Need advice from med students

[gluon999]

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Do med students often jump the gun on their req'd courses like anatomy, micro, pathology, neuro by taking them before they enter med school so that they are well prepared and confident when they start med school?

Would it really make a big difference if I take an anatomy course and/or simply use Moore's Clinical Anatomy? Or take neuroscience/embryology, etc. so that it makes med school easier? Or is it simply not worth the effort b/c there are other 'factors' (whatever that means to you) in med school?

 

[doc05]

it's not worth the effort because you should try and enjoy life now. med school will limit that.

 

[efex101]

Personally I do feel that anything that may help you through medical schools is beneficial to take *if* you have the time and can afford it. I am so very happy that I took cellular and molecular biology before coming to medical school. The pace is so fast that any little advantage is huge IMHO...

 

[gluon999]

yeah, I am gonna have one year free to do as I please before I *hopefully* get in med school. I have to take gentics, biochem, molecular, developmental bio anyway.

I was just wondering if I should spend time on physio, neuro, patho, histo, etc before I start school. I could work full time or take these courses and work part time/research during that one year.

 

[efex101]

Nah, I would not take those courses unless you seriously think that you may actually enjoy it.

 

[felipe5]

I'm going to have to agree with efex101.......if you can take biochem/cell and molecular bio/embryology in undergrad, then definitely do it. All of my classes move at a pretty fast pace, and having some experience in the subject really does help here at the beginning of the semester with the 'introductory' material. True, if you were once an econ or music major, you can still kick @ss at med-school, but it may really suck trying to familiarize yourself with this stuff seeing it all for the first time

 

[carol ann]

I am a big one for don't bother taking the classes - the focus in med school is probably different than you would get in an undergrad or research classes, unless you think it would help your application.

 

[superdood]

Personally I do feel that anything that may help you through medical schools is beneficial to take *if* you have the time and can afford it. I am so very happy that I took cellular and molecular biology before coming to medical school. The pace is so fast that any little advantage is huge IMHO...

wow, i was required to take cell and molecular bio as a prereq.

 

[velo]

From the little I've seen thus far I will say this. You don't need to take any of those classes before med school...plenty of people come in and see things like biochem, physio, histo, anatomy etc for the first time and do just fine....however, they have to work harder because they're seeing the material for the first time. I have a physiology and chem background, so those classes have seemed pretty easy to me thus far...lots of review. So I guess I'd say sure, if you have the time, give yourself a head start on some of those courses. You'll still have to relearn them in med school...but I think that's less work than learning it for the first time...

 

[ddmo]

I wouldn't take anatomy, everyone that I know who took it in undergrad said that it was nothing compared to medical school. Most of the stuff they studied is the easiest stuff now. For example, they would spend a lot of time learning the parts of bones and muscles. However, now you need to know innerviations, origins, and insertions so knowing the names of bone parts and muscles is just second nature.

 

[gluon999]

I wouldn't take anatomy, everyone that I know who took it in undergrad said that it was nothing compared to medical school. Most of the stuff they studied is the easiest stuff now. For example, they would spend a lot of time learning the parts of bones and muscles. However, now you need to know innerviations, origins, and insertions so knowing the names of bone parts and muscles is just second nature.

The anatomy with cadaver course that I took req'd us to know bone parts, muscles, innervations, blood supply, etc. We got insertion and origin questions once in a while but that wasn't the focus. Anyway, I found the cadaver to be a interesting learing experience. If one thing is for sure, I definitely won't be freaked out in med school during gross anatomy dissection.

 

[lattimer13]

it's not worth the effort because you should try and enjoy life now. med school will limit that.

agreed. try doing a search on this...i know it's been discussed before.

 

[twinklz]

As an English major who skimped by on the bare mininum, even I've seen most of everything before (well in molecular bio, genetics, biochem, and cell bio). They're going in much more detail, but I have a handle on the broad scheme of things. However, I wouldn't have minded taking a class specifically geared towards one of those aforementioned disciplines; I wouldn't have to spend as much time "patching in the holes". On the other hand, I wouldn't have given up my anthro courses or art courses or English courses just to "get ahead" on material that I would learn eventually. You just have to figure out where your own priorities are.

 

[mattorama]

If you have room in your schedule and you think you would enjoy it (if you are going to med school you should like those classes), take as many related classes as you can. It can only help. I am really surprised by how much my classmates have had in undergrad. Can you still pass and do well without? Of course. But still....every little bit helps.

I have been studying my butt off for my first micro exam this friday (never had a bit of it). I know a LOT of people who haven't done much of anything for the exam because they already had the material in undergrad. While I may do just as well or even better then them, they get to work on other subjects or go out while I am studying.

As for anatomy in undergrad...it just depends on the individual course. I took an anatomy class last summer at my undergrad and so far it was more indepth then what I am getting in med school.


good luck

 

[ericdamiansean]

I tried doing what the OP said, it didn't work out..pointless..enjoy your life prior to coming to med school..it drains your life out bit by bit if you're not careful 😛

 

[azzarah]

I had a hard time my first year. If I could go back to my senior year of college I would take more bio courses in place of anthropology, psych, and history...taking med school prep classes and enjoying life are not mutually exclusive IMHO.

 

[Enkindu]

Lots of people told me not to bother with taking undergrad equivalents to med school classes. I consider this the worst advice I have been given during the app/med school process. Everything you've had the chance to see before will come easier to you (even if the focus/ level of detail is different). I'm M2 now, and I can assure you that some of the happier and more successful folks in my class took anatomy, biochem, physiology, genetics, immunology, micro, etc. as undergrads. All the classes that I did take prior to med school are more enjoyable and I take home more info from them. As with everything in med school, different things work for different people- find out what works for you. If you want to take the classes prior to med school and you can afford it, go for it. Most importantly, take all the advice you get from this board (including mine) with a grain of salt.

 

[Sage880]

Lots of people told me not to bother with taking undergrad equivalents to med school classes. I consider this the worst advice I have been given during the app/med school process. Everything you've had the chance to see before will come easier to you (even if the focus/ level of detail is different). I'm M2 now, and I can assure you that some of the happier and more successful folks in my class took anatomy, biochem, physiology, genetics, immunology, micro, etc. as undergrads. All the classes that I did take prior to med school are more enjoyable and I take home more info from them. As with everything in med school, different things work for different people- find out what works for you. If you want to take the classes prior to med school and you can afford it, go for it. Most importantly, take all the advice you get from this board (including mine) with a grain of salt.

This is great advice. I think the best thing about taking courses early in undergrad is you can find out if you really enjoy the material. You're not ment to love all of it but if you find you detest everything then you'll know it'll be a LONG 4 years in medschool.

Plus, having seen at least the basic info before medschool is worth it's weight in gold when you're learning everything again.

 

[gluon999]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am req'd to take genetics, biochem, developmental, and molecular anyway. I already took anatomy w/cadaver (which was very informative but req'd me to work like a dog) and will most likely take neuroscience, histo, and maybe physiology w/cadaver when I get some time next year (the reason being that I can take it for free and gain some experience for med school).

 

[pinipig523]

If I were to redo certain things... I would take anatomy in undergrad at all costs (even as a pass/fail course at the end of senior year).