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I've looked through lots of forums but I'm getting confused the more I read it.
So I understand some schools take AP credit for fulfilling pre-med requirements and some don't. For example, Feinberg School of Medicine (Northwestern) takes AP credit to fulfill the pre-med course requirements even though they expect to see advanced courses in science.
Now in some other instances, they don't OR rather worded a bit confusing (maybe it's just me). Harvard for instance says the following specifications:
Biology: "Advanced placement credits cannot be used to satisfy this requirement; upper-level courses should be taken if students have been granted advanced placement credits."
My interpretation -> can't just use AP to throw bio requirement out the window, but if used, upper-bio can be used to fulfill. I took genetics, microbiology, homeostasis/immunology, & other bio courses. Does that fulfill it?
Chemistry: "Advanced placement credits that enable students to take an upper-level course may be used to meet one semester equivalent of this requirement as long as students demonstrate mastery of biologically relevant general and organic chemistry and biochemistry."
My interpretation -> again, can't just use AP to skip general chem. 1 semester waived, but 1 upper chem must be taken to fulfill 1 year inorganic chem requirement? I skipped Gen. Chem altogether. Finished 1 yr OChem + lab, and did 1 year of Biochem (chem department offered course) but no lab. Does that fulfill it?
Physics: "Advanced placement credits that enable students to take an upper-level course may be used to meet one semester equivalent of this requirement as long as students demonstrate mastery of the principles of biologically relevant physics."
My interpretation -> just like chem, can't just use AP to skip physics. 1 semester waived, but 1 general physics course must be taken? Now comes the confusing part because on AP Physics C exam, I got credit for 1st semester (mechanics) but didn't do well on the 2nd semester (E&M) test. So at my college, I skipped 1st semester (mechanics), but took course for 2nd semester calculus based physics (E&M) at my college. Then does my 1 semester credit waived because of AP and 1 semester course I took at my university fulfill this 1 year physics requirement?
Math: "Advanced placement calculus credits may satisfy the calculus component of this requirement (Calculus AB and/or Calculus BC). A course in statistics will not satisfy the calculus component of this requirement."
My interpretation -> I skipped 1 year calc because of 5 on AP Calc BC. I couldn't fit biostatistics in my schedule, but took regular statistics course to fulfill statistics requirement so I should be good right?
Writing: "Advanced placement credits cannot be used to satisfy this requirement." & "Humanities or social science courses involving substantial expository writing will satisfy this requirement"
My interpretation -> I skipped 1 semester of 1st year English due to ACT score. I took 2nd semester English at my college, but also took intro sociology, psychology, and anthropology; 1 semester each. So would that fulfill this requirement?
HMS is my dream med school I've always wanted to attend. If I must take more classes, so be it, I will take it. But I want to spend more time on exploring other interesting options rather than taking courses unless I must take them.
Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to make sure I explain everything in detail... Thanks for reading!
Harvard is weird because they're moving to competency-based admissions but they'll still give you a sheet on interview day and ask you to fill in how you met the "requirements." If you meet it in another way, such as doing a lot of statistical modeling/analysis for various research projects, you can write that on there.
Do they do this for the HST program (specifically for Linear Algebra). That's the only class I got a D in, but I understand the material just fine and received a much higher grade in an advanced class. I keep thinking that in the completely ridiculous chance that I somehow got an interview, I'd need to retake that class...