Done with pre-req's what else should I take?

[harkkam]

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I am an econ major and I am finished with all my pre-reqs for med school, and was wondering what upper level courses should I take that would give me an edge and show that I can handle harder level sciences.

Thank you

 

[Caesar]

Cell Bio is usually a good class to take. I thought Biochem was pretty decent as well.

Don't stress on being behind the curve or anything, med schools teach the science to you the way they want to.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Cell Bio is usually a good class to take. I thought Biochem was pretty decent as well.

Don't stress on being behind the curve or anything, med schools teach the science to you the way they want to.

I agree I would also recommend if you have the time or interest in molecular biology, genetics and physiology. These classes will be very useful for the Mcat.
I also agree that you wont be behind the curve if you dont take these classes in undergrad. You'll be walked through these things in medical school later.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

I agree I would also recommend if you have the time or interest in molecular biology, genetics and physiology. These classes will be very useful for the Mcat.

I disagree with this. The classes may be slightly useful, but probably in like one question on the BS section. Don't expect much MCAT improvement because of them.

Not really what you were asking for, but how about an ethics class or something like that? Seems like it could be a good interview topic.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I disagree with this. The classes may be slightly useful, but probably in like one question on the BS section. Don't expect much MCAT improvement because of them.

Not really what you were asking for, but how about an ethics class or something like that? Seems like it could be a good interview topic.

I actually found physio to be quite a help for the mcat, and in med school too. But yeah, the idea of taking a whole semester course as prep for the MCAT alone is a little silly. Take what interests you and those are the classes you'll remember. As an econ major with pre-med reqs you won't have too much time for other classes that make college worthwhile...some of my favorites were completely non-science related. But as far as the mcat is concerned I'd say mo-bio and physio were definitely helpful. Biochem also. Genetics, not so much.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

Any upper level biology or chemistry courses will demonstrate that you can handle hard courses. Many schools suggest that you have biochem, genetics, calculus, etc in addition to the standard one year of gen chem, o chem, bio, and physics.

I disagree with a previous post claiming that other courses (like biochem) are not helpful for MCAT preparation. When you advance through medical training you'll realize that getting the correct answer or making the right diagnosis is more about word association and pattern recognition than actually knowing the facts (though obviously important). This is why clinical experience is the bulk of medical training for doctors as well as PA's, NP's, & RN's. With that being said, taking a semester of biochem gives you 15 weeks of material exposure in addition to the usual MCAT prep. When you start medical school, all of your important learning will be based on repetition, rather than endless reading. Another benefit to taking advanced courses is that you learn the material much more in-depth, which could possibly allow you to answers questions more quickly (and more accurately) on the test.

-senior medical student / admissions committee interviewer

 

[metallica81788]

I would take something you have a genuine interest in but also shows you can handle upper levels. You like microbes, take advanced micro or microbial physiology, etc....