Which class to take?

[futuredoc331]

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I was looking through my transcripts and realized I had take. Exercise physiology and earned an A. I've been thinking about taking A&P to strengthen my application, but now I'm wondering if it would be worth it. Should I take it or maybe something like genetics or another cake course for the GPA boost.

Also, my school has intro to genetics and then regular genetics. Will the intro be sufficient?

Thanks in advance.

 

[backsideattack1]

I was looking through my transcripts and realized I had take. Exercise physiology and earned an A. I've been thinking about taking A&P to strengthen my application, but now I'm wondering if it would be worth it. Should I take it or maybe something like genetics or another cake course for the GPA boost.

Also, my school has intro to genetics and then regular genetics. Will the intro be sufficient?

Thanks in advance.

I would highly suggest anatomy and physiology before entering the medical profession. I would also suggest the genetics for science majors because you will use that later on. Don't go the soft route through undergrad, you will regret it later when you're up against people with graduate degrees or people that went to better universities.

 

[MedPR]

I was looking through my transcripts and realized I had take. Exercise physiology and earned an A. I've been thinking about taking A&P to strengthen my application, but now I'm wondering if it would be worth it. Should I take it or maybe something like genetics or another cake course for the GPA boost.

Also, my school has intro to genetics and then regular genetics. Will the intro be sufficient?

Thanks in advance.

Take whichever one(s) you'll get an A in. I took just about every upper level bio there is and nobody cared.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[MedPR]

I was looking through my transcripts and realized I had take. Exercise physiology and earned an A. I've been thinking about taking A&P to strengthen my application, but now I'm wondering if it would be worth it. Should I take it or maybe something like genetics or another cake course for the GPA boost.

Also, my school has intro to genetics and then regular genetics. Will the intro be sufficient?

Thanks in advance.

Take whichever one(s) you'll get an A in. I took just about every upper level bio there is and nobody cared.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[backsideattack1]

I guess for my own personal satisfaction, I take courses that are med relevant and difficult so I feel better prepared. I know students that have taken the rigorous prereq courses and then told me those courses were harder than their medical school courses so they did very well. That's on you if you can't get the good grades, but at the end of the day, the GPA is what matters so if you can't be successful in hard sciences, then don't do it.

 

[futuredoc331]

Take whichever one(s) you'll get an A in. I took just about every upper level bio there is and nobody cared.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

That's what I was thinking. I am going to take a few upper levels, but I get tuition assistance and the GI bill from the military so I'm able to play around with courses a little bit and not worry about the cost. Figured it wouldn't hurt to pad the GPA a little bit with something easy.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I would highly suggest anatomy and physiology before entering the medical profession. I would also suggest the genetics for science majors because you will use that later on. Don't go the soft route through undergrad, you will regret it later when you're up against people with graduate degrees or people that went to better universities.

Who are you exactly to suggest anything? From what experience?

 

[backsideattack1]

Who are you exactly to suggest anything? From what experience?

Friends at one of my state MD schools went to undergrad at this school and took courses through their honors undergraduate program (namely 2 sem biochem for researchers and 2 sem honors physiology) and they said physio was a massive help during medical school and then their biochem at the honors program was actually more difficult and in depth than their respective medical school biochemistry.

This is why I suggested that this person attempt to take the most difficult courses now to help them prepare. I am accepted so I have chosen to do this to better prepare myself for the upcoming years.

You don't have to believe me since you seem so angered by this

 

[futuredoc331]

I appreciate all the input. I need to take all of my prereqs still so that comes first. The reason I'm asking though is I have my tuition basically paid for at the school I'm currently finishing my undergrad ( business) in. I can throw in an extra science so I'm not sure if I want to throw in a cake course or something a little more intense.

To be honest I'm pretty confident in my academic ability when I actually focus on something. Neither the MCAT nor med school make me nervous in the least. The only problem is I am nontrad and not all of my undergrad courses reflect my confidence or abilities. My GPA is competitive though. I want to do whatever it will take to get me accepted To a DO school and ill worry about the course load when I get there.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I would highly suggest anatomy and physiology before entering the medical profession. I would also suggest the genetics for science majors because you will use that later on. Don't go the soft route through undergrad, you will regret it later when you're up against people with graduate degrees or people that went to better universities.

Careful taking advice from pre-meds who havent been through medical school.

There is virtually no genetics in medical school. It's about one week embedded in the biochem class (at least where I went).

Anatomy and Physiology will help you but know that most students in medical school never took this in undergrad. I never did. Don't kill your GPA for a class is notoriously known as a weeder course in undergrad.

Take what you absolutely have to take for the best MCAT study that also covers the pe-req's

 

[backsideattack1]

Careful taking advice from pre-meds who havent been through medical school.

