What are must-take non-science courses that every pre-health student should take?

[lnvictus]

We know about the bio and chem courses that everyone talks about. Asking as a college student and not just as a pre-med, in terms of applicability in the real world across a wide range of employment opportunities, as well as what is most useful, what classes are must-take courses? Languages, financial planning, and programming are givens, I would imagine.

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[deleted407021]

Aside from the prerequisites, there are no real "must haves" in terms of preparing you for med school. Obviously there are some that could be helpful, such as cellular biology or histology and the like, but you will take those in medical school, anyway. I suggest taking courses that interest you; courses that you will get something out of and which will cause you to synthesize new ideas and perspectives. There is a reason some adcoms claim that Humanities majors make the best medical students; it's due to their extensive backgrounds that cover a wide variety of topics. Do some exploring and see what might work for you.

 

[dayman]

It is important to look at schools' specific prereqs as some schools require certain humanities, English courses, or behavioral sciences. Other than meeting these requirements take courses that interest you, that you could do well in, and courses in different fields such as the humanities and/or social sciences.

 

[lnvictus]

Aside from the prerequisites, there are no real "must haves" in terms of preparing you for med school. Obviously there are some that could be helpful, such as cellular biology or histology and the like, but you will take those in medical school, anyway. I suggest taking courses that interest you; courses that you will get something out of and which will cause you to synthesize new ideas and perspectives. There is a reason some adcoms claim that Humanities majors make the best medical students; it's due to their extensive backgrounds that cover a wide variety of topics. Do some exploring and see what might work for you.

I'm not talking strictly about med school admissions here, my question is more directed towards what classes do you think should all students take that helps them in multiple ways. I list programming because it's the most marketable skill now and financial planning because I think everyone needs to understand money, especially if they're going to be into debt for a while.

It's more of an opinion question of what classes can have the most real-world appliance.

 

[music2doc]

A course in Research Methods and one in Stats (other than Biostats)

Far too many of my classmates have been published with multiple first-author pubs and yet are somehow still illiterate when it comes to properly reading and interpreting a scientific paper or understanding things like alpha, beta, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, etc. I've even had physicians make mistakes when referring to these terms. It's like nails on a chalkboard. I don't blame them; I blame science departments across the country for sucking at teaching the scientific method and not requiring the development of critical thinking skills.

 

[deleted407021]

I'm not talking strictly about med school admissions here, my question is more directed towards what classes do you think should all students take that helps them in multiple ways. I list programming because it's the most marketable skill now and financial planning because I think everyone needs to understand money, especially if they're going to be into debt for a while.

It's more of an opinion question.

I was touching on that in my post, if that wasn't clear. I mentioned gaining new perspectives and ideas.

Financial planning is available through many sources. I think there are some Christian ministries which provide classes for free. It is like financial tutoring. Understanding finance is very important and is something most people overlook when making big decisions.

Coding is a great skill to have, for most anyone. As a physician, you would have unyielding job security, so there should be no worry about changing careers to make ends meet by applying your programming skills. Still, it will broaden your skill set, and that is always good.

 

[dbeast]

My undergrad offered a 4-unit course on classic rock music taught by this old hippie dude who went on tour with the bands. I recommend you find your school's equivalent. Pre-meds need fun classes too.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

We know about the bio and chem courses that everyone talks about. Asking as a college student and not just as a pre-med, in terms of applicability in the real world across a wide range of employment opportunities, as well as what is most useful, what classes are must-take courses? Languages, financial planning, and programming are givens, I would imagine.

Take art history and astrology. You'll learn a lot of how Europe has influenced the world and astrology will help appreciate how small you are in a vast, encompassing universe. Plus, chicks dig deep guys and these two courses will set the path for that

 

[Spinach Dip]

3 suggestions:

Horse Riding. This is the one class I WISH my undergrad university had offered, but didn't.

Or take some literature classes in which you are forced to read a lot and discuss the deeper meaning of books. (this might also help with the VR section of the MCAT!)

Or take a second language. Pick one you like.

 

[Spinach Dip]

One more: Scuba Diving! This was one of the most unique and enjoyable classes I ever took. (Unfortunately I didn't get licensed, as I couldn't afford the exorbitant fee). Just remember to bring your own mask+snorkel+swim cap; trust me, you DON'T want to use the ones that have been on the face and in the mouth of 100 students before you.

 

[Jennyfishy]

An ethnic studies class (or three), Ethics course, healthcare seminars about disparities among different communities, archery, or if you went to my undergrad, tractor driving 😉

 

[Beargryllz]

I really liked international studies. I should have taken something finance-related

 

[xffan624]

We know about the bio and chem courses that everyone talks about. Asking as a college student and not just as a pre-med, in terms of applicability in the real world across a wide range of employment opportunities, as well as what is most useful, what classes are must-take courses? Languages, financial planning, and programming are givens, I would imagine.

Linguistics and anthropology are two that still influence my thought patterns almost 12 years or so after taking them.

