Coursework / Major

• Biochemistry requires CHEM 210-1 or CHEM 212-1 or CHEM 215-1.
• Neuroscience 202 (the first required Neuro core course) requires Bio 201 and either CHEM 132-0 or co-enrollment in CHEM 152-0 or CHEM 172-0.
• Chemistry sequences can only be started in the fall quarter or taken in summer.
• When required courses need to be completed will depend on when you plan to apply to health professional programs. Feel free to consult with a health professions advisor about when you should apply or when you need to complete required courses. For students who want to go straight into a health professional program after graduating, typically those courses are complete by the end of junior year. Students looking at one or more gap/bridge years have additional time to complete their pre-health coursework.

For the most part, we advise you to stick to the chemistry sequence you placed into via the assessment and/or placement test provided by the chemistry department. If you have placed into organic chemistry and received a general chemistry AP credit on your transcript, for pre-med bound students it is generally acceptable to begin your pre-health studies with organic chemistry. However, please be aware that there is no uniform policy regarding AP credits across health professions schools. The majority of medical schools will accept AP credit for general chemistry requirements, but some will expect you to take additional upper-level science coursework or upper-level chemistry coursework if you begin in organic chemistry. If you are in this situation and do not plan to take additional upper-level science coursework, it may be best to begin with the CHEM 171/172 sequence if permitted by the chemistry department.

There is more variation among other health professions (e.g., dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, etc.) when it comes to policies on AP credit, and in all cases, it is important to look up standards before making a decision about whether to use AP credit or take general chemistry. If you have placed into organic chemistry without AP credit for general chemistry or with only partial AP credit for the general chemistry sequence and do not plan to take additional upper-level chemistry coursework beyond organic chemistry, we strongly advise beginning with the advanced general chemistry sequence (CHEM 171).

• Ideally, health professional schools like to see applicants take their pre-health coursework at their home institution during the regular academic year.
• If an applicant needs to take pre-health coursework in the summer, we recommend only using one summer (don’t take pre-health courses every summer) and to take it at your home institution or an institution of similar rigor.
• It can be difficult for students to find summer courses that fit with our quarter system AND that can be transferred back to NU, if they are needed as pre-reqs for NU pre-health coursework.

• Most health professions programs will accept AP credit but some may require or prefer that an applicant take upper-level science coursework, in some cases from the same area of study, to replace the AP credit. Whether AP credit is accepted also varies depending on the subject matter.
• Exceptions: A small number of schools have stricter requirements and do not accept AP or IB credits. Always check the admissions website to be certain of the most current policies.

None of our general chemistry sequences are “better” or “worse” than any other. We strongly recommend you stick to the course sequence you placed into, as you want the course to be a good match for your existing knowledge and skill set. If you are struggling in the sequence you placed into, please talk with the Chemistry Department to ensure it is still the appropriate course placement for you.

• We encourage students to talk with their professor about their academic performance. Can they identify why their performance resulted in that grade? How can they learn from that course and show improved performance in other courses?
• In addition to talking with their professor, using the academic support provided by Academic Support and Learning Advancement (ASLA) would also be helpful.
• While one C is not detrimental, a consistent performance of Cs could be. There are many pathways to completing the pre-health coursework and the coursework does not all need to be done at NU as an undergraduate. Sometimes taking a break from the coursework can be helpful.

• Does the professor have a recommendation regarding dropping the course?
• Your overall health is what is most important. It is not unheard of to drop a course if after consulting with the professor and your college advisor, dropping the course seems to be the best course of action.
• Health professions programs understand that taking a “W” may sometimes be necessary and a “W” is preferable to seeing an “F” on the transcript.
• If you think you may earn a C or better, you may want to stay in the course.
• Health professions programs usually will not mind one “W,” but may have great concern if there is a pattern of always withdrawing from courses over several quarters.

• Some health professions have a “C” minimum grade requirement for required courses. If this is the case then a retake may be necessary.
• We encourage students to check for this minimum grade policy for the schools in which they are interested.

• We would also recommend retaking the course if you feel that you do not have a grasp of the foundational knowledge from the course.
• If you feel good about your foundation and there is no minimum grade policy, then we would recommend taking higher-level courses in that area (or sciences in general) to show improvement.
• If you do retake the course, the expectation is that you would show significant improvement.
• Depending on your health path, students should remember that if you choose to retake a course, BOTH grades may factor into your GPA in the application process.