Medical School

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>I’m planning to attend Stanford Summer College in Summer 2015. I got a 4 on the AP Calculus BC Exam, so that means I meet the prereq to take this course:</p>

<p>Linear Algebra and Differential Calculus of Several Variables
MATH51</p>

<p>Geometry and algebra of vectors, systems of linear equations, matrices and linear transformations, diagonalization and eigenvectors, vector valued functions and functions of several variables, parametric curves, partial derivatives and gradients, the derivative as a matrix, chain rule in several variables, constrained and unconstrained optimization. Prerequisite: 21, or 42, or a score of 4 on the BC Advanced Placement exam or 5 on the AB Advanced Placement exam, or consent of instructor.
Prerequisites/Notes:
GER:DB-Math, WAY-FR</p>

<p>Would taking this course look bad on medical school app(or even count b/c the summer will be after my senior year in high school) because the course’s duration is around 8 weeks and shortened(less depth and easier because one course to focus on rather than in one year with other courses)? </p>

<p>Would taking such a math course at a community college look worse or just the same as this course at Stanford? </p>

<p>By the way should I take these courses at Stanford summer college too?</p>

<p>Biology
Introduction to Biology
BIO7S</p>

<p>The major fields of biology: biochemistry, the cell, evolution, and diversity. Foundation for higher-level biology courses.
Prerequisites/Notes:
GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
Introduction to Biology Lab
BIO7SL</p>

<p>Optional lab to be taken concurrently with BIO 7S.</p>

<p>Thanks! Anyone with experience at this program would be helpful.</p>

2

<p>Isn’t medical school still more than 4 years away for you?
Stanford Summer isn’t going to do anything for that. You will still have to meet the medical school basic admission requirements during your college education.</p>

<p>Take something at Stanford Summer that enriches you. At the very least, something that might transfer to next year’s school.</p>

3

<p>Courses taken at Stanford Summer College or at community college will just be considered two courses of the many colleges courses that will be factored into your med school GPAs. You won’t be wowing med schools simply because you took one or both at Stanford Summer College. Also, as AP credit policies vary from med school to med school, it’s hard to know at this point what value (as to med school) other than personal interest you’d gain from these courses.</p>

4

<p>Medical schools don’t care about this course. You are over-thinking the importance of this decision.</p>

5

<p>You need to check with your upcoming college to see if you CAN take that course. Some colleges will not let graduated HS seniors take college courses without then considering them transfers (with possible loss of access to scholarships only available to freshman).</p>

6

<p>I would discourage you from taking this class unless you are planning to major in math or engineering in college. It is definitely not needed for MCAT (calc B/C is sufficient). 51 is a hard class for most Stanford students who have taken 41 and 42 at Stanford which by themselves are much harder than Calc B/C (people who have gotten a 5 say it takes a lot of work even for 41/42).</p>

<p>Biology will help you with MCAT. Not sure what the class number is.</p>

<p>You have to remember that taking any class in college (even community college) and not doing well hurts your med school app not because they care where you did it but because all classes taken at any level of college will need to be included on your app. So if you get a B, it feels like you did well except it does not help your GPA when you apply to medical school.</p>

<p>The best way to approach summer college for a premed is not to take classes that are given college credit. This way you will enjoy your experience of being at Stanford while not being pressured to make a certain grade.</p>

7

<p>I assume you are talking about Stanford High School Summer College? You are ineligible if you have graduated from high school. </p>

8

<p>Thanks for the feedback guys! I haven’t graduated from high school yet, still a senior…so this program won’t be of any boost/help to medical school app at all? </p>

9

<p>But then again, wouldn’t concentrating on one course during the summer help me get a better grade?</p>

10

<p>If you do well then that is fine. </p>

11

<p>Where are you going undergraduate and what will your major be?</p>

12

<p>if you do well it’s another A on your transcript. That’s it.</p>

13

<p>Now I am confused. If you are currently a senior, why would you waste 10k doing a summer class at Stanford? </p>

<p>Most juniors seem to take them because they think it will boost their college apps (it does not but if you do well and your prof gives a rec, it might help) but a senior should find plenty of free opportunities to do during summer before college.</p>

14

<p>I’m planning to attend a UC, Berkeley if I can… I applied to all UCs with majors that include bioengineering, chemical engineering, and biochemistry(first choices). second choices include these as well as biotechnology. I’m in the process of applying for summer research experiences, mostly at Stanford. Some of them are Medical Summer Science Internship(Arthritis foundation), Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program, and CHORI Summer Research Program. Trying to do something productive during the summer and thought these programs would make me stand out for medical apps later.</p>

15

<p>texaspg, it’s not 10k because the program offers Stanford Horizon Scholars, which I qualify bc of free lunch at school.</p>

16

<p>@rang16 I was expecting you to apply to the kind of programs you listed instead of taking a class. If the summer school is free for you at Stanford, by all means take whatever you want although I would suggest Biology over Math.</p>

17

<p>I don’t think you should take a college class, particularly a science one, after graduation. If you don’t do well, it will hurt you. </p>

<p>This is a summer that should be fun and relaxing before you begin the stress of fall frosh year. </p>

<p>Can you do something fun instead? What are your other options?</p>

18

Unless you turn this summer research experience into other research experiences it’s not going to mean much (certainly not make you “stand out”). This summer experience would make you more desirable for future research positions (not because it’s a fancy stanford program but because you’d be getting research experience) though so in that way it definitely helps.

19

Medical schools (and colleges) couldn’t care less about summer courses. They are a waste of time and money and meaningless.

20

S took fine arts course at community college after sophomore year of high school. The credit he received for this course satisfied high school graduation req, satisfied UC “f” admission req of one year of fine arts, satisfied UC GE
req of one fine arts course, and was included in cGPA for med school. So I would respectfully disagree that colleges and med school could care less about summer courses.