Undergrad Classes for MD/PhD Applicants

[Katatonic]

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Now that I'm considering applying MD/PhD, I had a question about classes I should be taking my last two years of undergrad. I've taken one term of Algebra Based Physics, but am now considering finishing with the Calculus Based Physics series. Also, I may take the year long sequence of Biochemistry instead of the single term version, and two terms of Physical Chemistry for the Biosciences. These extra classes were prompted by the thought that to be better prepared for the graduate school portion of my education, these classes would be a much better background for me.

First of all, is my line of thinking correct? Secondly, do MD/PhD programs have more undergrad pre-reqs since you have to gain admission to both the medical school AND the graduate school (which often have heftier science pre-reqs)?

 

[anemone2]

First of all, is my line of thinking correct? Secondly, do MD/PhD programs have more undergrad pre-reqs since you have to gain admission to both the medical school AND the graduate school (which often have heftier science pre-reqs)?

MD/Phd programs don't have undergrad pre-reqs that go beyond what the med school asks for (as far as I know..). My advice is to take classes you're interested in and that you'd do well in (i.e. don't take a tougher class just to impress adcoms).

In terms of background, I guess it depends on what you want to study in grad school - calculus based physics is great and all, but unless you're focusing on something like biophysics or engineering, I'm not sure how helpful it would be in the future. You'll be covering things like biochemistry and cell biology in med/grad school again, but I think a semester of each in undergrad is adequate preparation (most people would probably do fine even without that semester). So I would only take the the year-long sequence if you're into the material..most of which you'll forget by the time you're in grad school anyway 😛

 

[Katatonic]

MD/Phd programs don't have undergrad pre-reqs that go beyond what the med school asks for (as far as I know..). My advice is to take classes you're interested in and that you'd do well in (i.e. don't take a tougher class just to impress adcoms).

In terms of background, I guess it depends on what you want to study in grad school - calculus based physics is great and all, but unless you're focusing on something like biophysics or engineering, I'm not sure how helpful it would be in the future. You'll be covering things like biochemistry and cell biology in med/grad school again, but I think a semester of each in undergrad is adequate preparation (most people would probably do fine even without that semester). So I would only take the the year-long sequence if you're into the material..most of which you'll forget by the time you're in grad school anyway 😛

Hey, thanks for the advice. I definitely don't think the extra classes would be impressing any adcoms, but I wasn't sure if the more in-depth background would serve me well in grad school. Although like you said, I'll probably forget all the minute details I'd learn in a year long class by the time grad school rolls around haha.

 

[bd4727]

Hey, thanks for the advice. I definitely don't think the extra classes would be impressing any adcoms, but I wasn't sure if the more in-depth background would serve me well in grad school. Although like you said, I'll probably forget all the minute details I'd learn in a year long class by the time grad school rolls around haha.

You will definetly forget by then, and you will have to take grad classes anyway so it doesn't matter. I would advise, however, if you wanted to make your 1st year of medical school a tiny bit easier:
1. anatomy and physiology
2. histology (this is the one thing I didn't take as an undergrad that would really have been helpful)
3. biochemistry (my advice is learn as much as you can in undergrad bc you dont want to waste time on it in med school, particularly take a metabolsim class)

Overall though, it doesnt matter you will have to learn all these things again, too (and in much greater detail in many cases). But in my opinion, things are easier to re-learn if you have already seen them once.

 

[Kickback]

I would not recommend taking calculus-based physics after taking algebra-based, because in calculus-based physics, we start off defining many theorems (like work-energy) in terms of how they were derived/integrated, and without that background, I can imagine it would be hard to jump into it second semester.

I'm just a freshman, though, so what do I know?