Pre-med questions? Ask here.

Colleges & Universities Stanford University
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<p>Meh… I haven’t really decided whether or not to take any more math. I’m going to discuss that with an advisor soon. The reason is that Stanford says that some calculus (40 series, for example) is sufficient, or you could also do Math 51 and Stats 60 (I plan to do this). Plus, I’m a bio major and Math 51 is sufficient for the major. However, I’m going to talk to the advisors again because UCLA, my ideal med school, asks for a year of math including calc and stats. Sorry I don’t have a straight answer on this one.</p>

<p>Physics can be taken whenever you feel like it… I know people taking it fresh/soph/jun year. I am actually taking physics this summer at UC Irvine because honestly, it’s easier. Many people do it at Santa Clara. It is possible to complete all the physics in one summer; I have 3 lectures and 2 labs, and it really wasn’t that much work.</p>

<p>Yes, I am a junior. I actually know that one psych TA is a sophomore. So, it’s unusual, but not unheard of. The bio labs also have many junior TAs.</p>

<p>I am taking a quarter of biochem this fall =] Many schools recommend it, so I’m going for it. Just going to do one quarter though, not two. I discussed this with a premed advisor.</p>

<p>As for the GPA thing… I really can’t answer that because I don’t know you. A lot of people float in the 3.6 area… and of course there are people above and below. I think most people at Stanford got all A’s in high school, and now some of those people still get all A’s, some get A’s and B’s, some get C’s. So it really depends.</p>

<p>By the way, I hope you all don’t panic about planning every nuance of your college career. (I occasionally do that and it drives me nuts. I need to stop stressing out.) While as a pre-med it’s important to get your requirements fulfilled, don’t worry if you do something off-track or “not according to plan”. Stanford is very flexible and will help you. I know juniors who are just deciding to be pre-med, and they’re going back to star their chem (they’ve already done some of the requirements, but not consciously). Remember that amidst all the planning and the requirements, you have time to explore; I thought that I would be a chem major coming in to Stanford. But first quarter, I took Brain and Behavior, and I fell in love with the intersection of psychology and neurobiology. You can probably tell from my list of classes that I don’t like to take time to include ‘fun’ classes like pilates or photography or cooking, but many people do that and say that it keeps them sane. Remember that pre-med is part of you, but there is more to think about too =]</p>

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<p>How difficulty is the Phys 20s at Stanford? Any benefits to take Phys during summer? What did you do last summer? And what do you plan to do for your junior - senior summer? Are you involved in any undergraduate research during school year or summer break?</p>

<p>Is it common for pre-Meds to take Math 51, Chem 31X, IHum and one other course for their fall quarter?</p>

<p>Besides helping young students science courses for community service, are you involved in any other extra curriculums activities? Orchestra? Sports?</p>

23

<p>since celestial605 has already been through two years of pre med, and i only one, i’ll let him answer the rest. haha.</p>

<p>but i have question about the physics series as well. there’s a 20, a 40, and a 50. i’m def not taking the 50. but if i’m gonna be on campus during the summer, do you think it’s wise to take physics over the summer at stanford as well? and which series do you recommend? the 20 or 40. i’ve only taken one physics class in HS, so i’ll probably suck at it. BUT i will only have that class to worry about if i take during the summer. thanks.</p>

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<p>I can’t really quantify how hard the 20 series is… I haven’t taken it, but my friends seem to say it’s not too bad. I would advise taking the 20 series, which is recommended for pre-meds; there’s no reason to go through a tougher series unless you REALLY like physics, and in that case I would shop it first.</p>

<p>I’m not sure about doing physics at Stanford over the summer… I don’t actually know anyone who’s done that. Everyone I know did it at Santa Clara or a school lclose to their home. Perhaps you can email <a href=“mailto:patlewis@stanford.edu”>patlewis@stanford.edu</a> who is a great premed advisor.</p>

<p>P.S. I’m a she =]</p>

25

<p>haha. my bad. everyone seems to think i’m a he and i always correct them. so i should’ve been more careful. </p>

<p>yeah i’ll email her for sure. thanks.</p>

26

<p>

lol I always thought you were a he. I should have been more careful myself people seem to think I’m a girl!</p>

27

<p>To answer qscgy’s questions…</p>

<p>I found physics pretty easy at UC Irvine. The way courses are taught is significantly than at Stanford… test problems are a lot like homework problems, concepts aren’t explored in great detail, and barely anybody participates =[ I think it was a great decision to take physics there and not at Stanford, but I don’t like physics very much and I wanted to spend my time at Stanford doing things I like. Some people enjoyed physics at Stanford and liked the professors, so don’t take my opinion as gospel =]</p>

<p>Last summer, I volunteered at a hospital at the nurses’ station (boring… mostly answered phones and filed papers =[) and was the head woodwind instructor at my high school’s marching band (which was a lot of fun, and very rewarding). This summer, in addition to my classes, I’m volunteering at a children’s science museum and a center for tutoring low-income kids.</p>

<p>Next summer I don’t know what I’m going to do… I want to volunteer at a free clinic like Arbor or Pacific because the waiting lists are really long during the school year. I may also stay and do research in case I get a major grant from Stanford (= $$$$) and I need to finish my honors thesis work.</p>

