PRE MED COURSE, is this hard or ...?

[kiploidhapp1]

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Hello

 

[advair250]

I've come across a few posts like this, and my answer has always been: You have 4 courses, 2 of which are generally fairly easy/straightforward. You'll be perfectly fine.

Unless you're working a part-time job that requires 20+ hrs, I see absolutely no reason that you can't do well in the above 4 courses. Especially considering you're taking a light load of courses.

As far as not taking microbi before genetics, maybe my schools different, but they are fairly mutually exclusive. Unless you' haven't taken a first year biology sequence that covers basic cell biology.

 

[fmannan93]

Well, I went into Genetics with only a background from AP Bio. It was the second semester of my freshman year, and I took it with Evolution and Gen Chem. II (which my adviser said was harder than Organic 1 at my institution).

I had to work insanely hard for that class, but I got an A. A background in Micro will definitely help you with a good portion of the lecture material (and the lab too, if there is a lab component). But you definitely don't need to have it to succeed.

 

[blueshockey]

I didn't feel like microbiology would have really been that much of a help in my genetics class, but honestly it's probably going to vary from school to school, hell even from teacher to teacher

 

[fmannan93]

i mean to ask is this a good idea ?

what would genetics cover ? the following are the topics in the syllabus
The Structure of Genes and Genomes
Gene Function
The Transmission of DNA at Cell Division
Inheritance of Single-Gene Differences
Genetic Recombination in Eukaryotes
MIDTERM EXAM 1
Recombinant DNA and Genetic Engineering
Genomics
Gene Mutation: Origins and Repair Processes
Chromosome Mutations
MIDTERM EXAM 2

I had all of this stuff plus some stuff like gene regulation (lac operon in proks, more complicated stuff in euks), Mendelian ratios (annoying as heck, but aren't that bad if you're learning stats too), maternal effect and mitochondrial DNA, transcription+translation, model organisms, etc.

Its not hard stuff, its just pretty rigorous.

 

[Charles Darwin]

I took a micro course before I took a genetics-intensive molecular bio course and found that my background in microbial genetics made learning the intricacies of eukaryotic genetics (all the post-whatever modifications, transportation, etc.) much easier since I already knew most of the prokaryotic stuff; I had a significant advantage over students who hadn't taken micro yet. Was it possible to still do well without a micro background? Sure. But my micro course covered about half of the genetics we covered in the molecular bio course so I didn't have to study much. YMMV

Looking at the syllabus, the class doesn't appear too challenging. I'd go for it. Pre-study a little for organic (I recommend Klein's) and genetics and you'll be fine.

 

[sliceofbread136]

You read books and you memorize things in those classes. A monkey could do it.

 

[Charles Darwin]

You read books and you memorize things in those classes. A monkey could do it.

True. But you don't want to stack a bunch of voluminous classes in the same semester or you'll never be able to leave the library.

 

[sliceofbread136]

True. But you don't want to stack a bunch of voluminous classes in the same semester or you'll never be able to leave the library.

4 should be pretty manageable. I think you'll be fine OP.

 

[Koosalagoosagoo]

This stuff is not really difficult just a lot of reading and memorization really....I would recommend taking microbiology first though because it will give you a good background to head into genetics. Then you wont be so swamped when you take genetics and ochem 2 together.

 

[Calad]

I took Microbio and Genetics at the same time about a year ago. I felt they had hardly any overlap.

 

[Renaissance Man]

I took Microbio and Genetics at the same time about a year ago. I felt they had hardly any overlap.

Same...maybe Molec and Genetics, but not so much Micro. I don't think doing Genetics and Orgo 1 will be too much, but take a look at RateMyProfessor and such.