Do you actually like your premed courses?

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Optimus Lime

Optimus Lime

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Just curious how many of you actually enjoy them. I really disliked chemistry, and biology was interesting but it just seemed like boring rote memorization to me. I like science and read about these subjects in my free time, but the way it was presented in my academic setting just didn't fare well with me.

I took a condensed human anatomy class before and thoroughly enjoyed that, but I hated the rote memorization parts of that. I liked learning the concepts, like how things work, but I hated having to learn all the specific words for things. I guess I don't like the specificity of the classes with a lot of information to process.
 
Optimus Lime said:
Just curious how many of you actually enjoy them. I really disliked chemistry, and biology was interesting but it just seemed like boring rote memorization to me. I like science and read about these subjects in my free time, but the way it was presented in my academic setting just didn't fare well with me.

I took a condensed human anatomy class before and thoroughly enjoyed that, but I hated the rote memorization parts of that. I liked learning the concepts, like how things work, but I hated having to learn all the specific words for things. I guess I don't like the specificity of the classes with a lot of information to process.
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I absolutely loved organic, that was the best class. Literally, out of all the classes I've taken, through two bachelors degrees and an MS, I had the most fun in a postbac organic chemistry class. Also enjoy A&P.
 
Optimus Lime said:
Just curious how many of you actually enjoy them. I really disliked chemistry, and biology was interesting but it just seemed like boring rote memorization to me. I like science and read about these subjects in my free time, but the way it was presented in my academic setting just didn't fare well with me.

I took a condensed human anatomy class before and thoroughly enjoyed that, but I hated the rote memorization parts of that. I liked learning the concepts, like how things work, but I hated having to learn all the specific words for things. I guess I don't like the specificity of the classes with a lot of information to process.
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I do, yes. Honestly, some of it is superficial in the sense that I go out of my way to find it interesting. I try to process the information in ways that make it interesting, and every now and then I'll throw in a "It's just so unreal that the universe made everything work this way through a non-random selection of bjillions of random variables, omg my brain is essploding, we are decorated tubes with appendages and so is everything else but we're the only tubes that can label this wtf" just to force my brain to add some significance to it.

Rote memorization is just a tool so that you can discuss something efficiently with other people who know the same information. I try to avoid it for the most part by understanding concepts that the little facts fit in, but some facts require it and I make it interesting by making sure my brain understands the importance of it before I memorize it.
 
Optimus Lime said:
Just curious how many of you actually enjoy them. I really disliked chemistry, and biology was interesting but it just seemed like boring rote memorization to me. I like science and read about these subjects in my free time, but the way it was presented in my academic setting just didn't fare well with me.

I took a condensed human anatomy class before and thoroughly enjoyed that, but I hated the rote memorization parts of that. I liked learning the concepts, like how things work, but I hated having to learn all the specific words for things. I guess I don't like the specificity of the classes with a lot of information to process.
Click to expand...

Doctor: "Well, the good news is that I conceptually understand the disease process that is ravaging your body."
Patient: "That's great!"
Doctor: "But the bad news is that I don't really do 'memorization' per say. So...I have no idea what the disease is called or how to treat it."
Patient: "That's cool, man. As long as you understand what's going on."
 
Learn to like memorizing stuff. If medical school is what you want to do, this is a skill that you are going to need over and over. I learned that drawing things on a whiteboard and using a ton of colored notecards is what makes memorizing information for me easier and more enjoyable.

My Pre-med courses are what helped to draw me in to medicine. So yeah, I loved them, except for the chemistries. My favorite undergrad classes so far have been Orgo II, Genetics, Mechanisms of Human Disease, Cellular Microbiology and Disease, and Quantum Physics.
 
the gen chem sequence is BY far my favorite set of courses I have taken so far in college... I also really liked anatomy (but I was lucky enough that my school offers a cadaver lab for undergrads to accompany anatomy lecture which made it even cooler)

I still haven't taken intro bio and physics... so I am waiting to see what happens with those
 
I loved almost every bio class I took. I was a bio major so I guess that makes sense. I thought organic was really fun, as well. Physcis and gen chem sucked pretty bad.
 
Straight up, as far as classes go in general? Yeah, I did. I actually can't think of a bad one.
 
