Hey all…29 with a degree in Information Science…just about to finish my first semester back after working for 5 years…doing pretty well in Physics I, Bio I, and Chem I so far.
I have a question about some “advice” I got from an advisor here at UCF. Since Bio II isn’t required for the pre-med major here, she said that I don’t need to take it…I’ll be OK if I take Anatomy or Genetics later on, and there isn’t much on the MCAT from Bio II. She also said the med schools in Florida know UCF doesn’t require it, and looks at that more advanced coursework. These courses don’t have the same prefix as my Bio I course (though there is a 4000 level Bio course I could take without taking Bio II)
I’ve never heard of that before, and I’d like to apply to schools outside of Florida as well.
So I scheduled Physics II, Chem II, Anatomy, and Medical Terminology (15 credits) for the spring. But I’m thinking I should take Bio II next fall? Thoughts? Thanks ahead of time.
Hey there to another Golden Knight 
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I wouldn’t recommend taking Bio II - at UCF, the course is mostly botany and the like. Some schools do ostensibly require the I/II sequence for all pre-reqs, but Bio seems to be a common exception.
Cool…thanks fellow Knight!
Any suggestions on a substitute?? Genetics? Physiology? Anatomy? Don’t have the prereqs Micro or Biochem yet…
And should I bother with QBM if I don’t need the degree?
It’s been my observation that there’s a lot of variation in the bio sequences at various schools. Where I did my prereqs, everyone was required to take a core content course in cell biology. THEN you went on to Bio 201 and 202, but actually neither of them were that great for pre-med: one was ‘animal biology,’ with the last 2 wks of class covering mammals, and the other was ‘plant biology,’ not much use whatsoever.
So to do my eight credits of biology, I did the cell bio (4 cr included lab) and microbiology (4 cr including lab). I only applied to two schools but neither of them expressed a concern.
It’s been a looooong time since I had to look at how med schools word their biology requirement but last I looked it was “eight credits of biology,” not specifically “the intro bio sequence.”
HTH
Mary
- FutureEmedDr Said:
Any suggestions on a substitute?? Genetics? Physiology? Anatomy? Don't have the prereqs Micro or Biochem yet...
And should I bother with QBM if I don't need the degree?
It sounds like you're already signed up for Anatomy, yes? That should meet the requirement, as long as it has a lab component (I didn't do my A&P at UCF).
I really enjoyed my Genetics course - so much that I'm now researching under the prof. I understand that QBM is fairly intense; that might be a good class to take. Also, keep an eye open for some late-breaking high level electives. A lot of those pop up, and they can be really, really interesting. I'm taking Molecular Neuroscience now, and there are other courses on Nanotech, Biomedical applications, etc. As long as you meet the pre-reqs, those'd be fun
.I haven't taken *that* much coursework at UCF, but if you want more specific feedback, feel free to PM me or buy me a beer at Wackadoo's
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