics will help you immensely with research. There are droves of medical students who are 'interested in research'. A busy physician or surgeon taking you on for a retrospective study will love you if you can handle the meat and potatoes.

The only other class I can recommend is logic. Your basic philosophy 101. It helps in medicine and life. Know how to form and critique arguments.

Finally, not class, but the #1 skill to attain in college is the ability to write effectively.

 

[Goro]

Hi all, I'm coming down the the end of undergrad and I've got a lil wiggle room left with what classes I could take and between the options, I'm wondering what would be most useful for medical school (having already taken the MCAT).

My potential options will be:
-Molecular Bio
-Histology
-Immunology
-Virology
-Microbio (prokaryotic to be exact)
-Human Physiology
-Neuroscience

I'm leaning towards physio and molecular or micro but tell me what you'd recommend. Of the usual candidates, I've already done a cell structure, genetics and biochem class.

I think the best thing to do is take what interests you the most.

If you put a gun to my head, I'd rank them as:
Human Physiology
-Molecular Bio
-Neuroscience
-Histology
-Immunology
-Virology
-Microbio (prokaryotic to be exact)
-

 

[Goro]

Take something we don't teach in medical school.

Best answer ever in the history of SDN!

 

[SoppyElk]

You'll learn everything again in med school anyways, so take something fun you normally wouldn't! I wish I could take something fun right now 🙁

 

[longhaul3]

Try to learn Spanish if you don't speak it already. Otherwise take an art or music class or something. Histology is freaking miserable.

 

[LizzyM]

If you haven't already been admitted to medical school and your GPA is okay, take something we don't teach in medical school and that you will enjoy and do well in (no sense hurting your GPA even a little bit if you are going to be reapplying).

If your GPA could use some work, take something that is going to be an easy A. Taking courses that will help in medical school won't help if you don't get into medical school.

If you've been admitted to medical school, take something we don't teach in medical school. Use this last chance to take something that really interests you just for the fun of it.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Take the science courses you need to take to do well on the MCAT. Other than that, take classes that are interesting to you or you feel will enrich you in some way. These could be any type of courses, science, social sciences, humanities, arts, foreign languages, whatever. You'll be learning medicine the rest of your life, no need to do even more for it right now. This is your last chance to take classes that you get to choose.

And listen to @gyngyn if all else fails.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I'm actually going to go a different direction than many of the other experienced posters here and say take Phys. My physiology background has really paid off this first semester.

Seeing as you are wanting to take two classes I wouldn't take another science one though. Just take Phys and then something you enjoy or want to learn about.

 

[Styrene]

Hi all, I'm coming down the the end of undergrad and I've got a lil wiggle room left with what classes I could take and between the options, I'm wondering what would be most useful for medical school (having already taken the MCAT).

My potential options will be:
-Molecular Bio
-Histology
-Immunology
-Virology
-Microbio (prokaryotic to be exact)
-Human Physiology
-Neuroscience

I'm leaning towards physio and molecular or micro but tell me what you'd recommend. Of the usual candidates, I've already done a cell structure, genetics and biochem class.

Human physiology, histology or immunology would be most helpful. I took cardio-pulm-renal physio in undergrad, and it was a huge help in med school. I don't think neuroscience would have been that helpful for me, but that may vary by medical school. Molecular biology could be helpful. I took Micro in undergrad and found it didn't help much for medical school microbiology.