Taking upper level bio courses instead of the intro bio sequence

[wavewheel]

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I've got a question that's related to the discussions here about whether it's acceptable to use Anatomy and Physiology to fulfill your bio prereqs, but is hopefully different enough to merit a new thread.

I'm about five years out of undergrad, where I took two biology classes. One was an "Issues approach to Biology" class that was intended for non-majors and thus fairly easy, and the other was a plant biology class that had some legit science in it. I also took two years of bio in high school. It wasn't AP (my school didn't offer it) but the second year was at a reasonably high level.

Between these four biology courses, I've probably covered 85% of the material in the standard two-semester introductory bio sequence. I've obviously forgotten some of what I learned, but have been working to refresh my memory through Khan Academy and iTunes U.

As I plan my course schedule for the fall, I am sorely tempted to jump straight into an upper level class like cell bio, genetics, or microbiology, skipping the intro bio sequence. But I obviously don't want to do this if med schools require (or even just prefer) you to take the intro bio sequence. Does anyone have advice on this? Is it acceptable to use only upper level bio classes to fulfill the bio prereqs?

 

[Pons Asinorum]

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As I plan my course schedule for the fall, I am sorely tempted to jump straight into an upper level class like cell bio, genetics, or microbiology, skipping the intro bio sequence. But I obviously don't want to do this if med schools require (or even just prefer) you to take the intro bio sequence. Does anyone have advice on this? Is it acceptable to use only upper level bio classes to fulfill the bio prereqs?

No. You need to take the normal, general bio sequence that is a requirement for admission at essentially every program. Schools word it as "General Bio w/Lab," and that's really what they mean.

 

[clausewitz2]

I will note that at some schools (UMD comes to mind), a course with microbiology or cell biology in the name is used to substitute for the second class in the normal biology sequence. Also, good to check the topics for the second class - there seem to be some schools that don't want you to take a bio class focusing on evolution and zoology to fulfill the bio pre-req, and at some places this is exactly what the second semester of general biology is.

Otherwise Pons is right on the money.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

My state school doesn't even require the sequence and you can substitute in UL classes for any of the general courses. That said, I think its best to check with the schools you are most likely going to apply to because it can vary widely.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

My state school doesn't even require the sequence and you can substitute in UL classes for any of the general courses. That said, I think its best to check with the schools you are most likely going to apply to because it can vary widely.

Yeah, that's the issue. There are exceptions to any generalization, but if you want to apply as broadly as possible (and most of us need to) then you need to take the well-trodden path through pre-medville.

 

[boobelle]

Yeah, that's the issue. There are exceptions to any generalization, but if you want to apply as broadly as possible (and most of us need to) then you need to take the well-trodden path through pre-medville.

Exactly. Also, the MCAT tests the material taught in general/introductory biology. Plant biology isn't on the exam, and the general bio taught in a course for non-majors is almost guaranteed to have not gone into enough depth...and then whichever advanced courses you take will be more narrow in focus and skip over the introductory material (which is why skipping the intro course when it's been over 5 years is in itself a potential bad idea...even if you've been trying to brush up). All of that combines into a very real risk of having missed a fair amount of material on the MCAT...which yes you can self study, but that's also usually not the best idea. So why take the risk, particularly since most schools will want the general bio course anyway?

...also, have you confirmed that the school itself will accept those courses to satisfy the prereqs of the advanced biology courses? At my undergrad neither plant bio nor a core/survey course would have satisfied.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Let's see... I haven't had intro bio in..... 15-16 years, and it is my strongest section on the MCAT... HOWEVER (it's a big one), my father has taught biology for 40 years, it is as ingrained in me as my skin, and I work in biotech... SOOO, I'm not retaking general bio now, or ever, unless I was forced to do so...

Pons, I agree with you, but I we don't know this persons full situation, and if they're only applying to a handful it is worth the effort to check... that's just my thought... and we all know I'm crazy 😉 hehe 😀

 

[wavewheel]

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I've been doing a bit of googling and discovering that it really is school-specific. For example:

Yale specifically states that it's fine to substitute upper level courses for intro level ones.

UNC simply says that they require 8 hours of bio with lab, without specifying what kind of bio.

Wake Forest says that they require "Eight semester hours of vertebrate zoology or general biology."

ECU says they require one year of "General Biology or Zoology with laboratory (Botany alone is not sufficient to meet this requirement)"

When I get some time, I may call a few schools to clarify whether advanced classes that stay squarely within the range of topics covered in general biology (e.g. cell bio, genetics, molecular biology) are more acceptable than advanced classes that stray from these topics (e.g. landscape ecology, botany). If I find out anything useful, I'll post it here so that my question can be helpful to future SDNers.