Order of prerequisites IN LIST FORM

[kennyram401]

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what is the most comfortable way to take the premed journey. if one knows absolutely nothing about science. IN LIST FORM to keep things black and white.

 

[aSagacious]

This is how I did it (there are many combinations that are equally doable):

Fall freshman:
- Calc I
- Chem I
- Bio I
Spring freshman:
- Calc II
- Chem II
- Bio II
Fall sophomore:
- Orgo I
- Physics I
Spring sophomore:
- Orgo II
- Physics II

... of course you could make use of summers to further spread them out. You'll also need to sprinkle in the labs for each of these along the way (I saved mine for the end).

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Freshman-My bad year, no pre-reqs done, I wish I could undo it 🙁
Sophomore- Bio I and chem I and II
Junior- Orgo I and IIm Bio IIm Stats, couple upper levels
Senior (upcoming)- Physics I and II, more upper levels

 

[sunflower18]

I'm not done with the process of pre-reqs yet, but this is my plan:

Fall Freshman:
Chem I

Spring Freshman:
Chem II
Bio I

Fall Sophomore:
Organic Chem I
Calc I

Spring Sophomore:
Organic Chem II
Physics I

Fall Junior:
Physics II
Biochem
Bio II

Spring Junior:
MCAT!

Fall Senior:
Stats

....Which is a somewhat convoluted way to do things, but it also works 🙂 I decided to do it this way because I did not come into college very confident in science, so I wanted to ease into it. Also, this way, I can take classes in my major (English) along with my pre-reqs. I think that this was a good choice on my part, although I wish that I was getting done with my pre-reqs in a bit more conventional order sometimes. I am also taking my labs concurrently with all of their corresponding classes -- my university requires it.

Good luck finding the schedule that best works for you!!

 

[osprey099]

This is how I did it (AP'ed out of Bio and Calc 1)

Freshman Fall: Chem1, Calc2, Physics1
Freshman Spring: Chem2, Physics2
Sophomore Fall: Orgo1, Orgo lab
Sophomore Spring: Orgo2

 

[One Fly Guy]

This is how I did it (AP'ed out of Bio and Calc 1)

Freshman Fall: Chem1, Calc2, Physics1
Freshman Spring: Chem2, Physics2
Sophomore Fall: Orgo1, Orgo lab
Sophomore Spring: Orgo2

I thought even if you AP out of a course Med Schools still want you to take the classes?

 

[One Fly Guy]

This is how I did it (there are many combinations that are equally doable):

Fall freshman:
- Calc I
- Chem I
- Bio I
Spring freshman:
- Calc II
- Chem II
- Bio II
Fall sophomore:
- Orgo I
- Physics I
Spring sophomore:
- Orgo II
- Physics II

... of course you could make use of summers to further spread them out. You'll also need to sprinkle in the labs for each of these along the way (I saved mine for the end).

Do Universities allow you to take your labs in the summer?

 

[addictedbeauty]

Fall Freshman:
- Calc I
- Bio I
- Chem I
Spring Freshman:
- Calc II
- Bio II
- Chem II
Fall Sophomore:
- Organic Chem I
- Physics I
- (psych, stats) depends on the school
Spring Sophomore:
- Organic Chem II
- Physics II
- Organic Chem lab

Then Junior and Senior: take upper level sciences

 

[addictedbeauty]

I thought even if you AP out of a course Med Schools still want you to take the classes?

The Calc doesn't matter for most schools but the Bio does matter for most schools...in other words most schools want you to take Bio at your uni even if you AP out of it.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

Is this a good plan?

Freshman Fall:
Calc 1
Bio 1
Chem 1

Freshman Spring (current):
Calc 2
Bio 2
Chem 2

Sophomore Fall:
Orgo 1
English 1

Sophomore Spring:
Orgo 2
English 2

Junior Fall:
Physics 1

Junior Spring:
Physics 2

 

[addictedbeauty]

Is this a good plan?

