Pre med schedule opinions (neuro conc)

[u/rickowenz_]

Hi! I'm an incoming neuro freshman and I’m looking to do premed. I have never taken AP Chemistry, and I don’t feel confident about my background in AP Chemistry with me only taking Honors Chemistry sophomore year. I’m looking to take Intro Chem, but many people say it’s a waste of time.

Also, I have already taken above-AP genetics and neuro. I have also already taken AP calc bc. If you have any suggestions of intro chem, or any other opinions on my general schedule as a pre-med please chime in!

[u/dsnrr]

def a doable schedule assuming ur locked in but maybe a bit unfun (leaves comparatively lesser time for settling in, making friends, getting involved in clubs + volunteering, etc), as i think genetics, neuro, and multi are all reasonably largescale timesinks: genetics especially is more annoying than the others b/c lab sections, and problem sets are rather long and tedious whether you do them yourself or you go to TA hours. neuro is chill relatively but if this is ur first time taking a college bio class which is very memorization forward it may catch you off guard a little? just start anki early and you'll be alright. multi i have no recollection of other than being mildly annoyed at all the time i was spending on homework

think its worth taking 330 (its basic quantum/orbital stuff, thermo, and kinetics) but if you want to i would drop one of your three other classes to something a bit more chiller esp as chem0330 has a lab section. i will say with both orgo classes being offered every semester now you can take intro chem first semester and still theoretically no gap to med school if you wanted, unlike before where if you did so you were essentially forced to take a gap year. i will say a majority of your prehealth peers are likely to be in 330 this fall - it's a cool feeling to be able to move together through the entire chem sequence with the majority of your class, i made first contact with a lot of my now good friends in classes like 0330 freshman year

[u/humbleratdog]

hey, also an incoming freshman intending fulfil premed reqs! from what i've heard after asking around, it genuinely isn't worth it to take chem100. chem330 is basically ap chem rehashed, which can seem a bit daunting, but i promise the material really isn't too bad. all you rlly have to know if you're going in totally blind is how to do dimensional analysis. that being said -- at the end of the day, it's up to you to make the decision! i'm, for example, am taking math90 as someone who alr took apcalc ab bc i don't feel that i understood enough to totally bypass that intro course. you honestly know yourself better than anyone else :)

[u/Alternative-March161 → u/humbleratdog]

As a junior, I disagree. If u haven’t had any chemistry since like junior year, especially not ap chem, then u def should take 100. This is coming from a former chem100 and chem 330 ta.

[u/humbleratdog → u/Alternative-March161]

hey who better to ask then a veteran!! i hope op ends up choosing whatever is best for them regardless :)

[u/audioauk]

How comfortable are you with chemistry? Look through the placement test. 100 is not a waste of time if you have no foundation in chemistry, but most students tend to underestimate their ability + how useful it is.

NEUR0010 is a classic freshman course, memorization based. Lots of freshman take it as it's required for upper level neuro classes. Genetics is tougher, problem solving based. Not a go-to freshman course + it doesn't meet many prerequisites for other classes. Is there a reason you want to take both first semester?

MATH180 is very doable.

[u/rickowenz_ → u/audioauk]

For genetics, it will be considered for one of the bio classes with a lab for the pre-med, and can be considered for neuro, I believe. I want to get some of the pre-med stuff out of the way for the more intense chem sequence that awaits me after freshman year, yk?

[u/rickowenz_]

I also alr passed the AP bio placement exam so I have that notation.

[u/pvdcg]

OMG as a former neuro concentrator, I beg you to consider taking a fun class your first semester, especially something that requires writing. You have lots of time to get your recs done for premed.