Will top medical schools frown on only two biology classes?

[sasukeuchiha33]

Hi all. So somewhere down the line if I maintain a high GPA, I would like to apply to top 20/ top 15 medical schools. Anyway, I've been told by my school that course rigor is a factor in med school admissions, and that my lack thereof would serve as hindrance to getting accepted at top schools.

Basically, I'm a Spanish primary major and Chemistry secondary major. I'm really only taking biology for the pre-reqs. Anyway, I took my school's equivalent of Biology I during first semester of the school year, but my teacher was so bad and really made me develop a dislike for biology. I got a good grade, but it really wasn't worth it considering she destroyed my passion for biology.

Now in the summer, I took Biology II. So I took Bio I during first semester last year and then Bio II over the summer. I got good grades in both, but I was wondering if top medical schools would frown on me stopping here with biology, especially since one of the classes was a summer course. Please let me know if top med schools, or any med school at all for that matter, would use my lack of biology rigor against me in the admissions process.

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[Catalystik]

Hi all. So somewhere down the line if I maintain a high GPA, I would like to apply to top 20/ top 15 medical schools. Anyway, I've been told by my school that course rigor is a factor in med school admissions, and that my lack thereof would serve as hindrance to getting accepted at top schools.

Basically, I'm a Spanish primary major and Chemistry secondary major. I'm really only taking biology for the pre-reqs. Anyway, I took my school's equivalent of Biology I during first semester of the school year, but my teacher was so bad and really made me develop a dislike for biology. I got a good grade, but it really wasn't worth it considering she destroyed my passion for biology.

Now in the summer, I took Biology II. So I took Bio I during first semester last year and then Bio II over the summer. I got good grades in both, but I was wondering if top medical schools would frown on me stopping here with biology, especially since one of the classes was a summer course. Please let me know if top med schools, or any med school at all for that matter, would use my lack of biology rigor against me in the admissions process.

You need to look at each school you plan to target for their requirements and recommendations. Many require or recommend some upper-level Biology.

If you don't have a rigorous preparation for the mcat and score poorly, that will work against you in the admissions process.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

I'm a Spanish primary major and Chemistry secondary major.

I don’t think the problem is that you’ll only have taken Bio I and II. I think a possible issue is that you took Bio II as a summer class.

Since you’re a Spanish and Chemistry double major, I don’t think that the simple fact that Bio I and Bio II are your only Bio classes will be an issue UNLESS the med school recommends that applicants also take Cell Bio, Genetics or some other upper division Bio class.

 

[WedgeDawg]

No one cares

 

[aldol16]

Look at the requirements. Many schools nowadays strongly recommend or recommend an upper-level biology course in addition to the intro sequence. If they strongly recommend it, you should take it. But in terms of your major, it's not a big deal - top schools don't care what your major is as long as you excel in it and excel in your science courses and MCAT.

 

[THEBACKANDFORTH]

No one cares

But it would be a real help on the MCAT to get a couple upper level bio courses in say cell bio, biochem, physiology, genetics, etc. And these courses would be much different than the bio you took, and actually parallel medical school.

So maybe plan on taking one of these a year. Cell bio and biochem are especially high yield for the MCAT and IMO should be taken

 

[Robin-jay]

I wish I had taken more anatomy based courses before medical school.

But only a few universities with only a few courses could adequately prepare you for medical school anatomy.

Everything else seems fairly straightforward.

 

[Catalystik]

But it would be a real help on the MCAT to get a couple upper level bio courses in say cell bio, biochem, physiology, genetics, etc. And these courses would be much different than the bio you took, and actually parallel medical school.

These classes would be my top-four suggestions, as well. I'd consider Biochem an essential to do well on the MCAT.

 

[MyOdyssey]

Some medical schools these days do in fact REQUIRE one semester of biochemistry as a prerequisite.

You should purchase a subscription to MSAR. MSAR will tell you about different schools' prerequisites.

For example, from the Yale Medical School admissions webpage:
Pre-medical Requirements > Medical Education at Yale | Yale School of Medicine
Pre-Medical Requirements
The minimum requirements for admission to the first-year class enrolling in 2019 are:

1. Attendance for three academic years, or the equivalent, at an accredited college, university, or institute of technology.
2. Satisfactory completion of the following courses, including laboratory work:
   • General Biology or Zoology (2 semesters)
     
   • General Chemistry (2 semesters)
     
   • Organic Chemistry (1 semester)
   • Biochemistry (1 semester - laboratory recommended, but not required)
     
   • General Physics (2 semesters)