Freshman Fall:
Calc 1
Bio 1
Chem 1

Freshman Spring (current):
Calc 2
Bio 2
Chem 2

Sophomore Fall:
Orgo 1
English 1

Sophomore Spring:
Orgo 2
English 2

Junior Fall:
Physics 1

Junior Spring:
Physics 2

Can't you take Physics during your Sophomore year? It can be done!

 

[One Fly Guy]

Is this a good plan?

Freshman Fall:
Calc 1
Bio 1
Chem 1

Freshman Spring (current):
Calc 2
Bio 2
Chem 2

Sophomore Fall:
Orgo 1
English 1

Sophomore Spring:
Orgo 2
English 2

Junior Fall:
Physics 1

Junior Spring:
Physics 2

Go ahead in finish off your Physics your sophomore year. Get your pre reqs out the way and take that MCAT!

 

[Ub3rmensch]

I could, but I was thinking of concentrating on getting a better grade on orgo. Does the MCAT even cover Physics 2 material?

 

[PantherPride]

This is how I did it (there are many combinations that are equally doable):

Fall freshman:
- Calc I
- Chem I
- Bio I
Spring freshman:
- Calc II
- Chem II
- Bio II
Fall sophomore:
- Orgo I
- Physics I
Spring sophomore:
- Orgo II
- Physics II

Same here.

 

[PantherPride]

I could, but I was thinking of concentrating on getting a better grade on orgo. Does the MCAT even cover Physics 2 material?

yes. You'll want to have all your pre-reqs out of the way early to make room for studying and taking the mcat. Ideally you want to get them done by the end of sophomore year because you'll take the mcat your junior year if you plan on matriculating to a med school right out of undergrad.

 

[sunflower18]

yes. You'll want to have all your pre-reqs out of the way early to make room for studying and taking the mcat. Ideally you want to get them done by the end of sophomore year because you'll take the mcat your junior year if you plan on matriculating to a med school right out of undergrad.

Or, as long as I understand correctly, you want them done by junior year first semester at the latest.

 

[GeauxTime]

I thought even if you AP out of a course Med Schools still want you to take the classes?

Based on my understanding, it's okay to AP out of the intro biology sequence (i.e. I and II) as long as you go ahead and take some upper level biology courses to demonstrate proficiency.

Micro, genetics, cell, and biochem should be sufficient I believe.

 

[GetThePointe77]

I APed out of Calc, BioI, BioII and ChemI. I wouldn't necessarily suggest not taking these because they can be a wonderful GPA buffer. However, I have gained several medical school acceptances so if you feel you have a strong background you can skip these (although without Bio in college I wasn't eligible to apply to the UC programs...) although as you can see from my list I did plenty of upper level bio (additional life sciences = als) before I applied.

started in the Spring due to illness
chem2, chem 2 lab, stats 1

freshman summer - gen eds

soph fall
orgo1, stats2

soph spring
orgo2, orgo lab, genetics

soph summer
physics1, physics1lab

jr fall
microbio, microbio lab, physics2, physics2 lab

jr spring
biochem, als for major w lab, intro to psych

jr summer - fun english classes 😀

senior fall
physiology, als for major

senior spring
als for major

 

[Stumpyman]

I did/am doing about the exact same plan as most people have posted, however I'm saving Calc 1 for Senior year (already taken stats though).

 

[Richard Dawkins]

the OP didn't ask what you did, he/she asked what the best way for an ignorant person is.
- don't waste your time with calculus until after the MCAT
- take as many summer classes as possible
- fall1: bio1 and chem 1 spring 1: bio2 and chem2 summer1 physics 1 and 2
fall2: ochem1 and upper division bio spring2: ochem 2 and upper division bio summer2: upper division bio or biochem or stats or a combination of those
fall3 and onward: more upper division stuff

 

[JESSFALLING]

