Incoming College Freshman - Pre-Med Schedule?

[graydyl]

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Hi, I am an incoming freshman (at stanford) and I'd like some feedback on my course schedule! I'm just including med school req classes :] Oh and we're on the quarter system, not semester D:

Freshman Year
Autumn
Gen Chem (accelerated into 1 quarter instead of the usual 2, depending on how well I do on the placement test)
Calc (first of two quarters -- accel. into 2Q instead of 3)
Writing course (req'd for all stanford students, but also fulfills english req for med school)

Winter
Organic Chem (Structure and Reactivity)
Calc (continuation from autumn Q)
Stats

Spring
Organic Chem (Organic Monofunctional Compounds)
Organic Chem lab I
Course that fulfills english req

Summer
Physics + labs

Sophomore Year
Autumn
Bio
Organic Chem (Organic Polyfunctional Compounds)
Organic Chem lab II

Winter
Bio + lab
Physical Chem (which is a prereq for biochem)

Spring
Bio + lab
Biochemistry I

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Sophomore year schedule is very tentative, since I'm not sure which quarters these classes will be offered next year. I hear that biochem is now a req for major med schools though... is that true? I wouldn't want to take it if it weren't :/

Thanks for the help 🙂

 

[Katatonic]

Is there a particular reason you want to finish all the pre-reqs so quickly? If you're just doing it "because", I would recommend not taking physics over the summer, and not taking all of Gchem in one quarter. Spread things out and calm down.

 

[graydyl]

Well, many of the pre-reqs help out with my major as well, so I think it's a 'normal' track. Regarding the accel. chem class, I read up a lot about students' thoughts on it and a lot recommend the accel. class over the 2Q class because it goes over the topics at a reasonably fast yet bearable pace, while the reg class goes super in-depth, which actually makes it pretty difficult. And to be honest x_x chem isn't really my favorite subject... so the fewer chem courses I have to take the better. :X

I'll probably take physical chem and biochem junior year. I just tentatively made up a soph year schedule but it's very very tentative. And I'm probably going to take physics during the summer at a different university.

 

[09javcar]

Well, many of the pre-reqs help out with my major as well, so I think it's a 'normal' track. Regarding the accel. chem class, I read up a lot about students' thoughts on it and a lot recommend the accel. class over the 2Q class because it goes over the topics at a reasonably fast yet bearable pace, while the reg class goes super in-depth, which actually makes it pretty difficult. And to be honest x_x chem isn't really my favorite subject... so the fewer chem courses I have to take the better. :X

I'll probably take physical chem and biochem junior year. I just tentatively made up a soph year schedule but it's very very tentative. And I'm probably going to take physics during the summer at a different university.

Isn't that what you want, to go in depth as it WILL be covered in the MCAT? I would take the regular class as it will most likely help me out more when it comes to preparing for the MCAT

 

[graydyl]

From what I gather from the students' opinions though, it seems like the accel. chem class is sufficient. Of course I guess there's really no way in knowing for sure, but we'll see how I do on the placement test and if I'm even eligible to take accel chem 😛

And does anybody know if biochem is beginning to become a requirement for major med schools?

 

[CoolWhipp]

Go out and have fun, damn you. Did class even start yet for you guys?

 

[09javcar]

From what I gather from the students' opinions though, it seems like the accel. chem class is sufficient. Of course I guess there's really no way in knowing for sure, but we'll see how I do on the placement test and if I'm even eligible to take accel chem 😛

And does anybody know if biochem is beginning to become a requirement for major med schools?

Sufficient is not enough. You need more then enough on the MCAT if you plan on getting anywhere. Sufficient is enough to get you a maybe 25 on the MCAT, if you want to excel go beyond what is expected.

 

[Az1698]

Sufficient is not enough. You need more then enough on the MCAT if you plan on getting anywhere. Sufficient is enough to get you a maybe 25 on the MCAT, if you want to excel go beyond what is expected.

agreed!

 

[LizzyM]

Do not take organic chem as a freshman. I've seen too many applicants who did so as freshmen and then got their asses kicked.

 

[Compass]

Do not take organic chem as a freshman. I've seen too many applicants who did so as freshmen and then got their asses kicked.

QFT. Also is funny to read.


Orgo/OChem is a 2nd year class. If you barely hang on in GenChem, you are going to be smashed in Orgo.

 

[vin5cent0]

Say hey to my buddy Scotty out there!

 

[Longshanks]

Don't take orgo freshman year, that's just suicide. College has a big adjustment period for most people. Don't kill yourself freshman year, if anything ease yourself in and learn good study habits. Case in point, I tried to dive right in and screwed myself and have had to postpone applying while playing catchup and proving myself. Even if you came from an outstanding high school, and you were a top student, you're going from being a big fish in a small pond to a bigger lake with fish just as big or better than you.

Pro-tip: Unless you're good at math, hold off on calc and do bio first. Calc isn't needed for the vast majority of med schools (who requires calc or even recommends it?? cornell/columbia??). Physics freshman year, even over the summer is a foolish plan too. No reason to wipe out all your pre-reqs in one shot, spread them out since these are classes you need to kill and should kill, and make sure you're done with them before the MCAT.