Most Helpful Courses

[Dhooy7]

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What classes are the most helpful for medical school. I could take neurobiology but would need to wait an additional semester to graduate. I could also take immunology possibly. What would you say are the most helpful classes to take for medical school?

It's tough because I could also stay and possibly do research if I wait but that is more money. I could also possibly do a human cadaver lab if I wait which would be awesome! I might see if I could do an immunology independent study, and take neurobiology if I wait. Is it worth the money? Or should I just try graduating early and not take as many classes in fall of 2016.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Biochemistry and immunology, but really, none of them are necessary. You'll learn everything you need to in medical school. Anatomy is going to be taught much more in-depth in med school than it ever would be taught in undergrad.

If you really have to take one, take biochemistry.

But I really have to emphasize that everyone is going to be on the same footing after like the second lecture of each subject.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Biochemistry and immunology, but really, none of them are necessary. You'll learn everything you need to in medical school. Anatomy is going to be taught much more in-depth in med school than it ever would be taught in undergrad.

If you really have to take one, take biochemistry.

But I really have to emphasize that everyone is going to be on the same footing after like the second lecture of each subject.

Thanks for this insight. I took biochem senior year and I feel like I learned nothing.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Thanks for this insight. I took biochem senior year and I feel like I learned nothing.

It will all be completely reiterated and reinforced during medical school. I didn't really learn anything in biochem in undergrad (almost entirely my own fault), but since learning everything in medical school, I feel like I have a much firmer grasp on the material and its clinical relevance.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Cell Bio, Human Genetics, and Mammal Physiology were all amazing at my university.

On the other hand, undergrad Biochem was horrible and I learned ~nothing. A lot depends on which instructor you take your classes from.

 

[Dhooy7]

Sounds like I should save the money. The only 2 things that may be beneficial are getting research experience and possibly getting the opportunity to do the human cadaver lab.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Sounds like I should save the money. The only 2 things that may be beneficial are getting research experience and possibly getting the opportunity to do the human cadaver lab.

Anatomy lab will not be beneficial

 

[ranob]

Did y'all fail biochem or something? How's it possible to pass the tests without understanding the material? Surely you covered the structure & function of tons of important, biologically relevant proteins, the chemistry behind tons of important biological processes, etc. I mean, even if the instructor isn't any good, there is presumably a textbook..

 

[WedgeDawg]

Did y'all fail biochem or something? How's it possible to pass the tests without understanding the material? Surely you covered the structure & function of tons of important, biologically relevant proteins, the chemistry behind tons of important biological processes, etc. I mean, even if the instructor isn't any good, there is presumably a textbook..

You can learn enough information to pass a test and then forget it later (for example, I took undergrad biochem in 2013... so quite a while ago), particularly if you have strong reasoning/test taking skills.

 

[Dhooy7]

I wish I had strong test taking skills. I have to study for every exam no matter how easy it is.

 

[Dhooy7]

So the human cadaver lab would not be that beneficial for me to take?

 

[WedgeDawg]

So the human cadaver lab would not be that beneficial for me to take?

Anatomy lab will not be beneficial

 

[AlteredScale]

These were the courses i toom in undergrad that have helped me or hope that they will help me in med school: immunology, medical microbiology, endocrinology, pharmacology, human physiology, and molecular mechanisms for human disease.

 

[Lannister]

Even though med school anatomy is way more in depth than undergrad anatomy, I've had a ton of med students tell me I made a good decision in taking anatomy as an undergrad.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Even though med school anatomy is way more in depth than undergrad anatomy, I've had a ton of med students tell me I made a good decision in taking anatomy as an undergrad.

What did you learn in undergrad anatomy and did it include a dissection lab?

 

[Satire5Texul]

It will all be completely reiterated and reinforced during medical school. I didn't really learn anything in biochem in undergrad (almost entirely my own fault), but since learning everything in medical school, I feel like I have a much firmer grasp on the material and its clinical relevance.

Do you feel like taking anatomy/biochem/physiology could put you at an advantage for your first year ?
I was just wondering if these classes would give you a leg up on everyone else ?

 

[Lannister]

What did you learn in undergrad anatomy and did it include a dissection lab?