Here's what I would do if I was starting next fall:
Freshman Fall (2012):
English/Composition
Algebra or Trig or Calc 1 or Calc 2 (depending on placement level)
Gen Chem 1 (hold off on this until spring if you're weak in algebra!)
Gen Bio 1
Freshman Spring (2013):
English/Literature
Intro to Statistics (Math Department)
Gen Chem 2
Physics 1
Sophomore Fall (2013):
OChem 1
Gen Bio 2
Sophomore Spring (2014):
OChem 2
Gen Physics 2
Junior Fall (2014):
Intro to Psychology (Will be covered on MCAT starting in 2015)
Genetics
Cell Biology or Biochemistry 1 or Human/Vertebrate Physiology
Begin study for MCAT
Junior Spring (2015):
Intro to Sociology (Will be covered on MCAT starting in 2015)
Cell Biology or Biochemistry 1 or Human/Vertebrate Physiology
Neuroscience or Neurophysiology or Biological Psychology
Take MCAT (On or Before April)
Summer
Apply June 1st
Senior Fall (2015):
Calc 1, Calc 2, or Adv. Statistics (if needed)
Senior Spring (2016):
Microbiology or Immunology or Hematology or Virology
Human/Vertebrate Physiology or Histology or Anatomy or Abnormal Psych
Matriculate!

 

[Koosalagoosagoo]

the OP didn't ask what you did, he/she asked what the best way for an ignorant person is.
- don't waste your time with calculus until after the MCAT
- take as many summer classes as possible
- fall1: bio1 and chem 1 spring 1: bio2 and chem2 summer1 physics 1 and 2
fall2: ochem1 and upper division bio spring2: ochem 2 and upper division bio summer2: upper division bio or biochem or stats or a combination of those
fall3 and onward: more upper division stuff

Uhhh you might need some calculus for physics. At my school I have to take calculus before I enter into physics.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

So how did you guys take the labs out of sequence? At my university you have to take the labs concurrently with the lectures. Personally I don't think its the best idea, because what we are doing in lecture never matches up with lab, but that's probably due to poor planning.

 

[sirenomelia]

I APed out of Calc, BioI, BioII and ChemI. I wouldn't necessarily suggest not taking these because they can be a wonderful GPA buffer. However, I have gained several medical school acceptances so if you feel you have a strong background you can skip these (although without Bio in college I wasn't eligible to apply to the UC programs...) although as you can see from my list I did plenty of upper level bio (additional life sciences = als) before I applied.

soph summer
physics1, physics1lab

How did taking physics in the summer work out? Was it everyday lectures ? Was it a torrid pace?

 

[Dzerzhinsky]

Uhhh you might need some calculus for physics. At my school I have to take calculus before I enter into physics.

Both algebra-based and calculus-based physics exists. Some schools only offer one version; some schools offer both. Most premeds choose to take alegbra-based. I recommend calculus-based if you have the background for it, as it makes so much more sense, but algebra-based is usually considered an easier course.

How did taking physics in the summer work out? Was it everyday lectures ? Was it a torrid pace?

When I went to Physics Camp, it was labs 2x/week and lectures every weeknight. On the other hand, you can't beat a year of physics in 12 weeks with a stick. (It might beat you with a stick, though.)

 

[theseeker4]

Uhhh you might need some calculus for physics. At my school I have to take calculus before I enter into physics.

Something to check into, but many schools offer two sections of Physics I and II, one trig-based and one calc-based. If trig-based (or algebra based, I have also seen it called), calc is not required.

 

[nikok]

Do you need Calc II as a pre-req?

 

[exquisitemelody]

The basics:
1 year english
1 year math (I would just to be on the safe side because the math requirement changes depending on the school - 1 semester calc I, 1 semester stat)
1 year general chem w/ lab
1 year organic chem w/ lab
1 year intro bio w/ lab
1 year physics w/ lab

The order that you do your prereqs in depends on how your school structures their science classes and which classes are prereqs for other classes. For example, at my school, they require you to take the first semester of gen chem before you can start intro bio and a semester of ochem is required before you can take biochem. The order that I went in was gen chem->ochem/bio->physics. Any math and english classes can be thrown in there whenever you can fit it unless your physics class requires calc.

