<p>As I recall, the lab classes consisted of a 1 hour lecture per week, along with a 4 hour scheduled lab. The lab classes could be taken separately from the intro bio classes and were run independently from one another (lab class required past or current in intro bio). It was my experience that the lab classes were time consuming, often with many assignments per week. One student said he spent more time in a 1-quarter bio lab class than 3 quarters of chem classes combined. The bio labs were graded pass/fail, and students needed to repeat any lab that wasn’t considered satisfactory, which also increased workload for some. The Stanford pre-med web page indicates that seniors can take the med school class Surgery 101 instead of one the bio labs. I don’t know anyone who did this, but it sounds like an interesting alternative, as the class involves regional anatomy and dissection of the human cadaver. I would have tried to enroll, had I known about the option. It sounds far more interesting than the plant biology lab.</p>