AP credit used for Medical School Applications

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Lawyer101

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I have AP credit that makes me exempt from some classes in my college. If I retake classes like Physics and Chem, they will not count for my college GPA but will they still count for Medical School Applications?

Thanks.

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Your best bet is to ask your advisor and/or registrar how the AP credit appears on your transcript. Some institutions flag courses fulfilled under AP credit on your transcript as "AP-fulfilled," while others just record them as being completed with no notes. My uni does it the latter way, though they make students take the lab components of those science courses before putting it on your transcript. Also, I know some of the med schools I am applying to specifically require pre-reqs to be done at 4-year institutions (not AP credit or CC), so it'd be worth looking into requirements for schools you might be interested in applying to in a few years.
 
By and large med schools are mostly all okay with AP credit to fulfill pre-reqs. I'm not sure what you mean by "they will not count towards my college GPA" as AP credit is not attached to a letter grade when acknowledged/counted by colleges/med schools. Thus if you retake a course that you have AP credit for, the actual grade will count for both your college GPA and med school GPA. I suggest you not do this, as it's a waste of time and potentially damaging.
 
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They will definitely count towards your GPA, regardless of whether or not you have AP credit for the courses.


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One option is to take more advanced electives in those subjects to demonstrate your capability. Many schools will only take AP Chem credits if there is an advanced Chem elective like biochem or inorganic.
 
That is incorrect. AP courses and acceptance can be quite confusing as they vary across schools and even within schools. Here are some general guidelines but all these must be confirmed on each school's website.

1) Some schools will allow some AP courses but not others

Example Weill Cornell Medical College http://weill.cornell.edu/education/admissions/app_req.html

Advanced Placement credit. AP credit from high school can be used to satisfy the WCMC requirement in physics. AP credit in other areas cannot be used to satisfy the WCMC requirement. If a student has AP credit in an area other than physics, the student fulfills the WCMC requirement by completing advanced science coursework.

2) Many schools will not accept them as full and complete fulfillment of prerequisites. Some do.

Example will NOT accept: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University http://www.rowan.edu/coopermed/students/admissions/prerequisites.php

No AP/IB credits may be used in place of an actual course, even if the undergraduate institution grants a credit for the AP coursework. Upper level coursework in the same subject area may replace the listed prerequisite. (Note: All science courses used to satisfy a prerequisite must include a laboratory component, so online coursework will not be acceptable to substitute for hands-on lab credit).


Example Will Accept AP: NYMC https://www.nymc.edu/Academics/SchoolOfMedicine/Admissions/PremedicalCourseworkRequirements.html

All courses offered in satisfaction of the premed requirements for admission must be taken at, or accepted as transfer credits by, an accredited college in the United States or Canada and must be acceptable to that institution toward a baccalaureate degree in arts or sciences. (This includes Advanced Placement courses taken in high school.)


3) Many schools will accept the fulfillment of the course (ie general bio, general chem) but not the credits as counting towards 2 years of Bio, 2 years of Chem and therefore require additional upper level coursework.

4) Many "recommend" additional course to be competitive

Example: SUNY Upstate (http://www.upstate.edu/com/admissions/faqs.php)

"Yes, as long as you were awarded college credit and the course(s) are listed on an official transcript from your primary undergraduate institution. The Admissions Committee recommends that you also complete advanced science coursework in order to be competitive for admission."

Example: SUNY Downstate http://sls.downstate.edu/admissions/com/requirements.html

Do we accept AP credits for our prerequisites?

If your undergraduate college has awarded you AP credits and the credits are listed on your transcript, we will also accept your AP credits to fulfill our prerequisites if the course is listed by subject title on your final official college transcript. However, in order for the Admissions Committee to consider you to be competitive for admission, you should take advanced level science course work equivalent to the number of credit hours which have been accepted for AP prerequisites.
I'm aware of this. I was more trying to show OP that he has no need to retake something he apparently already has credit for. However, AP credit is still a pretty widely accepted thing--not 100% to be sure, and sometimes med schools would want additional upper levels, but still useful in some capacity at the very least.
 
They will definitely count towards your GPA, regardless of whether or not you have AP credit for the courses.


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This inherently untrue. My AP credits counted as AP credits and nothing more. There was no grade attached to it as it's basically impossible to give a letter grade to something not earned at an accredited institution. It shows on my transcript that I got credit for the class through AP credit.
 
By and large med schools are mostly all okay with AP credit to fulfill pre-reqs. I'm not sure what you mean by "they will not count towards my college GPA" as AP credit is not attached to a letter grade when acknowledged/counted by colleges/med schools. Thus if you retake a course that you have AP credit for, the actual grade will count for both your college GPA and med school GPA. I suggest you not do this, as it's a waste of time and potentially damaging.

Thanks for the tip. I meant for my university my counselor said it wouldn't count for my "university gpa" (because of duplication of classes). It seems comments here say it will be calculated by med/graduate school and they will look at it even if my undergrad doesn't.
 
Thanks for the tip. I meant for my university my counselor said it wouldn't count for my "university gpa" (because of duplication of classes). It seems comments here say it will be calculated by med/graduate school and they will look at it even if my undergrad doesn't.
I can assure you that having AP credit will not prevent these classes from counting towards your college GPA. Your counselor is wrong
 
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