list of med schools and their prerequisite expiration policies (gathered by me)

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In the hopes this helps someone else.... (I couldn't find an existing thread.)

Since only some schools list it on their websites, I have called a bunch of schools to verify their requirements. I have, of course, only been calling schools in which I'm interested (and only OOS for me), so feel free to add to the list if you are aware of others.

I will be updating when I call the other schools on my list or hear back from emails I have sent.

Do NOT expire pre-requisite courses
Albany (but does expect to see recent science coursework)
Buffalo
Case
Cincinnati
Creighton
Dartmouth
Einstein (technically doesn't accept classes over 5 yrs old, BUT recent upper-level Biology classes will override that, and working in Biological Science areas can also)
Loyola (recommend retaking after 7-10 yrs, but okay if decent MCAT and recent upper-levels)
Mayo
MCW
New York Medical College
Oakland
Rosalind Franklin
Rochester
Saint Louis
Temple
Toledo
University of Wisconsin (but likes to see recent coursework)
Vanderbilt (I think. Email was a little confusing because it said some courses needed for MCAT should be retaken, but what you retake is your choice. I'm assuming that means for MCAT purposes, not admissions. Take it how you interpret it.)
Wake Forest

DO expire pre-requisite courses (and their limits)
Cornell (10 yrs)
Duke (7 yrs)
Jefferson (5 yrs)
Maryland (10 yrs)
NYU (10 yrs; prefer 5 yrs for Bio)

Not sure who gave you this info on Maryland but a couple of years ago, the Dean told me pre-reqs never expire for them. He suggested to retake for MCAT purposes if I thought it would help. Is this a recent change they have made??

Originally Posted by kuntash

Not sure who gave you this info on Maryland but a couple of years ago, the Dean told me pre-reqs never expire for them. He suggested to retake for MCAT purposes if I thought it would help. Is this a recent change they have made??

I'm not sure of the timing if there was a change in policy, but I was given that information when I called the Admissions Office this morning.

For Duke exceptions to their 7yr rule can be made. They were willing to take my physics that was about 12 years old when I applied. I think it's on a case by case basis and all my other prereqs were more recent.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk 2

Bear in mind that even at places where prereqs never expire, most schools need to see that you have shown recent success in science coursework. So for many places you'd still like to have a few upper level A's or some graduate coursework if you are many years out. Often what the stated rules are and what adcoms actually like to see don't mesh perfectly.

Originally Posted by Slev

For Duke exceptions to their 7yr rule can be made. They were willing to take my physics that was about 12 years old when I applied. I think it's on a case by case basis and all my other prereqs were more recent.

Good to know. I think it's definitely worth asking if you're that close!

Originally Posted by Law2Doc

Bear in mind that even at places where prereqs never expire, most schools need to see that you have shown recent success in science coursework. So for many places you'd still like to have a few upper level A's or some graduate coursework if you are many years out.

True.

A few schools listed in the Do NOT Expire section even allow those recent courses to override their policies on prereqs, thank goodness. I audited a few of my old courses pre-MCAT, so the info is more recent. Then I threw in a few upper levels taken for grades. I really didn't want to retake a couple of years of classes, both for time and money; it's nice to see some flexibility in their requirements.

Good call on making this thread. I'd hate to find out at the end of the cycle that some of my pre-reqs were too old. Thanks!

Originally Posted by TeddyBoomBoom

Good call on making this thread. I'd hate to find out at the end of the cycle that some of my pre-reqs were too old. Thanks!

Exactly - it's not a cheap endeavor! Plus, the time taken to complete an unscreened secondary would be wasted....

Oh crap. I had not even thought about this as I was a bio major in undergrad and took all the prereqs then, between 2000 and 2004. This is a problem. . . I guess I'd better start calling admissions offices.

Oh yeah this could potentially become a problem for me when I have to apply in the next 3 or 4 years. I took some pre-reqs back in 2005 and 2006.

I know most of the BS in Nursing programs has a 6 years of limitation.

Originally Posted by ECU Pirate

Oh yeah this could potentially become a problem for me when I have to apply in the next 3 or 4 years. I took some pre-reqs back in 2005 and 2006.

You are at an advantage since you are not applying this cycle. If your target schools want you to retake, you have time. Of course, imo, you'd really have to want to go there to retake all those hours.

Since I am applying this cycle, I just have to drop the schools that won't accept the old credits. I am mentioning that I did upper level Bio recently and audited some of the old courses; that way, if they are fine with those replacements, I can still apply.

It's time consuming to find out, but this has been helpful in narrowing down choices!

.

Thanks for posting this information. I appreciate it!

