I've come to the realization...

[iqe2010]

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that I hate Biology! Even college biology!

I've been in college for a month, and for the most part I love it. It's 100x better than high school, you meet a lot of new people, you're treated like an adult. And let's not forget the alcohol 😛 lol JK.

I never have liked biology, throughout my school career I've always been a Chemistry person. I absolutely LOVE chemistry. In my Intro to Biological Science class (that has like 400 students), my professor goes through about 70 PP slides each class session. It's some of the most boring crap: ecosystems, plants, animals I can't stand it. And I have to memorize so much stuff!! I have my first test on monday, and I've been studying like crazy, but it's so much information! So, my question is, does my deep hate for Biology mean that I should choose another career path other than a doctor? I've been researching Clinical Pharmacy lately and was thinking about doing that.

Thanks.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

if you hate memorization and biology it doesnt sound like med school is for you. you've still got time to figure things out and take some upper level course. intro bio is pretty lame, no doubt.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Intro to bio and intro to anything in particular is going to be for the most part an extremely boring class. Why? Because when you role into a subject like developmental bio or genetics and figure out you like it you move onto a different topic in a week. Upper level biology might be very enjoyable for you for all you know.
But as the above poster pointed out if you aren't partial to memorization of biology or memorization in general then graduate school in the health sciences will be extra not fun for you. However it's not fun for many so its all cool.

 

[Double Bonded]

that I hate Biology! Even college biology!

I've been in college for a month, and for the most part I love it. It's 100x better than high school, you meet a lot of new people, you're treated like an adult. And let's not forget the alcohol 😛 lol JK.

I never have liked biology, throughout my school career I've always been a Chemistry person. I absolutely LOVE chemistry. In my Intro to Biological Science class (that has like 400 students), my professor goes through about 70 PP slides each class session. It's some of the most boring crap: ecosystems, plants, animals I can't stand it. And I have to memorize so much stuff!! I have my first test on monday, and I've been studying like crazy, but it's so much information! So, my question is, does my deep hate for Biology mean that I should choose another career path other than a doctor? I've been researching Clinical Pharmacy lately and was thinking about doing that.

Thanks.

I wouldn't give up just yet. Bio classes like ecosystems, plants, and animals can be boring because they don't relate to what you want to learn. The material isn't really applicable to your goal so you're not going to be as motivated to learn about it.
Molecular biology and biochem can be extremely fascinating and can involve principals from organic chemistry and general chem. It gets better but you're going to have to learn about it sooner or later so you might as well kick ass and get it out of the way now.

But just watch, one day your knowledge of apical meristematic tissue and carrying capacity will come in handy when you're saving someone's life.

 

[transfec]

that I hate Biology! Even college biology!

I've been in college for a month, and for the most part I love it. It's 100x better than high school, you meet a lot of new people, you're treated like an adult. And let's not forget the alcohol 😛 lol JK.

I never have liked biology, throughout my school career I've always been a Chemistry person. I absolutely LOVE chemistry. In my Intro to Biological Science class (that has like 400 students), my professor goes through about 70 PP slides each class session. It's some of the most boring crap: ecosystems, plants, animals I can't stand it. And I have to memorize so much stuff!! I have my first test on monday, and I've been studying like crazy, but it's so much information! So, my question is, does my deep hate for Biology mean that I should choose another career path other than a doctor? I've been researching Clinical Pharmacy lately and was thinking about doing that.

Thanks.

I can tell you that there are enough people who appear to want it more than you.

No offense.

 

[xanthomondo]

that I hate Biology! Even college biology!

I've been in college for a month, and for the most part I love it. It's 100x better than high school, you meet a lot of new people, you're treated like an adult. And let's not forget the alcohol 😛 lol JK.

I never have liked biology, throughout my school career I've always been a Chemistry person. I absolutely LOVE chemistry. In my Intro to Biological Science class (that has like 400 students), my professor goes through about 70 PP slides each class session. It's some of the most boring crap: ecosystems, plants, animals I can't stand it. And I have to memorize so much stuff!! I have my first test on monday, and I've been studying like crazy, but it's so much information! So, my question is, does my deep hate for Biology mean that I should choose another career path other than a doctor? I've been researching Clinical Pharmacy lately and was thinking about doing that.

