I switched to the premed track late and am rushing to get all my reqs done so I can take the MCAT in a reasonable time. I have three semesters left until the MCAT. Including physiology, I have four hard classes left: orgo II, physics 1 and 2, and obviously physiology. If I take all of these I'll have to double up one semester, which would most likely be next semester. I think I could still maintain good grades...but I'd really rather not put myself through that if the payoff of physiology is not there. Friends have recommended me to not take physiology, as apparently most med schools don't care if it's on your transcript as long as you do well on the MCAT. This will allow me to spread my hard classes so I only take one a semester. I'm just worried about the quality and breadth of online physiology courses. Any advice?
Should I take physiology or go for an easier course schedule?
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A lot of medical schools don’t like online science courses.
Also, are you strong in science courses?
Medical schools use a national course verification service that tells them exactly the kinds of courses you're taking.
Many medical schools require you to disclose the on line courses you've taken.
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This is a recipe for disaster. Take your time and get the pre-reqs done right. Worst comes to worst you have to take a gap year, and you can use that to work and perfect your application.
Online courses aren't as reputable as regular courses for obvious reasons (opportunity for cheating, not as challenging, no one proctoring exams, etc.). So I'd recommend against that.
In regards to your question, physiology will ABSOLUTELY help you on the MCAT--you need to be able to APPLY what you've learned in your other pre-med classes, and physio integrates things like biology, chemistry, anatomy, physics, etc. While you may not get any physiology-centered passages, the MCAT is all about applying what you know. So it's an exercise in doing that...in any case you'll need physio for med school, so you might as well prepare yourself ahead of time.
Honesty is the best policy.
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N = 1 but I took anatomy and physiology in undergrad and was useless for the MCAT and medical school. The scope is not the same. The courses that I think back to the most are biochemistry and medicinal chemistry. Personally don't see the value of physiology unless you need another pre-req.
If you do decide to take it, don't rush anything. When you apply, you're going to care more about your GPA than whether you have to wait an extra year. I'm empathetic; I ended up delaying my application 2 years to make sure I did it the right way. It was worth it. I was accepted and don't feel I would have been a good candidate without the ECs and MCAT prep from the extra years.
That being said, it would be more acceptable to take physiology online than orgo or another core pre-requisite science class. As others have mentioned, people don't think of it as a hard class.
If you do decide to take it, don't rush anything. When you apply, you're going to care more about your GPA than whether you have to wait an extra year. I'm empathetic; I ended up delaying my application 2 years to make sure I did it the right way. It was worth it. I was accepted and don't feel I would have been a good candidate without the ECs and MCAT prep from the extra years.
That being said, it would be more acceptable to take physiology online than orgo or another core pre-requisite science class. As others have mentioned, people don't think of it as a hard class.
Hi everyone I'm stupid and didn't realize people replied to this thread. Just to clarify, when I say online course, I don't mean a course that is hosted by a university and just so happens to be online. I mean something like a Coursera course that is completely ungraded. I don't know how it is in other places, but in my college, physiology is a pain in the ass and I'm legitimately worried that I won't be able to get an A in the class even if all my other classes that semester were easy. Again, the advice I've heard is that 99% of med schools do not care if human/animal physiology is on your transcript. So it would be completely OK to learn it through Coursera. Does that sound right?
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AMCAS specifies that pre-req courses must be graded.
Some medical schools require advanced bio courses beyond the standard 1 year intro bio sequence.
Is OP using physiology to fulfill that niche requirement?
What exactly are "pre-req courses" though? I've looked through a decent amount of med school class requirements and still haven't seen physiology listed as a requirement. If I take a Coursera it's not on my transcript so it doesn't even count as a course.
If by more advanced bio course you mean any bio course after the 1 year sequence, yes I'll be taking one anyway to get an interdisciplinary minor.
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That's not what I meant. Physiology is not typically a pre-req--it can only help you.
Buy a MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) book to see what schools require which pre-reqs. That should get you started in the right direction.
Alright so to clarify when you made the "AMCAS specifies that pre-req courses must be graded" comment did you think that the Coursera class would be a legitimate class that would show up during national course verification? Super confused b/c I'm still relatively new to this whole premed thing.That's not what I meant. Physiology is not typically a pre-req--it can only help you.
Buy a MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) book to see what schools require which pre-reqs. That should get you started in the right direction.
University of Texas - Houston requires more than 8 semester hours of biology (the equivalent of one full year).
Criteria & Requirements - Office of Admissions and Student Affairs
John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School, in conformity with the purpose assigned it by the Texas legislature and its mission statement, selects the best qualified students for its entering class who demonstrate a potential to become competent and...
med.uth.edu
Do your state schools or target schools have similar requirements? If so, the Coursera course won't get you there.
By the time I apply I will have taken at least 3 semesters of biology classes (4 of I do end up taking physiology at my school) so I should be able to get there.University of Texas - Houston requires more than 8 semester hours of biology (the equivalent of one full year).
Criteria & Requirements - Office of Admissions and Student Affairs
John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School, in conformity with the purpose assigned it by the Texas legislature and its mission statement, selects the best qualified students for its entering class who demonstrate a potential to become competent and...
Do your state schools or target schools have similar requirements? If so, the Coursera course won't get you there.
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It probably won't count if it's not graded, but you can check with a couple of your target schools. It's probably not a bad idea to reach out to some schools in your state that you're interested in anyway--establish a relationship w/someone in admissions. I tried Googling this for you and Google kept linking me to the MSAR, lol. It's only ~$30 and should answer a lot of your questions.
Doesn't seem like it. I looked at every school in my state (which isn't a lot RIP) and some others and none had physiology as a requirement. So I think I'll just self-study it. Thanks for the help everyone!
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Check out openstax; they have an excellent free online textbook in anatomy and physiology. though, I don’t recommend under grad AP for MCAT or medical school preparation as I said before. The scope is not the same. The several hours a week you would spend studying may be better spent doing direct MCAT prep, doing some clinical volunteering etc.
