MicroBiology before the MCAT - or more study time?!?

[SailCrazy]

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Ok... I have another scheduling question for ya'

I'm currently scheduling classes for all of next year. I will be taking the MCAT in April 2005.

A little background: I am a nontraditional student with a lot of time to spend academically and a good focus on my class work & MCAT preparation. I don't have too many "other distractions," so I'm probably much more likely than most students to be successful with a heavier course load & MCAT prep at the same time. I plan on a lot of MCAT prep including many practice exams either way.

That said, I don't want to bit off way too much in the semester preceding the MCAT. 😱

I will definitely be taking the following classes that semester:
Orgo II
Physiology w/ Lab
PreProfessional Seminar ("get ready for Med apps" class)

I am choosing between one of the following:
Microbiology Lecture
Microbiology Lecture (same as option 1) & Lab
Intro to Research in Health Science (easy class, major requirement)

Should I take the Micro for MCAT knowledge or take the easy class and have more of study time? 😕 (Not that I won't be studying a lot either way...!)

Thanks for you advice!

 

[Dr. Xavier]

There is no micro on the mcat, so don't waste your time. And most of the micro in undergrade is different from the medical micro you'll take in second year of med school.

 

[mikestuy]

I disagree. There is microbio on the MCAT or at least microbio-related passages (as I recall).

But I dont think you should take a microbio class for a whole semester so you can do well on what is likely to be 2 passages on the bio section (even if you're a nontraditional student).

Michael

----------------------------
MS1
SUNY Downstate COM
Class of 2007

 

[jlee9531]

micro will be a waste.

take the major requirement.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Originally posted by jlee9531
micro will be a waste.

take the major requirement.

I concur, no real microbio on my MCAT at all.

 

[SailCrazy]

In addition to the "requirements" (Bio, Chem, Physics & Orgo) I will have taken Genetics & Physiology before the MCAT.

Is there another science I should take (rather then MicroBio) or just stick the the major requirement and more study time?

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

Are you sure you want to add another hard science class just so you'll be ready for 1 or 2 microbio passages in the bio section of your MCAT? There is a chance that no microbio passages will appear on your MCAT and those passages could be related to genetics, biochemistry, or even evolutionary biology. However, if you really do want to take the class as preparation...I would recommend just taking the microbiology lecture (not the lecture and lab). You might also consider just filling those units in with a class that you're just interested in.

This semester, I'm taking a graduate class in neuroanatomy, neuroanatomy lab, ecology, human physiology, and a public policy course called "Program Policy and Design." I just filled in that public policy course because I was interested in the field..and I knew that it would be less intensive than another hard science class like Microbiology. You might just want to conserve the study time and sign up for an easier class. However, if you wanna be a masochist...go right ahead and add that Micro lecture+lab. 🙂

Whatever you choose to do...best of luck to you man.

 

[logos]

Just a warning.....at my school microbio (at least the course for majors) is just a way of forcing the micro majors to do the lab...which not only is a bitch (memorizing the components of various media (~40/quarter) and writing reports and so on) but is a huge time sinkhole.

I'm taking the mcat in april and am sorely underprepared due to giving kaplan and my preping lowest priority to all of my classes....in retrospect...I would have tried for an easier schedule this quarter...

 

[spaz]

i say go with the study time. i took the mcat in august and april, and found it so much more difficult to make the time to study for the april exam on top of class, work, and volunteering. as a result, my gpa slipped that qtr.

i do understand why you want to take another science course though. between august and april, i had taken more upper div bio courses (but i've never taken micro) and i think this contributed somewhat to my 3 pt increase on the bio section. i think being familiar with more upper div bio made it easier for me to read the passages.

still, unless you think you're weak in the bio, or have a hard time understanding some of the bio passages, i think study time is more valuable.