Do I need to take physiology?

[Skittsie13]

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I'm a sophomore who is planning to take the MCAT at the end of this upcoming summer. I will have all of my prereqs complete by the end of the spring semester.

I go to a small liberal arts college and our prereqs work differently than most schools. We don't have an intro bio 1 and 2; instead, you take 2 of 3 specific 200-level biology classes (genetics, cell bio, and integrative physiology). I previously took genetics and I'm in cell bio now. Despite getting a 5 on AP bio, there's no way to place out of these classes, and they've mostly been incredibly boring reviews of high school. This makes me really reluctant to take physiology, since it's "integrative" (i.e. not focused on humans), it won't count for my major unlike cell and genetics did, and I don't want to review high school a third time. I've looked over the MCAT topics and the physiology ones seem topics I've seen before, but it's been awhile and I would definitely need to review the topics myself this summer to do well.

Is a physiology course that helpful for the MCAT, even if it's a refresher? I'm sure it would be useful but I'm not sure if it would be useful enough to sacrifice my time. I'm already planning on taking French literature, sociology, physics 2 and inorganic chemistry (my school also doesn't have the traditional chem 1 and 2 and so this is the substitute for chem 2). I've also heard that biochem is useful but I don't really have room for it either, but I will make room if it's going to make a difference on my MCAT score.

Thank you 🙂

 

[natti101]

Well technically the only reason to take it is because it makes MCAT studying easier (since you will already have a good handle on it). Taking any course does not make a difference on your MCAT score - it just makes your MCAT studying easier. You will be reviewing all of the content for the MCAT anyways.

 

[487806]

I'm a sophomore who is planning to take the MCAT at the end of this upcoming summer. I will have all of my prereqs complete by the end of the spring semester.

I go to a small liberal arts college and our prereqs work differently than most schools. We don't have an intro bio 1 and 2; instead, you take 2 of 3 specific 200-level biology classes (genetics, cell bio, and integrative physiology). I previously took genetics and I'm in cell bio now. Despite getting a 5 on AP bio, there's no way to place out of these classes, and they've mostly been incredibly boring reviews of high school. This makes me really reluctant to take physiology, since it's "integrative" (i.e. not focused on humans), it won't count for my major unlike cell and genetics did, and I don't want to review high school a third time. I've looked over the MCAT topics and the physiology ones seem topics I've seen before, but it's been awhile and I would definitely need to review the topics myself this summer to do well.

Is a physiology course that helpful for the MCAT, even if it's a refresher? I'm sure it would be useful but I'm not sure if it would be useful enough to sacrifice my time. I'm already planning on taking French literature, sociology, physics 2 and inorganic chemistry (my school also doesn't have the traditional chem 1 and 2 and so this is the substitute for chem 2). I've also heard that biochem is useful but I don't really have room for it either, but I will make room if it's going to make a difference on my MCAT score.
Thank you 🙂

Physiology definitely helps but is no means a necessary prereqs. Prep books are enough

 

[Person0715]

Well technically the only reason to take it is because it makes MCAT studying easier (since you will already have a good handle on it). Taking any course does not make a difference on your MCAT score - it just makes your MCAT studying easier. You will be reviewing all of the content for the MCAT anyways.

Agreed. Taking a physio course is definitely helpful because it makes studying physio the second time around.

 

[ZeaL6]

I definitely would. I don't know about you but my gen bio courses hardly touched physiology. It really depends on how well gen bio prepared you. I personally feel like it would be pretty hard to learn all of the systems for the first time around for the MCAT.