What class did you take to fulfill that pesky English requirement?

[Sharpies]

I have taken one intro writing class and need another semester of English to fulfill the 1-year of English that many med schools require. There are plenty of humanities classes that I find incredibly interesting, but I do not and perhaps never will understand English and literary analysis classes...

I was just curious to see what people took to fulfill that requirement and what topics in English they found most interesting or at least has interesting course readings... so what did you guys all take??

EDIT: 2nd related Q: For those English classes that have less direct relationship to medicine (i.e. Shakespeare, 18th century literature, etc), what would you guys say you got from the semester that may help you in the future? (better writing skills, ability to interpret things to death, insight into human nature??)

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[Felixor90]

Humanities with writing will fulfill it. I used philosophy and studies of world culture (satisfied the oral communication requirement for my undergrad too).

 

[Mac Blade]

Creative Writing/Microbio double major makes getting the English requirement easy.

 

[somepremedkid]

At my college, there are upper level English courses in various topics. This past fall, I took a special topics English course which focused on Crime Fiction and morality. The readings ranged from Sherlock Holmes to Batman. (Yes, we read comic books in an English class!) It was an awesome class and probably my favorite course so far in college.

Maybe your college offers similar special topics English courses that varies each semester.

 

[Ranna]

Narratives of Illness & Doctoring. It was a special topics class where we read literature written by patients and physicians and literature about medicine in general. It was really interesting, and ended up giving me a lot of inspiration for my personal statement.

 

[sugarcrash56]

Creative Writing/Microbio double major makes getting the English requirement easy.

Easily my new hero

 

[Sharpies]

Narratives of Illness & Doctoring. It was a special topics class where we read literature written by patients and physicians and literature about medicine in general. It was really interesting, and ended up giving me a lot of inspiration for my personal statement.

Hey Ranna-- that class sounds great! Unfortunately, there are no similar ones at my school, but i was wondering if you could share the books/reading list for the class for me to peruse on my own time. Thanks!

 

[Barcu]

At my college, there are upper level English courses in various topics. This past fall, I took a special topics English course which focused on Crime Fiction and morality. The readings ranged from Sherlock Holmes to Batman. (Yes, we read comic books in an English class!) It was an awesome class and probably my favorite course so far in college.

Maybe your college offers similar special topics English courses that varies each semester.

Similar to this, I took a writing class on dystopias in science fiction, which included novels, short stories, and even 4-5 movies.

I'm sure most schools have some pretty interesting English classes to take. Find one that interests you. I actually didn't find the requirement "pesky" at all.

 

[KinesStudent]

**New to this**

I assumed ENG 101, 102 worked, wrong?

 

[Sharpies]

**New to this**

I assumed ENG 101, 102 worked, wrong?

We don't have those at my school-- we have a intro course for all freshman then it's up to you to choose an English class you like on any topic offered

 

[IlDestriero]

Intro to BS 101 (required for all 1st years), Shakespeare.👍

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

As an English major I needn't worry about that 'pesky' pre-req.

 

[PlayUltimate15]

Medical Terminology from Greek and Latin Roots - Classics department baby!

 

[panasonic52]

At my college, there are upper level English courses in various topics. This past fall, I took a special topics English course which focused on Crime Fiction and morality. The readings ranged from Sherlock Holmes to Batman. (Yes, we read comic books in an English class!) It was an awesome class and probably my favorite course so far in college.

Maybe your college offers similar special topics English courses that varies each semester.

I took a class like this for my requirement. I hate taking English classes, but this one was Rhetoric: Detective Stories. We also read Sherlock Holmes and other stories that made it fun to go to class! One assignment was to watch a movie of our choice that isn't considered a detective story. Then we had to write a paper explaining why we would personally classify the main character as a detective. It was pretty fun, easy, and my favorite as well.

 

[Der Kaiser]

So you can use any course with a writing component as your English pre-req? It does not have to officially be in the English department?

 

[FirefighterDoc]

I took English?

 

[Barcu]

So you can use any course with a writing component as your English pre-req? It does not have to officially be in the English department?

Schools will commonly accept a writing-intensive course in any department. However, it is always best to clarify with individual schools if you really are unsure.

 

[BJJ]

English Lit. Don't take that class.

 

[13132]

I used honors courses. I have taken ones on philosophy, the reformation, and detective literature. We wrote a ridiculous amount so I figure/hope I can sell these classes.

 

[DrDrummer]

Take a Shakespeare course! Easy papers to write, and it's a good way to exercise a different part of your brain. You probably read 1-2 of the plays when you were in high school, but it's different as a college student, or at least that's what I found. The profs are usually cool, too.

