Will these courses prepare me for the MCAT?

[NGCSUstudent]

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I'm a freshman in college majoring in biology. I want to make sure I'll get all the right courses in before the end of my junior year to be prepared for the MCAT. Per advice, there's lots of English in my schedule before the MCAT so I can keep up with the critical thinking involved on the MCAT. I'm aiming for a 32 at the least. I've compiled this schedule to be in line with my college's core curriculum, my major's curriculum, the MCAT suggested courses, and my medical school's required and suggested courses, so if something looks out-of-place, its for a pre-requisite (like Standard English Grammar), or my school's core (like Global Issues). Feedback is appreciated:

Freshman Year:
[S1] Critical thinking, English Composition II, Elementary Spanish II, Sociology; [S2] Principles of Biology I, Survey of Chemistry I, World Literature I, Survey of Economics, College Algebra.

Sophomore Year:
[S1] Precalculus, Standard English Grammar, Principles of Biology II, Global Issues, Survey of World History; [S2] Introductory Physics I, Principles of Chemistry I, Elementary Statistics, Intermediate Composition, Genetics; [Summer Semester] Human Anatomy I, Principles of Chemistry I.

Junior Year:
[S1] Organic Chemistry, Introductory Physics II, Physiology, Cell Biology, Calculus I; [S2] Medical Physics, Ecology, Organic Chemistry II, Calculus II, Advanced Composition.

Any feedback will be great!

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Make sure you pass the classes first.
Don't think about the MCAT till your Sophomore year.
If you are just going to take the classes and not review, you'll bomb the MCAT.
Also, don't set your standards just yet, you are a freshman.
I remember when I was a freshman, I wanted to go to Pharmacy School.
That changed in a year.
If you are gonna aim, don't aim for the average, aim for the best.

 

[NGCSUstudent]

Oh yes, I plan to study for the MCAT on top of the classes. I'm not too worried about not passing my classes. I've always been productive when it comes to my study habits. Maintained a 3.9 in high school and have a 4.0 so far in college. I know those are only basic classes, but still, I think so long as I keep studying like I always have, I'll be fine.

 

[235788]

IMO its better to teach yourself using the MCAT books. Yes the courses will, but you will learn the material in much deeper level and you will forget most (realistically). But uppers definitely help with med school. I'm doing an SMP and am rocking block 1 biochem due to my history.

Unless required or for your self interest, scrap all earth science and med phys.

Also, in retrospec if I could do it all over again I would take 12 credit hours or so with my only science being physics the semester before the summer I was planning on taking the MCAT.

 

[Frazier]

Take biochem if possible.

Looking back at the questions that tripped me up on my mcat, I feel that I would have had a 13+ in BS if I took biochem prior to testing.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

^ I'm planning on taking Biochem right after Orgo 2.
Also remember, high school GPA and college don't really relate at all. I know a guy who got a unweighted 3.98 and got into UChicago, and is currently doing subpar on his path to apply to med school. He has a 2.8 right now and didn't pass Orgo II and Differential Eq. It's good that you have a great GPA to begin with, but treat all these classes as the real deal. (I wish I had done so my freshman year)

 

[Morsetlis]

I never appreciated how difficult my undergrad was until I see some people's schedules...

 

[NGCSUstudent]

Thanks for all the info guys.

Unless required or for your self interest, scrap all earth science and med phys.

Ecology and botany (Summer of Junior yr) is required for my biology major, but why scrap medical physics?

Also, I was told I didn't have to take human anatomy since I'm taking physiology. Should I scrap it too or would it be beneficial?

 

[Whatyousay]

Thanks for all the info guys.



Ecology and botany (Summer of Junior yr) is required for my biology major, but why scrap medical physics?

Also, I was told I didn't have to take human anatomy since I'm taking physiology. Should I scrap it too or would it be beneficial?

Anatomy is useless for the MCAT.

