premie needs course advice

[stressluver]

Hi guys/gals, I'm picking classes for my last round of premed courses before MCAT prep. I need help with options. In your opinion, which option would be best for MCAT prep, and admissions committees. I have great premed advisers , so I thought I'd ask the panel here Thanks.

Option 1: Microbiology
Microbiology Lab
Biochem
Biochem Lab
Neuroscience
Neuroscience Lab

Option 2: Cell Biology
Cell Biology Lab
Biochem
Biochem Lab
Neuroscience
NeurscienceLab

Option 3: Cell Biology
Cell Biology Lab
Parasitology
Virology

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[BCLumas]

Umm.. well if you want to impress people, the third one will always give you something to talk about during your interviews. If you're looking for classes to take during the semester that you will also be studying for the MCAT, I would recommend taking the easiest of the 3 options for you so that you can ensure that you have plenty of time outside of classes to dedicate to MCAT studying (Kaplan, Princenton, etc).

Good luck!

 

[stressluver]

This would be the semester prior to MCAT review.

 

[p30doc]

I would take something which includes cell bio before the mcat, the cell bio course I took covered a ton of the bio MCAT topics, and I feel was helpful.

 

[Kateb4]

I would take something which includes cell bio before the mcat, the cell bio course I took covered a ton of the bio MCAT topics, and I feel was helpful.

Totally agree, I think that cell bio, while really difficult and time consuming, was really valuable!

 

[Jpc984]

a couple schools require biochem I think.

 

[Montana girl]

I would say if you had to pick an option go with #2. Cell biology is really important. Bio chem is helpful too, but cell bio. is more the level that the MCAT covers. I also recommend to take an anatomy class. There was a lot of kidney, endocrine system, and female repo. on my MCAT.

Virology and Parasitology are both very interesting classes, but they will not help you much on the MCAT.

 

[GreenShirt]

Physiology and Cell Bio will be the most helpful for MCAT Bio. Neuroscience and Biochem will be more helpful once you're in medical school. As for adcoms, the only thing they might look at is to see if you've done your pre-reqs.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I took a virology class, and while it was really cool, it was well beyond the scope of the MCAT.

I'd say the classes that helped me the most for the MCAT, beyond the basic ones (in no particular order):

- Vertebrate Physiology (basically neuroscience)
- Cell Biology
- Biochem I and II
- Cell Physiology (****ing badass class that I hated when I took it, but later would come to appreciate)
- Descriptive inorganic chemistry
- Endocrinology

 

[t-funk]

I would definitely take Biochem which leaves either option 1 or 2. Cell bio didn't seem to come up too much on my MCAT other than obvious stuff that was already taught in Bio101. I did, however, find myself wishing I had taken microbio during the MCAT bc there was some virology type of stuff that I had never learned before. Either option 1 or 2 in my opinion.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Oh yeah, microbiology definitely helped too.

Holy **** its t-funk.

 

[t-funk]

Yeah, I'm still mourning having to defer a year and being the class of 2013. I don't like odd numbers. :cry:

 

[TexasTriathlete]

When the **** did that happen? What's going on? Do you need me to kill someone?

 

[t-funk]

When the **** did that happen? What's going on? Do you need me to kill someone?

Remember mentioning something about hoping that a baby didn't show up on your doorstep? Well, it happened to me, only he was 5 yrs old and we will be spending the next year trying to adopt him. Life is interesting to say the least. I hope all you 2012'ers enjoy next year and I will be thinking about everyone. No killing is necessary at this time but I will keep that in mind.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I didn't think that women had that problem. That is, there's never much of a question about whether or not you're the mother.

Are you all set to defer with your school, or are you going to have to apply again?

 

[t-funk]

I got approved for deferral about 3 weeks ago. I will not have to apply again. I just hope it all goes smoothly and there are no issues with the school and that my house sells.

 

[PBL DO]

Physiology and Cell Bio will be the most helpful for MCAT Bio. Neuroscience and Biochem will be more helpful once you're in medical school. As for adcoms, the only thing they might look at is to see if you've done your pre-reqs.

I totally agree with this. I took a human physiology course at my school 2 semesters before the MCAT and the course basically represented 80% of the BS section (biological sciences, of course ). The Cell Biology will cover the rest of that which isn't organic chemistry. I took Biochemistry before the MCAT and thought it helped me out, but nowhere near the level of cell biology and human physiology. I took Neuroanatomy my last semester of college (book was titled Neuroscience) and can tell you now it will do NOTHING to help you prepare for the MCAT.

If the only options are the ones you listed I would recommend option #2 but strongly consider some human physiology class as close to the date of your MCAT exam as possible. Furthermore, I'm assuming you are taking Physics before the MCAT as well? Highly recommended, heh.