If that's not up your alley, try a women's fiction or fiction from other cultures type class. Good way to try out some literature not written by dead white guys. Creative writing is good too, or if you can find something on creative non-fiction, it will make any publications you write later on in your career that much easier to read.

 

[vanillabear55]

Medical Terminology from Greek and Latin Roots - Classics department baby!

this sounds really interesting and probably helpful for later on....but I have a feeling I would want to strangle myself about 1 month in

I used honors courses. I have taken ones on philosophy, the reformation, and detective literature. We wrote a ridiculous amount so I figure/hope I can sell these classes.

👍

same!

 

[unhappytnt]

Writing I and II.

 

[Espadaleader]

**New to this**

I assumed ENG 101, 102 worked, wrong?

I love you.

 

[alienshards]

I didn't.

I stated (and they give you space to do this, usually), that in the interest of taking more classes pursuant to my major, I CLEPed and APed out of all my english requirements. Then I mentioned that my MCAT writing and reading comp scores should be enough to prove my proficiency with language.

No one really cares about the english requirement if your MCAT scores are good.

 

[Sharpies]

I didn't.

I stated (and they give you space to do this, usually), that in the interest of taking more classes pursuant to my major, I CLEPed and APed out of all my english requirements. Then I mentioned that my MCAT writing and reading comp scores should be enough to prove my proficiency with language.

No one really cares about the english requirement if your MCAT scores are good.

Whoa really? I never knew we could do that.

 

[Long Way to Go]

Whoa really? I never knew we could do that.

Be wary of this. A few schools might allow it, and other schools might contact you in May saying "So...about that English requirement."

 

[orthomyxo]

Expository writing 1 and 2

Easiest classes ever but the essays were a pain in the ass.

 

[Sharpies]

Be wary of this. A few schools might allow it, and other schools might contact you in May saying "So...about that English requirement."

True, better safe than sorry. I probably need an English class to fulfill my GE requirements anyway, so I'll be taking one no matter what.

 

[Ranna]

Hey Ranna-- that class sounds great! Unfortunately, there are no similar ones at my school, but i was wondering if you could share the books/reading list for the class for me to peruse on my own time. Thanks!

Sure thing 🙂

Death of the Good Doctor, Kate Scannell
Darkness Visible, William Styron
The Doctor Stories, William Carlos Williams
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jean-Dominique Bauby
W;t, Margaret Edson
The Two Kinds of Decay, Susan Manguso
The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, Lori Arviso Alvord
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman
Partial View, Cary Henderson and Nancy Andrews

We also read excerpts from:

An Anthropologist on Mars, Oliver Sachs
Letters From a Young Doctor, Richard Selzer
A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, Perri Klass
Attending Children, Margaret Morhmann
Complications, Atul Gawande
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality, Pauline Chen
Infections and Inequalities, Paul Farmer
Kitchen Table Wisdom, Rachel Naomi Remen
The Illness Narratives, Arthur Kleinman
The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine, Eric Cassell

Plus a handful of nonfiction articles about the role narratives in medicine.

 

[impulse462]

So I'm assuming English 101 and 102 fulfill the requirement?

 

[tyronedamone]

1) Lab report writing class for engineers
2) An English class about Victorian crime and criminality (very cool).

 

[Miss Alyssa]

I took Children's Literature. I had it in my head that we would read and analyze picture books. Boy was I wrong!😱

 

[Sharpies]

Sure thing 🙂

Death of the Good Doctor, Kate Scannell
Darkness Visible, William Styron
The Doctor Stories, William Carlos Williams
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jean-Dominique Bauby
W;t, Margaret Edson
The Two Kinds of Decay, Susan Manguso
The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, Lori Arviso Alvord
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman
Partial View, Cary Henderson and Nancy Andrews

We also read excerpts from:

An Anthropologist on Mars, Oliver Sachs
Letters From a Young Doctor, Richard Selzer
A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, Perri Klass
Attending Children, Margaret Morhmann
Complications, Atul Gawande
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality, Pauline Chen
Infections and Inequalities, Paul Farmer
Kitchen Table Wisdom, Rachel Naomi Remen
The Illness Narratives, Arthur Kleinman
The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine, Eric Cassell

Plus a handful of nonfiction articles about the role narratives in medicine.

Awesome list, thanks!!

 

[Sharpies]

So I'm assuming English 101 and 102 fulfill the requirement?

Yes, why wouldn't they?

 

[wlee43]

english composition. it was a intermediate class but basically everyone in the class got A's 👍

 

[b05010445]

Stand up comedy class and a course called "television in america". Best requirement satisfying courses ever.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Science Fiction Studies... online!

