What to do after prereq's

Started by premedphilosopher
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premedphilosopher

premedphilosopher

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5+ Year Member
Hey everyone. I will be done with prereq's after this semester. The only upper division science classes I will have will be ochem I and II, as well as biochem. I have two years remaining, and only have room to take 2 more science classes (I'm a philosophy major). What 2 other classes would you all recommend I take to either help my admissions chances, or to just help me become more familiar with medical school material? Another factor I am considering is that my science GPA is pretty solid as is, would it be worth taking anything else and risk dropping it? Thanks for any advice!
 
premedphilosopher said:
Hey everyone. I will be done with prereq's after this semester. The only upper division science classes I will have will be ochem I and II, as well as biochem. I have two years remaining, and only have room to take 2 more science classes (I'm a philosophy major). What 2 other classes would you all recommend I take to either help my admissions chances, or to just help me become more familiar with medical school material? Another factor I am considering is that my science GPA is pretty solid as is, would it be worth taking anything else and risk dropping it? Thanks for any advice!
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Top three would be Physiology, Genetics, or Cell Biology, but check your schools "Rate My Professor" (or similar) to be sure you aren't going into a losing situation with a martinet for an instructor who only gives out one A, before you decide.
 
Thanks for the reply. My two bio courses are genetics and cellular/molecular biology. They are the two intro bio classes for bio majors at my school.
 
Catalystik said:
Top three would be Physiology, Genetics, or Cell Biology, but check your schools "Rate My Professor" (or similar) to be sure you aren't going into a losing situation with a martinet for an instructor who only gives out one A, before you decide.
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That was bad when I was taking Evo Bio.
 
Sounds like physiology for sure, any thoughts about just a straight up anatomy class? They teach it at my community college and it's supposed to be a relatively easy A. One time I decided to go against the recommendations of Rate My Professor, because it fit in my schedule better. I'm sure people exaggerate on there right? Worst semester of my college career haha
 
Do what you want, man. If this means taking upper level bio for light med school prep, feel free. If this means taking courses of interest outside of medicine, feel free. For med school admissions, it doesn't matter that much.
 
So, in your opinion, would the potential benefit of the extra science classes outweigh the potential for GPA harm? I guess I fear a repeat of gen chem II. I know it's lame to blame the instructor, but that class was an uphill battle in a rainstorm from day one. I'm not trying to sound anal, I just figure that I have awhile left in undergrad so I might as well be strategic
 
Just my humble opinion...

Outside of the pre-reqs, the courses you take do not matter for admissions. Unless you need to raise your science GPA, just take a class that you find interesting. This is your last chance to take a class just because you feel like it, so choose whatever fascinates you.

If you are set on taking a class that will benefit you in the admissions process, see if your school has any classes about the healthcare system. Trends in healthcare are popular interview material, and I think having a really good grasp on them (not just a basic overview from skimming the news) makes applicants stand out.
 
bubba21 said:
If you are set on taking a class that will benefit you in the admissions process, see if your school has any classes about the healthcare system. Trends in healthcare are popular interview material, and I think having a really good grasp on them (not just a basic overview from skimming the news) makes applicants stand out.
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A Bioethics class is another that helps with admissions interviews.
 
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