2015 grad - how to show recent academic capabilities/success (post bac/SMP/DIY classes?)

[curiouschemist]

I graduated from undergrad in 2015 (cGPA 3.7, sGPA 3.6) and have been working full time as a scientist in healthcare since. I know that if am going to apply to medical school within the next 2-3 years that my undergraduate grades would no longer be sufficient, and that I would need to demonstrate recent academic capabilities/success. I also know that for certain medical schools, courses expire (either there is a hard deadline of 10 years, or recommended deadline of 5 years)

My questions are regarding the best way to go about achieving this:

1) Do I need to re-take pre-med required courses that I've already taken (chem, biochem, orgo, etc.)? I do have all requirements completed, but the transcript grades will be 7-8+ years old by the time I will apply.

2) Can I just take upper level science courses that I didn't get the chance to take in undergrad but am curious about (i.e., immunology, microbiology, genetics, etc.)? Or would I need to do something more (formal post bac/SMP) to prove that I'm still capable of handling rigorous academic work?

3) I imagine each school has different requirements, but is there a general rule of thumb or minimum number of recommended courses/credits that someone who has been out of school for >5 years would need to take?

4) I have yet to take the MCAT but plan on taking it within a year or so of my application cycle. Would a satisfactory recent MCAT score be sufficient, or would it need to be in tandem with upper level science courses as well?

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

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[Goro]

1) Do I need to re-take pre-med required courses that I've already taken (chem, biochem, orgo, etc.)? I do have all requirements completed, but the transcript grades will be 7-8+ years old by the time I will apply,

May depend upon the school you're applying to. Some of them definitely have expiration dates. More importantly, how is YOUR knowledge base of the pre-reqs for MCAT???

2) Can I just take upper level science courses that I didn't get the chance to take in undergrad but am curious about (i.e., immunology, microbiology, genetics, etc.)? Or would I need to do something more (formal post bac/SMP) to prove that I'm still capable of handling rigorous academic work?

Read this; there are pluses and minuses to each of these paths. I lean to SMP; higher risk, but higher reward if the host school is a med school with a good linkage

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

3) I imagine each school has different requirements, but is there a general rule of thumb or minimum number of recommended courses/credits that someone who has been out of school for >5 years would need to take?
Impossible to answer

4) I have yet to take the MCAT but plan on taking it within a year or so of my application cycle. Would a satisfactory recent MCAT score be sufficient, or would it need to be in tandem with upper level science courses as well?

You have good GPAs, so a SMP isn't needed. I suggest taking some upper level science courses to get back in the pool academically. Your practice MCATs should give you an indication as to how much remediation you need.