University of Minnesota is the same as University of Wisconsin...

Does anyone have any experience applying to a school with old pre-reqs and being told to retake them before matriculation, similar to applying with pre-reqs incomplete? I've noticed a lot of people rushing to take biochem after being accepted to schools that require it.

Originally Posted by galaxyx

Does anyone have any experience applying to a school with old pre-reqs and being told to retake them before matriculation, similar to applying with pre-reqs incomplete? I've noticed a lot of people rushing to take biochem after being accepted to schools that require it.

Completely guessing here, but I would say no, mainly because of time.

If you need to take Biochem or Anatomy before matriculation, you can do it in a semester. I don't imagine anyone would be admitted with the condition of retaking courses that have expired because (assuming there are multiple classes) the chances of being able to get that done is quite small.

I could take two semesters worth of physics in one semester...not a big deal. It's not like I'd be finishing up degree requirements and trying to squeeze in extra classes. I just can't fit in physics before I take the MCAT, and i think it'd be dumb to take intro physics after I take the MCAT unless I got into the one school that might pose an issue of not having completed physics courses in the past 5 years. My original plan of hedging all my bets and retaking most of my old prereqs has been thwarted by other opportunities too good to pass up. I still have recent Chem, and 2nd semester of Ochem, and will hopefully taking Biochem and 2 upper division bio in the spring. It's the physics that doesn't fit. If I choose to go with my informal postbacc school's letter committee, I would also have to take another non science class in the spring which might be pushing it as far as MCAT studying too. I don't think I would try to work though since working this fall will hopefully tide me over til the summer.

*Edit: Before anyone suggests taking classes this fall, I will be out of the country.

Yes, that would be different with missing only 2 classes. I would just call your target schools and ask, in that case.

The five-year cutoff seems overly stringent. I totally understand the need for recent science coursework, but does Jefferson really expect someone to retake all of the prereqs just so they can apply to their program?

ETA: Thanks for compiling and sharing this list!

When I talked to Jefferson a few months ago, they wanted recent coursework in all subjects. It was somewhat unclear if that was 2 semesters w/ lab in all subjects. They did say that recent upper division coursework could substitute. Since my issue was physics, the woman at admissions (who didn't seem to want to talk to me at all), said I needed to take "a review course" despite having a degree in the physical sciences.

Originally Posted by Docility

The five-year cutoff seems overly stringent. I totally understand the need for recent science coursework, but does Jefferson really expect someone to retake all of the prereqs just so they can apply to their program?

ETA: Thanks for compiling and sharing this list!

Originally Posted by galaxyx

When I talked to Jefferson a few months ago, they wanted recent coursework in all subjects. It was somewhat unclear if that was 2 semesters w/ lab in all subjects. They did say that recent upper division coursework could substitute. Since my issue was physics, the woman at admissions (who didn't seem to want to talk to me at all), said I needed to take "a review course" despite having a degree in the physical sciences.

Yeah, when I called, the person I talked to didn't imply that there was any wiggle room there. Wasn't meant to be for me there.

Originally Posted by galaxyx

When I talked to Jefferson a few months ago, they wanted recent coursework in all subjects. It was somewhat unclear if that was 2 semesters w/ lab in all subjects. They did say that recent upper division coursework could substitute. Since my issue was physics, the woman at admissions (who didn't seem to want to talk to me at all), said I needed to take "a review course" despite having a degree in the physical sciences.

Seems a bit much, doesn't it?

I'm in the same boat as you. I took several semesters of physics in college (way beyond the two-semester requirement) with an additional two semesters of mathematical physics in grad school. The catch is that I completed my coursework a decade or more ago. Am I really supposed to believe that these courses couldn't possibly satisfy Jefferson's physics requirement yet a more recent course in algebra-based physics taken at a local community college would?

Rules like this one frustrate me, because they make life difficult for non-trads without offering any clear, discernible educational benefit. The 5-year expiration on coursework seems to be a weed-out requirement as much as anything. I understand how such rules make life easier for Jefferson, given that they have 9000+ applicants for 250 or so spots. Still, it'd be great if they were a bit more friendly to non-traditional applicants.

Originally Posted by hizziaips

Rules like this one frustrate me, because they make life difficult for non-trads without offering any clear, discernible educational benefit. The 5-year expiration on coursework seems to be a weed-out requirement as much as anything. I understand how such rules make life easier for Jefferson, given that they have 9000+ applicants for 250 or so spots. Still, it'd be great if they were a bit more friendly to non-traditional applicants.

True, but on the upside, schools that have rules like this helped me narrow my list.

Originally Posted by hizziaips

Seems a bit much, doesn't it?

