question for people from UCB

[Ubu]

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The prereqs for med schools is 2 semesters of general chem. I took Chem1A, but never took Chem1B. I can't remember why I never took it. Now, as I am filling out my applications, I realize that I never took a 2nd semester of chemistry. I didn't take AP chem either. Is there something that I am missing/forgot about? I recall a lot of my fellow classmates who were premed also never took chem1B. Help?

 

[BananaSplit]

Ahh, this is the oft asked question on the MCB Mailing list. For the most accurate answer, you should contact Patti Myers or Reagan or Lynne in the MCB Office. But from what I've read in the past, it's fine that you haven't taken Chem 1B. Most people will just stick MCB 100 or 102 in for it if the schools ask you to specifically a course for a requirement. Supposedly, most schools already know that lots of Cal students don't take a full year of general chem and that's fine...hey maybe Pines is so good that we can learn it all in one semester? Even without the full year of chem, do you really think we're any less prepared than a student who took two semesters at a different school? Who actually remembers this stuff anyway? Afterall, we all took it Freshman year. (And I'm sure it helps that Cal has one of the best chem departments in the country.)

 

[BananaSplit]

Oops, sorry, I need to amend my response on which classes sub for what: Here's the response from the Career Center last year:

We don't send any letters to med schools on
>behalf of individual applicants. There is a letter that explains our chem
>sequence, it is available in the lab at 2111 Bancroft.
>However...
>I would not send the letter explaining our chem sequence unless someone
>questions your chem readiness and I doubt they will. Nervous people send
>the letter everywhere - med schools tell us not to bother. If a secondary
>asks you to name specific classes that fulfill specific pre reqs, then say
>1a/3a are general chem and 3b and mcb 102 are org chem. 3a is sort of a
>wild card class.
>
>SEE http://career.berkeley.edu/Health/MedApp.stm#secondary for more ideas
>on what to expect.
>
>The cover page for the letter service states clearly that we do not have a
>pre professional committee process at UC Berkeley. When you request your
>letters to be sent from the letter service on line, this cover page is
>sent. You will do to this upon the request of a medical school that sends
>you a secondary.
>No other letter is likely needed.

 

[BananaSplit]

Sorry, I'm really beating this dead horse, but the career center website has a blurb too about the chem requirement, which is essentially what was stated in the email:

<<What about the questions regarding the way I fulfilled their chemistry requirement?

List Chemistry 1a and 3a as NON organic or general chemistry with lab. You may or may not recall that the beginning of 3a is general chemistry and then you get into organic chemistry concepts . If you must list a year of organic chemistry with lab, most Cal students list Chemistry 3b and the MCB 102 (or other) biochemistry class they have taken (even if they did not take a lab with the biochemistry class). Medical schools have been fully considering Cal students who have completed this sequence since this curricular change was made in 1991.
>>

 

[Ubu]

ahhh...exactly what i wanted to know. Thanks very much banana!!!

 

[WuzUpDoc]

uh-oh. i listed chem 1a and mcb 102 for general chem and chem 3a-3b for organic chem. i've already been transmitted to several schools. is this something i should be worrying about? or would it have been taken care of during the amcas verification process? thanks!

 

[BananaSplit]

If I'm not mistaken, the primary application does not ask you to fill out how you're going to fullfill the premed requirements. It's the secondaries that ask you to do so. It's only the second day of transmittal, how many secondaries could you have possibly sent out?


BananaSplit

 

[WuzUpDoc]

no secondaries yet. i was thinking i might have messed up on amcas where you fill in your classes. but i guess it's no big deal if you guys were talking about secondaries. n/m