Do I need to keep proving myself with upper-level biology classes?

[ligand]

I'm a freshman biology major who got A's this semester in both Evolution and Molecular Biology, with a 98/100 on the MB final. Neither of these courses is typically taken by freshmen. I am also working in a biophysics lab and a cellular biology lab.

I realized this semester I don't particularly enjoy biology courses and am considering switching to a business major. I was told that classes like cellular biology and physiology aren't that useful for the MCAT, so if I switched I probably won't be taking any more biology other than biochemistry my junior year.

Would this be advisable? Or, will I find more advanced classes like cancer biology, immunology, etc. more fun? I am not looking to do an MD-PhD.

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[Catalystik]

I'm a freshman biology major who got A's this semester in both Evolution and Molecular Biology, with a 98/100 on the MB final. Neither of these courses is typically taken by freshmen. I am also working in a biophysics lab and a cellular biology lab.

I realized this semester I don't particularly enjoy biology courses and am consider switching to a business major. I was told that classes like cellular biology and physiology aren't that useful for the MCAT, so if I switched I probably won't be taking any more biology other than biochemistry my junior year.

Would this be advisable? Or, will I find more advanced classes like cancer biology, immunology, etc. more fun? I am not looking to do an MD-PhD.

If you ace the prerequisites and do well on the MCAT, you don't necessarily NEED to take upper-level Bio, but some schools require or recommend that some be taken, and it's arguable whether some of them might help with the MCAT. Considering that Physiology, Immunology, etc are med school like classes, wouldn't you like to know before you start med school if you have an affinity for such coursework?

 

[Freakfarm0]

I'm a freshman biology major who got A's this semester in both Evolution and Molecular Biology, with a 98/100 on the MB final. Neither of these courses is typically taken by freshmen. I am also working in a biophysics lab and a cellular biology lab.

I realized this semester I don't particularly enjoy biology courses and am considering switching to a business major. I was told that classes like cellular biology and physiology aren't that useful for the MCAT, so if I switched I probably won't be taking any more biology other than biochemistry my junior year.

Would this be advisable? Or, will I find more advanced classes like cancer biology, immunology, etc. more fun? I am not looking to do an MD-PhD.

Just be sure to meet all the pre-reqs for all the schools you want to apply to.

Take what you want to take. Its your last chance to have that freedom (if you choose to go to medical school).

 

[TheShaker]

In my experience, lower division Biology courses such as the ones you mentioned are boring as heck. Upper division Biology is where it gets interesting.

In my opinion, it helped greatly for the MCAT. It really gives you a huge bank of reference knowledge that just can't be covered in a review book.

 

[ligand]

OK, I will stick to biology and take lots of upper-level classes. I am planning to take the MCAT after sophomore year (i.e. after two more semesters of courses). What biology classes should I take? So far I have done genetics and molecular biology, and plan on cell bio and A&P. Microbiology? Immunology?

 

[MDschoolorbust]

Biochemistry is one of the most useful Bio classes I've ever taken. Go with that one.

 

[ligand]

Biochemistry is one of the most useful Bio classes I've ever taken. Go with that one.

I haven't taken organic chemistry, though. Orgo 2 is a prereq for biochemistry at my school. If I waited until after Orgo 2, I wouldn't be able to take it before the MCAT. Should I try to take it concurrently with Orgo 2?

 

[MDschoolorbust]

I haven't taken organic chemistry, though. Orgo 2 is a prereq for biochemistry at my school. If I waited until after Orgo 2, I wouldn't be able to take it before the MCAT. Should I try to take it concurrently with Orgo 2?

If you can I would take them together. It would be a hard semester but I think Orgo 1 would be sufficient.

 

[luke587]

I really enjoyed anatomy and physiology, got a B+ in anatomy and an A in physiology which helped out my two B's in regular intro bio classes from freshman year. I'll take probably two more for my major but we'll see. Anyways id recommend A&P for sure

 

[hmockingbird]

I'd recommend taking more but it doesn't mean you have to be a bio major if you're not really into it. Maybe you could do a bio minor and another major that you are interested in.

I am an English major and I took genetics*, biochem*, anatomy*, biostats, and physiology. The * ones were all either "highly recommended" or required by the med schools I applied to. I took biostats instead of Calc II as I needed another math course.

 

[ligand]

I'd recommend taking more but it doesn't mean you have to be a bio major if you're not really into it. Maybe you could do a bio minor and another major that you are interested in.

I am an English major and I took genetics*, biochem*, anatomy*, biostats, and physiology. The * ones were all either "highly recommended" or required by the med schools I applied to. I took biostats instead of Calc II as I needed another math course.

I think this sounds like the best compromise. I am thinking about majoring in statistics (or something quantitative and applied) and then just picking up biology and chemistry minors.

 

[ruiner]

haha you are very easy to persuade.

business is fine if thats what you're interested in, you done really need upper level bio classes. i think a lot of schools like a human genetics class though so if you have something like that. i also thought biochem helped a lot for the mcat but i took it like 3-4 years ago already so take that with a grain of salt. what is reasoning for taking after sophomore year and not waiting until christmas break of junior year and get another semester in? just in case you want to retake?

 

[ligand]

haha you are very easy to persuade.

business is fine if thats what you're interested in, you done really need upper level bio classes. i think a lot of schools like a human genetics class though so if you have something like that. i also thought biochem helped a lot for the mcat but i took it like 3-4 years ago already so take that with a grain of salt. what is reasoning for taking after sophomore year and not waiting until christmas break of junior year and get another semester in? just in case you want to retake?

The molecular biology class was half genetics, half MB. That's the standard course at our school and the one recommended for students here by medical schools.

And yes, I want to be able to retake (while having 6 months or so to improve) without being late for the next cycle. If I take it Dec. 2013 and score lower than needed, I'd be balancing a tougher junior-year schedule with ~5 free months for preparation in addition to choosing schools, AMCAS stuff, writing secondaries, etc. I'd rather have it done early. Additionally, you can't make the right school choices without an MCAT score on hand. I'd be ballparking, and most likely I'd be inclined to aim high (top 20). So if I failed the second time around, that's a wasted cycle. Basically it would be bad planning.

But, I don't know how useful being "prepared for a retake" is. With the correct kind of practice, real scores come out to within ~2 of an AAMC average. The only way you'd get into retake territory is if your AAMC average was 29-30 and then you scored 2-3 points lower... and if my AAMC average was 29, I'd cancel my MCAT registration anyway...

I'd only have to take two more courses for the biology minor. One of them is biochemistry which I will take automatically, and the other can be something like anatomy. As I see it there are two problems with the biology major: (1) It develops no useful (employable) skills, unlike, e.g. learning how to model stochastic processes; (2) I would be taking random biology courses for no reason in my junior and senior years after finishing up the MCAT after sophomore year. Why not learn something useful with my last two years of college?

 

[ruiner]

i dont think we can help you, you have it all covered. good luck. edit: may sound a little more burnish than it is supposed to. but seriously, your planning is impeccable. keep it up and you will get in wherever you want, with or without higher level bio (i was a mathematics major so go figure)