You do not have to have anatomy or biochem if you want to have to bust your butt and study that much harder 1st yr. Me? I would personally rather take the extra time and spend it studying other things, playing w/ my kids, etc. I recommend taking ANY class you think might remotely help you in med school. I took anatomy, physiology, microbiology, medical microbiology, pathophysiology, biochem and histology for electives. Great classes, my only regret is I didn't get to take embryo (my school quit offering it) or immunology (no time). I feel like I learned alot, and first year will hopefully feel like partial review as my biochem professor in particular, prided himself on presenting a biochem course "of med. school rigor". Not redundant, since there is the potential for quite a bit more detail, however, anything that can make it easier, I'm all for. However, keep in mind that biochem is potentially one of the hardest undergrad classes you will take, so make sure you have the time to devote to it.
