Incoming freshman here. What classes and should I take to prepare for the MCAT...

[future_dr]

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...along with the year I should take said classes. I've heard how I cant study now and how classes are the best way to prepare for the MCAT. I have make my shedule soon, what is your recommended course load.

Or simply link a thread where this has been discussed. I could not find a list in the search function.

 

[Blunt Dissection]

Incoming freshman as in freshman in high school? Or freshman in college?

 

[future_dr]

Incoming freshman as in freshman in high school? Or freshman in college?

Dude. In college.

 

[Blunt Dissection]

Dude. In college.

Gotta ask since you're posting it in the High school forum lol. You have ridiculous high schoolers nowadays.

Freshman year of college: Don't do what your pre-med advisor tells you to do. They'll usually be like "oh, take Bio, gen chem, and physics." 90% of freshmen that do this will destroy their undergrad GPA.

My advice: Take one of those science classes, then take stuff like English/Coms/Psych or whatever. Don't worry about MCAT prep until you're in your 3rd/4th year. Chances are, you'll forget a lot of what you've learned in your basic science classes by the time MCAT rolls around and you'll relearn all of it during your dedicated study time. Until then, your GPA is king. You don't need to be a science major. If you don't find advanced cell bio interesting, don't be a Cell bio major. Pick a major that you like with upper division classes that you think you'll enjoy. Take your med school prereqs on the side. You can look into all the prereqs on the AAMC website. Some classes are listed as "Recommended" by certain med schools - Calculus for example. If you think you're going to do bad in Calculus, don't take it. Avoid "recommended" classes that will hurt your grade and take recommended classes that you will succeed in. At the end of the day, your file looks much better having no grade for Calculus rather than a C in Calculus.

GPA > MCAT > LOR = Research > Clinical experience > Other ECs. Stick to this and you'll get into medical school.

 

[benjamin94559]

I generally agree with the adage FenderBender posted
GPA > MCAT > LOR = Research > Clinical experience > Other ECs

However, I would recommend taking two of the science classes together, probably bio and gen chem, or calc and bio, or really any two to show you can handle the material stay on track to advance through the science series. I also think that it might pay to try and get everything out of the way before the end of your sophomore year, eg year of bio, year of chem, year of organic so you can devote the summer between soph and jr year to mcating.

That said, your GPA is king and if you want to take it easy your first semester to adapt to college its not necessarily a bad choice either just know that you'll have to take those courses at some point.

 

[GaudiestMango4]

I'm heading into my senior year and am going to be taking the MCAT this January.. so take my advice as you see fit. If i were to go back and do it again, i would make sure that i take Gen Chem my first year in college. I took Gen Chem as a sophomore and i feel like that put me a little behind. It put me in a situation where i was going to be taking O Chem and Physics at the same time.. which would be a mistake! And i do agree that even Gen Chem and Physics together is too much. I did that my Sophomore year and it was rough. I ended up spending way too much time on Physics and not nearly enough time on Gen Chem. However, i would see no problem with taking Gen Chem with the intro bio class. My ideal schedule for fall of freshman year would be:
Gen Chem
Intro Bio
Intro Psych

Depending on your math background i would also take either stats or calc if you are strong in math. If not, wait till second semester when you have the feel of things to take math with bio and chem. In that case.. id consider taking a foreign language class or something that you're genuinely interested in. Just make sure you're in the 14-16 credit range. Once you get the first classes out of the way everything seems to fall into place on its own. You continue on with bio and chem and then throw in physics and so on.Over all, my biggest piece of advice it to GET ALL A'S. Best of luck to you in your first year at college and i hope you get your schedule all figured out!

 

[sandstorm223]

Go easy your first semester.

 

[confidentandgood]

Make sure you find a major that guarantees a high cGPA and sGPA.

