Best Premed Courses to Prepare for Medical School

valuemd (Admin)

Forum members can discuss which premedical science courses are most useful before entering MD or MBBS programs, including biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, and biochemistry.

liamt902 (Alumni)

Okay so I'm planning my next two years and I keep hearing different things about what courses actually matter before med school. Some people swear by anatomy early, others say don't bother until you're in. For those of you already in MD or MBBS programs, what classes actually helped you survive first year? I don't want to waste credits on stuff that won't transfer over. Trying to be smart about this from the start.

jackcollins (Student)

Honestly the big four carried me. general bio, gen chem, organic chem, and biochem. Biochem especially. Everyone underestimates it but first semester of med school is basically biochem on steroids. If you walk in already comfortable with metabolic pathways and enzyme kinetics you'll have so much more bandwidth for the new material. Don't sleep on it.

elijahscott (Alumni)

Agreeing with the jackcollins (Student) point. Back home we did a heavy first-year science load and
@jackcollins (Student) was the bridge for everything later.

henrya7701 (Aspiring student)

I'd add physiology if your school offers it as an undergrad elective. Not every premed gets to take it but if you can, do it. So much of clinical reasoning is just applied physio.

miascott4432 (Alumni)

Wait does taking undergrad anatomy actually help? My advisor said it's a waste because med school anatomy is way more detailed and taught differently. Now I'm second guessing.