I'm taking it now. We do virtual labs, and our lab exams are basically the same format as med school anatomy exams, from what I understand (see a picture with pins in it, have a minute or so to write down what it is/what it does/whatever). We are expected to know a lot of the major bones and their surface features, the muscles and their origins/insertions/actions/innervations, a good deal of the vasculature of the abdomen, thorax, limbs, brain. We have covered or will cover: anterior chest, shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand; somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system; posterior shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand; surface features of the brain and the meninges; the superficial head and neck; the cranial nerves; the spinal cord; blood and blood vessels; the lymphatic system; the heart; the thorax and anterior chest wall; the lungs, trachea, esophagus, posterior thorax; anterior abdominal wall, gastrointestinal system; nose, pharynx, larynx; oral cavity; the hip, thigh, leg and foot; the urinary system; deep back, posterior hip, thigh, leg, foot, knee; reproductive systems. Haha sorry that was more text than I thought, just basically typed out the syllabus.

At my last interview we got to see a cadaver and the anatomy prof was quizzing our tour guides who had just taken their first anatomy exam, and I knew the answers as well as they did, surprisingly 😛

 

[WedgeDawg]

I'm taking it now. We do virtual labs, and our lab exams are basically the same format as med school anatomy exams, from what I understand (see a picture with pins in it, have a minute or so to write down what it is/what it does/whatever). We are expected to know a lot of the major bones and their surface features, the muscles and their origins/insertions/actions/innervations, a good deal of the vasculature of the abdomen, thorax, limbs, brain. We have covered or will cover: anterior chest, shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand; somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system; posterior shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand; surface features of the brain and the meninges; the superficial head and neck; the cranial nerves; the spinal cord; blood and blood vessels; the lymphatic system; the heart; the thorax and anterior chest wall; the lungs, trachea, esophagus, posterior thorax; anterior abdominal wall, gastrointestinal system; nose, pharynx, larynx; oral cavity; the hip, thigh, leg and foot; the urinary system; deep back, posterior hip, thigh, leg, foot, knee; reproductive systems. Haha sorry that was more text than I thought, just basically typed out the syllabus.

At my last interview we got to see a cadaver and the anatomy prof was quizzing our tour guides who had just taken their first anatomy exam, and I knew the answers as well as they did, surprisingly 😛

Here is a portion of a single slide from a single lecture that we had to know cold for our last exam. It's about the interaction between the trigeminal and facial nerves. The green is showing the path of sympathetic innervation from the superior cervical ganglion to the mandibular nerve and its terminal points such as the lacrimal gland. EDIT: I REMOVED THE SLIDE PICTURE AND UPLOADED MY OWN DRAWING INSTEAD WHICH IS IDENTICAL TO THE SLIDE EXCEPT FOR ABBREVIATED LABELS AND THE SYMPATHETIC PATHWAY HAS NOT BEEN COLORED IN

Our anatomy exams have two sections (which I think is pretty standard for medical school anatomy) - a practical portion which is what you describe (something is tagged and you have to say what it is, what it does, where it attaches, or something else depending on the question) and a written portion where we are asked clinically related questions (for an example related to the above: here are the symptoms, where is a tumor most likely present?)

Perhaps it will help you cover some of the material, but I don't think it's possible for an undergraduate 1 semester course to cover the same level of depth and breadth as you do in a medical school anatomy course. Certainly you'll become more familiar with the structures and what they do, but there is so much more to anatomy than knowing what is where.

So perhaps it will be helpful, but I don't think it is 1) necessary 2) the most helpful class you can take or 3) going to give you any real leg up on anyone else, as you'll have to learn all the minutia associated with everything you've already learned, so it'll be more like learning it again.

If you think it's interesting, then by all means take it, but I don't think it will really give you a huge advantage in medical school.

I could be wrong though. I never took anatomy in undergrad (I took physiology) and I'm doing at least as well as the majority of my peers.