 

[Big&Juicy]

MCAT > GPA

 

[sandstorm223]

MCAT > GPA

You got it reversed. As an accepted medical student, and having just gone through the application cycle I can tell you that GPA>MCAT. Unfair, sure, but fact.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

You got it reversed. As an accepted medical student, and having just gone through the application cycle I can tell you that GPA>MCAT. Unfair, sure, but fact.

Yep. GPA>>MCAT.

You can't ever, ever escape a bad GPA. You can retake an MCAT (and make up some reason to explain the first score). But GPA shows long term focus, and it just matters more, like it or not.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Dude. In college.

Then, dude. Google.

Subjects on MCAT=subjects you should ideally study before the MCAT. Hopefully, you don't need someone to write out the words twice for you, and can look up the MCAT and take classes that are similarly focused. Very easy.

 

[rxoxhxaxbx]

.

 

[rxoxhxaxbx]

.

 

[esob]

Yep. GPA>>MCAT.

You can't ever, ever escape a bad GPA. You can retake an MCAT (and make up some reason to explain the first score). But GPA shows long term focus, and it just matters more, like it or not.

That assumes you can do well on the MCAT as a retake and some schools average your MCATs anyway. Doing poorly on the first MCAT and then scoring high on a retake can show just as much poor judgement in preparation as poor early college grades. The general consensus is you can't get lucky and have a high MCAT but you can take fluff courses at an easy university and get a high GPA. I would say the best advice to any young student is to treat both with equal importance. OP, if you must decide one is more critical than the other from anecdotal evidence, I would at least ensure that evidence comes from an adcom member.

 

[kingkapoor]

Do what it takes to keep your GPA up
What people said earlier "GPA > MCAT > LOR = Research > Clinical experience > Other EC's"
Im sure moderators will come here and tell you otherwise, don't believe them.

If you successfully did a brain transplant and have a low GPA and MCAT computers screen out. The MCAT is a bit weirder now and is super catered to bio majors. Take courses you can balance and get A's and be the top of your class in, balance them in order to be able to manage your course load. In general you want Physiology, Cell + Molecular Biology, and base- biochemistry to go along in the MCAT, a light amount of biotechnology might help depending on the scenario, Organic Chemistry, the easiest set of physics you can take (believe me the MCAT physics is a joke), dont risk your grades by taking any physics higher than what your major requires, psych and sociology.

 

[kingkapoor]

That assumes you can do well on the MCAT as a retake and some schools average your MCATs anyway. Doing poorly on the first MCAT and then scoring high on a retake can show just as much poor judgement in preparation as poor early college grades. The general consensus is you can't get lucky and have a high MCAT but you can take fluff courses at an easy university and get a high GPA. I would say the best advice to any young student is to treat both with equal importance. OP, if you must decide one is more critical than the other from anecdotal evidence, I would at least ensure that evidence comes from an adcom member.

\

Whats your summoner name?

 

[esob]

\

Whats your summoner name?

You mean names, lol. I actually rarely play anymore but was only ever a mid diamond player when I was last serious about playing (S4).

 

[efle]

I'll go against what's posted above and say it's MCAT > GPA > ECs.

Lots of people with sub-30 scores have high GPAs. Lots of schools with low median scores boast high GPAs. If you're careful about what classes you take, with what professors, at what schools, and with what other workload you have, it can be easy to get good grades. Outscoring 80%+ of premeds on the MCAT to be competitive is the much rarer feat. This is what gives the MCAT the nickname "Great Equalizer" - it's the single standardized benchmark that admissions can use to judge and that can't be fluffed and inflated like grades can.

Don't worry about the MCAT as a freshman though. You'll forget almost everything by the time it rolls around, and will have to devote a couple months to reviewing out of MCAT prep books. Take the prereqs along with whatever major interests you that you can make good grades in.

 

[Dr.J.D]

Take drama

 

[Dr.J.D]

No jk pick a major that YOU like and that will get you a good gpa
And do the pre reqs obviously
I heard med schools like Spanish majors