As an MCB major, I took chem 1a, 3a, 3b. I heard that I should name Chem 1a and 3a as general chemistry and Chem 3b and MCB 102 for organic chemistry. Is this true? For University of Pittsburgh, it actually wants the name of the class as well. I can't write that Chem 3a is organic chemistry under the General Chemistry section. I heard that the Career Center can send out a letter explaining chemistry at UCB. How do I get the chemistry letter?
You likely don't need any letter to be sent from the Career Center. List Chemistry 1a and 3a as NON organic or general chemistry with lab. You may or may not recall that the beginning of 3a is general chemistry and then you get into organic chemistry concepts and yes, you CAN write down the name, which is Chemical Structure and Reactivity. To list a year of organic chemistry with lab, most Cal students list Chemistry 3b and the MCB 102 (or other) biochemistry class they have taken (even if they did not take a lab with the biochemistry class). Medical schools have been fully considering Cal students who have completed this sequence since this curricular change was made in 1991.
The medical schools have made it crystal clear that they do NOT want to get any letters regarding this topic. Only get the letter and send it IF someone questions your chemistry readiness (just contact Ask the Counselor if a school questions your chemistry preparation). This sequence of 1a/3a/3b and biochem has been accepted by medical schools since 1991 and there is no reason to appear nervous by sending in extra paper. In four years the pre med counselors have seen only one medical school question our chemistry sequence (it was a Texas school), and they ended up being fine with our sequence in the end.
Being a Cell Developmental Biology major I have only taken Chem 1A as my general chemistry. I was wondering what I could do to make up for my lack of another semester of inorganic chemistry. Does MCB 102 Biochemistry satisfy this requirement? Or must I take Chem 1B?
I am going to assume that you have taken Cal classes in Chem: 1A, 3A, 3B and then MCB 100 or 102. If so, you list Chem 1A and 3A as NON organic. You may or may not recall that the beginning of 3A is general chemistry and then you get into organic. If you must list a year of organic chemistry, Cal students list 3B and the MCB biochem class they have taken (even if they did not take a lab). But to answer your question, MCB 102 is typically used to satisfy schools that insist on students having four full semesters of chemistry, but it does not fulfill the inorganic chemistry requirement ("bio" = organic).
Many medical schools require two semesters of general chemistry. The Chemistry courses I took include Chem 1A, Chem 3A, Chem 3B. I also took MCB 102 (biochem). Does this course count as my second semester of general chemistry?
The pattern of chemistry/biochemistry that you have taken is the one that most Cal pre-meds have taken these last 10 years. You should be fine in terms of meeting the med school requirements. If you have to say which courses met which requirements I would say 1A and 3A for general Chem and 3B and 102 for Organic Chem. I do not think 102 would in anyway be general chem. Most of the medical schools know our sequence. If you get asked about it you can get a letter from the Career Center that explains it.
