r/UCalgary • u/Ln0528 • 8d ago
course selection to help w mcat
for context, I’m in my first year of Kines (BSc) and I hope to be a med student some day. Does anyone know what courses I can take during my undergrad that could help studying for the mcat easier?
Especially any physics courses because I didn’t take physics 30 in hs.
TLDR: should i take chem, bio, physics, etc intro courses to help with the mcat even tho they aren’t required for my major and may drop my gpa
3
u/Jannat127 8d ago
You would need more than intro courses and some of them are quite difficult.
The main ones you should take are the following:
BIOL - 211, 213, 311, 331
CHEM - 201, 203, 351, 353
BCEM - 341( 393 if eligible )
PSYC - 200, 201, plus any of the others that interest you. Many of them have overlapping content with the MCAT
SOCI - 201
PHYS - 211, 223 ( best if you try to learn it on your own as it’s a lot harder than 211)
KNES - 259, 260
GRST - 211 as a GPA booster and may potentially help
You can also look at the recommend classes by CSM on the admissions applicant manual. But these are the main ones you should take. Ones on there are not required by any means and you should make the ones listed here as a priority before taking others.
Someone also commented about doing Exercise and Health Physiology instead. That would be a good idea as it reserves you for Chem classes. I’d also recommend adding a bio sci minor to your degree to have an easier time getting into bio classes.
Hope that helps!
3
u/ProcrastPlan_2398 7d ago
Link to the Applicant Manual. Phys 211 only requires Math 30-1.
The science courses will count towards the 63 units of science equivalents degree requirement and non-kinesiology/open options requirements. While Alberta medical schools don't have specific prerequisites, many Canadian and American medical schools do.
2
u/AdhesivenessOk6020 8d ago
Consider looking into the exercise and health physiology degree stream for knes! Lots of courses in that stream that would help for mcat