I think I just switched from pre-dent to pre-med. Help!

[Cofo]

Hey I'm a sophomore with 39 hours...(54 after this semester) who is strongly considering going into the medical field. I have been a predent for over about 2 years, and I think I need to go shadow some medical doctors, because I have lost interest in dentistry. Would an OB/GYN let me shadow them? I am very professional in shadowing, so maybe? Also...how do I find out which classes I need to take? I am at a university right now that does not satisfy me. Therefore, I am transferring to UT-San Antonio after this semester. So...do I need to take calculus 1? I don't necessarily want to become a biology major (although I've taken 2 biology courses and made A's in them both...these were the weed-out classes too!)......I like anthropology. I basically just need to know what pre-requisite courses I HAVE to take, and what I should do in order to score well on the MCAT. Thank you for reading this, and hopefully I'll receive some feedback from you all. Thanks again.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[w0lf137]

Maybe you should stay with predentistry until you completely feel that it's not for you. Take Calc, Chem, Organic Chem, Physics, Upper Bio classes as electives and keep your major as it is. Check up on some schools to see what they want. Or just wiki medical schools. The majority of the schools want those classes.

 

[Leejwwc]

The prerequisites can vary somewhat from school to school so your best bet is to check out some of the Texas schools and see what they have to say. In general, most schools will require 2 semesters bio w/ lab, 2 semesters gen chem w/ lab, 2 semesters orgo w/ lab, 2 semesters physics w/ lab, and some will additionally require 2 semesters english and/or 2 semesters math. Some schools will have even more specific requirements, such as a course in biochemistry, cell biology, etc. It is best to probably take all those classes so that when it comes time to apply, you won't have to toss out a school simply b/c you won't be able to meet their course requirements.

About the MCAT, the majority of people take a prep class. From what I've heard, it is harder than the DAT, though the DAT is difficult in its own right. Most people will spend several months studying for the MCAT. It is far from a joke. It is best to take all the AAMC practice tests online (often said to be the most accurate assessment of how you will do on test day) and try to do well in one shot. Many people do retake but there is no point in taking it unless you are well prepared. Good luck!

 

[TexasPhysician]

You need to do some research first.

I'm currently a med student in TX, and I never took any form of calculus.

 

[NonTradMed]

You need to do some research first.

I'm currently a med student in TX, and I never took any form of calculus.

Calculus is required for some med schools when I applied.

Also, some schools (such as mine) did not offer physics without calculus and calc was a requirement to do physics. These things differ from school to school.