I'm in the same boat as you. I took several semesters of physics in college (way beyond the two-semester requirement) with an additional two semesters of mathematical physics in grad school. The catch is that I completed my coursework a decade or more ago. Am I really supposed to believe that these courses couldn't possibly satisfy Jefferson's physics requirement yet a more recent course in algebra-based physics taken at a local community college would?

Rules like this one frustrate me, because they make life difficult for non-trads without offering any clear, discernible educational benefit. The 5-year expiration on coursework seems to be a weed-out requirement as much as anything. I understand how such rules make life easier for Jefferson, given that they have 9000+ applicants for 250 or so spots. Still, it'd be great if they were a bit more friendly to non-traditional applicants.

Yes. That's exactly what Jefferson said. An algebra based physics class at a community college means more than 4 years of upper division physics at a university as long as it was done recently. Which is actually an interesting conundrum because if you then take algebra based physics at a community college will other medical schools think you're trying to take the easy route or GPA boost?

Originally Posted by galaxyx

Yes. That's exactly what Jefferson said. An algebra based physics class at a community college means more than 4 years of upper division physics at a university as long as it was done recently. Which is actually an interesting conundrum because if you then take algebra based physics at a community college will other medical schools think you're trying to take the easy route or GPA boost?

That's disappointing. There is simply no comparison between an upper level physics course like E&M and an algebra-based physics course in which one doesn't even see a full treatment of Gauss's or Faraday's Laws.

And yes, I completely understand your concern about appearing as though your intention is to pad your GPA. I would worry about that, too. Of course, we could always take another upper-level physics course. :-)

Brown has a 10 year time limit, per http://brown.edu/academics/medical/admission/coursework:

Generally, all premedical coursework should be completed within ten years prior to your anticipated enrollment at Brown.

This would be a good sticky! Thanks for compiling!

Never even thought about this issue before. Seems kind of silly to me considering that the MCAT should be a good gauge of how much science a person still remembers. If a guy gets 10+ on the sciences I'd say it's safe to assume he's still competent in the pre-req material.

Sticky, eh? Hmmmm...I would like to see other useful nontrad pertinent information like when MCATs expire or other random facts that may be useful to nontrads to know about a school - like LOR requirements being waived for people who have been out of school for a while. Stuff like this.

Originally Posted by vc7777

sticky, eh? Hmmmm...i would like to see other useful nontrad pertinent information like when mcats expire or other random facts that may be useful to nontrads to know about a school - like lor requirements being waived for people who have been out of school for a while. Stuff like this.

+1

I should have said... I CAN make it a sticky. But I think we hold stickies to a higher standard than plain ol' threads. Also this is all provided Mistress Q is willing. Since she is the Señora Moderator around these parts.

I created the thread in the hopes it would be useful to current applicants, but I don't necessarily think it's sticky-worthy. This is mostly because I think this is information that schools might change at any time. I would personally check with admissions offices each year rather than rely on old info. It's just a good jumping point.

okie dokie. I would rather agree if this wasn't to be actively maintained.

Originally Posted by craftyconqueror

I created the thread in the hopes it would be useful to current applicants, but I don't necessarily think it's sticky-worthy. This is mostly because I think this is information that schools might change at any time. I would personally check with admissions offices each year rather than rely on old info. It's just a good jumping point.

Agree.

And since I have neither the interest nor the time to assemble and maintain a list of prereq expiration dates for every medical school in the country, it would have to be your baby, vc. Let me know when you'd like to get on that.

All of the good points about requirements changing over time aside, I'd also point out that adcoms can and do make exceptions to the rules. When I was preparing to apply, I called every med school on my list to go over what additional requirements, if any, I would have. Since I had been a grad student and had taken grad school classes (as well as teaching UG prereq classes) within five years of applying to medical school, no school required me to take additional coursework even though I took my prereqs 10-12 years prior to applying. I did have an admissions director at one school advise me to do a year of postbac to strengthen my app, but she stressed that it was not required, and I was ultimately accepted to that school without doing any postbac.

I would advise anyone with concerns about prereqs to call or email each school, explain your situation, and find out what they would want you to do in terms of recent coursework. The reason why you're a nontrad is because you didn't follow the normal path for getting into medical school. You need to do what the schools want you to do, not what you think they want you to do based on a general explanation on their website that is geared toward trads.

Oops! Sorry about the bad suggestion to make it a sticky. I didn't mean to suggest it flippantly, but was ignorant about what that would entail. Thanks for setting me straight.

What I really meant was... I appreciated the sharing of info.

And I hope it doesn't get lost, because it is good info, even if the bottom line is to do one's homework per individual schools.