I will start my pre med courses this summmer. I am taking Human Anatomy 201 as my only summer class. I can not take Cell Biology because of my schedule conflict. My questions to all are:
1.What subjects are considered as Biology I and Biology II.
2. Is it a bad idea to take Anatomy in summer for a non- science major student ?
3.Between Anatomy and Physiology, which one is a better class for MCAT preparation? Or both have equal importance.
I appreciate any input. Thanks.
Anatomy per se is NOT tested on the MCAT. Med schools want general biology I and II plus labs which covers all the material tested on the mcat from genetics to some microbiology so beware. Some med schools will let you substitute gen bio II with some other upper level biology class like cell and molec.
Also take it slow at first you do not want to rush and then crash and burn. Summer courses are fast paced and will NOT slow down to suit students. These courses are even difficult for science majors so make sure you know what you are getting into. In the summer you can cover up to one chapter per day! with exams once per week covering LOTS of material…just FYI. Can it be done? yes but only YOU can tell how fast you can pick up scientific jargon…
Thanks for your inputs. NOw i have a choice to pick from four classes: 1)Foundation for Physiology 2) Introductoy Anatomy and Physiology 3)Human Anatomy 4)MicroBiology. Which one of these four classes you recommend to take this Summer? Thanks.
I’ve always heard microbio was the easiest upper-level science course. Biochem killed me last summer…
Micro would be my choice and relevant to mcat prep…
Spartan,
Have you thought of talking to an advisor at your school before you enroll in a class? My lower division biology sequence (1st year) went like this: Bio 1, Zoology, Botany. It was accepted as Bio 1A/1B at my current school. Since courses at particular schools have their own quirks, levels of difficulty and relevance to the MCAT, get some advice from an advisor who knows the curiculuum(sp?) where you are. Good Luck!
Readmeanace,
I talked to the advisor and she said i can take all the 4 classes and they will transfer. But I like to take the one that will help me the most for MCAT preparation. So I am trying to figure out the appropriate Bio class for the summer. By the way, what class is considered as Bio 1? Thanks efex101 and Chicagomel for your inputs.
Spartan, it seems to me that every university defines its intro biology sequence differently. Where I did my post-bacc, there wasn’t a two-semester “intro bio” sequence; instead, all bio majors had to take a semester of cell biology and then there were all sorts of courses to take from there on out. So I don’t think you’ll get a generally agreed-upon definition of BIO 101. If you look at med school requirements, you’ll see that many of them simply state “biology with lab, 8 credits,” which means that you can take those courses most helpful to you. (and skip botany, for example)
As to what will help you most on the MCAT - I suggest that you find the topic listing for the MCAT. Back in the day (I took the MCAT a looooong time ago now), it was part of the printed MCAT guide, but I bet it’s on-line now. It’ll list all the topics and then you can see which would suit you best. Good luck!
Mary,
Thank you for answering, the MCAT is still out of my league. 
Mary, Thanks for the info. I will take your advise. Do you think Human Anatomy is a good course to for MCAT (even though Mcat does not contain direct Anatomy problems)? I will take cell biology and Physiology in the Fall and Spring 2005 Respectively. So for now,i am thinking what would be the best fit for me for this summer!!! Thank you.
Personally, I don’t think human anatomy would be very helpful for the MCAT at all. The small amount of anatomy that I saw on the MCAT and all practice tests was always in the context of some other subject. Are you hoping to take anatomy AS your Bio 1 course? I know there is variation among universities in terms of what they offer for bio courses, but I think some med schools do specify that the “intro” bio courses cover cells, genetics, metabolism, etc. I guess I’m not sure why you’re choosing the bio courses you listed…
I agree about anatomy not being a large part of the MCAT. However, some schools have combined Anatomy and Physiology courses, from which the physilogy information would prove most helpful.
Good luck,
Tara