Other coursework... do they care?

[TodoLoPuedo]

For the most part, the prerequisites for med school are the same...

2 semesters biology
2 semesters chemistry
2 semesters organic chemistry
2 semesters physics

Some specific schools list english and math requirements, and most state that they want a well-rounded student with a background in humanities.

I guess my specific question is do admissions committees really care "what else" you took? Or do they pretty much go down the checklist of prerequisites, check to see you have them and did well, and move on to ECs/volunteering/etc?

I'm asking because I have a bunch of other courses that IMO would be helpful for a medical education (anatomy/physiology/exercise phys/advanced medical spanish/motor development/motor control/psych/etc.), but am still short on a 2nd physics and both O Chems. I know other classes won't replace the standard prereqs, but I'm just starting to wonder if ADCOMS will even care about the "icing on the cake"?

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[SirGecko]

You won't get into medical school because of course selection. You don't get extra points for having taken anatomy or psychology or whatever. Do stuff you are interested in and they might care because you will be able to talk about them enthusiastically at an interview. Really the interview and how you are able to talk about your interests is where this sort of thing will come across. Don't chose classes because you think they will "look good".

 

[coyotelime]

You won't get into medical school because of course selection. You don't get extra points for having taken anatomy or psychology or whatever. Do stuff you are interested in and they might care because you will be able to talk about them enthusiastically at an interview. Really the interview and how you are able to talk about your interests is where this sort of thing will come across. Don't chose classes because you think they will "look good".

Genuine passion > what you think adcoms want to see any day.

 

[flatearth22]

Take some upper division bio classes like genetics, molecular bio, biochemistry, cell bio, etc. but only if it fits into your schedule and you know you'll do well on them. They can be helpful for the MCAT and also show adcoms you can handle tough bio classes.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Genuine passion > what you think adcoms want to see any day.

Take some upper division bio classes like genetics, molecular bio, biochemistry, cell bio, etc. but only if it fits into your schedule and you know you'll do well on them. They can be helpful for the MCAT and also show adcoms you can handle tough bio classes.

These. I'm a psychology major and philosophy minor. But I am taking biochemistry and will take genetics. Just do well in what you take or whatever you need to get into the medical schools of your choice. Good luck OP!

 

[TodoLoPuedo]

You won't get into medical school because of course selection. You don't get extra points for having taken anatomy or psychology or whatever. Do stuff you are interested in and they might care because you will be able to talk about them enthusiastically at an interview. Really the interview and how you are able to talk about your interests is where this sort of thing will come across. Don't chose classes because you think they will "look good".

That's my point though... I took all of those classes BECAUSE I'm interested in them (well and they're part of my major (kinesiology), but I chose my major because it's what I'm passionate about). I was a D1 athlete and spent a lot of time as a patient dealing with sports injuries, which lead to doing research in musculoskeletal health lab and an interest in orthopaedics. But I feel like they'd just be looked over because they're not bio/chem/ochem/physics.

 

[WildEMDoc]

More and more medical schools are adding a biochemistry pre-req, you are best off just considering it as a pre-req so you don't have to limit yourself in your application.

 

[SirGecko]

That's my point though... I took all of those classes BECAUSE I'm interested in them (well and they're part of my major (kinesiology), but I chose my major because it's what I'm passionate about). I was a D1 athlete and spent a lot of time as a patient dealing with sports injuries, which lead to doing research in musculoskeletal health lab and an interest in orthopaedics. But I feel like they'd just be looked over because they're not bio/chem/ochem/physics.

Nope. If you are passionate about french literature and decided to major in that it would be just as beneficial as focusing on some aspect of bio/chem/ochem/physics. As a doctor you really only need to be interested in treating people and that is just such a wide area of interest that I can't think of anything that is inherently better for course selection outside of doing well in the prereq classes. Anything in the scope of human experience is fair game.

That said you really do have to complete all the prereqs. You aren't going to get in to medical school without them.

 

[Whiskeypunch]

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[Whiskeypunch]

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[Whiskeypunch]

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