Coursework above and beyond admission requirements...

[dianacs]

I realize this is a rather subjective question, but how beneficial do you think it is to take classes not specifically required by the anesthesia programs to which you are applying? In terms of helping your admission into a program, I mean. Say taking ochem or biochem or physics and the anesthesia school only requires gen chem. A few of you took graduate courses beforehand, too, right? Do these extra classes give you an edge when applying?

Do most applicants nowadays have a full complement of science courses whether they need them or not so even if they're not required you need them to be competitive? Of course each school will have its own viewpoint on this, and there are a variety of factors that go into admission, but I'd like to know what you all think.

[athomas91]

you need to contact some programs you are interested in and take them....i see and saw no reason to take courses that were not required...waste of my time and money...once accepted to a program they usually have 4 or 5 classes they will allow you to take ahead of time.

[dianacs]

As I see it, anyone applying to more than one school will have fulfilled the admissions requirements for the school with the greatest number of prerequisites. Therefore, for the other schools with fewer prereqs, they're just extra classes above and beyond. So perhaps my question is irrelevant. I just want to give myself the best chance possible, that's all.

[TraumaNurse]

When I asked about taking extra courses or retaking chemistry (since it has been a long time), all 3 of the schools I applied to said "don't bother, we will teach you what you need to know". I would say it would not hurt, but may not necessarily help. Each school is different. Some want to see the extra effort and others want to see good experience and a strong GPA. As has been mentioned, call the schools you are applying to and ask if it would help your application to take the extra courses.