Microbiology before A & P I & II

GeneralJinjur · Mar 26, 2007

There is a fair bit of overlap in the way cells function, chemistry and the immune system. Each of these subjects are casually reviewed in my micro text; while there's plenty of detail, there isn't a lot of beginner explanation (if any).

Is your summer session shorter than the rest of the year? I would not want to take micro any faster than I already am. We have exams every 3 weeks and they cover 6 chapters. Condensing this from 16 weeks to 10 would send me over the edge. I work very hard in this class. Each little lab handout takes me about an hour per point. I also have 3 kids, so my attention is divided somewhat. If you could focus solely on the class, you might have better results.

Now if your college offered a basic biology class in the summer, that might be a great choice. It also goes over cell organelles and functions, which would prepare you for the tougher classes. One of the guys in my micro class is currently taking the 5 credit college biology and he says it is nothing but review from everything we've struggled with in A&P and micro. All the professors say college biology is a requirement before moving on to the nursing sciences, but it hasn't been enforced, so they have to deal with students who are struggling with these concepts.

There are helpful websites online and you might do just fine. I'm sure you'll find at least one person who's done it this way.

MB37 · Mar 26, 2007

My school required micro before A&P, and basic chem and bio before micro. I had gotten AP bio credit from high school 8 years before, so I jumped into micro with no recent bio background. It was an extremely hard but interesting class, and I made an A.

hays2001 · Mar 26, 2007

Gosh, I just don't know what to do. I think I will probably just end up waiting since the Microbiology course is only 8 weeks long...that means it will be a lot more intense! I sure do appreciate everyone's advice. It helps me out a lot! Getting into nursing school is so very stressful. They are waving that I didn't have Chemistry with Lab in highschool so that I can get accepted into the nursing school but I have to wait until Friday to find out if they wave it so I can take A & P I this fall, if I don't get to take that then I will not be able to get into the nursing program and I will not be able to apply for another 3 and a half years since we are only here until June of 2010...so I have to get into the class that starts the fall of 2008. I am super stressed! I about passed out when I found out that they require hs chemistry with lab to take A & P. And also, in 3 and a half years I will only have around 4 years or so to use up my GI Bill that I have through the military and I really want to get my Master's degree someday and I would hate to have to pay for my BSN and MSN when I had all that money through the military. Thanks for all of your advice!

MB37 · Mar 26, 2007

If you're under a time crunch, definitely go for it. Take anything you can right now, and just be prepared to work really hard. Many of us are going back with 5-1o yrs plus since we've taken some things that they are still giving us credit for (i.e. anything from high school) and we're still doing OK. Sure it might be tougher to learn all the info in a shorter time, but on the other hand you have more total classes in regular-length semesters. Why don't you go ahead and register for it, and if it seems too overwhelming just make sure you've made a note of the drop deadline.

Sarah LnDHopes · Mar 26, 2007

I took Micro before I took A&P I (haven't taken A&P II yet). I don't believe taking A&P first would have helped me any more in micro, nor do I believe I had an advantage by taking micro first. I got an A in both classes.

I don't recall there being much overlap, if any. The only topic that I recall being the same was immunity. Micro went into the immune system in depth, but A&P was more of an overview of the response system. Well, more than an overview, but it approached it from a macro level rather than the micro level, if that makes sense.

In summary, I would say that micro is just an intro to bacteriology/virology/immunology, and A&P really is limited to body structures/systems/functions.

What someone else mentioned about general bio was true. For micro it is helpful to know the basics of the human cell, because you will learn about how bacteria/virus interact with human cells. But human cell biology was only skimmed over in A&P and also micro. I think its expected that you know that already for both classes.

Hope that helps...

Heloisea3 · Mar 27, 2007

I would say go ahead and take the Micro. I took it before A&P I, A&P II, and CHEM. I also took it over a summer session. It was very hard, but doable. If you are able to dedicate quite a bit of time to studying then you should go ahead and take it. It would be more difficult if you were working full time and taking it over the summer, though. It is very intense. Don't worry about the fact that you haven't had any of your other science classes yet. I don't think that the other classes would have helped me that much with Micro except for a few chemistry concepts. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

:)

BerthaRN · Mar 27, 2007

I took Micro before A & P, took it last summer semester then tool A & P in the fall. I don't think A & P would have helped me at all in micro....you're really dealing with with different things (though info does overlap). I think it's important to have basic BIO first before Micro, but not A & P. In micro you are considering the wonderful world of microbes (bacteria, fungi), and in A & P you are learning about all systems of the human body. Your teacher may touch on illness associated with microorganisms, but for the most part you are learning about the human body and how it works, all of its' components.

Good luck!

IaCountryGirl · Mar 27, 2007

I asked the same question awhile back because I couldn't get into A&P before Micro. Anyway, Im in micro this semester and I have had zero problems. I don't think the two really overlap. I've seen some of the stuff from the A&P classes and there's not much that's the same. In micro, we are basically focusing on types of bacteria, different viruses and how both of those work on the body. We've done a chapter on parasites and tonight we just went over principles of sterilization and disinfecting.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

I took Micro before A&P and I survived :) Like everyone's saying--there's some but not a lot of overlap, in my opinion you don't really need one of the classes in order to take the other. But schools do vary so if possible, I'd get some feedback from current Micro students at your school first.

If anything, I think you need a stronger background in chemistry than in A&P in order to do well in Micro.

Mzshaqui · Mar 28, 2007

I have some friends that are taking micro and A & P. Although they are trying to refrain from pulling there hair out they are getting good grades.

As for taking it during the summer though, you really should prepare to not attend any activities this summer.

catzy5 · Mar 28, 2007

Hey everyone!
I was wondering if anyone has taken Microbiology before A & P I & II? Normally the college here makes you take A & P first but since it is the summer session you are kind of on your own. I was wondering if it would be wise for me to take that before the other two? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

I am taking apII concurrently with micro. My school requires chemistry for micro wich I can totally agree with hehee. I don't think AP would be much help I think they overlap alot and micro can help AP if you take it first or AP helps micro if you take it first, either way you review similar topics but not necissarily learn more in one or the other somethings you touch on more in one class or learn different things in others. For example I learned way more in AP about cell resperation then I did in AP