A&P prior to Micro?

slewis829.sl · May 26, 2015

From experience it doesn't matter. Now you'll definitely want a basic understanding of bio before microbiology. I took A&P 1 + 2 beofre micro and found that it correlated MAYBE mildly.

SpruceToSea, BSN · May 26, 2015

I took micro before A&P. As several others have said, as long as you have a solid bio foundation you'll be fine either way. My only advice is to take micro during a semester where you can take the time to enjoy it because it's AWESOME. Definitely my favorite class of all the pre-reqs.

KStudentNurse70 · May 26, 2015

Not really sure because I actually start micro tomorrow, but at my school A&P is actually a prerequisite to micro so maybe it is smarter to do A&P first. Best of luck!

katie115 · May 26, 2015

I did micro first in a 6 week summer course (that was super difficult!) and then followed it with anatomy and physiology together (separate courses) in the following fall semester. I completed them all with A's and B's and was able to apply in January 2013 for nursing school. Micro was fine because I did have basic knowledge of biology, like some posters said above. I would suggest reviewing briefly (Kreb's cycle, mitosis/meiosis, etc.) before diving in, because it can get tricky. Good luck!

fatrabbit · May 27, 2015

I think that you can still do well with taking micro before A&P (I did and got an A in the class). I'd already taken chemistry before which helped a lot (hadn't taken any biology since high school). However, it's beneficial to take at least anatomy before micro because (at least in my class) we went over microbial diseases. It helps to know the structures/ basic processes of the human body that are being affected by the microbes being discussed. Also, be sure to take anatomy before physiology (it'll make your life so much easier).

neurodude, MSN, NP · May 27, 2015

Have you consulted your college or program's catalog? It will tell you whether or not A&P I & 2 are prerequisites for Micro or not.

For example, at the community college that I was at, there were no prereqs for Micro, but the college that I'm at now requires you to pass Human Physiology and certain chemistry classes and/or a biology class before you take Micro (and here, you need to pass Anatomy to take Physiology). If there aren't any prereqs, I'd say you're okay by taking it whichever semester you please.

Edit: I'm taking Micro this summer, and having looked through the textbook, I'd say there is a very small amount of physiology involved. Mostly, it's biology.

kaisofine · May 27, 2015

I would take A&P1 first. Plus your GPA might drop with Micro. Get some A's first.

Hosswife04 · May 27, 2015

I took A and P 2 and Micro together and did just fine. It really depends on you and what your college says. Either way a strong foundation in biology you need......

ajmclean · May 28, 2015

A&P & micro really don't have that much in common. Take whichever you one you feel most comfortable with first.

A&P has a lot in common with Micro.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 28, 2015

A&P has a lot in common with Micro.

Well on a large scale, yes they are both biology based. But overall, not really. As long as you take biology before A&P & micro it doesn't matter if you take A&P or micro first.

chris927 · May 28, 2015

Unless your school is different, usually A&Ps are required before taking Microbiology. My school required A&P2 as a pre-req to Micro. I think taking A&P first helps in understanding micro a bit better.

SweetPotatoes · May 28, 2015

It doesn't really matter overall but if I had a choice I would take A&P before Micro. It's always helpful to have an understanding of the body because then you can see how material in subsequent classes affect the body. I was able to understand some medications and immunology in Micro a little more because of having the A&P background.