Hardest to easiest prereqs.

[S-Mart]

If you guys could rate the med school prereqs going from hardest to easiest, I'd really appreciate it.

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[Law2Doc]

If you guys could rate the med school prereqs going from hardest to easiest, I'd really appreciate it.

That's going to depend on you and your profs more than the subject matter. Orgo is traditionally the "premed breaker" but I personally found physics to be more painful. Most people consider bio to involve the least work since it's not problem oriented.

 

[crazydiamond]

I found Organic Chem II to be the hardest. O Chem I wasn't so bad in comparison.

I found the early "weeder" classes (Into to Bio, etc) sucked, eventhough the material wasn't difficult.

In general, I found that the classes I had the most interest in were the ones I found easier (cell bio, genetics, micro, etc). I didn't find physics to be as bad as I anticipated, but I had no interest so studying was always a chore.

 

[RxnMan]

It really doesn't matter which classes are harder - if they're pre-reqs, they all have to be done before matriculating at one time or another.

 

[Funky]

I thought physics was the hardest out of the 4

 

[jochi1543]

I thought physics was the hardest out of the 4

Same here. The first one I took was also calc-based, which only amplified the pain, especially since it had been 2 years since I had finished calc at the time I took that physics class. I'm starting the second half now, this time algebra-based.

I thought Bio was easy, but the absolute easiest was Gen Chem I - total joke. I had to withdraw from Gen Chem II for medical reasons (taking it again this fall or next spring), but based on the half of the course that I had gone through by then, I'd say it's pretty easy, too.

Orgo I is pretty easy, though I'll be taking II this fall, and I'm a little wary, just because Orgo II is ALL about reactions, while only 1/2 or 2/3 of Orgo I is.

 

[Kajukenbo]

It really depends on you. I could suggest some things, however.

If math is still fresh in your mind, you may want to start with physics first. I say this because physics is extremely math intensive. Then proceed with a year of general chem.

Students have found it helpful taking introductory science courses before tackling the required science courses. For instance, some have found intro general chem and intro ochem to be very helpful because of the amount of problem solving involved. The courses are at a lower level, but you still get a good background.

You could also just sit in on the pre-req courses and do the work as if you are taking them. At the university that I attended, the classes were so large that the professors never knew who was just sitting in.

 

[punkindrublic]

ochem>bio>chem>phys

I thought physics was a cakewalk, chem was more difficult, but that mostly had to do with nearly impossible exams. Bio and ochem were hard for me because there's a lot of rote memorization which I can't stand, while phys and chem were mainly understanding concepts and applying them in unfamiliar situations.

Everyone will have a different opinion on this, it all depends on your strengths and what you find satisfying. I, for one, like a problem with a quantitative answer, thus chem and phys were all good, while bio and ochem were required more finesse and faith in the details you've memorized.

 

[Halcyon440]

Orgo II > Phys II > Bio I & II > Phys I & Orgo I > Gen Chem I & II

 

[Law2Doc]

I, for one, like a problem with a quantitative answer, thus chem and phys were all good, while bio and ochem were required more finesse and faith in the details you've memorized.

Brace yourself for med shool.

 

[MSTPbound]

Calc-based Phys II > Orgo II > Orgo I > Gen Chem II > Calc-based Physics I > Bio II > Gen Chem I > Bio I

 

[Deepa100]

The only class I had found hard was Orgo I. My prof was good but expected a lot from us for a 3 cr. class. Orgo II was a piece of cake.

 

[Orthodoc40]

These threads are interesting because they show me that not everyone finds the same things easy or difficult.

For me, hardest to easiest went:

Physics >>> Chemistry >> Organic Chemistry > Biology


But the only thing that was actually hard was physics. I loved biochem!

