Q: (Initially posted on 10/29/02) FROM ABBY Y. IN CT
I'm trying to decide which science courses I should take during my senior
year of high school. I want to take AP Inorganic chemistry, but due to other
course requirements, I can only take one other science class. If I want to
study chemistry and complete pre-med requirements in college, which course
do you think would be more helpful, AP Physics C or Human Anatomy?

October 30, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN IN IL
That depends on what you wish to get out of the class. If you take the
AP Physics, you will be able to try to test out of taking more physics in
college. If you are planning on going pre-med, this would give you the
opportunity to take classes dealing with your major earlier. While physics
would be a requirement for any science program, it doesn't sound like it
will be what you would like to concentrate in.

On the other hand, if you take Human Anatomy, you will have a good idea of
what lies ahead of you in pre-med. You may still have to take a similar
course once you reach college, but you may be ahead of some of the rest of
the class and have a good basic knowledge established.

If you are unsure if you definitely want to go into medicine, Human Anatomy
would be a good way to go since it deals directly with pre-med. If you are
sure that is what you want to do and you want more freedom with your
courseload in college, go for AP Physics!

October 30, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR MARTY WOELFEL IN KY
Abby, in many ways either course would be fine, and in the long run
there may not be any significant difference. Both will help you prepare
to complete pre-med requirements in college.

The AP Physics course gives you the opportunity to earn college credit,
and apparently the Human Anatomy course does not. So, in this instance
taking the AP course might have a slight edge over the Human Anatomy
course--there's the possibility your AP physics course could be counted
at the college of your choice, provided you do well on the AP exam and
also that your college accepts those courses.

Another thing to remember is what will be required to get into medical
school. The minimum medical schools expect you to take in college is a
year of "freshman" biology, a couple of years of chemistry, a year of
physics, and calculus. The MCAT exam is based primarily on these
courses. There again, taking physics now may give you a bit of an
edge--even if the AP course isn't "counted" for collegiate credit--by
helping prepare you better for collegiate physics and for the MCAT.

Before making up your mind completely, you might want to check to see
if human anatomy is offered at colleges you might want to attend. Also
human anatomy may help you maintain your interest in a possible career
in medicine (or convince you that you should examine some other career
options).

And last, I'd be thinking a lot about which of these two courses is
known at your high school to be the better course. A "good" course, one
which challenges you and makes you "stretch", is a better choice than a
course which is either way too easy for you or is impossibly hard for
most of the students who take it.

Just remember, which of these two courses you choose in high school now
isn't absolutely critical to your success in pre-med in college!

October 30, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR MARSHA SEGEBARTH IN INDIANA
Abby, I don't think you can make a wrong choice between Physics and A & P. I think you should go with your greater interest. Both of those will be helpful in pre-med. However, if you already have a physics course, I would suggest the A & P. Pre-med courses are more biology-oriented than physics as such. I feel you will be as prepared as other pre-med students with your one physics course and the A& P may put you ahead of others who did not have that opportunity in high school.

October 30, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
You seem to be in good shape for beginning to get the pre-med
requirements out of the way. Human Anatomy will be taught in med
school, of course, with real cadavers - taking a high school class
would familiarize you with the names of all the body parts, but it's
not so fundamental a subject for the more molecular aspects of
biology. AP Physics would be fundamental and get you a head start on
basic science requirements; and you won't repeat it in med school!
But a lot depends on your personal taste - do you like the more
theoretical and mathematical side of science, or the more descriptive
- and much depends on the teachers. Go with your heart, to a subject
that attracts you and towards the best teachers. You'll learn all
you need eventually.