Because of the change to the MCAT, I'm going to suspect that prereqs for med school may also change, so just to be on the safe side, you need to add these to your schedule as well: sociology, psychology, biochem, genetics, and statistics (depending on when you plan to take the MCAT and matriculate...regardless, I would suggest biochem anyway). Cell bio isn't required but recommended by a lot of med schools.

 

[xroc]

what is the most comfortable way to take the premed journey. if one knows absolutely nothing about science. IN LIST FORM to keep things black and white.

Freshman Fall = Bio 1, Chem 1
Freshman Winter = Bio 2, Calc 2
Freshman Summer = Orgo 1
Sophomore Fall = Cell Bio, Orgo 2
Sophomore Winter = Microbio, Physics 1

Summer of Soph year = MCAT ( I took it w/out physics 2 or chem 2 - chem2 is pretty pointless in terms of MCAT, but physics 2 does appear quite often. I just learned the material on my own. The reason I did this is b/c I was able to dedicate my whole summer to studying and worst case scenario, I would be able to retake my MCAT junior year)

 

[KTD]

I thought even if you AP out of a course Med Schools still want you to take the classes?

Calc I would not repeat. I don't think med schools care about it much and college calculus is a horror story for a lot of people.

If you placed out of Bio 1 you don't need to repeat it if you take other upper level bio courses instead. For example, I did not take Bio 1 but I did take: Cell Bio and Genetics, Microbiology, Animal Physiology, and Biochem (Texas schools require 4 bio classes). I don't think medical schools cared one bit. The problem is, the bio on the MCAT is pretty much Bio 1 and I didn't feel like my high school bio class prepared me well for that. I ended up having to learn most of that stuff from kaplan which is definitely not ideal. So, I would suggest bio 1 for the MCAT but not just to show med schools you can do it.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

This is how I did it (there are many combinations that are equally doable):

Fall freshman:
- Calc I
- Chem I
- Bio I
Spring freshman:
- Calc II
- Chem II
- Bio II
Fall sophomore:
- Orgo I
- Physics I
Spring sophomore:
- Orgo II
- Physics II

... of course you could make use of summers to further spread them out. You'll also need to sprinkle in the labs for each of these along the way (I saved mine for the end).

If I do end up taking this sequence, when will I take Genetics w/ Lab and Biochemistry? Is taking both during Junior Fall doable?

 

[NickNaylor]

General rules: take gen chem before ochem, take calc before physics, take gen bio before other bio courses. Nothing else really matters - fit them into your schedule as you're able and before you take the MCAT.

 

[aSagacious]

If I do end up taking this sequence, when will I take Genetics w/ Lab and Biochemistry? Is taking both during Junior Fall doable?

Biochemistry (at least the one that I took) was a one year, two course sequence. Though after the first semester you'd know far more than you would ever need for the MCAT. You could probably take genetics and biochem at the same time if the rest of your schedule is relatively light, though to be honest I don't think you need an entire genetics class for the MCAT (the content is very simple: punnett squares, inheritance patterns, hardy-weinberg, etc).

 

[GetThePointe77]

sirenomelia - taking physics during the summer was amazing...because it was the only class I was focusing on. It was a 12 week session, so it wasnt every day but the periods were longer. I worked in a lab and volunteered, but since physics is not my strong suit I was much better able to learn the material even in the reduced time. Just be careful about who the professor over the summer is, ours was a PhD student (who happened to be awesome but that doesnt always happen).

 

[JESSFALLING]

Do you need Calc II as a pre-req?

No. Some schools require 1-year of college level math, though, and Calc II fulfills that requirement.... but so does Statistics 🙂.

 

[idontcaureuknow]

For pre-reqs I liked the way I did it. (APed out of Bio II)

Fresh Fall:
Calc I
Chem I
Bio I

Fresh Spring
Phys I
Chem II

Fresh Summer
Microbio

Sophomore Fall
Orgo I
Phys II

Sophomore Spring
Orgo II

Sophomore Summer
Statistics

Junior Fall
Biochem