 

[Dave_D]

Of course this is person dependant but here’s my list in easiest to hardest

Bio I
Bio II
Chem I
Physics I
Chem II
Orgo II
Physics II
Orgo I
English I
English II

Basically everything up to and including Physics I wasn't too bad.(I had just finished taking a refresher in calc so Physics I was just applying that.) Chem II was a pain since well the professor was terrible and I taught myself out of a book. Orgo I was a pain since I had to teach myself that out of the book but since Orgo II was just applying those lessons it made that class much easier. Physics II I found harder than Physics I mostly because it was dealing with electricity, IE stuff I couldn't see happen in everyday live.(Of course when it comes to math my strength were calc and algebra. Geometry gave me problems which is why I had more trouble in Orgo and Physics II)

Finally the 2 hardest courses I found to be the English ones. (It doesn't help that the EngII prof was incredibly vague about grading and came across as a BS artist.)

 

[ShyRem]

biochem hardest. physics (yes, calc-based) easiest. Orgo was a close second for easiest.

It's all very subjective and depends on your particular talents.

 

[Te7]

It certainly depends on your prof. I would also suggest taking intro-level courses if you have concerns. Make sure you have taken and done well in the required math courses! It's so important
Ochem II was much easier than I because you have learned much of the basic language and types of thinking employed in organic, now you can learn reactions and how to synthesize things...I loved it and ended up taking the honors Ochem II after starting in intro to chemistry course two years ago. Take your time, balance your courseloads for these time consuming courses-particularly make time for Ochem I. Good luck
Gen chem II> Organic chem I>Genetics>Ochem II>physics>Gen Chem I

 

[QofQuimica]

If you guys could rate the med school prereqs going from hardest to easiest, I'd really appreciate it.

I think whatever you take first will be hardest. My first semester, I was taking linear algebra, physics, and bio. I thought they were all pretty hard. After that, everything else got easier.

 

[Dave_D]

I think whatever you take first will be hardest. My first semester, I was taking linear algebra, physics, and bio. I thought they were all pretty hard. After that, everything else got easier.

Geez Q, how'd you end up taking linear algebra that early? (I mean when I was young you had to take calc 1 & 2, then discrete math 1 & 2 before you could take linear algebra.) I will say that one can be a pain depending on the prof.

 

[MSTPbound]

Geez Q, how'd you end up taking linear algebra that early? (I mean when I was young you had to take calc 1 & 2, then discrete math 1 & 2 before you could take linear algebra.) I will say that one can be a pain depending on the prof.

Yep. I was thinking exactly the same thing?

 

[queenbee]

the least amount of studying went into gen chem 1 & 2.

more memorization in bio 1 & 2.

had to study harder for physics 1 & 2.

taking orgo 1 right now, so i can't say on those.

 

[QofQuimica]

Geez Q, how'd you end up taking linear algebra that early? (I mean when I was young you had to take calc 1 & 2, then discrete math 1 & 2 before you could take linear algebra.) I will say that one can be a pain depending on the prof.

I already had taken calculus in HS. Also, my college didn't have ironclad pre-reqs for courses. They would "suggest" that certain courses be taken before others, but in practice this wasn't usually enforced. I took several classes out of order; as long as the prof and my advisor didn't care, the school wouldn't care either. You have to understand that people routinely fail one or more classes each semester at this school; it's even built into the academic contracts that you're allowed to fail a class or two without failing the whole semester. But I passed every single class I signed up for every semester, so my advisor pretty much just signed off on whatever I wanted to take. This was very common; I knew people who would take 10, 12 classes a semester, and incomplete or fail some. As long as you passed your contract (and thus passed the semester), no one would hassle you. From what I've heard, they've cracked down and gotten stricter about people missing pre-reqs recently, but it was common to skip intro classes when I was there.

 

[PseudomonasPAO1]

Hardest to easiest:

Ochem, Physics(calc-based), Chem, Bio.

 

[ShyRem]

Q, you're not alone. When I went the first time..um.. a while ago, they gave me placement exams for math and science. I tested into advanced calc aka real analysis (which scared the bijeebers out of me), but asked to go down into linear algebra (which I hadn't formally had, but managed to place out of by some wave of a fairy wand. Either that or my grader must have had a bit too much scotch while grading my exam).