<p>The research I do during the school year is in the Neurosurgery department at the medical school. I work on brain tumors. My favorite part is not really the research but rather the procedural stuff… learning to anesthetize animals and implant tumors and suture, things like that.</p>

<p>By the way, whenever you’re thinking about getting into research, you can ask a professor you like, or you can mass email everyone in a certain department (I did this; I emailed everyone in the neurobiology and neurosurgery departments).</p>

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<p>superwizard,</p>

<p>i actually couldn’t make up my mind if you were a girl or a guy. never put a sex to you. haha. but now i know.</p>

29

<p>^that’s the problem with boards you can’t really tell</p>

30

<p>Was it very challenging with the courses load you had during your first quarter at Stanford?</p>

<p>How difficulty was Biosci 20 - Brain and Behavior?
How much work was Introduction to Psychology? Was it graded with curve?
Have you heard any comments about “Spanish 1 first quarter” course load?</p>

31

<p>from friends that took intro to psych, it’s not that bad. i dont’ know exactly what the means though.</p>

<p>and spanish 1 i was told is a joke. </p>

<p>i haven’t, nor have to, take either so i don’t really know that much…</p>

32

<p>I took Brain and Behavior my very first quarter I got to Stanford. It was a little scary, but VERY interesting; I say the scary part because there were a lot of older students and I didn’t feel very smart =/. It’s actually because of that class that I am so interested in both psychology and biology now. Expect to do a lot of studying, but not a lot of work; there are no problem sets, just exams (I forget if there were 1 or 2 midterms, and a final). I highly recommend the class, but you may want to shop it if you’re not sure if you’re ready.</p>

<p>Psych 1 is a wonderful class that everyone should take. It gives an overview of the many branches of psychology, from developmental psychology to neuroscience to cultural psychology. The class is quite an eye-opener, with a goal of teaching students about how different, yet how similar, we all are, and how researchers study those characteristics. The class is also just plain fun; one of my favorite videos we saw was in which a bunch of Harvard students at a basketball game were told to count how many times the ball was passed. At one point, a man in a gorilla suit (seriously) ran out onto the court and then left… only 25% or so of the students even noticed the gorilla! They were so focused on the task at hand. The mind is pretty amazing… but it can also be blind =]</p>

<p>There is not THAT much work in Psych 1. There are weekly assignments, but they’re pretty much 1-page ramblings of whatever you think about a certain topic. Pretty much credit/no credit on the assignments. The tests are largely multiple choice, with a couple short essays, if I remember correctly. When I took it, there was no curve, but it wasn’t that hard to get an A- or A. It’s not the kind of class where the mean is 50 and you have to curve it.</p>

<p>I am a TA for Psych 1 in Fall and Winter, so feel free to ask me if you have any more questions about the class.</p>

33

<p>I spoke to Ruby Mason and Patricia Lewis, who are both pre-med advisors at Stanford. They say that taking the 40 series or Math 51 + Stats 60 is enough for most schools. HOWEVER, my ideal school is UCLA, and I called their admissions office and found out that they do want 3 full quarters of college math (to include calculus and statistics). Luckily, it is not necessary to finish all the math before applying. Too bad they don’t accept AP credit.</p>

<p>So, if you have particular schools in mind, check their websites or give them a call =]</p>

34

<p>Do you think this will be kind of slacking if a “Pre-med“ frosh only takes IHUM, Chem31X and Brain and Behavior ( or Psych 1) for the first quarter at Stanford?</p>

<p>Will that be too risky if a frosh takes all these four courses for the first quarter?</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

35

<p>^Good question. I’m planning to take Math 51, IHUM and a Seminar and it feels like I’m taking too little…All my other friends take about 5 classes/semester</p>

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<p>I don’t think that’s slacking, qscgy. It’s your first quarter. It’s fine to give yourself time to gauge how you can deal with college. In fact, many of the people in my freshman dorm (go Cedro!) took 3 classes, and some of them took a “fun” class or tried out some extracurriculars.</p>

<p>People actually told me I was intense for taking no less than 4 classes a quarter. I personally think those who take 5 classes are insane =] I don’t know how they do it.</p>

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<p>Thanks celest. I’ve been doing nothing for 3 months so I want to remember how to study before taking too much. And anyway I get credit for Chem31X so I’m not really losing much :)</p>

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<p>LoL excellent. I advise you to go to the Activities Fair on September 29th. Check out all the clubs, and perhaps you can find something that you’d like to try out =] I think it’s a great idea your first quarter to explore and meet lots of new people. Diversity in backgrounds and points of view are one of the things I love about Stanford. Drop by the tables for Stanford Pre-med Association, Organ Donor Education, or Henry’s Place to say hi to me =]</p>

39

<p>Is a personal color printer is necessary(helpful?) to print class notes from course website?</p>

40

<p>Er… I think this is the wrong thread for that question :wink: But I would say that color is not crucial. A printer - whatever type, however, is a big help. I have had to print out lots of notes, problem sets, papers, practice exams… having my own printer in my room was extremely nice. You can get a cheap but very functional printer at Walmart for as low as $23.</p>