Thanks.

Switch your major to chemistry. As a chem major we didn't have to take the 100 level bio courses, but your school may be different. Don't listen to those who say that disliking bio/memorization = you won't survive med school. I thought the bio classes were a complete waste of time until you hit upper level classes. Do you really need to know kingdom class phylum bullsh*t? OR how the electon bounces around in a plant cell for photosynthesis? Who really cares about that crap?

You will be happier (and smarter as a chem major, but im biased 😉). In med school you're going to learn all the bio you need/will ever want. Use these 4 years to study something outside of what you'll do in the future - you'll never get a chance to learn it on this level again.

 

[orthomyxo]

Intro to Bio is such a boring, stupid class. I hated it, but now I'm in microbio and things are getting much more interesting. Just be patient.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Switch your major to chemistry. As a chem major we didn't have to take the 100 level bio courses, but your school may be different. Don't listen to those who say that disliking bio/memorization = you won't survive med school. I thought the bio classes were a complete waste of time until you hit upper level classes. Do you really need to know kingdom class phylum bullsh*t? OR how the electon bounces around in a plant cell for photosynthesis? Who really cares about that crap?

You will be happier (and smarter as a chem major, but im biased 😉). In med school you're going to learn all the bio you need/will ever want. Use these 4 years to study something outside of what you'll do in the future - you'll never get a chance to learn it on this level again.

While I agree with most of what you're saying. Without intro bio you cannot take upper level biology unless you want to have the department over-ride the pre-requisite ( Which usually requires showing you know the intro stuff). Also the mcat tests material which is taught in intro biology. But I will echo that upper level biology is much more interesting ( almost all upper level courses generally are more interesting then intro), however upper level biology with some exception ( physiology, genetics) will not be very helpful on the mcat.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Intro to Bio is such a boring, stupid class. I hated it, but now I'm in microbio and things are getting much more interesting. Just be patient.

Enjoying the thrills of making your own slides? 🙂

 

[xanthomondo]

While I agree with most of what you're saying. Without intro bio you cannot take upper level biology unless you want to have the department over-ride the pre-requisite ( Which usually requires showing you know the intro stuff). Also the mcat tests material which is taught in intro biology. But I will echo that upper level biology is much more interesting ( almost all upper level courses generally are more interesting then intro), however upper level biology with some exception ( physiology, genetics) will not be very helpful on the mcat.

I think it varies with school. My school's biochemistry major had it designed into the curriculum to skip the 100 level bio classes and start with 200 level bio classes in the 2nd year. That's what I did, I took cell bio and genetics in the 2nd year. First year bio really had nothing to do with those concepts (or physio that I took third year) so I wasn't missing anything by skipping. It was more evolution, plant classification, etc.

It never hurts to ask/try, though....especially if you're miserable in the class.

 

[MilkmanAl]

That sounds like an exception to the rule. Most places make you go through the course progression from basics on up.

OP, I didn't particularly enjoy much of what I learned in college science courses, so don't feel like you have to jump for joy every time you open a textbook. I mean, it'd certainly help you if you could cram endless amount of facts into your head with a ****-eating grin plastered on your face the whole time, but not liking basic bio doesn't mean med school isn't for you. Take some more courses, and see how it goes.

 

[PreMedder]

sounds like you're going to become a horrible doctor, OP

 

[LRAccord624]

That sounds like an exception to the rule. Most places make you go through the course progression from basics on up.

OP, I didn't particularly enjoy much of what I learned in college science courses, so don't feel like you have to jump for joy every time you open a textbook. I mean, it'd certainly help you if you could cram endless amount of facts into your head with a ****-eating grin plastered on your face the whole time, but not liking basic bio doesn't mean med school isn't for you. Take some more courses, and see how it goes.

Most important skill for med school. I need to get better at the ****-eating grin part.

