A&P without Bio and Chemistry????

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Has anyone taken the A&P course without having taken Bio or Chemistry???

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Surgery, Med-Surg, Pediatrics.

Anatomy is all "stuff and chuck." Memorization! Physiology is how it all works together. If you have a basic understanding of biology you will do fine. It is easier to take bio first but the chemistry is not necessary.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I had chemistry in high school and would imagine I had some biology but can't remember for sure. Anyway I took A&P2 twenty years after A&P1 and got an A. In my opinion I didn't really think they were that dependant on each other. Good luck and if your school will let you register and you don't need the chem or bio I'd say go for it.

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I took A&P before bio and micro and chem, and did very well.

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Has anyone taken the A&P course without having taken Bio or Chemistry???

It was in my best interest to take Chemistry before the two A&P's and Micro/Pathology. I didn't attend school or graduate in the US. I was 45 years old when I decided to persue nursing, which didn't help any. It depends on each individual's situation and history... I definitely recommend this aproach to older students who have been out of school for some time and "forgotten" everything. Students who come right out of High School should be ok. My school is actually starting to require chemistry before Microbiology this next semester and is also considering making Chem mandatory before A&P because of the high failure rate in A&P.

Let's put it this way, it can't hurt to take Chem first. It may just make everything a little less painful.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I think it depends. I took bio before my first A&P. I took chem while I took A&P II. If I had taken A&P before either bio or chem I would have been in a world of hurt. I had been out of school for 15 years. Basically, bio eased me gently into science. I had zero chem knowledge in A&P I, but did fine. In retrospect, I wish I had taken chem before A&P, but it's not critical. I would have actually understood the 'why' behind action potentials for example, rather than just memorizing the gig.

Does this type of info help with what you are thinking about?

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I think it depends. I took bio before my first A&P. I took chem while I took A&P II. If I had taken A&P before either bio or chem I would have been in a world of hurt. I had been out of school for 15 years. Basically, bio eased me gently into science. I had zero chem knowledge in A&P I, but did fine. In retrospect, I wish I had taken chem before A&P, but it's not critical. I would have actually understood the 'why' behind action potentials for example, rather than just memorizing the gig.

Does this type of info help with what you are thinking about?

That's the whole point....you want to understand the why instead of just memorizing. I personally do better if I understand why something happens, it all just makes a whole lot more sense to me and I will retain the information better.

I know this is off topic but I am trying to give an example...It's the same with dissection....if I see the real thing it will stick better than just seing pictures.

I know a lot of people oppose dissection but I tell you that I am impressed forever and will always know where the internal organs are, what they look like....the same for the bloodvessels. You just walk away with a complete different relationship to the material.

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Has anyone taken the A&P course without having taken Bio or Chemistry???

Having thumbed through a college-level A&P text, I wouldn't advise taking A&P without at least ONE biology course, and many universities won't let you take it without a semester each of bio and chem. (There's a reason for that.)

If you're weak in either subject, that is a good reason to take both...not to avoid them. You can't avoid biology/chemistry in the health sciences, especially since pretty much every nurse has to take classes in microbiology and pharmacology. These are classes that may require bio/chem as pre-requisites and even if they don't, I'd take them anyway.

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Having thumbed through a college-level A&P text, I wouldn't advise taking A&P without at least ONE biology course, and many universities won't let you take it without a semester each of bio and chem. (There's a reason for that.)

If you're weak in either subject, that is a good reason to take both...not to avoid them. You can't avoid biology/chemistry in the health sciences, especially since pretty much every nurse has to take classes in microbiology and pharmacology. These are classes that may require bio/chem as pre-requisites and even if they don't, I'd take them anyway.

You are very right. The classes in our school are set up in such a way that if you lackChemistry knowledge you may pass but not get that A which will get you into nursing school ;) I've seen it over and over and over....people dropping out of A&P class or not doing well enough because they are lacking skills.

Why set yourself up for failure? But some people just don't get it!!!!

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
You are very right. The classes in our school are set up in such a way that if you lackChemistry knowledge you may pass but not get that A which will get you into nursing school ;) I've seen it over and over and over....people dropping out of A&P class or not doing well enough because they are lacking skills.

Why set yourself up for failure? But some people just don't get it!!!!

The answer to this is really about the individual student, how easily they pick up new concepts and how much time they have to devote to studying. My strategy was to get done as quicly and efficiently as possible so I bypassed anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. In my opinion the only pre-req class that helped me in the slightest during LPN school was the A&Ps and again my A&PI was 20 years old. Its an individual thing and frankly in my opinion many of the pre-reqs and their dictated order is not just about setting the students up for success.

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The answer to this is really about the individual student, how easily they pick up new concepts and how much time they have to devote to studying. My strategy was to get done as quicly and efficiently as possible so I bypassed anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. In my opinion the only pre-req class that helped me in the slightest during LPN school was the A&Ps and again my A&PI was 20 years old. Its an individual thing and frankly in my opinion many of the pre-reqs and their dictated order is not just about setting the students up for success.

I would think if someone wants to skip bio and chem, they have a reason. I would guess the reason is one of the following:

* Financial constraint. If you're so hard up that you're trying to find ways around what are pre-requisites at every four-year program I've seen, skipping bio/chem is the least of your problems. It's only two classes and they will form the basis of your future scientific knowledge.

* Eager to finish pre-reqs. If you're that impatient, won't it be hard to finish a 2-4 year course? College isn't a race; the spoils go to the persistent, not the eager.

* Weak in either/both subjects. If you're weak in biology and/or chemistry and are concerned about your ability to earn a high grade in either entry level class, then healthcare probably isn't the best industry for you.

I took a year each of non-major bio and non-major chem in college and I COULD do A&P, Microbiology, and Pharmacology without taking intro science major bio & chem, but I don't want to cripple myself before the race begins. I think it's never a bad thing to over-prepare. That's just my opinion tho, and since I've never been to nursing school it probably doesn't count for much. ;)

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