Potential missing pre-req question

[hblalock12]

I was recently accepted to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. However, I am concerned I may not meet one of the pre-requisite requirements. The specific course was second semester general biology. My major was in Cell and Molecular Biology and I took many courses in the biological sciences including a genetics course. In fact my degree program used the genetics course in place of a second semester general bio course. Will my offer be rescinded because of this? Should I contact admissions about this? I’m not sure I want to contact them in fear of raising a red flag.

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[voxveritatisetlucis]

Genetics is biology

 

[deleted1102547]

I was recently accepted to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. However, I am concerned I may not meet one of the pre-requisite requirements. The specific course was second semester general biology. My major was in Cell and Molecular Biology and I took many courses in the biological sciences including a genetics course. In fact my degree program used the genetics course in place of a second semester general bio course. Will my offer be rescinded because of this? Should I contact admissions about this? I’m not sure I want to contact them in fear of raising a red flag.

Their specific requirement is "General biology: 2 semesters, one of which must be with a lab". Another commenter stated that Genetics is biology, which is true, but genetics isn't general biology. If you want to be certain, you should contact the admissions office and confirm whether they will accept what coursework you have already completed. If they won't you may need to take general biology 2 at a community college next spring, which shouldn't be very difficult for you to do. The school will double-check that you meet the requirements. It will be better to find out you aren't meeting them now than find out in a few months. You still have time to fix it. You don't have to finish them by the time you are accepted, but you do have to finish them by the time you matriculate.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

What is “general biology” though? My school didn’t even have 1 course called that let alone 2.

 

[jhmmd]

What is “general biology” though? My school didn’t even have 1 course called that let alone 2.

I think @goodbee meant that biology 1 covers genetics but genetics doesn't cover all of biology 1

 

[KnightDoc]

I was recently accepted to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. However, I am concerned I may not meet one of the pre-requisite requirements. The specific course was second semester general biology. My major was in Cell and Molecular Biology and I took many courses in the biological sciences including a genetics course. In fact my degree program used the genetics course in place of a second semester general bio course. Will my offer be rescinded because of this? Should I contact admissions about this? I’m not sure I want to contact them in fear of raising a red flag.

You absolutely need to contact them ASAP, because you have the red flag issue exactly wrong. If there is a problem, you need to know so you can fix it next semester, when you still have time. If you wait and if it's a problem, yes, you will either be rescinded or deferred when they discover it during pre-matriculation due diligence in the spring.

 

[deleted1102547]

What is “general biology” though? My school didn’t even have 1 course called that let alone 2.

It's the same thing as intro physics or general chemistry. It's what a first year biology major would take. I don't know what your school would have called it, but we had General Biology 1/2. I have also seen them called Introduction to Biology 1/2. I've also seen General Principles of Biology. There's lots of different names, but 99% of schools will have something that counts as "General Biology". It would cover topics like introduction to cell structures, the central dogma, evolution, and stuff like that.

I would wait till you're accepted, then call. Worst case, you can do Bio 2 in the summer. Most likely, you won't have to if you did a ton of upper level bio courses. Calling now could have a negative effect on your app. Probably won't, but personally I wouldn't risk it when I could easily just take the course in the summer.

Did you even read their post? They were already accepted.

 

[MyOdyssey]

You absolutely need to contact them ASAP, because you have the red flag issue exactly wrong. If there is a problem, you need to know so you can fix it next semester, when you still have time. If you wait and if it's a problem, yes, you will either be rescinded or deferred when they discover it during pre-matriculation due diligence in the spring.

OP

When you call, just tell them that your school’s intro bio sequence isn’t called that.

That’s how it was at my undergrad. 1st semester of intro bio sequence was called Cell & Bio & Genetics. 2d semester was called Advanced Topics in Genetics.

No big deal in my opinion.

 

[Kokonaut]

I was recently accepted to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. However, I am concerned I may not meet one of the pre-requisite requirements. The specific course was second semester general biology. My major was in Cell and Molecular Biology and I took many courses in the biological sciences including a genetics course. In fact my degree program used the genetics course in place of a second semester general bio course. Will my offer be rescinded because of this? Should I contact admissions about this? I’m not sure I want to contact them in fear of raising a red flag.

I'm in a similar boat though will keep it brief for the sake of brevity. I contacted the admissions department of another school - much better to get ahead of it than find out later and be in a bind.

 

[allseasons]

I'm in a similar boat though will keep it brief for the sake of brevity. I contacted the admissions department of another school - much better to get ahead of it than find out later and be in a bind.

wait, so you had a problem with coursework in one school, and contacted another school to ask about it?
How does that help lol

 

[Kokonaut]

wait, so you had a problem with coursework in one school, and contacted another school to ask about it?
How does that help lol

I could have phrased that better

I had a similar issue with a different school so I contacted the admissions department of said different school about pre-requisite coursework! Hopefully that's clearer.