ucsd professors and summer courses

[UC pre med]

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Hey all, im new here and as the name suggests, in the fall of this year I will be enrolled as a freshman at UCSD under the major of Biochemistry/Chemistry at Sixth College. I am going to purse the pre med path and hopefully take my MCAT in my third year and if i score well i will be able to go to MEdical school

Given what i have stated above, I am planning to take Math 20B and 20C in the summer sessions so that I can complete that and have the 1 year Calculus requirement for medical school and my major. I do not have to take Math 20A because I got a 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam.

Is this a preferred method to nail down these courses so i can free up the slots for other courses during the year? Or is there something else that I should be doing in the summer, and take the math along with the chemistry in the year?

Also, does anyone know any reps on the math professors?

 

[jehrdoc]

I re-took the entire 20 series even though I had AP credits. You need a year of math to apply to medical school.

I'd suggest the 10 series if you aren't planning a career in engineering. It is a bit less intense and may be easier to balance with a heavy science load.

Good luck in your career at UCSD. Its a great place to study science.

 

[Appless]

Just a note about math and UC schools. Like most UC students Id assume you want nothing more then to go to a UC med school. UCI and I think davis also, but UCI for sure requires a stats class. So you might want to think about adding that in for math also.

 

[cnfz]

You're probably gonna have to take another math class if the med schools you're applying to require a whole year of math. Like what was said earlier, you might have to take stats, which is Math 11/11L at UCSD, if the med school requires it. Also, if you're in the chemistry department for biochemistry, you're gonna have to take 20D as well. Last thing, explore some of the majors UCSD has to offer. Look at the classes required of the major and see if it's interesting because as much as I like chemistry, the undergraduate labs are horrible, educational-wise. Find a good research lab and you'll learn more in there than you'll ever want to. Good luck!

 

[UC pre med]

Thanks guys.

So since im going to need an entire year of math, and since my major is Chemistry. I will probably need to take 20B and 20C in summer and then take 20D in the first quarter of my freshman year. I want to get math out of the way so that in the first two years of college I will have taken enough Physics, Biology, and Chemistry courses to be relatively prepared for the MCAT. Is there any easier way of combining the courses to do that?

I only say this because if I take Math in Freshman year, then my course load will be filled up since I also have to do the GE's for sixth college and i wont be able to take Bio. I also have a 5 in AP biology, so i will be able to get out of most freshman classes, and can take the advanced ones in place of the math. Just want to make sure im in accordance with my major and get a good combination for MCAT. Need a good balance between the two.

 

[Arpan5145]

math sucks, i took the 10 series, only 10B and 10C, and was glad to be done! was cleared out of 10A

take PSYC60 for statistics instead of math 11.

oh yea, i was also cleared out of all freshman bio w/ ap credit. as long as you take tons of bio classes it wasn't a problem at any schools i applied at (just make sure you take metabolic (BIBC102), genetics (BICD100), and molecular bio(BIMM100??) at some point) i wonder if i got all those class codes right ahha

 

[creativekat]

I threw out all my AP credits (relevant to med school such as calc, chem, bio) so I could retake the classes. I'm actually glad I did...I learned so much more the second time around, even having gotten 5s on the AP, and that really benefited me in upper division and the MCATs because I had like, a concrete-reinforced background so I didn't have to review too much.

I finished all prereqs and then some before taking the MCAT. I finished BILD, CHEM6/140 series, Math20 series, Ochem lab, PHYS1 series w/ labs, my college's writing courses, genetics, molecular bio, biochem during the school year. It's entirely possible to fit these all in your schedule...I did it, so can you. Just plan really well.

oh and I agree with the post that says UCSD is good for science. It really is as long as you dedicate yourself to studying. There are people here that do really amazing things (Tsien, anyone?) and some of them ARE your professors.

I don't know about taking math over the summer...why not just take some GEs? It could be tougher to keep up with the material during the summer and you don't want to get a lower grade than if you had just taken it during the school year.

By the way, does anyone know if any stats class is acceptable? They have like 4 different stats at UCSD...math-stats, psych-stats, bio-stats are the ones I can think of and I think there's another one. Are all of them acceptable?

 

[wurm]

Don't take the 20 series unless your a mathematical genius. If you have to for your major, then change your major. All bio majors are similar enough so it's not like it's that different. Also, do what Arpan 1415 said; take 10b and 10c and then psyc 60.

 

[wurm]

One more thing I forgot to mention. Take the 10 series cuz it's easier which is good for the GPA. There's no point in taking the harder math class; it doesn't look better on an app.

 

[UC pre med]

I wasnt aware that the 20 series was that much harder than the 10 series. thanks wurm.

But the problem is that my major requires me to take the math 20 series. How fast can you switch majors?

Is the stats class necessary for all medical schools?

 

[Van Chowder]

I wasnt aware that the 20 series was that much harder than the 10 series. thanks wurm.

But the problem is that my major requires me to take the math 20 series. How fast can you switch majors?

Is the stats class necessary for all medical schools?

Ok heres the thing, no it is not needed for all medical schools,however it is required by some, and you really do not want to limit your self in the future, because you did not take the class now.. For example, UCSD's med school does not require labs ( 😕) Because ucsd doesnt require labs, does that mean you arent going to take them?

Heres what you should do, so statistics is in a intents and purposes a mandatory math class, for folks that really hate math, in order for ANYONE to transfer from a cc in ca the have to take stats or precalc ( or higher) and the people that are not math folks, take stat. What you should do is take a stat class that is oriented towards older people who are going back to school for their degree, class is slower, less work, and the teacher BASICALLY assumes everyone is completely ******ed.

