UCLA Pre-med classes

[caligurl331]

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So previous pre-med UCLA students... would you recommend taking the calculus for life sciences or the calculus for engineering? Do the med schools look at those classes differently?

 

[NeuResurgens]

I didn't go to UCLA, but I'm pretty sure anything having to do with life sciences will be more useful to you than anything to do with engineering.

 

[caligurl331]

I guess I look at the other one as "harder" and don't want to look like I took the easy route.

 

[NeuResurgens]

I don't think med schools will care that much. Each school has somewhat different classes, so medical schools won't be thinking "well, she went to UCLA, which has calculus for life sciences or engineering, and she took the easy life sciences route, tsk tsk." If you get an A in it, that will speak for itself.

 

[PEM]

Take the life sciences one! Everyone who is pre-med takes that route. I made the mistake of accidentally taking 31B my freshman year fall quarter-- way more difficult and less applicable.

 

[youmed]

Admissions Committee will not care. Go with the route that will leave you more time to explore outside of the academics.

 

[gyngyn]

We don't care.

 

[Shirafune]

Have a good cGPA with longterm EC involvement. A strong sGPA, especially in the prereqs, will demonstrate your capacity to handle rigorous science courses. Obviously, if you can demonstrate these things, your major does not matter.

 

[bruwin2011]

I'm a UCLA alum so feel free to message me about being premed at UCLA.

I had friends who were premed as engineers and who were premeds as LS majors and both have successfully gotten into medical school. It doesn't matter which route you take, however there are some difference in the classes. Both series of classes are hard, but in different ways.

3 series-
pro-not as hard conceptually and you do problems that are a little more LS related (it's math so it's not a ton... calculus is calculus at the end of the day).
con- fully of premeds, 95% of them in their first year so expect the class to be pretty cut-throat. Since these classes are graded on a curve and the averages are pretty high and it leaves very little room for error.

31 series-
pro-generally not as a competitive atmosphere because most engineers are not gunning for med school, they are interested in learning the material and the application. Averages tend to me lower because of the way these classes are tested.
cons- the material is harder because you are going a lot more in depth. If you don't do well in 31A, unfortunately you can't drop down to 3B the following quarter.

Hope this helps!