There is virtually no genetics in medical school. It's about one week embedded in the biochem class (at least where I went).

Anatomy and Physiology will help you but know that most students in medical school never took this in undergrad. I never did. Don't kill your GPA for a class is notoriously known as a weeder course in undergrad.

Take what you absolutely have to take for the best MCAT study that also covers the pe-req's

I said this because I was told it is a part of each system at MSUCOM and KCUMB, but yeah, I guess be careful

 

[darklabel]

Careful taking advice from pre-meds who havent been through medical school.

There is virtually no genetics in medical school. It's about one week embedded in the biochem class (at least where I went).

Anatomy and Physiology will help you but know that most students in medical school never took this in undergrad. I never did. Don't kill your GPA for a class is notoriously known as a weeder course in undergrad.

Take what you absolutely have to take for the best MCAT study that also covers the pe-req's

Anatomy = 👎 (Utterly useless for MCAT and I heard it won't help much in med school like you said since its really not that detailed.)

Physiology = 👍 Helpes A LOT when it comes to the Bio section of the MCAT.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I said this because I was told it is a part of each system at MSUCOM and KCUMB, but yeah, I guess be careful

Nothing in undergrad really helps during systems in medical school. You can't think about it that way. The med school teaches what you need, not undergrad. My Bio degree was practically useless in medical school as we covered all of undergrad in about 4 weeks then the material was new. Just take what you need to get in, don't try to pad your knowledge because it really won't help.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Friends at one of my state MD schools went to undergrad at this school and took courses through their honors undergraduate program (namely 2 sem biochem for researchers and 2 sem honors physiology) and they said physio was a massive help during medical school and then their biochem at the honors program was actually more difficult and in depth than their respective medical school biochemistry.

This is why I suggested that this person attempt to take the most difficult courses now to help them prepare. I am accepted so I have chosen to do this to better prepare myself for the upcoming years.

You don't have to believe me since you seem so angered by this

I'm not angered by it. I just found it to be awful advice. If you get through undergrad with taking underwater basket weaving classes and just have As in easier science classes, then you've succeeded
Breaking your back in undergrad is a god awful way to live given the fact that we've got such a road ahead of us anyway.

 

[backsideattack1]

Nothing in undergrad really helps during systems in medical school. You can't think about it that way. The med school teaches what you need, not undergrad. My Bio degree was practically useless in medical school as we covered all of undergrad in about 4 weeks then the material was new. Just take what you need to get in, don't try to pad your knowledge because it really won't help.

I think that might have been the case for you and maybe some others. I thinking these graduate medical science degree courses will help a lot and my material is being supplemented quite well with a friend's undergraduate honors physio and biochem course packs.

The OP says they will do the grade inflation thing and there is nothing wrong with that if they hasn't been accepted yet. I have already been accepted so I am doing what I can to prep and have some basic foundation in immunology and these systems

 

[cabinbuilder]

I think that might have been the case for you and maybe some others. I thinking these graduate medical science degree courses will help a lot and my material is being supplemented quite well with a friend's undergraduate honors physio and biochem course packs.

The OP says they will do the grade inflation thing and there is nothing wrong with that if they hasn't been accepted yet. I have already been accepted so I am doing what I can to prep and have some basic foundation in immunology and these systems

👎 You have no idea what you are getting into. Good luck with that.

 

[backsideattack1]

I'm not angered by it. I just found it to be awful advice. If you get through undergrad with taking underwater basket weaving classes and just have As in easier science classes, then you've succeeded
Breaking your back in undergrad is a god awful way to live given the fact that we've got such a road ahead of us anyway.

I find that these medically relevant courses to be interesting. They are not easy, but I know that the majority of this information will come in handy and I can already see most of it applies quite well toward my graduate medical degree courses. Some say chill and I respect it, but I think since I had messed around my first few years of college and was a typical collegiate athlete that this is good for me. I kind of like the challenge and since it's relevant information, it makes it easy for me to study and enjoy what I am learning. I am probably one of the very few kids in undergrad that are truly enthused by the medical sciences and enjoy the competition.

 

[backsideattack1]

👎 You have no idea what you are getting into. Good luck with that.

Look, at one school, it was suggested that I take immunology and micro because of how it was taught and how rigorous it was. Another school suggested histology because, like the other school, the students had never really seen or read this type of material before and they struggled.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Look, at one school, it was suggested that I take immunology and micro because of how it was taught and how rigorous it was. Another school suggested histology because, like the other school, the students had never really seen or read this type of material before and they struggled.

Except you'll forget all of path micro in a few weeks. Either way, you're right it can't hurt to take more courses to create a background. But how much does it help and is it worth it is the bigger question.