This semester I am doing this, I take stat wednesday 6-10 ( one day a week) and so far the latest we have been in class is 845. I have not so much as opened the book yet ( Still in shrink wrap) and have gotten >100% on everytest.
That is what you should do, just take it at your local CC!! ( and it will count for medschool gaurenteed)

 

[wurm]

LIke Van Chowder said, some Med school require stats which is as good a reason as any to take it cuz you don't wanna limit yourself. As for switching majors, I woudln't worry too much about the time frame at UCSD cuz like I said, most bio majors are all pretty similar and have overlapping classes, so just enroll in classes you know you'll need regardless of the bio major you choose.

 

[devilpup]

take PSYC60 for statistics instead of math 11.

ditto, some professors at UCSD can make Statistics ridiculously complicating. Psych 60 keeps it simple and you learn a little psych in the process too.

 

[UC pre med]

well thanks guys.

So i guess i will take some form of math in the summer. and have to plan accordingly for the year so that i can get all the pre reqs done and be ready for the MCAT.

Thanks all for you input, its greatly appreciated.

If anyone has anything else to add, please do so as i could use any and all advice. 🙂

 

[go lakers]

Avoid 20 series. 20C was the bane of my existence.

 

[cnfz]

Bio majors at UCSD are impacted now so by switching from the chemistry department to the bio department, there are some guidelines you have to follow. If you really like chemistry, then you should pursue that, even if you have to take some tougher math classes. However, if you really think that bio is the way to go, just follow the guidelines to switch. Personally, I find philosophy is the way to go. 😎

 

[UC pre med]

There have been alot of people doing that lately.

Could anyone name the advantages of having philosophy or psychology as your major, with regards to getting into medical school?

 

[216397]

I absolutely recommend taking the 10 series if you're not going to be an engineer. I took the entire 20 series while I was at UCSD, and it was absurdly hard to get an A because everyone in it is VERY good at math. Medical schools will not even remotely care which series you took, so make sure you make it the easier one if you can!

 

[216397]

Avoid 20 series. 20C was the bane of my existence.

Just backing up what this guy said...I spent a TON of time in the library studying for 20C, felt like I had no social life for quite a while, and ended up with a B+.

 

[cnfz]

There have been alot of people doing that lately.

Could anyone name the advantages of having philosophy or psychology as your major, with regards to getting into medical school?

The only advantage I can see is that the non-biology major you pick could be easier to get A's, but I know from experience that upper div phil classes here are very subjective, rather than in science where there are actual tests. If anything, there are disadvantages. By choosing one of those majors, you are effectively adding premed req's with it instead of just using your major to overlap the premed req's. The point is, you should major in a topic that interests you.

 

[go lakers]

Just backing up what this guy said...I spent a TON of time in the library studying for 20C, felt like I had no social life for quite a while, and ended up with a B+.

Same here.. except I think I got a B 👎

 

[choichoi]

The only advantage I can see is that the non-biology major you pick could be easier to get A's, but I know from experience that upper div phil classes here are very subjective, rather than in science where there are actual tests. If anything, there are disadvantages. By choosing one of those majors, you are effectively adding premed req's with it instead of just using your major to overlap the premed req's. The point is, you should major in a topic that interests you.

I agree with cnfz. Don't try to pick majors because it will be easier to get A's or it is an easier major when you have no interest in the major itself. Having to put up with a major you hate for 4 years is no fun and a waste of your time. Major in something that interests you and what you enjoy doing but I must say being some sort of a bio major is easier to get all the pre med reqs done because so many of the classes overlap.

As for prof recommendations, go look up CAPE reviews. Or try those ratemyprofessor or ucsdprofessors website.

This is just my personal opinion but I don't think the 20 series is that bad. If you got a 5 on AP calc, I think you could handle it. I guess it really depends on the prof you get and how much you like math.

 

[UC pre med]

Yeah im definetly not going to change my major into anything that isnt closely related to my current major. Odds are that i wont change my major cuz im pretty good at math, i think ill be able to handle the 20 series.

Thanks to everyone thats contributed so far. you guys are great 😀

 

[mdmarty]

It's a misconception when you think that class difficulty does not matter to adcoms. I assure you, it does. Perhaps this is why so many people on these forums with high numbers (in useless classes) find they aren't even offered an interview at UCSD, much less an acceptance.

The question is not whether you should take the MATH 10 or 20 series; rather, it's what's your attitude to coursework. I was a bioengineer who took all the MATH 20 (C, D, E, F) classes, as well as all the core upper-division bio classes. When I interviewed at UCSD, dean Dr. Kelly, praised me for taking the courses that I did. She made it very clear that course selection matters, and she even knew which courses are traditionally difficult to do well in 🙂whistle: Revelle HUM).

 

[UC pre med]

I think what the people here are trying to argue is the fact that maybe the difficulty of the course will matter to the person at UCSD who is interviewing you because of the fact that they know the UCSD course list. However, if you were to take an interview at one of the east coast schools, chances are that they wont even know the difference in the courses besides the name unless you talk about them specifically in you PS. So, taking the harder course might matter to someone, but it wont matter to everyone and some people might not risk getting a B for that little recognition.

Regardless of what the opinion is, I feel confident in that I can take the Math 20 series since i like math and tend to make my course selection on what i wanna do rather than what the med school may or may not want to see. Cuz in the end, if i do the things that I like, then I'll ultimately do well. So I understand what your saying Marty, it really is an attitude toward your coursework.

Thanks for the contribution. Feel free to add anything else. 🙂