How can I go about taking classes Im interested in although I want to go to medical school and need sciences?

Question

I am about to be a freshmen in undergrad in the fall. I have 24 credit hours. My ultimate goal is to become an OB/GYN or a pediatrician. I haven't decided which. Although I am required to take certain science classes for medical school I would like to take other classes for the knowledge.

Answer 1

depends on how your university works and how many electives they will allow you to have I don't really know how it works over in the US.  Over here in Australia we have a few spare classes when we do a science degree that enables us to take courses from areas we may be interested in like history etc

good luck!

Answer 2

I agree with the previous poster--being a well-rounded student is much more important than piling on the science credits.  The pre-requisites are not really that extensive--one year each of chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and biology (each with its accompanying lab), one year of English, and usually one year of college-level math (though this varies).  A few schools have extra requirements and you should look into the pre-reqs of schools you are interested in.  I always also advise pre-meds to take a course in biochemistry and one in cell biology if at all possible, because those are a huge help in med school.

Apart from that, take anything you want.  *g*  I also advise not trying to take too many of the science credits in any one year, because you are going to want to do well in them, so spacing them out and doing some 'softer' stuff that you're interested in is a great plan.

None of this will have anything to do with applying for residency, when you are ready for that--your medical school record and electives will be what they look at then.    So enjoy your undergraduate time and take things you like as well as things that are required.

Good luck!

Answer 3

In the US, med schools really look for people to be well rounded.  Infact, a large portion of the MCATS are essays-the questions are often not even on any medical topic, but rather politics, current events, etc.  The more classes you take, the better.  

Some colleges have a cut off for the number of credits that you are allowed to take each semester.  You can look into that and see how many you can take.  Also, having a minor in a subject that you love never hurt anyone.