Most helpful course for med school?

[RunMimi]

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[rayzer]

I'm not a med student...yet, but taking a health policy class is helpful if you are not too familiar with the different types in insurance plan structures, Medicare/Medicaid, US health system etc. I was asked a couple questions like what was wrong with the healthcare in the US and are you familiar with the differing methods of physician reimbursement. Besides, you're going to have to learn health policy soon anyways, so you might as well familiarize yourself with it now.

 

[CaptainJack02]

It might be helpful to post this in the Allopathic forum since more med students visit that forum than this one

if i were you, i'd take crazy courses like photography and sculpture...well since i love those things, not so crazy forme. but seriously, you're at duke - and this is your lat semester to do academic things outside of medicine and at a premiere institution for many disciplines. plus, look at your own record. it's simply amazing - you won't have much more trouble in med school than others simply b/c of your engineering background. once you begin, you'll be drownign along with everyone else in your class, even those crazy biobots.

but if you still want to take a course of two, i'd say take cell bio/biochem/developmental biology. many people have said to me that cell bio helps with histo and developmental bio with embryology. neurobiology is another interesting course, and i hear neuro in med school is a whopper. if anything, you'll only get the basic terminology and basic ideas out of these classes.

good luck! and congrats on getting in already. are you still waiting for those other schools or have you decided to go to one of the ones you already got into(which are terrific schools, btw. definitely two thumbs up for your impressive record!)

 

[CaptainJack02]

I'm not a med student...yet, but taking a health policy class is helpful if you are not too familiar with the different types in insurance plan structures, Medicare/Medicaid, US health system etc. I was asked a couple questions like what was wrong with the healthcare in the US and are you familiar with the differing methods of physician reimbursement. Besides, you're going to have to learn health policy soon anyways, so you might as well familiarize yourself with it now.

i disagree. just get health policy by bodenheimer and you're all set. no need to take a semester long course, unless you feel compelled to understand more than just the basics.

 

[manwhoisthursdy]

My honest view is you should take anatomy, or physiology, or microbiology or histology. I listened to those who told me to take unrelated stuff (Shakespeare, etc.), and I had fun, but I regret not having more of a background in the subjects I'm taking now.

DO NOT take health policy. Courses like that are a waste of time and pretty much every med school makes you take that stuff anyway. By the time you are a doctor, you will understand very well the intricacies and evils of American Healthcare. At least it's not Canada.

just my two cents of course, eventually it's you who is taking the course load.

 

[roja]

I'm goign to differ here.. I think anatomy and micro/histo are kind of a waste.. these classes are primarily memorization. However, if your school has a good physio or immunology class, these can help alot. They are both really conceptual based and can be rough in med school.

biochem is a waste in undergrad.


.02

 

[12R34Y]

Immunology. If it is offered take it. I took it in undergrad and it helped a TON in medschool. Most of the class hated it and never really grasped it well. the people who took immuno in undergrad were head and shoulders above the rest. Micro is also good to have beforehand as is physio/anatomy.

I love medicine. I loved it in undergrad and thoroughly enjoyed taking medschool-type classes in undergrad. Don't regret it at all. just my opinion.

later

 

[taehong81]

Take biochem! I am spending so much time learning biochem because this is my first time being exposed to it. Even though if you take it as undergrad and forget it, it will be easier learning it when you are exposed to it for the second time.

 

[BigRedPingpong]

ranked in order:
1. anatomy
2. molecular bio (advanced)
3. Genetics (advanced, not that punnet square mendel crap)
3. biochemistry
4. statistics (so you can read journals without wondering what the hell MANOVA is)

 

[LuckyMD2b]

If I could do undergrad again the only thing I woulda done different was to take a Spanish class.

For my med school, I was a biochem major, and I think that background really paid off. I cruised through biochem and Genetics in med school. I'm glad I didn't waste my time taking a memorization (and boring) class like Histo. I think that physiology or cell bio would be good if you haven't had those yet.

I think that Health Policy would be great 4 U, since it isn't a formal requirement for my med school and you may get through med school w/o getting exposed.

 

[lattimer13]

i'd go with physio...everything else is more memorization.

by the way, who puts Netter as their avatar? 😕

 

[fever5]

ranked in order:
1. anatomy
2. molecular bio (advanced)
3. Genetics (advanced, not that punnet square mendel crap)
3. biochemistry
4. statistics (so you can read journals without wondering what the hell MANOVA is)

5. microbiology is essential (I've been told by recent med students)
6. also an advanced physiology course (that runs a full academic year)

 

[Heal&Teach]

Cell bio, microbiology, or human physiology would be great since these tend to be on the more difficult side (and it only becomes moreso when you've got three times the amount of information thrown at you). Anatomy might be helpful if you take a comprehensive course that has a lab. Otherwise, the level of detail will still be overwhelming.

 

[omarsaleh66]

Im glad I took these:

1) Physiology
2) Micro

biochem and immuno are easy in med school where an undergrad course wont really help.

 

[la gringa]

SPANISH if you haven't taken it. i'm now a 4th year and wish i had a better spanish background

physiology i took and am very glad i did

micro i didn't take and later wished i had

agree w/ omarsaleh.... biochem and immuno are breezed over in relation to micro/phys/path/pharm which are the backbone of 2nd year and more importantly step 1.

 

[Lebesgue]

NONE.

Why do you think they accept any major, as long as you have the prereqs? Because they will teach you what you need to know once you're there.

Just study what interests you, you'll get better grades, and you may get to learn some things you wouldn't otherwise...

👍

 

[Enkindu]

The worst advice I got prior to med school was to "take whatever interesting classes you want to." The people that are seeing information for the second time have an advantage in med school classes. Period. Even if the level of detail is different, you still get a good working framework from undergrad classes (at least I did at UVA and I'm sure you will at Duke). Forget policy classes- those are "light" topics at med school. Like others have suggested, take what you can from micro, physiology, anatomy, biochem, cell/molecular, genetics, histology, immuno, etc.

If you want to learn art history, read a book this summer on the beach with a pina colada in your hand. Good luck!

 

[toofache32]

It looks like I disagree with many on this post. My college degree was in classical guitar performance because I really enjoyed it. I never understood why you would want to major in the same thing twice (biology and medicine). They teach us everything we need to know in med school to be a physician. College is not med school...it's just college.

Take whatever courses you want.

 

[Enkindu]

I should qualify my prior statement- I majored in geochemistry (and played in a band and worked at a radio station and did a lot of climbing) because it was interesting. The OP seems to be asking about which classes are helpful specifically for med school. You should definitely major in something that you love, but that should leave you plenty of space to nail down the pre-reqs and take some very useful upper division courses. If you want to give yourself an edge with your last semester courses, focus on the sciences mentioned above.

 

[12R34Y]

Immunology was NOT breezed over in medical school (at least not mine). It was the first 6 weeks of our micro course. And consistently the most failed exam of micro. Everybody hated it and it was a huge chunk of our class. As it should be. Understanding immuno is essential in medicine more and more.

I agree with taking spanish. all patients seem to be spanish on some rotations.

later

 

[Sean2tall]

In my opinion, having seen any subject prior to medical school is going to make you feel better. Maybe you have to remind yourself how it works or learn more details than the first time around, but it seems less daunting.