bluedevilmike

Well... but then why take genchem at all?

DiGamma23

would it be wise for a pre-med student to apply for sophomore standing and graduate in 3 years? (assuming most AP credits are used towards electives)

IHS

to fulfill the requirement...just after u take something more exciting

bluedevilmike

Well, but in that case, take biochem.

ERI104

do you need an undergrad degree to apply to med school? if not then why not cram all the pre-med courses and get them done ASAP so you can apply to med school asap?

bluedevilmike

Officially you don't need one, but for all practical intents and purposes you do.

SASWombat

hi, I'm interested in becoming a doctor. There is no "pre-med" persay at my school (Northwestern University), where I will be an incoming freshman.

My question is this: placement exams are coming up. Is there a benefit to placing out of all 3 intro classes of chem (101,102,103)? Currently I plan on taking the accelerated chem courses (171,172). Which option would be better for med school?

Basically, I'm asking is it better to have taken orgo first year? or is it better to have taken the accelerated chem and have a better GPA? Thanks in advance guys, I know you all know a lot on this.

bluedevilmike

I argue in favor of genchem, usually. If your school has a special freshman-only section of orgo which is graded easier, however, that might be worth it.

SASWombat

Hey bluedevilmike, thanks for the reply. nah mike, it doesn't have a special freshman orgo class. But I think you're right with the general chem. I think it will be better to have some college chem and be up to par with my chem instead of rushing to study in the summer before tackling orgo which I hear is difficult.

SASWombat

^^ bump this post for people who need course selection advice ^^

imran

oh quick question abt the MCATs; i saw this HUGE ASS box of guides from Examkrackers on preparing for the MCAT, anyone nkow if it's good? it's 175 bucks, so i'd like some reviews before i plonk down that money

bigndude

I have the box set of EK's. They are nice high quality books printed on high quality paper. They have almost everything you need to know and their layout is pretty darn good.

p reepa

what are the ebst courses to take for mcat prep? i know a lot of med schools ask for minimum course requirements but do those need to be done within the first 2 years of college or can they be done later on?

bluedevilmike

Animal physiology and genetics are both very helpful. Aside from that basic premed requirements should suffice.

And no, they don't need to be taken right away. It's just that some kids want the August MCAT and so try to cram everything in sooner.

p reepa

and on that note mike, i was looking at a webpage called mdapplicants.com or something like that where pre med students voluntarily posted their stats and the med schools they applied/the results of their applications. what i found was that although some of the students had good stats, >3.75 GPA >30 MCAT, they hadn't gained admission into some of the top medical schools. they cited various reasons for this result, but what seemed like the most common reason they didn't get in to their schools of choice was simply because they applied too late. would you say that this is the most common reason why most students don't get into their med school of choice? what can we, as students, do to prevent this from happening? and on a separate note, my freshman organic chem class doesn't have a lab component, and neither does the next class in the sequence (biochemistry). is it advisable for me to go back and take general chemistry with a lab component or should i continue on the biochem track? i think physical chem at my school has a lab part as well. thanks!