Does Microbiology count as a semester of biology?

[DoctorCopper]

Some background on my prerequisites...

General Chemistry: completed 1 year
Organic Chemistry: completed 1 year
Biology: One semester completed (covered cell structure, function, respiration, photosynthesis, genetics, cell reproduction, evolution, and ecology)

I have the chance to take microbiology this summer, which is a class I am very interested in taking. Would this class be acceptable for a semester of biology to most medical schools, and will it be helpful to me on the MCAT?

I would like to spend all of next year covering physics because of my busy work schedule, so taking microbiology this summer would be very helpful.

Thank you in advance for the help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[twoinone]

Some background on my prerequisites...

General Chemistry: completed 1 year
Organic Chemistry: completed 1 year
Biology: One semester completed (covered cell structure, function, respiration, photosynthesis, genetics, cell reproduction, evolution, and ecology)

I have the chance to take microbiology this summer, which is a class I am very interested in taking. Would this class be acceptable for a semester of biology to most medical schools, and will it be helpful to me on the MCAT?

I would like to spend all of next year covering physics because of my busy work schedule, so taking microbiology this summer would be very helpful.

Thank you in advance for the help.

Yes, microbiology can be used for a semester of bio at most, if not all, places.

 

[DoctorCopper]

Thanks twoinone! That was a quick reply.

 

[Artimacia]

It probably can be, just make sure to check with advisors or something (atleast in order to complete your degree) because at my school bio 1 and 2 is required and microbiology is also required.

 

[DoctorCopper]

Thanks artimacia,

I don't think it will be a problem for my major since I'm not a raw science major. Just a student trying to complete the requirements! Good luck with everything.

 

[DoctorCopper]

Does anyone have an idea of how much microbiology will help on the MCAT?

 

[RySerr21]

Does anyone have an idea of how much microbiology will help on the MCAT?

For most med schools microbiology will be fine, for some it will not. So you need to double check with the ones you are applying to because some are specific on the fact that they want GENERAL biology...courses like cellular molecular, zoology, etc. For these schools, a microbiology course wont count. You should be alright for most of the schools you apply to, but sitll worth looking in to. I was trying to get out of taking zoology, but it turned out enough schools wouldndt accept my anatomy course as the other bio requirement that I just took zoology so as not to have any future problems. Worst case scenario you take a class you were intersted in that doesnt count towards your bio pre reqs.

Microbiology is not stressed (maybe not even tested) on the MCAT. If you do have a microbiology question, it will be related to a passage that has all the info necessary to answer the question.

 

[Artimacia]

From what I've heard, microbio isn't really covered on the MCAT (I was going to take it this fall but decided to push it till spring (planning to take mcat in jan.)

 

[Charles English]

at my school, the prereqs for taking microbiology are BIO1 and 2 and Orgo 1. interesting.


but, if you can take it in lieu of a different bio class....do it. i loved micro. coolest bio class ever.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Does anyone have an idea of how much microbiology will help on the MCAT?

A super small amount of micro is tested.

 

[rockaction]

Upper level classes count for the biology pre-reqs. But before you graduate you're going to take more than 2 biology classes, right?

And micro is helpful for the MCAT, but not as much as genetics or phys.

 

[Kaustikos]

Does anyone have an idea of how much microbiology will help on the MCAT?

very little. But it's micro-****ing-biology, the second coolest course next to immunology.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Lac-Operon. Something you'll suffer through in undergrad and again while studying for the molecular bio subjects on Step 1.

As for something that is heavily tested on the MCAT make sure you know all of the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. (Generally something that is in the first few chapters of the Micro text). Also, learn the biochemistry well.

Side bar: Micro is my favorite subject of all of undergrad and med school. (Hence my username). If anything, undergrad General Micro is just something to get you to change your perspective about microbes and how important they are. Medical Micro (I also took in undergrad) is a different perspective in learning the relationship humans have with the microbes inside their body while General Micro is everything about all the diversity of microbes which can be dry at times but it will certainly help if you can identify gram positive and gram negative organisms and try to correlate it with something that will be important for medicine.

 

[Kaustikos]

Lac-Operon. Something you'll suffer through in undergrad and again while studying for the molecular bio subjects on Step 1.

As for something that is heavily tested on the MCAT make sure you know all of the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. (Generally something that is in the first few chapters of the Micro text). Also, learn the biochemistry well.

If you don't know this by the time you study for the MCAT.....