Disadvantaged because of my classes I took?

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toddgurley

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I'm looking through MSAR and a lot of schools have competencies and/or highly recommended courses to take. For example, UCLA's website "highly recommend" Spanish but I have already taken Russian as my foreign language because it's the one I am more passionate about (I already speak a southeast asian minority language). Likewise, other schools mention things like cell biology. immunology etc. but I have only so many more classes to take for my upper division and my passion makes me much rather take conservation biology, aquatic ecology, other macro-bio courses. Is it disadvantage that I'm taking these courses, I mean they are upper division science courses as well if that reconciliates anything.

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Will your specific educational course work being different than recommended from schools make you less competitive than other applicants?

The answer is mostly no. AAMC data shows that some non-biological majors do better than biology majors and presumely many of these applicants have few, if any recommended courses

https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf

Why are pre-meds often biology majors?
 
As long as you're doing well in your courses, and can display the competencies med schools want, it doesn't matter what you take.

I'm looking through MSAR and a lot of schools have competencies and/or highly recommended courses to take. For example, UCLA's website "highly recommend" Spanish but I have already taken Russian as my foreign language because it's the one I am more passionate about (I already speak a southeast asian minority language). Likewise, other schools mention things like cell biology. immunology etc. but I have only so many more classes to take for my upper division and my passion makes me much rather take conservation biology, aquatic ecology, other macro-bio courses. Is it disadvantage that I'm taking these courses, I mean they are upper division science courses as well if that reconciliates anything.
 
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Why are pre-meds often biology majors?
Not sure if you're serious or not, but, because the major overlaps the majority of the pre-requisites courses.
 
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And why has the "classic" series of prerequisite courses been such a fixture in premedical studies in this country for 100 years?
My state school requires the first year of biology. I'm planning to omit it in favor of taking many advanced micro/cellular/molecular biology classes along with some bio-systems engineering courses. Do you think I could get by? Should I send them a letter or try to get a phone call in come application time? Or do I really have to take introductory biology? Cause you're kind of hinting that I might be okay... and I'd like to know.
 
I am hinting nothing of the kind. Here are a few samples of schools that do not permit substitution. I will add there are many schools that noted in detail that Biochem could substitute for Ochem II but do not mention any other substitutions from their lists. That would imply it is the only course they regularly allow substitution for.

http://www.upstate.edu/com/admissions/faqs.php
Can other science courses like Organic Chemistry II or Microbiology be used to complete your prerequisites?
No. We will not accept any other science courses as substitutions for our required prerequisites.

http://admissions.med.ufl.edu/faq/#organic
Q: I took Organic I and Organic II. You have a Biochemistry requirement. Can’t I substitute Organic II for the Biochemistry?
A:
There are no substitutes for the prerequisite courses. You can apply, receive a secondary application, interview and even be accepted without taking Biochemistry. However, you will not matriculate without the course.

http://www.med.unc.edu/admit/requirements-1/academic-requirements
Substitutions are not acceptable for any of the required courses, and the science course work should be taken in a seated class.

http://ssom.luc.edu/admission/
1 academic year of general chemistry, general biology, general physics, and organic chemistry--all with laboratory (biochemistry can be substituted for part of the organic requirement) Please note: Advanced Placement credits are acceptable to fulfill requirements, however, we recommend applicants to complete additional science courses to maintain their science knowledge.


http://admissions.med.wayne.edu/application/index.php
Specific coursework is required for admission. In unusual instances and at the discretion of the Admission Committee, you may be granted a waiver for certain course requirements, provided you have an exceptional academic record. Waivers must be requested in writing at the time of your application.
Understood. If I wanted to ask my state school specifically, would it be best to write, email, or call?
 
1 semester General Zoology/Biology with Laboratory
1 semester Genetics, Cellular Biology, or Molecular Biology
2 semesters General Chemistry
2 semesters Organic Chemistry
2 semesters Physics
3 semesters Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology, or Humanities
2 semesters English

These are required. They say that with AP credit, a higher level course in the subject will do. I'm hoping that my engineering science classes would count towards a physics semester. I'll have the semester of cellular/molecular biology, but will not have the semester of general zoology/biology with laboratory. I'll be taking some microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, and bio-systems engineering courses along with my main chemical engineering course load.
 
BTW, as I mentioned someone earlier this week, do not assume that substitutions for AP fulfilled prereqs can be used by those who do not have AP credits. I would also suggest that physics, which is part of BCPM, may not be replaced by engineering, non-BCPM, at some schools
The school allows the substitutions for AP fulfilled prereqs.

I have completed physics 2. I have AP credit for physics 1. I'm taking many engineering and engineering science classes (I'd argue that my statics class was a specialized version of physics 1). You think they wouldn't accept it?

Also, I have AP credit for 1 semester of introductory biology. Rather than a higher level biology course offered by my school's biology department. I'll be taking many higher level courses offered by the microbiology department. My courses would be labeled microbiology. Do you think this would work?
 
Does the school have an across the board AP substitution policy? what school is it?
The school is OU; I don't know if it has an "across the board AP substitution policy."
 
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