 

[Sharpies]

For those English classes that have less direct relationship to medicine (i.e. Shakespeare, 18th century literature, etc), what would you guys say you got from the semester that may help you in the future? (better writing skills, ability to interpret things to death, insight into human nature??)

 

[Dbate]

ENGL 114 Writing Seminar
ENGL 265 The Victorian Novel

 

[smarts1]

So do writing intensive classes in non-english departments always count? Or only sometimes?

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but...

I am worried about not fulfilling the 1 year English requirement.

I took Eng 101 (an essay comp class), but fulfilled my schools Literature requirement with a Spanish Lit class (I'm assuming that a class taught in Spanish will not count towards the requirement).

I did take 3 semesters of humanities (not too writing intensive), 3 semesters of religion (writing intensive), an art history class, and speech/public speaking.

Will anyone use classes like these to fulfill the English requirement?

 

[Soulstice]

Schools will commonly accept a writing-intensive course in any department. However, it is always best to clarify with individual schools if you really are unsure.

Would this mean any humanities course then? Like a philosophy course, or a history one?

 

[generator]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but...

I am worried about not fulfilling the 1 year English requirement.

I took Eng 101 (an essay comp class), but fulfilled my schools Literature requirement with a Spanish Lit class (I'm assuming that a class taught in Spanish will not count towards the requirement).

I did take 3 semesters of humanities (not too writing intensive), 3 semesters of religion (writing intensive), an art history class, and speech/public speaking.

Will anyone use classes like these to fulfill the English requirement?

Well you did take english 101 so: yay.

You said the Spanish Lit class was taught in spanish... so you guys spoke only spanish? that's cool. this might depend on the school. However you did take speech/public speaking which imo is a similar deal.

my suggestion is to ask someone who can give you a definite answer. then if you need to take it, just complete the requirement in the fall/spring/summer before matriculation.

 

[mmmmikaela]

In regards to schools that will accept humanities courses taken outside of the English dept., here is what I have found so far (unless otherwise noted I gathered this info from the school websites today)

GWU - "Courses designated as writing intensive or courses in mythology, religion, philosophy, and poetry also fulfill our English Requirement. Additionally, AP credits and advanced coursework in a foreign language can be used for our English Requirement."

NYMC - "2 semesters or equivalent (or successful completion of the English requirements of your undergraduate institution)"

Georgetown - "Writing Intensive Courses in any subject may substitute for the English Courses"

Rochester - "This may be met with English or non-science courses that involve extensive expository writing."

OHSU - only requires 1 English course

U of Boston - Admissions staff assured me that writing intensive classes in other deparments such as philosophy would be accepted.

A few schools with no specific English requirement: Albany, Tufts, Vermont , EVMS, UW, Jefferson

This list only represents the schools I happened to research.

Also, admissions requirements seem to change each year so I would recommend to undergrads for whom it is feasible to include 2 English dept courses in their schedules, to go ahead and do it to save yourself some worrying later on down the road...

 

[NightGod]

I just knocked out English Comp I/II. Did them on-line, which made it less stressful on the daily schedule, but was actually harder than the off-line class. Our teacher has a reputation at the school for being one of the hardest graders for any subject, let alone English. I also found out I'm apparently really good at interpreting symbolism because the other students and teacher were always commenting on the weird stuff I noticed *shrug* Overall, I found the course to be almost fun, though I loathed the play sections of the second semester (Antigone and then a research paper on Othello). I'm definitely a much bigger fan of writing about short stories, artwork and poetry. I also took an Ethics class and am hoping to squeeze in a Logic course, so I figure I've got it covered from every angle.

 

[elmnt61]

I took Engl101 and a random English lit course (1800 - present?). I didn't think it'd fulfill the requirements, but it did. 😛

 

[JESSFALLING]

English 101 and Chicano Lit & Film 🙂

 

[JESSFALLING]

I just knocked out English Comp I/II. Did them on-line, which made it less stressful on the daily schedule, but was actually harder than the off-line class. Our teacher has a reputation at the school for being one of the hardest graders for any subject, let alone English. I also found out I'm apparently really good at interpreting symbolism because the other students and teacher were always commenting on the weird stuff I noticed *shrug* Overall, I found the course to be almost fun, though I loathed the play sections of the second semester (Antigone and then a research paper on Othello). I'm definitely a much bigger fan of writing about short stories, artwork and poetry. I also took an Ethics class and am hoping to squeeze in a Logic course, so I figure I've got it covered from every angle.

Ethics is a great class. I also liked Logic....but it was the hardest class that I've ever taken (harder than Calculus!)...guess it depends on the professor 😀

 

[hiyaman]

Classics heroes! so fun!

 

[Camy99]

I added an English minor. Done and done. 🙂