What would you guys say is the most difficult thing that you could have studied more in undergrad that would have made the transition to med school easier? I'm at a point where I can take a number of courses as bio sci electives and I want to take something that will help me the most down the road - biochem poss?
What is the Most Difficult Course?
- Thread starter osu2006
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2002
- Messages
- 238
- Reaction score
- 0
Hmm.. Physiology is easiest for me. I'd say take Anatomy above all else... no matter how smart you are, anatomy simply takes tons of time to sit down, memorize, and understand everything spatially for application. The more time you spend memorizing the stuff in undergrad, the less time it'll hog up from you in medical school. For me, anatomy is the biggest pain, and I was only able to take a 4 week course to prepare me for the rigors of med school, and wished I would've taken a semester long course in undergrad.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2003
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 0
But taking anatomy in undergrad will turn you into the annoying person at the table that already knows everything. You won't be able to help it. When someone asks a question you'll always know and your partners could really start to hold it against you. It's better to take something less interactive, like Biochem or anvanced neuroscience courses.
D
deleted29780
Obviously anatomy. i must agree.
But as with anything under the sun, if u work hard , u should make a significant progress.😉
But as with anything under the sun, if u work hard , u should make a significant progress.😉
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2002
- Messages
- 183
- Reaction score
- 1
quit gunning and take a humanities class. there is a reason why there are basically only 8 prereqs to go to med school: they are going to teach you when you get there. this is a self perpetuating system. a bunch of kids take anatomy before they come to med school, know it all because it the second time around, and then they make it worse for everyone. unless you have a documented IQ of less than 70, i do not think you should be allowed to take all of the first year classes like some people you will encounter.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2002
- Messages
- 1,187
- Reaction score
- 7
i agree. take some fun and interesting classes that teach you stuff besides science during undergrad. don't kill yourself taking all those science courses in undergrad...that's what med shcool is for😉 . besides, you never know when you might need some of that non-science education. but if you HAVE to take a science elective then i would look into biochem, physiology, microbiology, genetics.
Thanks for all of your replies - it seems like getting a head start on anatomy and physiology would be a good idea.
As to the humanities course, I've got an economics major with a political science minor, I've got plenty of those. 🙂
As to the humanities course, I've got an economics major with a political science minor, I've got plenty of those. 🙂
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2001
- Messages
- 695
- Reaction score
- 1
I'm a senior right now, and I am debating on taking cell bio next semester. I know that I'll learn it in med school, and I am just burnt out on science right now, especially after taking the hell that is biochem this semester. What to do? I feel like I should keep up with my science, but I do wanna take something interesting in my last semester of undergrad.
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2001
- Messages
- 1,041
- Reaction score
- 4
take anatomy if u think it will interest you right now. dont listen to people who say dont gun or whatever, i can bet they would do it if they had the choice to go back.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2002
- Messages
- 1,187
- Reaction score
- 7
wow suddenly you have ESP and know my thoughts? 🙄
sorry, but after starting med school i still wouldn't go back and take any of these courses in undergrad... that's just my opinion, but hey, thanks again for telling me my thoughts on this one.
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2002
- Messages
- 1,230
- Reaction score
- 4
Hey Buddy,
I feel you on your science-burn out. I was debating whether or not to take Micro my last semester, a class which I don't need to graduate but thought it could be useful for medschool.....here's what I decided
I decided to stay away from intense science courses my last semester and instead 'treat' myself to classes that I thought would be FUN..........key word FUN. So, instead of Micro, I'm taking "the music of latin america". Yes, in theory it would be good to keep up with the sciences Gomar.......I mean, Julian.....but what, do you think we are going to lose our edge on science by taking a semester off or a light semester??? I doubt that....once an overachiever, always an overachiever.
BiomedCRAP forever,
F
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2003
- Messages
- 90
- Reaction score
- 0
If you really want to take a science class just for the sake of getting familiar with the subject, you can do these:
*take the course as a pass/fail
*or just sit through the class like you're registered in it
That is what I did for some of the science courses. I would just sit through some of the science courses. And if I felt that either the class was interesting or that I would do well, I would register through the professor (as opposed to the common method of registering).
side note: I also did this to avoid dropping the class later (aka waste money).
