<p>I am a freshman at Ohio State Honors Chem major who is interested in applying to medical school. For my med school physics prerequisite, I am taking calc-based honors physics (132H-133H), “accelerated anaylsis”/honor calculus, and honors general chem series. I already have a year of bio credit from AP and would like to take Mol. Gen. or Biochem next year. I have “A” grades in science and math plus a 3.86 GPA (from A- in psychology). </p>
<p>I have noticed that many pre-med students don’t take honors science courses and calc-based science courses, and people are saying that medical schools don’t appreciate science-oriented students. I was going on the idea, though, that taking the calc-based/honors version of first year science might distinguish me from other candidates.</p>
<p>PS: Did I shoot myself in the foot by going to OSU? I could have enrolled at Northwestern/Cornell level schools but I chose OSU for a full ride scholarship. Do medical schools really “take points off” if you went to a Big State U?</p>
<p>Med schools do not take “points off” for going to Big State U. That’s a myth. In fact, you’re wise to take the free ride since you will be borrowing big time to pay for medical school.</p>
<p>As for taking the calc-based courses: No it won’t distinguish your from the rest of the pack.
So take them if you enjoy the challenge and can do well in the more challenging class. But don’t take them just because you think it makes you special. It doesn’t and lots of your fellow med school applicants will have taken honors and calculus-based classes too. </p>
<p>(Both my D’s took calc based physics and are pre-meds. One because she was a math & physics double major; the other because her school only offers calc-based physics–even for bio majors.)</p>
<p>There will be just as many sciency kids as there will be nonscience. The reason most premed kids don’t take what might be conceived as the harder science courses is that premeds really have to watch out for their GPA. Its not like college admissions where a lower GPA will be forgiven if you took harder classes. Of course it looks really bad if it seems like you’re purposefully taking easy A classes to bump up sGPA. </p>
<p>Going to OSU on a full ride is wayyy better than being up to 200k in debt graduating from Cornell/Northwestern. As long as you can still do well and participate in EC’s that you’re interested its not problem. And it does put you in an advantage in that you can pick a medschool not having to worry about going even further in debt.</p>
<p>I assume you mean science-majors, rather than science-oriented. Either way, its not true. Medical schools do enjoy non-science majors so they have a well-rounded class.</p>
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<p>Not in the slightest - sorry. Some schools (like UCLA, which sends more applicants to med school each year than any other undergrad) only offer a calc-based physics. And med schools will have no way of knowing that it’s a “calc-based” class or whatever unless its in the title. “Honors” courses aren’t really a big deal either.</p>
<p>You worry too much. Get pre-req’s taking care of, get very high GPA and decent MCAT and do not calculate too deeply, pursue what you love. You will go thru Med. School’s interviews were adcoms will determine if your personality fit with what they are looking for, you cannot change that. Calc based or otherwise, honors or not is not important, grade in every single class is you major concern now (including classes in you minor(s) if any, including “Paper making” or “Basket making” or whatever else) and later your MCAT score is of equal importance. The closer your college GPA to 4.0, the better. You are in your first year, enjoy. OSU is an awesome school and very good Med. School.</p>
I think Chemfreak pointed out a good point: Not too hard, not too easy (at least not perceived as too easy.) This applies to the classes taken, likely the major you choose (unless you have a special interest or talent for a particular field), and even the college you choose to attend (e.g., CC may be perceived as “easy.”) Of course, whether it is easy or not easy highly depends on each individual.</p>