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November 4, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR SNEZANA DALAFAVE
IN NJ
While in high school, you should take as many math and basic
science
courses as possible. Human Anatomy would be very useful to
you. However,
if you must make a choice, I recommend that you take AP Physics.
Physics
is a basic science. You definitely need time to "digest"
the material.
You need to let it "sit and ferment" in your head.
Some of the stuff
you'll cover in high school will only make sense in a year
or two, when
you hear it again in a college physics course.
Physics will not only teach you facts, but also give you an
excellent
foundation in logical and quantitative reasoning. Physics
is required for
medical school entrance exams. It will be one of the required
courses
for your major. Most likely, you will need to take college
physics in
your freshman(sophomore) year. Anatomy is usually required
later.
**********
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.
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