5 year break between Physics I & II

[midd06]

I took physics I five years ago while I was in college, I was not pre-med at the time so I did not take physics II. Now I am changing careers and trying to complete prereqs so I need to take physics II, should I retake physics I before II? Does II really build off the material covered in I? I have heard some people say that they are very different, is this true? (I tried to search old posts for the answer but I couldn't find anything helpful)

I have also heard that some course work "expires" after 5 years- if I take the second half of physics now will this prevent my physics I course from expiring?

Any advice will be appreciated!

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[mfrizzo3]

It is true that physics II does not deal with the same topics as physics I (i.e. kinematics vs. optics). Some schools like to see more recent coursework, but if you show a strong PS score on the MCAT there should be no questions of your grasp of the material. I will say this, Physics requires a thought process unlike other pre-reqs, so maybe a review of the prior material before you start the PHYS II will get your problem solving skills strong again. Good Luck

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Don't retake Physics I -- jump right into Physics II. Most schools do not expire pre-reqs, but a handful do so you'll have to research the schools. I did organic chem lab and biochem 9 years after I finished organic II -- pre-req age was not an issue during my application.

 

[njbmd]

I took physics I five years ago while I was in college, I was not pre-med at the time so I did not take physics II. Now I am changing careers and trying to complete prereqs so I need to take physics II, should I retake physics I before II? Does II really build off the material covered in I? I have heard some people say that they are very different, is this true? (I tried to search old posts for the answer but I couldn't find anything helpful)

I have also heard that some course work "expires" after 5 years- if I take the second half of physics now will this prevent my physics I course from expiring?

Any advice will be appreciated!

The first thing that you need to do is schedule a meeting with the professor who teaches the General Physics courses at your school and get their recommendation. You should also ask what topics are covered in both sections of General Physics and make sure that you get the best coverage of the topics that will be covered on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

You won't be in a very good position of the second semester of General Physics at the school that you choose covers the same (or much of the same) material as the section that you have already taken. You also will not be in a good position if you don't remember much of the subject matter from your General Physics I course years ago. In that case, you could audit General Physics I and then take General Physics II for credit.

In either event, go to the MCAT website and download the list of topics that you need to master for the Physical Sciences section of the MCAT. Armed with this information, you can then consult with the professor (or department chair if the introductory course is team taught) and get what you need to make the best decision. Remember, you have one shot to get what you need in terms of coursework and do well. Make sure that you are well-informed and the professor who teaches the course is your best source of information about the course.

To do anything else or anything that anyone recommends is speculation as there is some variation between General Physics courses from school to school.

Expiration of coursework is very school dependent. You need to consult the website/admissions office of the medical schools that interest you for the definitive answer as to expiration of coursework. Some schools don't care and others will want more recent coursework but you won't know if you don't ask about this specifically.

 

[gman33]

Agree with njbmd. The first step is to find out what is covered in Physics II at the school where you will be taking it. I took my two semesters of BIO at 2 different schools and the material was taught in different orders at each school; ie BIO 1 at school 1 was the same as BIO 2 at school 2.
If I hadn't found this out before my transcript would have looked okay, but I would have had problems with the MCAT when I didn't know half the material.

I usually recommend a conservative approach, so I'd retake Phys I and then start from there. You might be able to do okay without a retake, but why take the chance. The refresher would only help in your MCAT prep and in your performance in the second semester. I wouldn't want you to end up with a C or something and then realize you should have retaken the course.

 

[Weoh]

About 10 years separated my Physics 1 and Physics 2 classes. As long as you've never really had a problem with the subject, you shouldn't really anticipate a problem. Of course, you will still have to pay your dues with the HW and practice probs-- but if you can grasp it conceptually, that shouldn't be too big a deal. As far as it goes for the application to med school, the time in between the courses won't really matter (my classes were 10 years apart and I've gotten several acceptances).

That said, for MCAT prep you can always brush up on Physics 1 material by taking a prep course or using other MCAT prep materials. Keep in mind that these are just review materials, so they won't go into any great depth. But then again, you don't really need to know EVERYTHING to do well on the MCAT. If you feel uneasy with any of the science material given the time out of undergrad, I would suggest one of the review courses where you actually attend some classes. Some of what you learn in those classes for dealing with the MCAT could also be helpful in your prereq classes.

Good luck!

 

[LO281OK]

I retook Ochem I before taking Ochem II when coming back to school to complete my premed courses. It helped immensely and I would say the same would be true for you in the sense that it will also be prep time for the MCAT.

 

[thoffen]

Usually the subject matter is completely separate. I would worry most about getting in the swing of doing math problems and understanding calculus if your class is calculus-based. Physics II is a bit more conceptual, so try to understand what's going on at a deeper level. Understand how things in equations relate to each other, as these are much more likely to be tested on the MCAT than a problem that requires memorizing an equation.

 

[montessori2md]

Agree w/ njbmd, but would also recommend that you take the physics section of the free practice MCAT offered on the AAMC site (click on MCAt and follow links for practice test). That particular exam (3R?) happens to be heavy on 1st semester physics questions (projectile motion type stuff), so would help you assess your abilities w/ some accuracy.

 

[NE Ohio Penguin]

you might want to retake physics 1. Schools want current grades within (at most) 5 years. Check with your undergrad school to see if your first physics count towards anything. I tutor a student similar to your situation, and he had retake physics 1 because it was too outdated to count towards any current degrees. Good luck to you. Don't give up!!