*take the course as a pass/fail
*or just sit through the class like you're registered in it
That is what I did for some of the science courses. I would just sit through some of the science courses. And if I felt that either the class was interesting or that I would do well, I would register through the professor (as opposed to the common method of registering).
side note: I also did this to avoid dropping the class later (aka waste money).
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2001
- Messages
- 1,041
- Reaction score
- 4
you're quite welcome 🙂
Seriously, i should have probably rephrased that as "to each his own"
i had initially not planned on taking it in undergrad, but took it p/f end of my senior yr., and it turned out to help me immensely.
- Joined
- May 24, 2003
- Messages
- 1,654
- Reaction score
- 20
1) I agree with Bernd
2) Thats part of the med school game, (some students may have already taken some of the courses once or twice)
2) Thats part of the med school game, (some students may have already taken some of the courses once or twice)
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2003
- Messages
- 292
- Reaction score
- 15
I have a dislike of genetics, i took it in undergrad and hated back then and I hate it in med school... the rest aren't that bad, the only class I hadn't taken before med school was histo, but its actually a fun class at my school
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2002
- Messages
- 117
- Reaction score
- 0
The people in anatomy lab group referenced above that already "know it all" make my life much easier - it's like I have my own personal tutors. I probably would try to take some anatomy beforehand if I had it to do over again. The anatomy scholars seem to smoke everyone in anatomy and everything else too because they don't spend all their time studying anatomy.
But on the other hand if there is really an exceptional philosophy professor at your school take his or her course. There just aren't many good philosophy courses offered in med school.
Maybe go for a summer course in anatomy or something that would enable time for some good electives along with some preliminary anatomy exposure.
But on the other hand if there is really an exceptional philosophy professor at your school take his or her course. There just aren't many good philosophy courses offered in med school.
Maybe go for a summer course in anatomy or something that would enable time for some good electives along with some preliminary anatomy exposure.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2002
- Messages
- 185
- Reaction score
- 0
I think I would audit both biochem and neuroscience.
I'm glad I didn't take anatomy before school started, but I'm also VERY grateful that someone else at my table did. It's fun to be "discovering" the anatomy, but nice to have someone who's already done it to help guide us along the way. I agree with Krony that it's like having our own personal tutor at the table.
I'm glad I didn't take anatomy before school started, but I'm also VERY grateful that someone else at my table did. It's fun to be "discovering" the anatomy, but nice to have someone who's already done it to help guide us along the way. I agree with Krony that it's like having our own personal tutor at the table.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2002
- Messages
- 387
- Reaction score
- 0
I seem to like courses taught by doctors instead of PhDs... it's true that research material is interesting but it obscures functional and practical knowledge.
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2003
- Messages
- 103
- Reaction score
- 10
I took the bare minimum of science classes before med school... my undergrad didn't offer much in the way of Anatomy or Neuro, etc, but those would be the classes to take. Having a foundation in both classes will cut a significant amount of time off your study time in med school, because I believe with both subjects there is an initial slow phase of studying where you really have no clue what the hell is going on, then slowly it all comes together... if you've already had most of it, you'd just be brushing up on details instead of spending time learning the concepts for the first time... this will free up a lot of time to do things like study for other classes (not recommended), or going out and getting real drunk more often (recommended).
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2002
- Messages
- 565
- Reaction score
- 2
take psych and sociology classes and hit on chicks.
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2001
- Messages
- 5,561
- Reaction score
- 17
I think pharmacology is quite difficult...I wish I was having an anatomy exam right now instead of pharm. Actually, I think all the classes in medical school are quite doable, none of the material is actually That hard especially if you did okay in the prereqs. The thing that makes it hard is the sheer amount of stuff you have to know and memorize. Anatomy - everyone's going to forget the anatomy they learn, but it'll be refreshed during rotations and residencies. I think sometimes the same about pharm, the difference being you actually Have to know pharm in order not to screw up when you're a doctor, so there's no slacking there. Biochem is just....tedious. Neuro's pretty complicated since it integrates so many areas.