 

[ucsfstudents]

Give it some time. Intro classes can be boring, teachers can make an average class boring or spectacular, and power-point slides without a dynamic speaker is a recipe for disaster. I can't imagine sitting through 77 slides in one sitting. There are so many topics within biology -- you might find at least some of them interesting. I agree with above posts that you should major in the area that you find most interesting. Not loving Biology does not mean you can't go to medical school. Memorizing random facts is what medical students do, so you will have to get used to that at some point.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Most important skill for med school. I need to get better at the ****-eating grin part.

Yeah...I never got past the "grimace and take it Deliverance-style" stage, myself.

 

[Gloves]

I hated intro chemistry for the first week or so when we were just learning moles, units, and nomenclature and whatnot. I ended up becoming a chemistry major!

...and then switching back to biology after taking pchem lol. But I had a good run as a chem major. ~2 years.

 

[kevster2001]

I hated most of my science classes in undergrad except for the evolution courses and physics. The worst was plant biology

 

[Frazier]

sounds like you're going to become a horrible doctor, OP

lol I was thinking about posting this same SDN favorite.

 

[unhappytnt]

For me intro bio was OK; I didn't find it particularly boring but I can't say that it was interesting either. Now I am taking Genetics and Cell Biology, and so far I am enjoying it immensely. So what the others said: Tough it out this year and then take upper bio courses. I am sure you'll love it too.

 

[iqe2010]

Thank you for the advice guys. And I think it might get better for me because I sat in the back of a 'Clinical Biochemistry' class, waiting for them to finish because my next class was in the same room and the professor was talking about disorders of the blood, and I found it to be quite interesting. So who knows what the future will bring.

 

[bucks2010]

For me intro bio was OK; I didn't find it particularly boring but I can't say that it was interesting either. Now I am taking Genetics and Cell Biology, and so far I am enjoying it immensely. So what the others said: Tough it out this year and then take upper bio courses. I am sure you'll love it too.

Agreed. I would try to take a cellular/molecular biology class and especially physiology before you apply... those classes will probably give you a better litmus test for whether you'd enjoy yourself.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

All of you molecular biology fans are lame. 🙂
Too much tiny. Best stuff = evolutionary biology.

 

[mvenus929]

There's a reason I refused to re-take intro to bio when I got to college (I got IB credit for bio). Intro courses are, by and large, really really boring. When you can actually pick which topics you want to study, it starts to get interesting.

 

[shiite7]

I was an EE major in college and added on a bunch of pre-med classes during my last three or four semesters or so of college. In addition to Bio I and II, I also took Neurobiology and the first semester of A&P. I thought I would find Neurobiology really interesting, but found it to be more of the same: thoughtless memorization and regurgitation about proteins/growth factors/receptors and very little true problem solving/application of concepts (like in engineering).

In engineering, if you understand a concept well (like say, convolving an input signal with an impulse response to get an output signal), then you will almost certainly do well on the exam, because the exam is full of questions that you have never seen before, but these questions only test your conceptual understanding of the subject matter and whether you can apply it to new situations.

In Biology, however, a general understanding of how a system works is simply not good enough - you need to know every detail, inside and out. Especially if your Biology exams are of the sort where the answer choices are: A) all of the above, B) A and B, C) B and C, or D) B only. These type of questions were the bane of my existence in college biology courses; I hate them so much. The A&P class I took was rather difficult (it was a weed-out course for Pre-Pharm kids). The method that maximized my score was reading the textbook chapters multiple times. Not just once, the night before the exam, but constantly going over the same chapter and writing notes, making note cards, so that every minor detail would be in cache come exam time. Studying for Biology makes me feel like a robot. And as much as I like robots, that's simply not cool.

 

[littlealex]

There are lots of stuff that I am not particularly interested in. I learn them because it helps me do my job: understand physiology and treat people.
If you want to do medicine because the money's good and you like the work, you'll probably get past the "Bio is boring" part.

Of course, this is your life and it's not a dress rehearsal. Go shadow a few people, do some research, figure out what interests you.