Current Harvard Pre-Med Students!

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>Has anyone finished their science med school reqs by the end of sophomore year? I want to do this in order to take the mcats in august before junior year, but Harvard’s scheduling of science classes makes this goal nearly impossible! </p>

<p>How did you do it?!?!?!?!?</p>

<p>Right now I’m looking at: </p>

<p>fall 09
LS1a</p>

<p>Spring 10
LS1b (ends at 11:30am)
PS 1 (begins at 11:30am…ugh!!!)</p>

<p>fall 10 (I don’t want to take 3 sciences simultaneously!)
LS2
PS2
Chem 17</p>

<p>spring 11
PS 3
Chem 27</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>My friend’s sister (now a Harvard alum) took the MCATs the August before senior year and did marvelously. She’ll be attending Harvard (and MIT!) Med in the fall! </p>

<p>Moral of the story: there’s no need to rush!</p>

3

<p>^^^ agree about not rushing!</p>

<p>A sizeable number of students take the MCAT prior to Junior year
and an equivalent number prior to Senior year.</p>

<p>LS1A&B freshman year
Chem 17/27 freshman year ( < 10 students) Most do this as Sophomores
MCB 52/54 sophomore year
PS2/3 or Phy 11a/b depending on schedule freshman/sophomore</p>

<p>That should get you all revved up for the MCAT. Keep in mind
about 6 or so medical schools will want MCB 56 as well.</p>

<p>On an aside … I like this new look and feel of CC! :)</p>

4

<p>Well obviously there are a lot of options. One combination that could get it done by the end of soph year is:</p>

<p>fall 09</p>

<p>chem 30
mcb 52
math 21a</p>

<p>spring 10</p>

<p>chem 270
mcb 54</p>

<p>fall 10</p>

<p>chem 160
phys 11/15a</p>

<p>spring 11</p>

<p>chem 161
phys 11b</p>

<p>4 chem + 2 bio + 2 phys + a math for good measure</p>

5

<p>^ I hope you’re being sarcastic. </p>

<p>I know I don’t NEED to finish after sophomore, but there are so many benefits to this plan.</p>

6

<p>It’s possible, I know someone doing something very similar. But at the end of the day, it’s better to just spread it out over 3 years in most cases.</p>

7

<p>Can you take the MCAT only once? </p>

<p>Also, another quick question (not to hi-jack this thread - I just didn’t want to start a new one :wink: ): Are five courses per semester really too many?</p>

8

<p>^ apparently Harvard doesn’t let you take more than 4 courses your first semester. </p>

<p>I know people who have taken 5 or 6 subsequent to that though and they managed.</p>

9

<p>yeah there are tons of stories like that, like one kid who took math 122 (i think), physics 16, and chem 30 in the same semester.</p>

10

<p>yeah, I know you can’t take more than 4 courses in the first semester, but seeing that I want to keep at least one language going plus some sort of art course plus a little english plus biology plus pre-med (obviously I’ll have to make some choices here ;)), it would be great to know that more than 4 courses are manageable :)</p>

11

<p>sev, what are you planning on (or thinking about) concentrating in? The concentration I’m considering requires some extra courses not included in pre-med requirements, although it is a subset of biology. I’m sort of worried that I won’t be able to fit in pre-med requirements, gen. ed requirements, and then my concentration requirements, as well as all the classes I really want to take, like Japanese ;D.</p>

<p>(sev, you’re from switzerland? That’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to visit there…I haven’t ever been anywhere in Europe. =[ )</p>

12

<p>ugh, Harvard totally sucks at course scheduling…I’m encountering conflict after conflict.</p>

<br>

<br>

13

<p>I’ve been using the my.harvard site to look up courses, and I’m thoroughly unsure of what courses to take, although I have the bare bones!</p>

14

<p>If you think course scheduling sucks at Harvard, talk to your friends at big state schools. Harvard’s system is by no means perfect, but it sure beats registering for classes months in advance and being lotteried out of everything interesting.</p>

<p>I’d like to echo the urge from others not to rush. As a recent graduate, I couldn’t imagine starting up med school in August (or even late July for some schools!). You’ll likely want and need a break after theses, graduation, etc. Having to go to med school interviews senior fall is also a pretty miserable process.</p>

<p>If you are uber-intent on avoiding the gap year, you should consider summer school (summer orgo is pretty popular after sophomore year) or taking the MCAT before you take physics (you’ll need an MCAT class or some intense self-study, but I know a lot of people who have taken this route successfully).</p>

<p>Good luck! (Oh, and just keep in mind that something like 3/4 of premeds - including myself - switch to something else before graduation)</p>

15

<p>I am so unsure of what classes I should take in the fall. I’m planning on taking the MCAT the summer before senior year.</p>

16

<p>…</p>