Most important undergraduate classes

[spate93]

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Hey guys I was just trying to get opinions out of anyone, including people who have been accepted, what are the most important undergrad classes to admission committees, like lets say I got an A in some class or classes which classes do I want to make sure I do that in to impress admission boards

 

[Lucca]

There is no such thing as some classes being more important than others but your science gpa should not be too far from your overall gpa. You should be a well-rounded, high-achieving student in every category (ideally). The most important class is the one you learn the most from and means the most to you, speaks the most to your passions. That can be "A History of Colonialism in Sub-saharan Africa" or it can be "Quantum I".

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I voted anat/physio just for its utility for the MCAT, not for adcom influence

 

[spate93]

Thanks for the input! But I was going towards the area of what med school interviewers think? I know they love looking at O chem but what else? Hypothetically if two students are dead on what class(es) set them apart

 

[Oso]

Thanks for the input! But I was going towards the area of what med school interviewers think? I know they love looking at O chem but what else? Hypothetically if two students are dead on what class(es) set them apart

hypothetically that would not happen.

What really matters are your GPA's. Individual grades will not matter unless you have a really low grade. An 'A' in a particular science class will not make you stand out. An 'A' in o-chem is no more special than an 'A' in bio, physics, etc. People who do well in o-chem will be rewarded with a higher sGPA/cGPA than people who do less well, and that is what adcoms will look at.

 

[terp720]

Thanks for the input! But I was going towards the area of what med school interviewers think? I know they love looking at O chem but what else? Hypothetically if two students are dead on what class(es) set them apart

I'm not sure I understand your poll given that orgo is a pre-req and biochem is becoming a pre-req at many schools, so you'll still need to have the orgo/biochem (especially if taking the new MCAT) just like everyone else.
Ideally you will want to do well in all them (not just a select few) to keep your GPA high. It's not really about getting an A in specific classes.

 

[TheNeuroman]

hypothetically that would not happen.

What really matters are your GPA's. Individual grades will not matter unless you have a really low grade. An 'A' in a particular science class will not make you stand out. An 'A' in o-chem is no more special than an 'A' in bio, physics, etc. People who do well in o-chem will be rewarded with a higher sGPA/cGPA than people who do less well, and that is what adcoms will look at.

Disagree with this. An "A" in "the science of cooking", offered through your physics department for instance, is not the same as an A in an upper level biochemistry course with lab. I find it hard to imagine ADCOMs don't look at specific grades in specific classes.

 

[Oso]

Disagree with this. An "A" in "the science of cooking", offered through your physics department for instance, is not the same as an A in an upper level biochemistry course with lab. I find it hard to imagine ADCOMs don't look at specific grades in specific classes.

Did you read my post? I'm comparing prereqs/ recommended science courses. The OP is asking about Orgo, biochem, anatomy, and phys, which will be looked at roughly equally. No one is talking about obvious fluff courses. If those were the same, everyone would take intro science for non-science majors to boost their sGPA, but that is an entirely different discussion. In terms of the science classes most premeds take, an A is an A and a good grade in a particular class will not make someone stand out in the grand scheme of things. No one will say 'whoah, A in anatomy! Impressive!' What matters most is your gpa.