Anonymous wrote:AP Bio is a core course, A&P is an elective. You can add A&P in, but it doesn't fill the same role as AP Bio from the admissions perspective.

???

Core courses are the mix of life science, physical science, and lab science. A&P, an upper level life science course, is a part of that.

Are you kids taking Double Period AP Bio and Anatomy in the same year? That's 2 periods of Bio electives.

My DD took both in 11th grade. While there is some overlap, Bio obviously covers a lot more than just human biology.

Anonymous wrote:Better science instruction needs to start in ES. For that, you need better prepared science teachers in ES. For that, you need better prep of teachers at university schools of education, or bring in a subject matter expert with a teaching certification.

+1

There has to be something better than science APs. Some of the Honors science courses are great!

Better science instruction needs to start in ES. For that, you need better prepared science teachers in ES. For that, you need better prep of teachers at university schools of education, or bring in a subject matter expert with a teaching certification.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school, A&P is an easyish (though very useful!) elective. AP Bio is hard -- lots of kids get counseled away from taking it.

That’s terrible. students shouldn’t be counseled away from classes but informed about content and what is required to be successful and encouraged to take that which they have interest.

I don’t agree. As long as families can override a recommendation, they should receive honest feedback on the likelihood of a student’s success in a course. Frankly, some gatekeeping for APs would be wise.

APs don’t need to be gate kept, students need to be prepared to take them which means ensure that foundational courses offer appropriate rigor and depth and that students learn study skills and executive functioning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school, A&P is an easyish (though very useful!) elective. AP Bio is hard -- lots of kids get counseled away from taking it.

That’s terrible. students shouldn’t be counseled away from classes but informed about content and what is required to be successful and encouraged to take that which they have interest.

I don’t agree. As long as families can override a recommendation, they should receive honest feedback on the likelihood of a student’s success in a course. Frankly, some gatekeeping for APs would be wise.

No at MCPS but my senior in HS is taking AP Bio and A&P at the same time. She enjoys the subject area and would like to pursue a nursing degree.

Anonymous wrote:At our school, A&P is an easyish (though very useful!) elective. AP Bio is hard -- lots of kids get counseled away from taking it.

That’s terrible. students shouldn’t be counseled away from classes but informed about content and what is required to be successful and encouraged to take that which they have interest.

At our school, A&P is an easyish (though very useful!) elective. AP Bio is hard -- lots of kids get counseled away from taking it.

Kid enjoyed A&P senior year - doing dissections. A fun class. Caveat: Student should ask peers about which teachers/classes are good in your HS - that should more strongly drive class selection, if all else is equal.

On AP Bio, counselors advised taking *after* Chemistry. That the 1st unit in AP Bio assumed knowledge of Chemistry (vs. taking concurrently where the Chem info happens later in the year, so too late for AP Bio).

Peers taking AP Bio without completing Chemistry first really struggled, esp in the first semester. A number of them dropped out. So choose order of classes wisely.

AP Bio is a core course, A&P is an elective. You can add A&P in, but it doesn't fill the same role as AP Bio from the admissions perspective.

I think if done right A&P provides more relevant material and helps a student better identify if medicine is something they want to pursue. Both require a huge amount of memorization just like Med School. That said, A&P is not a required Pre-Med course whereas Bio is.

What do you think of Anatomy&Physiology vs AP Bio as prep for premedical (not necessarily MD, but maybe)?

It’s a single period va double period course, so easier to fit in schedule, and more relevant to humans.

But college will still require Biology.

But taking Biology in college is maybe better than trying to skip it via AP.

Or try to take both?