I was a good test-taker in those days. Now I doubt myself too much and obsess over details. When I went back, I took all those classes that I had placed out of, as I was fairly sure my fairy godmother had forsaken me at that point. Felt much better to actually have taken the class.... now I feel like I've at least *seen* the material.

 

[Dave_D]

I already had taken calculus in HS. Also, my college didn't have ironclad pre-reqs for courses. They would "suggest" that certain courses be taken before others, but in practice this wasn't usually enforced. I took several classes out of order; as long as the prof and my advisor didn't care, the school wouldn't care either. You have to understand that people routinely fail one or more classes each semester at this school; it's even built into the academic contracts that you're allowed to fail a class or two without failing the whole semester. But I passed every single class I signed up for every semester, so my advisor pretty much just signed off on whatever I wanted to take. This was very common; I knew people who would take 10, 12 classes a semester, and incomplete or fail some. As long as you passed your contract (and thus passed the semester), no one would hassle you. From what I've heard, they've cracked down and gotten stricter about people missing pre-reqs recently, but it was common to skip intro classes when I was there.

Wow, I know you've told us your school was different but man was your school different I mean schools always say "We want you to try new a different things" but wow, a school that really believes in that. Makes my head spin. Admittedly Discrete wasn't really a pre-req for linear but then again they still expected them in that order.

 

[Dave_D]

Q, you're not alone. When I went the first time..um.. a while ago, they gave me placement exams for math and science. I tested into advanced calc aka real analysis (which scared the bijeebers out of me), but asked to go down into linear algebra (which I hadn't formally had, but managed to place out of by some wave of a fairy wand. Either that or my grader must have had a bit too much scotch while grading my exam).

I was a good test-taker in those days. Now I doubt myself too much and obsess over details. When I went back, I took all those classes that I had placed out of, as I was fairly sure my fairy godmother had forsaken me at that point. Felt much better to actually have taken the class.... now I feel like I've at least *seen* the material.

Now now, it's not like I didn't have placement tests. Unfortunately in my case the tests were basically worthless since the analysis was extremely lacking. (I mean I didn't test well on calc but naturally got placed into the hardest, extremely calc dependent, physics course they had. Seriously, you needed the calc to understand that physics.) Oh well, guess I shouldn't be that surprised I mean I'm talking about a school that would only get around to mentioning academic support if someone died or something. (Which btw in my case is literally true )

 

[QofQuimica]

Q, you're not alone. When I went the first time..um.. a while ago, they gave me placement exams for math and science. I tested into advanced calc aka real analysis (which scared the bijeebers out of me), but asked to go down into linear algebra (which I hadn't formally had, but managed to place out of by some wave of a fairy wand. Either that or my grader must have had a bit too much scotch while grading my exam).

I was a good test-taker in those days. Now I doubt myself too much and obsess over details. When I went back, I took all those classes that I had placed out of, as I was fairly sure my fairy godmother had forsaken me at that point. Felt much better to actually have taken the class.... now I feel like I've at least *seen* the material.

I feel ya. I never took diff eq, so when I took p chem, I had to kind of learn it as I went along. Well, it made life interesting.

 

[QofQuimica]

Wow, I know you've told us your school was different but man was your school different I mean schools always say "We want you to try new a different things" but wow, a school that really believes in that. Makes my head spin. Admittedly Discrete wasn't really a pre-req for linear but then again they still expected them in that order.

We had no grades, so there wasn't really any pressure to stay safe. There weren't any distribution requirements either; you really could take anything you wanted. If the class wasn't offered, you could set up a tutorial with one of the profs. I had classes where I was the only student sometimes.

I have to tell you that I feel for the kids who go to large state U's. I don't know how they manage to not fall through the cracks....I can't quite wrap my mind around the idea of having classes with a few hundred students in them.

