Microbiology or A&P 1,2?

[pakbabydoll]

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Which class should I take? Which one would help me more with MCAT and as a biology major?
I have always wanted to take microbiology, but I feel like Human Anatomy and Physiology might be more helpful. What do you guys think? I can take both but then I'll have to stay behind one more semester at the CC and I don't want to do that.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Remember that most of what we know about genetics is based on bacterial models.

Honestly, they are both great classes. I'd take them both.

 

[SmallTownEMT]

Microbio is a great course- it was my favorite Bio course going through college. Before that I always thought bacteria were boring, but afterwards I realized just how wrong I was! I don't know what to say about a human A & P course- I took ones more focused on vertebrate anatomy since human anatomy didn't count toward the Bio major at my college.

I think both will be helpful for the MCAT. I would go by your own personal preference. Do you have an advisor to talk to?

 

[HrvatskiDoktor]

I was a Micro major as an undergrad....so I think you can guess my vote.

Also, not that anatomy is easy, but I have heard from many friends in med school that medical micro is one of the hardest classes, it might be better in the long run to have as much micro as possible.

 

[pakbabydoll]

Well my major is really Biology/cell biology and I am very interested in microbiology not to mention that I love the teacher who teaches it. He is my favorite teacher . I have him for Principles of Biology.
However my backup is pharmacy and you need A&P for that but then again if I don't get in MD school I'll have to take a year off to take the PCAT and apply anyway so I can just take A&P then (hopefully I won't need to).

Honestly, they are both great classes. I'd take them both.

Well you see I am at a CC and I want to get out of CC. If I take both then I'll have to stay at the CC for one more semester. I don't think I can handle Chem 2, calculus, A&P and Microbiology in my last semester. I'll have to pick one. If I pick A&P I'll have to take A&P 1 over the summer and I don't know if they even offer a summer anatomy class.

 

[desijigga]

Calculus easy, chem 2 easy, Micro bitch class... hated it, and the micro lab was even worse. I don't think I ever put so much effort into a 1 credit class as I did in Micro Lab. We had a 7-10 page report due every lab, and the TA wanted it done exactly her way or you get a BIG FAT ZERO.

 

[Frank l]

If you are wondering what will help most for the MCAT, take micro. Anatomy isn't on the MCAT. Both classes would be good to take before med school, but some med schools will not count your anatomy class. They will actually factor it out of your gpa, and don't really encourage you to take it. I think this is because they want to teach you their own way. I still think it would be helpful, but it isn't necessary.

 

[Bacchus]

I'm taking micro now, and besides the amount of material (54 pages of outline in 4 weeks), I enjoy it. Its interesting and definitely has opened my eyes to some of my not so "clean" practices. As far as preparation for the MCAT, the professor gave us an anecdotal example of a student that took it last semester and said it helped on the MCAT. How often this happens, I don't know.

 

[CycleCA]

Well, I'm speaking up because I'm tired of feeling inferior to you med students (sarcasm here). I'm a nursing student and I took A&P 1+2 and Micro at a CC (community college) and got big fat A+'s. It was actually pretty easy. I even took A&P 1 over the summer at the CC and it was pretty intense just because of the amount of memorization. That's my 2 cents.
Signed,
the student nurse who's planning on going to medical school

 

[Beau Geste]

I would take Genetics and then A&P I/II. All the info on bacteria/virus replication is in a Genetics course plus the rest of the DNA/RNA/Mendelian/etc. genetic topics tested on the MCAT and in much more depth than Bio would offer. I took a 300-level Genetics with a lab, though, so I'm not sure how well an intro class would cover the material vs. a 300-level course.

I took A&P at a cc and did very well and really liked it. I took it once before, many moons ago as an undergrad (10+ years back). Same material, only smaller class + labs 2x/week.

I suppose if I were doing this whole process over again, I would have also taken micro and biochem. I've been restricted from applying to some schools b/c I don't have biochem.

 

[osli]

That's a tough call. For the MCAT, I'd say physiology is more important, followed by micro, and then anatomy. Combining A&P into one class puts it on about equal footing as micro. I still think A&P would probably be a little more useful for the MCAT.

For medical school prep, I'd definitely say micro. Physiology is "easier" to learn in med school (IMO) as it is more conceptual in nature, while micro while having some conceptual content also has a vast amount of memorization required. Any head start there will help.

 

[pakbabydoll]

Thank you for all your help. I'll try to take both. If they have micro over the summer then I can take that and A&P over the summer. I am nervous about taking a science class over the summer though because I heard they get pretty intense.

 

[spicedmanna]

That's a tough call. For the MCAT, I'd say physiology is more important, followed by micro, and then anatomy. Combining A&P into one class puts it on about equal footing as micro. I still think A&P would probably be a little more useful for the MCAT.

For medical school prep, I'd definitely say micro. Physiology is "easier" to learn in med school (IMO) as it is more conceptual in nature, while micro while having some conceptual content also has a vast amount of memorization required. Any head start there will help.

Yes, I agree with osli. College A&P is helpful for MCAT-type questions, but not useful for medical school level physiology and anatomy. Not so much the anatomy, but definitely the human physiology. There is a small amount of micro in the MCAT, but nothing you can't learn in a few hours, or maybe even less. However, micro would be very beneficial for medical school. I kind of wish I had taken that in undergrad. If you feel strong enough in A&P, then take micro, or both if you have the time. However, if you could only take one and your main focus is MCAT preparation, then take A&P as it will more likely benefit you for the MCAT.

 

[CycleCA]

Thank you for all your help. I'll try to take both. If they have micro over the summer then I can take that and A&P over the summer. I am nervous about taking a science class over the summer though because I heard they get pretty intense.

I knew someone who tried to take A&P and Micro at the same time over the summer and they fried their brain.

 

[pakbabydoll]

I knew someone who tried to take A&P and Micro at the same time over the summer and they fried their brain.

But did your friend got an "A" in the class? because thats the only thing that matters in the end right?

 

[CycleCA]

But did your friend got an "A" in the class? because thats the only thing that matters in the end right?

Actually, no, my friend got B's. I'm sure that someone could pull off A's in both, but from my experience of taking A&P 1 over the summer, it's a lot of information and the time req'd to memorize everything is pretty much fixed for MOST people. That means that you're studying about 2-3+ hours a night minimum during the summer. If you wanted to take micro at the same time, that's another 2-3 hours of studying. The summer schedule runs 4-5 days per week per class, and about 2 hours lecture and 3 hours lab w/ 30 min. lunch. That means 10 hours of classes per day w/ 5-6 hours studying. At my school (a CC), the A&P is 5 units, and the micro is 4 units. I was able to get a 96% in A&P over the summer, while still having about 4 hours per night to exercise and vegitate... the other students in my class who got A's told me they had similar schedules as far as study/relax time. I did take micro and A&P 2 together during the semester, and got A's... but it was still a lot of work. So, that's as much as I know about that.

 

[MedicFL]

Many Mirco at CC wont count for a 4 year school for there requirement of Micro such as at my school the local CC Micro wont count for the 5 hour class taught at my school since it doesn't require Organic as a pre req

 

[pakbabydoll]

Well I am going to be a biology/ cell science major and micro is not a requirements to get in to that major. Our micro is 4 units and our CC is respected by all state universities.