To CLEP or not to CLEP?

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nanodoc

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I have a dilemma, should I CLEP out of Chemistry 101 & 102? Basically, I want to CLEP out of CHEM 101 & CHEM 102. I am planing to take Organic Chemistry I & II and BioChem I & II during the Spring 2015 /Summer 2015 semesters. How will medical schools view my having used CLEP to complete Chemistry 101/102? If I do really well in Organic I & II and BioChem I & II, will my having taken the CLEP for Chemistry 101/102 adversely affect my chances of admission? Assuming I do really well in all of my other science courses, will medical schools view my using CLEP for Chemistry I & II negatively?

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You should check with schools you're planning to apply to, I believe that some don't accept CLEP for science prereqs. Besides, if you can CLEP out of it, you can probably get an easy A in it.
 
Is there a particular reason you wish to CELP out of the courses? The courses you are planning to do this for are fundamental pieces of the MCAT, which is profoundly important. Additionally, actually taking the courses (even if boring) will give you a strong GPA that increases your chance of admission greatly. Unless you take upper level Chemistry, you truly will not touch on many concepts taught in General Inorganic Chemistry through coursework in Organic and Biochem.

Not rushing your prerequisites is a win-win for both your GPA and MCAT, which as mentioned, are profoundly important. Unless there is a particular reason you would like to skip these introductory courses (e.g. wish to graduate in 3 years, take coursework you would otherwise not be able to complete before graduation, etc) I would not advise skipping them, even if the schools you wish to apply to accept CELP.

I'm certain that there will be differing opinions on this, of course. While this is more of a do as I say not as I do, I strongly recommend taking the path of least resistance when possible.
 
I would just retake the courses. Taking gen chem that extra years reinforces things even further, plus, you get a little extra GPA padding.
 
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