 

[backsideattack1]

Except you'll forget all of path micro in a few weeks. Either way, you're right it can't hurt to take more courses to create a background. But how much does it help and is it worth it is the bigger question.

Yeah, but I guess it would be like taking a course over again (obviously most med courses are harder than undergrad, with exception to that biochem for researcher course that my friends had). I would assume that the second time seeing material would be easier than the first time, especially if you knew it well the first time around. To each his own so long as you're doing it right.

 

[MedPR]

Undergrad and graduate level "medical" courses will help you for about a week in medical school. Then it's irrelevant.

Physio will really help you on the MCAT. Genetics won't help you on the MCAT.

 

[backsideattack1]

Undergrad and graduate level "medical" courses will help you for about a week in medical school. Then it's irrelevant.

Physio will really help you on the MCAT. Genetics won't help you on the MCAT.

I know more than you going into medical school. It may or may not help, but more than likely it will help even if it is 'for about a week'

All I said is that it should help with a good foundation. Don't do it if you can't handle the risk

Now waiting on a classic MedPR response

 

[MedPR]

I know more than you going into medical school. It may or may not help, but more than likely it will help even if it is 'for about a week'

All I said is that it should help with a good foundation. Don't do it if you can't handle the risk

Now waiting on a classic MedPR response

What makes you think you know more than me going into med school? My SO is a third year and we've lived together since she was a first year. Very slim chance that you know more about it than I do considering having been in the passenger seat for 3 years.

If you're talking about coursework, well you'd probably be wrong about that too.

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[survivordo]

Without a doubt the tougher the courses you take in undergrad the more prepared you will be more medical school. But you have to remember the first step is to get INTO medical school. If you can't take these courses and keep up a high GPA then don't. You need to worry about getting into med school first. You will find a way to adapt and get through the classes once you get there.

Survivor DO

 

[backsideattack1]

What makes you think you know more than me going into med school? My SO is a third year and we've lived together since she was a first year. Very slim chance that you know more about it than I do considering having been in the passenger seat for 3 years.

If you're talking about coursework, well you'd probably be wrong about that too.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

Just trying to see what you would say. Those who have an MS before starting most likely went through more material than you. I know middle schoolers that have been watching House and Grey's Anatomy for years. They are basically MDs now.

Without a doubt the tougher the courses you take in undergrad the more prepared you will be more medical school. But you have to remember the first step is to get INTO medical school. If you can't take these courses and keep up a high GPA then don't. You need to worry about getting into med school first. You will find a way to adapt and get through the classes once you get there.

Survivor DO

Exactly. I said that if you have the grades and can risk it, then do it because it is to your benefit. Classes that undergraduate students can take are likely filled by other undergraduate students and if you cannot compete against a bunch of undergraduates then sorry. At the graduate level, the most experienced people in my courses are residents in rheumatology just refreshing their understanding in immunology, while my other course is filled with cancer PhD students and nurse anesthesia students. I have been accepted into a medical school and I can take these courses without worry. I have been successful so far and I don't think it is really the fact that I am a good student, but rather because I consider the courses and material to be extremely interesting because this is what I will be expected to know for the rest of my life.

 

[chiddler]

my undergrad offered physiology but not anatomy. talking to my med student buddy, he expressed how difficult anatomy was for him compared to other students who have taken undergrad anatomy. he said that it might help if i take it at a local college.

physiology was one of my favorite undergrad classes, too. i'd hate for you to miss out on that.

 

[coolingglasses]

lol pre-med pissing contest ftw

take whatever engages you. I gather from your posts that you're ready for whatever comes at you. I'd say ask your friends that have taken the classes at your undergrad about each class so you can decide if it's for you.

physiology and (I think) genetics both appear on the MCAT. I am told that micro/immuno at my school is really helpful because the professor teaches both the undergrad and med school editions of the course, and her test questions are set up boards-style. and there are claims that she runs the undergrads harder than her med student counterparts.

obviously I've never taken boards so I dunno how accurate this is.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Look, at one school, it was suggested that I take immunology and micro because of how it was taught and how rigorous it was. Another school suggested histology because, like the other school, the students had never really seen or read this type of material before and they struggled.

Be careful because every medical school curriculum is different in what they emphasize. Plus it changes as the professors change.

For example, when I was in school:

Immunology - about 4 hours of lecture
Histology - 3 weeks total
Microbiology - very extensive course, in corporated in every system over two years. Also important to know what types of antibiotics/antifungal/anti parasitics to use with specific organisms.

So, again, take what you need to do well on the MCAT and gain admission. Don't try to anticipate what you may or may not need in medical school because overall what you take in undergrad is hopelessly irrelevant.