 

[spicedmanna]

If you guys could rate the med school prereqs going from hardest to easiest, I'd really appreciate it.

This is probably pretty individual, but here is my personal list (from hardest to easiest):

Calculus II
Calculus I
Organic Chemistry II
Organic Chemistry I
Calculus-based Physics I
Calculus-based Physics II
General Chemistry II
General Chemistry I
Cell & Molecular Biology
General Biology I & II

Math isn't my forte, so that explains it's ranking as most difficult. While I found myself having a natural affinity towards Organic Chemistry (very interesting subject matter), my professor wanted to challenge us (which he did masterfully), so I had to do quite a bit of work. I probably worked harder for that series of classes than for most of my other classes. As a consequence, however, my knowledge of Organic Chemistry turned out to be very strong. I never liked physics and many of the concepts and problems weren't that intuitive to me. Additionally, I spent loads of time writing 5-10 page comprehensive lab reports for Physics I. General Chemistry II was a bit more challegning than General Chemistry I and Biology because of the large amount of practice problems I had to do. General Chemistry I wasn't that challenging, but still a bit less intuitive than Biology. I found Biology to be pretty easy and very intuitive.

 

[Dave_D]

We had no grades, so there wasn't really any pressure to stay safe. There weren't any distribution requirements either; you really could take anything you wanted. If the class wasn't offered, you could set up a tutorial with one of the profs. I had classes where I was the only student sometimes.

I have to tell you that I feel for the kids who go to large state U's. I don't know how they manage to not fall through the cracks....I can't quite wrap my mind around the idea of having classes with a few hundred students in them.

Wow, no kidding? Sounds like a really great way to get an education. (Since in my case about 1/3 to 1/2 of what I took were requirements in stuff I had no interest.) I had the opposite end, big private where alot of the classes were 300 kids in an auditorium and the TA actually did the real teaching. (And yes, it's really easy to fall through the cracks that way. Admittedly when you get closer to grad level courses the profs actually teach them.) Honestly you're making me jealous that I didn't go there.(Since it sounds like a real treat since I know I missed out on some courses I probably would have taken if I wasn't saddled with requirements. Guess experience has taught me a lot of lessons.) Then again, we did have a power mad dictator as president of the university. (I don't think he was exactly a happy camper after he lost the race for governer but I got a kick out of it )

 

[QofQuimica]

Wow, no kidding? Sounds like a really great way to get an education. (Since in my case about 1/3 to 1/2 of what I took were requirements in stuff I had no interest.) I had the opposite end, big private where alot of the classes were 300 kids in an auditorium and the TA actually did the real teaching. (And yes, it's really easy to fall through the cracks that way. Admittedly when you get closer to grad level courses the profs actually teach them.) Honestly you're making me jealous that I didn't go there.(Since it sounds like a real treat since I know I missed out on some courses I probably would have taken if I wasn't saddled with requirements. Guess experience has taught me a lot of lessons.) Then again, we did have a power mad dictator as president of the university. (I don't think he was exactly a happy camper after he lost the race for governer but I got a kick out of it )

The system has its plusses and its minuses. For a highly motivated student, it's amazing. You're really there to learn, and the limits on what you can learn are only set by how hard you work and your imagination. But if you're a slacker, there's a very good chance that you'll flunk out. The system is all-or-nothing; if you fail one of your contracts, you fail the entire semester even if you passed the majority of your classes. That means you get no credit for that semester whatsoever. As you can imagine, we had very high attrition, like 50%. The school tended to attract the really smart but lazy kind of kids who had so-so high school grades and off the chart SATs. It also tended to attract people who were trying to join the 60s revolution about 3 decades too late.

 

[coloradocutter]

I took chem I and II and other prereqs in 1999-2000. I know some schools would consider those stale (would all?). If not, then could I take org chem I and II with that much downtime? If not, I think that answers my question about med school - I think I'd commit suicide if I had to take all of those other prereqs.