I've only taken chem 1 and 2 but I've loved both of em... Favorite classes so far
 
I loved organic chemistry so much I actually took two extra classes for it. Had I enjoyed the lab portion (I absolutely hated it), I might have considered a career in research.

I wasn't a big fan of general biology but I enjoyed a lot of the upper division bio courses I took. Especially development and genetics.

Physics I hate with a passion.
 
Organic Chemistry and Electromagnetism have been the most enjoyable.
 
General Chemistry: Loathed vehemently
Biology: Meh, I could take it or leave it
Physics: Enjoyed the concepts, wasn't into the class itself though
Organic Chemistry: LOVED IT
 
I have liked them all, but I haven't taken O-chem (next semester). My favorite has been Physics and Bio.
 
I loved physics. Having taken it in High school really helped me understand everything quicker. Chem and Bio were ok. I hated orgo!!
 
dmf2682 said:
I absolutely loved organic, that was the best class. Literally, out of all the classes I've taken, through two bachelors degrees and an MS, I had the most fun in a postbac organic chemistry class. Also enjoy A&P.
Click to expand...

I don't know why, but organic just clicked for me. I could visualize the 3D structures in my head and I thoroughly enjoyed the critical thinking aspect of it.
 
Bio1: Disliked 50% of it, molecular bio was meh and a lot of crap was not clear.
Bio2: Loved it. Evolutionary biology is the best.
Gen Chem 1: Eh, didn't hate it.
Gen Chem 2: Actually learned what it means to study.
Orgo 1: So So.
Orgo 2: Loved it.
Physics 1: It was alright.
Physics 2: The **** am I learning?

So yah, the pre-reqs are kinda boring and not fun at all. Upper level biology courses like physiology, neurophysiology, etc were however amazing.
 
Yes, I like science and the prereqs are mostly science so this makes me happy. Although I like the classes themselves, I DON'T like taking them because with all the other "premed" stuff I'm doing I barely have time to sleep / breathe. =/ So basically the answer would yes except I have to do way too much other stuff.
 
MossyFiber said:
Although I like the classes themselves, I DON'T like taking them because with all the other "premed" stuff I'm doing I barely have time to sleep / breathe. =/ So basically the answer would yes except I have to do way too much other stuff.
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Well put. I liked Orgo and Physics, and Math and Bio were all right.
 
Initially, I don't know what the hell I was doing. Only liked chem 1 because the instructor was pretty good.

Now I wish I could do them over again.
 
Praefectus said:
I don't know why, but organic just clicked for me. I could visualize the 3D structures in my head and I thoroughly enjoyed the critical thinking aspect of it.
Click to expand...

I attribute my success in that part of organic to using 3d visualization computer programs (ie cad) in my job. Designing 3d parts, running cfd and post processing the 3d aerodynamic results makes little molecules childsplay by comparison. Can't wait to get my hands on a computer model of the human body!
 
orgo was so fun i decided to take all the advanced chemistry courses
 
Optimus Lime said:
I really disliked chemistry, and biology was interesting but it just seemed like boring rote memorization to me. I like science and read about these subjects in my free time...
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, biology is great, but...

purity.png


Although I am seriously considering some MD/PhD programs, I'm not entirely sure. It is fortunate that I will also need at least some of the pre-reqs if I choose to go on a different path.
 
I like where the classes will get me more than I do the classes themselves.
 
I feel like it's ok to not like your pre-med classes. As long as it doesn't affect your grades
 
I liked them all except General Chemistry II. I FREAKING HATED that class and the professor was pure evil.😀
 
bio was incredibly boring
chem was chill, loved my professor
so far physics is my favorite, easy A plus 5 credit hour class = 👍 gpa
if i had the drive id probably major physics.... but nahhh😎
 
Anatomy & physio was by far my favorite class out of ANY class I have taken. I'd take it a million times if I could. Granted, my professor was AMAZING and we got to go to a cadaver lab and play around a little bit, but the human body fascinates me.

My gen biology class was more ecology than anything. Probably why I hated it and did so poorly in it the first time around... (obviously retaking). Biology interests me when it's NOT ecology.

