Because of the prerequisites, some students will be greatly inconvenienced in having to rearrange their schedules--schedules that are often planned two to three years in advance. Perhaps some students will fail to enroll in Chem 20 at a time that would optimize their chances at gaining admission to medical school. I must agree with the Chem 20 instructors that good performance in Chem 20 is desired outcome. However, to suggest that performance in Nat Sci 3 or Chem 6 is a good indicator of projected performance in an organic chemistry course ignores both the initial factors determining who takes which introductory chemistry sequence and the backgrounds and aptitudes of those various students. While individual casea may have been leniently considered this year, permitting most students interested to enroll in Chem 20, the attitude of the teachers is somewhat disheartening. It is known that the need to teach Chem 20 is regarded as a "chore" and probably is resented by those chemistry faculty who see premeds as a drain on their time. This was reflected in what I felt was a harsh tone in the initial class of Chem 20. All of the students failing to meet the prerequisites as stated in the catalogue were called together in a single room, and thereby, rather inappropriately I feel, singled out during the last 20 minutes of the class. Certainly the increasing enrollment in Chem 20 is a problem of large dimensions that needs solutions: such solutions might include two levels of Chem 20 or a condensed double course offered in one semester, such as those offered in the languages.
FRESHMEN are advised to follow carefully the placement recommendations for the various introductory chemistry sequences. Thus, if one has AP credit, either Chem 5 or Chem. 20 is appropriate. The bulk of students do not have advanced placement, however, and should elect either Nat Sci 3 followed by Chem 5 or Chemistry 6. Despite these recommendations of the Biology Department and the implicit recommendation of the Chem 20 prerequisites, Chem 6 should be elected only by students with superb math aptitude and science capacity. Chem 40a may fulfil the second half of the initial year chemistry requirement: however, Chem 40a is simply not recommended by me for the following reasons: it focuses primarily on tedious calculations and its lab is useful primarily in making anal compulsives out of premedical students who are already too far developed along those lines. Most importantly, the techniques learned simply are not terribly relevant to anything done in medical school courses.
It is almost always wiser to enroll in an easier course as a freshman and do well, and then move up to the more difficult ones as a sophomore and beyond. While a good (B-, B) grade in a difficult course (e.g., Chem 6) is perhaps equivalent in the eyes of informed medical school admissions committees to an excellent (A-, A) grade in an easier course (e.g., Nat Sci 3), a very poor (C-, C) grade in any course of non-Herculean difficulty is a bad thing.
In sum. as a freshman, enroll in Nat Sci 3 and either Math la or Math Ar unless you have been recommended for placement in
other courses on the basis of placement scores, etc.
BIOLOGY.
The choice between Nat Sci 5, which has recently been upgraded, and Bio 1 and 2 is a difficult one. Perhaps one way of determining which to take can be based on background; clearly, an AP in Bio places you out of the ball park and into between-level courses (Bio 10 thru 99). If you have had strong high school biology and are competent in the chemical sciences as well as math. Bio 1 and 2 seem most appropriate.
If you are not intending concentration in Biology and you have strong background in the sciences. I would suggest fulfilling the premed requirement in biology with Bio 2 and say one of the between level courses with lab rather than with Bio 1 and 2. Bio 1 simply is not terribly relevant nor terribly helpful for medical school work. Thus, Bio 15a. Bio 10b, or Bio 21 are reasonable adjuncts to Bio 2. Biology should be deferred until sophomore year for two reasons: performance as a freshman in chem and math can give you a clue about which biology to enroll in (between Net Sci 5 and Bio 2): and, unless you are interesting to major in Biology, there is no rush to have a large number of biology courses. Most of the advanced bio courses require Chem 20, and so it behooves you to take the chemistry courses first, saving biology for sophomore year and beyond.
One reasonable way to take biology as a freshman, especially if you have a burning desire to do biology then, is to take chemistry (either Nat Sci 3 or Chem 6) in the first semester and, if you manage to do honors work in both the chemistry and math courses first semester, enroll in Bio 2 during the spring. In general, however, it is wise to defer your initial bio course until sophomore year. After having taken the one-year of required biology, it is wise to take at least an additional semester of bio, which might include any of the between-level courses or Biochem 10, which, I feel, is a superb choice.
PHYSICS.
Physics should be deferred until adequate mathematics preparation has been obtained. Thus, Physics 1 is most appropriately taken after completion of Math 1, although it may be taken after only Math 1a if Math 1a is taken concurrently. Frankly, the physics requirement is perhaps the least important to the medical schools, and if any course is left to the senior year or to the summer-school session before senior year, it should be physics.
Net Sci 2 or Net Sci 7 may be taken to fulfill the premed requirement in physics only if they are taken concurrently with Physics 1 lab. Other possibilities which are most intriguing include Applied Physics 14, which focuses on projects in a laboratory-oriented approach: and Physics 12, which is heavy in its mathematical and theoretical orientation and is recommended only for the strong-of-heart. While the Biology Department still requires Physics 112 in addition to Physics 12 to complete its own physics requirement, medical schools are perfectly happy with Physics 12 alone.
In summary, physics should be deferred until junior year or sophomore year at the earliest if you have done well in the sciences as a freshman.
WHERE TO GET help and advice?
The answer to the questions, "Where can I get help and advice about premed courses?" has no simple answer. The Freshman Dean's Office has hired several medical students as proctors in the Yard, and they may be of some help. Frankly, I feel that the time is ripe for a pre-med advisor to be assigned to the Yard and that coordination of premedical advisers throughout the College into place. The most crucial time to advise potential premed students is to believe they manage to disollusion themselves about premeds, grades, premed courses, and the like.
Until such time as a primed advisor exists in the Yard, please out help from the premed advisors in the Houses, the Office for Graduates and Career Plans, and others. There is an excellent booklet available from the Offices for Graduates and Career Plans for premedical students, and the current issue is available there (at 54 Dunster St.)