This document provides information and recommendations for pre-med students at UC Berkeley regarding course requirements, recommended course combinations, major selection, scheduling blocks of classes, and resources. It outlines the typical pre-med requirements of 1 year each of calculus, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biology, English, and a social science. It recommends against taking more than 2 technical courses in a semester and provides examples of course schedules. It also stresses exploring interests through major selection and engaging in extracurricular activities to stand out in medical school applications.

1. Navigating
Through Cal
CLASS SCHEDULING | ACADEMIC PLANNING
SHASHANK PATIL
APRIL 15, 2017

2. Pre-Med Requirements
 1 Year of Calculus
 MCB/IB Majors: Math 10A/10B
 10 series satisfies statistics requirement
 Public Health: Math 10A/10B, 16A/16B, or 1A/1B
 16A/16B has the most generous grade distribution
 Non-MCB/IB/Public Health Majors: Math 1A/1B
 1 Year of General Chemistry with lab
 Chemistry 1A/1AL
 Chemistry 3A/3AL
 1 Year of Organic Chemistry with lab
 Chemistry 3B/BL
 MCB 102, MCB C100A or Chem 135*(advisor approval necessary)
 1 Year of Physics
 Non-Engineering Majors: Physics 8A/8B
 Engineering majors: Physics 7A/7B
Yes, Berkeley is a bit unorthodox : you
need to take biochemistry in order to
satisfy organic chemistry requirement

3. Pre-Med Requirements (cont.)
 1 Year of Biology with lab
 Biology 1A/1AL
 Biology 1B
 1 Year of English (R&C)
 R&C classes in foreign language departments are generally easier: German,
Scandinavian, Slavic, Italian R5A/R5B
 Try to avoid R&C classes in English Literature/Rhetoric departments
 1 Semester of Statistics
 Statistics 2, 20, or 131A
 Satisfied by Math 10 series
 Required by some schools; optional/recommended for others
 My advice: Take it. If you intend to do research, you’ll need to understand statistics.
 1 Semester of Sociology/Psychology/Anthropology
 Soc 1, Psych 1, Anthro 1, Anthro 3AC
 Recommended by an increasing # of medical schools (+ early MCAT prep)

4. Recommended Combinations
 Do NOT take more than 2 technicals at a time
 Do NOT take Chem 3B, Physics 8B or Bio 1A together
 Chem 1A with Math 1A/10A
 Chem 3A/3AL with Math 1B/10B
 Bio 1A/1AL with Physics 8A and R&C or psych/soc.
 Bio 1B with Chem 3B or Physics 8B and R&C or psych/soc.

5. Major?
 “Students are urged to strive for a balanced and liberal education rather than
specialized training. No preference is given to applicants who have majored in the
sciences over those who have majored in the humanities” – Harvard Medical
School Admissions
 Translation: Study what you love and explore your interests
 Don’t feel pressured to do MCB/IB (majority of Cal pre-meds) if that’s not
your thing. Seriously.
 Major and Minor(s)? Double Major? Triple Major?
 Only do it if you are passionate about the subjects
 You’re not helping your med school admissions chances (GPA > Major)
 My Thoughts: Time is the ultimate commodity. Use it wisely!
 More time into studying/classwork = less time into extracurricular activities
and valuable life experiences

6. Block Your Schedule
 Block classes together, with free days (if possible)
 This is so that you can have the most convenient availability for
extracurricular activities (i.e. research, volunteering) that require large
time commitments
 Anyone smart can get good grades but what is going to set you apart from
other applicants? Creating Value (whether that means creating something
useful or providing a useful service)
 Organizational Aside: Select a planning tool (Physical Planner, iCal,
Google Calendar, or any mobile app) and use it consistently
 Plot midterms/finals/project dues dates at beginning of semester!

7. Breadths/Misc. Recommendations
 Philosophy and Values: Public Health 116 (Take discussion/Apply for FSI)
 Arts/Literature: Music 143 (Gospel Chorus), Music 27, 29, Music 20A
 International: Public Health 112 (Global Health) or Study Abroad
 Historical Studies: Pol Sci W145A (Pol. Dev. In India), ESPM 50AC
 Social/Behavioral: Psych 160(Social Psychology), Psych 117 (Human
Neuropsychology)
 Other Recommendations:
 College Writing 151: Professional Communication (w/ Dr. Caroline Cole)
 College Writing 10A: Public Speaking

8. Resources
 BerkeleyTime
 Course Catalog
 Grade Distributions
 Longitudinal
Enrollment
Information

9. Resources (cont.)
 Rate My Professor
 Which professors
teach well, give fair
tests, and are overall
great people to learn
from?
 Make sure to be
specific about looking
at the ratings for
professors teaching a
specific course (most
professors have taught
multiple courses)

10. Tele-Bears Hacks:
Bypassing the Waitlist
 Three Methods:
 If the waitlist is processed manually, ask for the course entry code
(CEC)
 If you get into the section, you will get into the class
 Adding the course late at night
(Shoutout Sandon Griffin for the tips!)

11. Method 1: Emailing Prof for CEC

12. Method 2:
Get into a Section  Get into the Class
Essentially a Foot-in-the-Door Technique

13. Method 3: Late Night Adding
 Last resort: if the waitlist is completely full (including all sections)
or you are so far down the waitlist, there is no chance to get in the
class off the waitlist
 Background: Telebears waitlists that are processed automatically
are not processed until midnight (when Open Hours closes), so if a
spot is vacated at 7pm, it will remain open until midnight, at which
point #1 on the waitlist will be moved in
 Strategy: drop the course and try re-adding it around 11pm every
night after Phase 2, especially during the week leading up to class
and the first 5 weeks of class

14. General Tips
 You do not need to finish all of your pre-med technicals before your
junior year.
 You do not need to take summer classes.
 Don’t overdo it. Ease into your academics and extracurriculars.
You never have to take more than 13 units in a semester.

15. My Academic History
Fall Spring Summer
Freshman Anthro 3AC
Chem 1A/1AL
Math 10A
NUSCTX 10
Anthro 1
Bio 1B
Italian R5A
Math 10B
Math 98
Chem 3A
Chem N3AL
Psych W1
Sophomore Astron C12
Chem 3B/3BL
MCB C62
Music 143
Pub. Health 116
Physics C10
ASAMST R2B
Bio 1A/1AL
Educ 197
Physics 8A
Psych 150
Psych 199
Integbi 131
Psych N133
Psych N160
Junior Chem 135
Physics 8B
Psych 101
Psych 125
Integbi 132/132L
Integbi 140
NE Stud 126
Psych 117
Psych N180
Senior Integbi 123AL
Integbi C144
MCB 160
MCB 163
Integbi 169
MCB 104
MCB 161
Psych 141
Pol Sci. W145A
Psych N134

16. Questions?
Further Questions? Email me: shashankpatil@berkeley.edu