Pre-reqs for the new MCAT? (and other questions)

[SylvieK]

Does anyone know if med schools are going to change their requirements for the new mcat?
I see that psychology, sociology, and biochem sections are added to the new mcat but wonder if that also means those subjects will become pre-req.

I'm going to take biochem no matter what but not sure about the other 2 subjects.


My other questions are,

1. What are the percentages of med school that requires math? Is there such data? I heard most schools in California do want to see 1yr of calculus but what about the rest of the country?
Is there a page on AAMC for such topic?

2. I have a master's degree and GPA is 3.9-4.0
Would this also be counted for the admission or is it only the pre-req GPA?
In other words, I wonder if my GPA from the undergrad and grad school is as important as that of pre-req.


Thanks a lot for answering my questions in advance!

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[LupaCupcake]

Biochem is a new requirement for some schools, many others just suggest it. I would suggest that you look at the school's website for that information or call them. Calculus falls into the same category as biochem, some schools require it whereas others do not. You need to look at the school you desire. You can print out a list of all med schools in U.S from AAMC, just go to the states you are interested in and go down the schools checking for requirements. If you are looking into something like Yale or Duke, yes you need all of the above. If you are looking at a state school, ehh....could go either way. I personally say take a biochem class and calculus even if not required, but I understand that is not feasible for everyone.

Your undergrad GPA and science GPA will be taken into account. If you have a 3.9999 then you have a 3.9, not a 3.9-4.0. They don't round up hehe. I tend to think that a 3.7+ is a safe GPA to have, anything under 3.7 is questionable in my eyes because competition is fierce. So good job on the GPA, that is a good number ^^

 

[QuentinT88]

The main gpa that they will look at is your ugpa, specifically your sgpa and your cgpa. From what I have heard from adcoms, a masters is nice experience to have, but it is separate from your undergraduate science gpa. In most cases it is not given as much weight as you undergrad gpa however

 

[SylvieK]

The main gpa that they will look at is your ugpa, specifically your sgpa and your cgpa. From what I have heard from adcoms, a masters is nice experience to have, but it is separate from your undergraduate science gpa. In most cases it is not given as much weight as you undergrad gpa however

What is cgpa? chemistry gpa? I'm' guessing ugpa is undergrad gpa and sgpa is scient gpa correct?

 

[SylvieK]

Biochem is a new requirement for some schools, many others just suggest it. I would suggest that you look at the school's website for that information or call them. Calculus falls into the same category as biochem, some schools require it whereas others do not. You need to look at the school you desire. You can print out a list of all med schools in U.S from AAMC, just go to the states you are interested in and go down the schools checking for requirements. If you are looking into something like Yale or Duke, yes you need all of the above. If you are looking at a state school, ehh....could go either way. I personally say take a biochem class and calculus even if not required, but I understand that is not feasible for everyone.

Your undergrad GPA and science GPA will be taken into account. If you have a 3.9999 then you have a 3.9, not a 3.9-4.0. They don't round up hehe. I tend to think that a 3.7+ is a safe GPA to have, anything under 3.7 is questionable in my eyes because competition is fierce. So good job on the GPA, that is a good number ^^

I've only started this long journey and don't have the realistic school list yet, just because I don't have my science gpa and what my situation would be w/ my mcat score. Oh, yes. It'd be verrrrry nice if I could put Yale or Duke on my list. I'd have to see..

I was just hoping to see some type of chart that tells average percentage of schools that ask for math.
I'll probably apply for Fall 2016 or even the year after so it's a bit early but I'd like to plan everything ahead so I know how much I'm going to spend to complete my pre-req.
I'm mostly likely going to take biochem but not sure of calculus just because of time and money...

 

[Five0tomed68]

Does anyone know if med schools are going to change their requirements for the new mcat?
I see that psychology, sociology, and biochem sections are added to the new mcat but wonder if that also means those subjects will become pre-req.

I'm going to take biochem no matter what but not sure about the other 2 subjects.

VCU SOM advertises that it is adding the social sciences when the new MCAT comes out:

www.medschool.vcu.edu/admissions/md/prerequisites.html

1. What are the percentages of med school that requires math? Is there such data? I heard most schools in California do want to see 1yr of calculus but what about the rest of the country?
Is there a page on AAMC for such topic?

As mentioned above, it is school dependent as to what the math requirements are. The schools websites are a good resource. Most programs want a year of college level math. They include statistics as college match, which when reading and doing research can come in very handy.

2. I have a master's degree and GPA is 3.9-4.0
Would this also be counted for the admission or is it only the pre-req GPA?
In other words, I wonder if my GPA from the undergrad and grad school is as important as that of pre-req.

Your undergrad is calculated separately from your master's GPA. You undergrad GPA is going to carry more weight because all the other applicants will likely have an undergrad degree, so it is easier to compare you to them. Your Master's Degree will be a bonus, especially that GPA, but if your undergrad GPA is 3.0 or below your application might not get looked at because your undergrad GPA doesn't meet minimum standards.

 

[Five0tomed68]

What is cgpa? chemistry gpa? I'm' guessing ugpa is undergrad gpa and sgpa is scient gpa correct?

cgpa = cumulative GPA
SGPA = science GPA

For md schools SGPA = bcpm or biology, chemistry, physics, and math

DO schools science GPA = science classes (does not include math).

 

[LupaCupcake]

Since you stated you are new to this.... a random tidbit. You said it would be nice to put Yale on that list. Did you know that Yale med students do not get standard grades and scoring throughout med school like most med schools? They have a unique approach , just something interesting to google one day.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Also, just in case you also didn't know, the application cycle is essentially a year long. So you apply in June 2015 to start in summer/fall 2016.

Other helpful info is that your GPA used is calculated by the application service and can be different than what your school transcript says.

Quite a few schools already have social science requirements on the books now.

Welcome. There is tons of good info on here if you can sift through some of the other stuff ( mostly just steer clear of pre-allo or enjoy it as humorous)