What might be interesting is next year, once you've taken anatomy, let us know how helpful it was. I'm genuinely curious and may want to revise my opinion if people thought it was actually helpful.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Please do not quote this post

ok 👍

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I also took a semester of anatomy~ while it in no way covers in the detail that medical school will, I personally always feel better going into a class that is going to be at least a little familiar. At least undergrad anatomy taught me the names of bones and muscles and all that basic stuff


I have heard endocrinology would be helpful (wish I took it before mcat actually)

 

[Lannister]

@WedgeDawg I will definitely let you know if I find it helpful. And yeah that diagram you posted is definitely beyond anything we've learned. Although the exams are the same format, we just have two types of exams, rather than one exam with two portions: the lab practicals, and the actual exams. On the actual exams, 60% of the points are based on case studies, like a lot of times we're given an autopsy report and asked to explain some of the findings.
Did you find physiology helpful? Was the physiology you took like intro bio (one of my intro bio classes was physiology, not sure if that's typical at other schools, and then we have upper level physiology which you can't take without taking anatomy first) or upper level?. I'm super excited for physiology, even if it won't help me that much, but I'm just curious if you found it helpful.

 

[Hopeful___MD]

Nothing will prepare you for medical school. I've taken med school classes at my SMP and, boy, my year of biochemistry, physiology, immunology, microbio, cell biology, cell and molecular biology, and year of genetics did absolutely nothing for me to prep for medical school. Yeah, some stuff was familiar but for the most part, it was about 10 steps above what you need to know for UG.

 

[detroitstudent]

So the human cadaver lab would not be that beneficial for me to take?

If it's an actual cadaver based lab I say take it. I did and it was my favorite class in undergrad so far, it really put everything into perspective. Even if medschool anatomy goes more in depth, learning from a cadaver starting in undergrad is a great experience. It's going to be more time intensive than anatomy lecture so make sure you account for that.

 

[WedgeDawg]

@WedgeDawg I will definitely let you know if I find it helpful. And yeah that diagram you posted is definitely beyond anything we've learned. Although the exams are the same format, we just have two types of exams, rather than one exam with two portions: the lab practicals, and the actual exams. On the actual exams, 60% of the points are based on case studies, like a lot of times we're given an autopsy report and asked to explain some of the findings.
Did you find physiology helpful? Was the physiology you took like intro bio (one of my intro bio classes was physiology, not sure if that's typical at other schools, and then we have upper level physiology which you can't take without taking anatomy first) or upper level?. I'm super excited for physiology, even if it won't help me that much, but I'm just curious if you found it helpful.

I updated the picture with my own hasty drawing, so it's quotable now.

Yeah, definitely follow up later with how helpful you think it is (or isn't).

I found that physiology (also intro level) was a little useful for learning terms and becoming familiar with basic concepts, but the depth just wasn't there. It's always useful to become familiar with basic terminology, but my experience with anatomy (where I had basically 0 knowledge coming in) made it clear to me that even baseline familiarity is very quickly eclipsed by constant exposure in medical school, which is why I say that it won't matter after 2-3 lectures.

Directed at OP: Take it if you're interested, but if your sole reason for taking it is to prepare yourself for medical school, you're better off doing something else.

 

[123456123456]

I enjoyed pathophysiology but I would think these classes would also be beneficial to some degree: patho, anatomy, physiology, immunology, genetics, histology, virology, biochemistry, pharmacology, med term

 

[Law2Doc]

...I feel like I have a much firmer grasp on the material and its clinical relevance.

You will never know though what kind of grasp you would really have felt like you had if you never took it in undergrad. Frankly most of the people who took none of these courses still feel like they have a similarly firm grasp. So I say don't bother.

 

[WedgeDawg]

You will never know though what kind of grasp you would really have felt like you had if you never took it in undergrad. Frankly most of the people who took none of these courses still feel like they have a similarly firm grasp. So I say don't bother.

Yeah I was saying in that post and in subsequent ones that what I took in undergrad didn't have any impact on my performance (thus far) in medical school. The firm grasp was from taking it in medical school, as significantly different material was emphasized. Though the point is now moot for this particular class as biochem is essentially required as a prereq now.

 

[Dhooy7]

My goal is to attend medical school. I just need to do well on the MCAT. I am going to buy the practice exams and make sure I review organic chemistry and the critical analysis section.