Still haven't gotten around to any kind of physics yet, but I'll be seeing a lot of it in my radiography program. I also kind of suck at chem, but do find it interesting. I'll be retaking chem also. I've heard orgo was a pain.
 
As an undergrad, I had no intention of going to med school. I was a molecular biology major out of pure interest in the subject, which required that I take all of the "pre-med" prereqs anyhow, and for the most part, I enjoyed them. Notable exceptions were most of physics and the physics labs, and that devil orgo lab.
 
nalcodr said:
bio was incredibly boring
chem was chill, loved my professor
so far physics is my favorite, easy A plus 5 credit hour class = 👍 gpa
if i had the drive id probably major physics.... but nahhh😎
Click to expand...

Same here, I had an amazing physics professor
 
Pre-med reqs are all interesting

But my stupid city school requires us to take liberal arts crap....blehh. fuking history of art? wtf...
 
Liked all of them, except for Organic Lab. They were tough, but I enjoyed learning the material.
Also, the pre-med courses are part of my major, and I like my major a lot, I would have probably taken them regardless of med school.

Not to say I didn't want to throw my ochem book out of the library on occasions...many occasions. I just liked the material a lot.

Looking back, Physics I/II and Organic I were probably the most worthwhile ones for me. Setting up basic integrals in physics II were fun on the occasions that I knew what I was doing. 😛 I was not a fan of Gen Chem II, and Organic II though.
 
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Optimus Lime said:
Just curious how many of you actually enjoy them. I really disliked chemistry, and biology was interesting but it just seemed like boring rote memorization to me. I like science and read about these subjects in my free time, but the way it was presented in my academic setting just didn't fare well with me.

I took a condensed human anatomy class before and thoroughly enjoyed that, but I hated the rote memorization parts of that. I liked learning the concepts, like how things work, but I hated having to learn all the specific words for things. I guess I don't like the specificity of the classes with a lot of information to process.
Click to expand...

I love bio! Chemistry is the devil and I stand by that
 
Gen chem: get me the hell outta here
O Chem: awesome and actually interesting
Physics: cool as well, but math makes it meh. Concepts are cool
Bio: best so far
 
Interesting replies so far. It appears everybody here liked at least one of the courses. I wasn't sure (and still am not sure) if disliking certain premed courses is indicative of not being suited for such a field. I talked to my med student friends and they don't think it is, but they did like at least one or two of the courses.

I understand the bulk of information is taught in the same manner (tons of rote memorization), but the material isn't quite the same. Learning xylem, and phloem (yuck), and about animal and plants won't exactly be the crux of med school. There won't be any heavy math of chemistry either.

It almost seems like the premed courses are simply foundational for understanding the later concepts (if this part is even true), and they're simply difficult classes to weed out the lazy students and the lesser intelligent ones.
 
I had an extreme hatred for biology; loved chemistry, though.
 
I pretty much like them all. Favorites include: chemistry, calculus, and microbiology.

However, there is one class that I despised. Not because it was difficult, but because it was mind-numbing! STATISTICS!

"OKAY EVERYONE, LETS REFER TO OUR Z-STAT CHARTS!"

Two-sample z-tests with confidence intervals... fail to reject the null hypothesis.... boring stuff, IMO.
 
Chip Chipperson said:
I pretty much like them all. Favorites include: chemistry, calculus, and microbiology.

However, there is one class that I despised. Not because it was difficult, but because it was mind-numbing! STATISTICS!

"OKAY EVERYONE, LETS REFER TO OUR Z-STAT CHARTS!"
Click to expand...
Saying you enjoy chemistry and calculus is one thing, but to hate on statistics too! Man, you just crossed the line.
 
Charles Darwin said:
Saying you enjoy chemistry and calculus is one thing, but to hate on statistics too! Man, you just crossed the line.
Click to expand...

I'm not even that good at calculus or chemistry compared to some of my gifted classmates, but the concepts were so much more stimulating than those in statistics IMO. I guess the probability stuff was kind of cool. Kind of.
 
xXIDaShizIXx said:
I liked them all except General Chemistry II. I FREAKING HATED that class and the professor was pure evil.😀
Click to expand...

yeah..... not a big fan of gen chem 2. not a big fan of math... not a big fan of physics... i did like most of bio 2 though (dissections and some A/P)!
 
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