Should I take genetics or biochem? Other?

[Zoom-Zoom]

Hey peeps. I'm trying to plan out my schedule cuz I have two majors and I need to make sure I can graduate

I am a Neuroscience major and am really into this stuff, and I have the option of taking a 500-level Neuro class. I really want to take it, which means I won't get to fit either genetics or biochem into my schedule (I won't be able to take one of the two). Adding an extra semester isn't on option, as I will already be a 5th year.

Basically I have to choose 2 from these 3 classes: Biochem, Genetics, and the advnaced Neuro. So, which one should I not take?

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[mantraman1010]

biochem and neuro

 

[Sprite]

I think biochemistry is important (even though I hated it). At my school, they counted biochem as the second part of organic chemistry to fulfill med school requirements.

 

[AlternateSome1]

Biochem is probably the most helpful thing to have. Genetics is one of the shorter and easier subjects in medical school, so having prior knowledge isn't that useful. Depending on the school, taking a basic neuroscience course is like taking a basic anatomy course. Everything is left so broad that it doesn't help much. A good biochem course should cover about a month of med school biochem though.

Edit: I just read it was a 500 neuro course...that will likely be useful.

 

[jbrice1639]

i took biochem and genetics...i'd say the genetics was far more beneficial on the mcat, but the biochem, as some other posters mentioned, will be most useful in medical school. so i guess take both, but if you can only get one in for the mcat, i'd go with genetics.

 

[Law2Doc]

i took biochem and genetics...i'd say the genetics was far more beneficial on the mcat, but the biochem, as some other posters mentioned, will be most useful in medical school. so i guess take both, but if you can only get one in for the mcat, i'd go with genetics.

I wouldn't bother taking the courses for the purpose of getting ahead in med school, but if you are interested go ahead. Also a handful of med schools list biochem as a prereq, if those places are of interest. Elsewhere, having had biochem will perhaps give you a very small amount (maybe a couple of weeks) of breathing room in med school over your less science minded peers, but is certainly learnable there, and you aren't guaranteed to be in any better shape than your peers come exam time. Genetics in med school certainly isn't that hard and so there's no good reason to learn it ahead of time. I have no comment on neuroscience except that if you think you might go into that field, you are better off using your college time to do something DIFFERENT while you have the chance, since you will see nothing but brains a few years from now.

 

[bigred001]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but besides genetics and biochem (which have already been discussed) what other science classes would you recommend for a nonscience major to take before med school? I won't be able to take many at all (in undergrad), so I have to be extremely selective.

 

[Law2Doc]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but besides genetics and biochem (which have already been discussed) what other science classes would you recommend for a nonscience major to take before med school? I won't be able to take many at all (in undergrad), so I have to be extremely selective.

Don't. Med school teaches you all they want you to know, and then some. I advise NOT taking genetics for med school. You will get plenty of it in med school, and it is not hard enough a course that you'd want a leg up. Biochem is marginally useful, but probably not worth takng in undergrad unless you are applying to a school that requires or "recommends" it. Otherwise, your smartest choice would be to take the things you won't get a chance to take again, that you think you'd enjoy. And foreign languages always come in handy in medicine. That's my two cents (from another non-sci person).