How to stack my science prerequisites

[futuredoc0655]

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Fall will be my last semester in community college. I am taking Chem 1 along with the lab and a humanities. In the spring once I start my junior yr at a 4 year school I'll need:

Chem 2 with the lab
One year of orgo
One year of physics
One year of calc
One semester of biochemistry

Should I start my physics and calc in the spring with chem 2?


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[FutureOncologist]

When do you plan on taking the MCAT? Also, what is your major? Calculus is pretty important for Engineering and Chemistry, but not, for example, a biology major.

 

[NotYou20]

Option E, not enough information.

Your major, planned graduation date,, planned year of application, when you'd like to take the mcat, how you tend to do and how hard you have to work in science classes are all important factors. There are people who could do that in a year and those who would need three years. It doesn't matter where you lie there just do it well and intelligently

 

[futuredoc0655]

FutureOncologist and NotYou20, thank you both for the replies. After posting this thread last night I started doing extra research and noticed that a lot of the schools that interest me actually only require two semesters of math, not necessarily calc. I already have college algebra so maybe I can include percalc w/ trig and satisfy those reqs. I guess I'll see how interested I am in the subject to see whether I take maybe calc 1 after that.

As far as my timeline goes I'm going to wing this bc I obviously haven't met my pre health advisors at the school I want to transfer to but here it goes:

Spring 17 - chem 2
Summer - orgo 1
Fall 17 - either orgo 2 or biochem (depending on what my advisor suggests. I also saw plenty of schools are ok with replacing biochem for chem 2)

By this point I will have my physics completed and will begin to study hard core for mcat in the Spring of 18 to take ASAP.

If anyone has any advice or suggestions based off experience please feel free to bud in and lmk.


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[jesie]

,

 

[FutureOncologist]

Organic Chemistry 2 (Chem2?) is needed for the MCAT and by a lot of other Medical Schools. I haven't heard of it, but even if schools do offer that substitution, then they are far and few in between. And more often than not, Biochemistry is NOT a prerequisite *yet* for a good amount of medical schools. However, they do require 8 hours of Organic Chemistry with lab. It would be foolish to not take it just for the easy way out.

We still need to know your major. From what it sounds like, it's biology/some major that doesn't require more than 3 hours of math. At this point, taking precalc isn't a bad idea. Keep your c/sGPA as high as you can get it. What are your strengths, science-wise? I loved chemistry and how it tied into Biology, but I HATED math and I struggled hard with Calc1 + 2, PChem, Quant, etc.

From what I can tell, you'll finish in December unless you finish early. I don't suggest trying that, seeing as how you only have your sciences left. It can cause burnout (which I have seen a plethora of times in Medical school and undergrad) which will most likely cause your GPA to fall. I suggest taking 6-9 hours each semester with sciences and filling up your class schedule with other things you enjoy. Take a scuba diving class if you want. Don't be a victim of burnout and self-hatred by the time you graduate.

 

[jesie]

16 hours of ochem? 8 is, as far as I understand it, the near-universal requirement


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[FutureOncologist]

16 hours of ochem? 8 is, as far as I understand it, the near-universal requirement


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I didn't catch that. I was thinking of the "16 hours of Chemistry required to apply to medical school" norm. Fixed it

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Be careful with the Orgo 2 for Biochem substitution. There are an increasing number of schools that will accept it but it can definitely limit your school choice! Make sure you're not closing off the option of applying to your state school and some of the lower stats schools by not taking Orgo 2. In my experience, it seemed like most of the schools that were allowing the substitution were some of the most competitive private schools.

 

[Donald Juan]

People are making this too complicated. OP, take one chemistry every semester until you're done. Chem 2 -> Ochem 1 -> Ochem 2 -> biochem. Also take one math/physics until you're done: Calc 1 -> Calc 2 -> Phys 1 -> Phys 2.

If you're a biology major, also take one biology every semester. Once you are done with math and chemistry, take more than one. Fill in the remaining hours with some of those silly little humanities/social studies.

Boom.

 

[Lavendar]

People are making this too complicated. OP, take one chemistry every semester until you're done. Chem 2 -> Ochem 1 -> Ochem 2 -> biochem. Also take one math/physics until you're done: Calc 1 -> Calc 2 -> Phys 1 -> Phys 2.

If you're a biology major, also take one biology every semester. Once you are done with math and chemistry, take more than one. Fill in the remaining hours with some of those silly little humanities/social studies.

Boom.

Why are you saying to take calc 1 and calc 2?

 

[777137]

Fall will be my last semester in community college. I am taking Chem 1 along with the lab and a humanities. In the spring once I start my junior yr at a 4 year school I'll need:

Chem 2 with the lab
One year of orgo
One year of physics
One year of calc
One semester of biochemistry

Should I start my physics and calc in the spring with chem 2?


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What I did was take math and physics simultaneously and then take chem. I would recommend taking math and chem together and then taking physics, assuming you're taking the calc based version. Take Orgo II by itself and biochem last or with Orgo I (which is pretty much gen chem imo)

 

[Boogy'sChick15]

What I did was take math and physics simultaneously and then take chem. I would recommend taking math and chem together and then taking physics, assuming you're taking the calc based version. Take Orgo II by itself and biochem last or with Orgo I (which is pretty much gen chem imo)

I second this! If you can, try to avoid taking physics and orgo at the same time, both classes require a lot of work and for some it could be difficult to manage. As a physics major, I couldn't really avoid it. I had to take orgo along with upper division physics classes, and it hurt my GPA. Unless you are one of the gifted students who are naturals at orgo, take it by itself or with math or bio.

 

[tskbdmnd]

Keep in mind that:

Chem2-->Orgo1-->Orgo2-->Biochem

Calc1-->Calc 2

Calc1-->Physics 1-->Physics2

So however you stack it. This should be true.

 

[futuredoc0655]

After even more research and great feedback I'm going to definitely consider taking both orgo 1 & 2 but my principal uncertainty is taking a full year of calculus if it's not 100% necessary.


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[thegreengreatdragon]

I am, granted, only a junior premed, but I have been told by advisers and fellow premed students that most med schools simply require a year of math, and that they highly recommend at least one semester of statistics (research on the schools I'm interested in has confirmed this).
Two semesters of math could probably mean one of calc and one of stats. That being said, I do have calc 1 and calc 2 because of AP credits, so maybe I'm not the best example. I personally think calc 2 is a good thing to have, but if you're really, really against it, I don't think taking one calc and one stats will hurt you.
(Again, I'm not the most qualified person to answer this question, but this is just my 2 cents, and I hope it is in some way helpful)

 

[futuredoc0655]

Yeah I didn't mention earlier that I already have stats and college algebra completed. Both with A's.

I also continue to forget to answer that my major is indeed Biology. I intend on taking precalc with trig and that'll be be just about it


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[tskbdmnd]

Yeah I didn't mention earlier that I already have stats and college algebra completed. Both with A's.

I also continue to forget to answer that my major is indeed Biology. I intend on taking precalc with trig and that'll be be just about it


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If you can get to calc 3, or linear algebra. I'd do it. Calc 1 is probably the most useful. Calc 2 isn't that great (With some review of coordinate systems and integration, It's not hard to just skip it). Linear algebra is just good math to know. If you can take an analysis class, that's insanely useful too.