 

[Mcatz1188]

I don't like telling my secrets, but take a neuroscience class. Neurobio, or intro to Neuro. It's very important, you WILL see neuroscience questions on the MCAT, and it helps really unify a lot of concepts in general bio, molecular bio, and biochem

 

[NGCSUstudent]

I know a lot of people are recommending Biochem, but my circumstances just won't allow it. Since I didn't take chemistry first semester freshman year, the prerequisites required to take take biochem can't be filled any sooner than the fall semester of my senior year. I may be able to audit a biochem class though.

 

[Doctor246853]

Anatomy is useless for the MCAT.

Bingo. You can learn gross anatomy in medical school.

 

[Doctor246853]

Make sure you pass the classes first.
Don't think about the MCAT till your Sophomore year.
If you are just going to take the classes and not review, you'll bomb the MCAT.
Also, don't set your standards just yet, you are a freshman.
I remember when I was a freshman, I wanted to go to Pharmacy School.
That changed in a year.
If you are gonna aim, don't aim for the average, aim for the best.

👍👍👍

 

[235788]

Thanks for all the info guys.



Ecology and botany (Summer of Junior yr) is required for my biology major, but why scrap medical physics?

Also, I was told I didn't have to take human anatomy since I'm taking physiology. Should I scrap it too or would it be beneficial?

You will never hear/see/read anything that has any part of medical physics in it unless you go into radiation oncology (Zzzzzzz). You think it would be from the name, but the material is far from relevant.

Anatomy will be beneficial for med school, not so much MCAT.

Take biochem senior year, it will help you later on. Remember many med schools start out with biochem (13weeks, 11 credit hour course here) or an integrated version so it will highly benefit you.

I am kicking myself in the butt for not taking a medical terminology course and immunology in undergrad. Stupid on my part.

 

[NGCSUstudent]

I am kicking myself in the butt for not taking a medical terminology course and immunology in undergrad. Stupid on my part.

I saw this on NGCSU's class schedule but was unsure whether to take it or not. Now that I have nine credit hours free (from scrapping anatomy I & II plus med physics), I could take it if I wanted to. Will have to do a bit more research on the course before I make that definite though.

Anyone else benefit from medical terminology?

I've got immunology already queued up for senior year.

 

[Morsetlis]

Medical terminology is pointless without knowing the structure and function.

My medical terminology class is called Gross Anatomy.

Now, if you wanted an easy A, of course you could take Medical Terminology...

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Medical terminology is pointless without knowing the structure and function.

My medical terminology class is called Gross Anatomy.

Now, if you wanted an easy A, of course you could take Medical Terminology...

18 credits next semester. I wonder how much of a burden Med Term would be? 😀

 

[sc4s2cg]

Not sure about the intro to physics...our university offers College (algebra based) and University Physics (calculus based). I was told to take the former.

I'm tutoring someone in introductory chemistry, and let me tell you...that course is not getting into enough detail for the MCAT.

 

[NGCSUstudent]

Not sure about the intro to physics...our university offers College (algebra based) and University Physics (calculus based). I was told to take the former.

I'm tutoring someone in introductory chemistry, and let me tell you...that course is not getting into enough detail for the MCAT.

Looking at the class schedule, it looks like they've got intro to physics (pre req-college algebra) and principles of physics (pre req-calc I). I think at NGCSU, College Physics = Intro to Physics, and University Physics = Principles of Physics. I'll ask my pre-med adviser.

Also, I'm taking organic chem I & II before the MCAT. Would take biochem but it's just not an option, as I said earlier.

 

[kpcrew]

Courses won't prepare you; you prepare yourself through studying!

 

[mishaS]

Plan to take a prep class, and worry about more when it's really time to worry about.

As for A/P, I disagree with the people above, take it. Heck, if you can take a hard pure gross class (where you'll cover material similar to a med school gross class), do that. When you get into med school, anatomy will be a lot easier, you won't stress as much. Over the summer, I studied a bit of anatomy on my own, and while the little bit I did learn ran out very quickly, it made the transition way easier, and I wasn't freaking out nearly as much as those around me who never even looked at anatomy. I also took a hard histo class in undergrad, and histo for me is a joke. I pretty much ignore the class until about a week before the exam, and I've managed to honor both exams so far with ease. You won't regret doing a little prep work ahead of time.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Physiology, IMO is very important. But take the upper level, not the A&P.