 

[Theafoni]

Interpersonal communications would be a great class to take. Too many awkward pre-meds who can't hold a conversation, or being able to connect with someone.

 

[MyDogIsRiley]

I've never met a person who wished they had taken fewer statistics courses. I took the math major's sequence that involved one semester of stats, one semester of probability, and lots of calculus throughout. It has been incredibly valuable in research.
For language, take a couple courses to get the basics down and then do an immersion of some kind (semester abroad, summer program). This will allow you to get a much better understanding of why certain phrases and nuances exist in your new language. I did this with Chinese and it came up at every one of my interviews, both for med schools and for past jobs. No one has ever needed me to speak Chinese, but they valued the ability to explain the social and cultural underpinnings of behaviors and attitudes that might seem illogical out of context.

 

[kreme]

take a personal finance class. you don't know what you're missing out on when you've lost 10 years of dollar cost averaging when you actually had the disposable income to invest.

 

[Chipster.]

Underwater Basket-weaving.

It's a thing.

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

My undergrad offered a 4-unit course on classic rock music taught by this old hippie dude who went on tour with the bands. I recommend you find your school's equivalent. Pre-meds need fun classes too.

My school had a History of Rock Music class. I was gonna take it my last semester, but I found out I needed Biochem and Stats to be fulfill the requirements for all the schools I was applying to. 🙁

 

[pasdebourree]

Medical sociology was one of my most valuable classes, looking back. Also, kicking myself for not ever taking Spanish. Introductory finance could be important too; the business side of medicine is definitely way over my head and it could really help to get introduced to that stuff now. (It is also nice to get a break from science and use the other side of your brain!)

 

[Long Way to Go]

Take art history and astrology. You'll learn a lot of how Europe has influenced the world and astrology will help appreciate how small you are in a vast, encompassing universe. Plus, chicks dig deep guys and these two courses will set the path for that

Recommend astronomy instead of astrology.

Also something that makes you more aware of what disparities actually mean on a personal level is helpful. You can get it through anthropology, sociology, community health, critical racial studies, etc.

 

[Davida]

Medical sociology was one of my most valuable classes, looking back. Also, kicking myself for not ever taking Spanish. Introductory finance could be important too; the business side of medicine is definitely way over my head and it could really help to get introduced to that stuff now. (It is also nice to get a break from science and use the other side of your brain!)

I second medical anthropology or medical sociology, as well as Spanish.

My school offered a course on the organization of health care systems (poli sci course). This has proven extremely useful, both personally and professionally. If your school has courses in public health, I recommend those too - population health isn't something that many physicians understand well.

Might get some flack for this, but I think my good courses in racial/ethnic studies and gender/sexuality studies classes have been very useful. Having a better understanding of the history of marginalized populations can only help when you have patients from a wide variety of backgrounds. Focus on health disparities, if it's offered.

 

[CliveStaples]

All of these suggestions are obviously influenced by my own undergraduate institution; few things can make or break a class experience like the instructor and organization of the class. That being said...

1) Logic. You might think that you are a very "logical" person, and oftentimes that really is the case among medical students, but you would be amazed how much you can learn from taking a formal course and what it really does is help you articulate yourself when people, even educated classmates, make incorrect steps in what appears to be logical though processes. These are skills that will serve you in just about any opinionated conversation you might have (and believe me, there are no shortage of people with opinions the higher up you move) and while some people naturally have an understanding of logic and may be less served by a formal course than others, I still recommend it highly if you have heard good reviews of the course at your institution.

2) Ethics. Again, the value of a course in ethics is really tied to the instructor and curriculum, but let me tell you something: many of the people who struggle in medical school struggle due to personal hangups that interfere with the time commitment of medical school. Having an understanding of what you feel to be your purpose/mission/whatever you want to call it can make a world of difference. Often one of the biggest hangups that intellectuals and pseudo intellectuals alike seem to be afflicted with often concern questions of "truth" and what is "right" and being able to have some formal instruction on determining your own base of ethics can go a long way towards maintaining your mental health.

3) Personal Finance. I think that this has already been articulated in prior posts, but I cannot emphasize enough how much getting in the finance game early can make as big a difference as coming in with large capital. Not only can you start practicing financial disciplines that will help you save and grow your wealth as a physician, but it also can give you some confidence when faced with one of the largest foes that medical students face - fear of crippling debt. Our financial system in the United States is very nuanced and can appear to be overwhelming (wait, so what's a Roth IRA and why should I already be thinking about one?) but this also means that it rewards those who have access to education, which if you haven't noticed is all of you!

 

[Narmerguy]

Statistics and logic

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Recommend astronomy instead of astrology.

Also something that makes you more aware of what disparities actually mean on a personal level is helpful. You can get it through anthropology, sociology, community health, critical racial studies, etc.

Oh sorry I meant astronomy!

 

[ninjaman22]

I would say an introductory statistics and sociology