AP credit

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LadyLightning20

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So I went to an AP-crazy high school (read: I came in with 50-some AP credits.) and am currently at a state school that accepted all those.
I got credit for all my basic sciences (placed out of the first year of bio, chem, physics, and math) with for my major means that I needed a year of organic, some biochem, and some upper-level bio courses.

My problem is this: most of the schools I apply to have really basic matriculation requirements, like a year of physics, and will only accept AP credit for a semester or not at all. Since physics was NOT my forte, I really feel like the solution is to find some physics class for idiots and just take it to fill their semester requirement.

Anyway - I can take conceptual physics (the course description said it was conceptual, not mathematical, and designed for non-science majors, so I could probably do really well in that) but I just found out that there is a basic astro course offered by the physics department that I could take as well. Will this count as physics? Or do I have to call individual schools and ask?
 
So I went to an AP-crazy high school (read: I came in with 50-some AP credits.) and am currently at a state school that accepted all those.
I got credit for all my basic sciences (placed out of the first year of bio, chem, physics, and math) with for my major means that I needed a year of organic, some biochem, and some upper-level bio courses.

My problem is this: most of the schools I apply to have really basic matriculation requirements, like a year of physics, and will only accept AP credit for a semester or not at all. Since physics was NOT my forte, I really feel like the solution is to find some physics class for idiots and just take it to fill their semester requirement.

Anyway - I can take conceptual physics (the course description said it was conceptual, not mathematical, and designed for non-science majors, so I could probably do really well in that) but I just found out that there is a basic astro course offered by the physics department that I could take as well. Will this count as physics? Or do I have to call individual schools and ask?

I think you will have to call and ask. I don't understand the "one year of x subject" to mean take any class you want in that subject. To me, that means one year of introductory physics (aka what you take for the MCAT). You really need to call some schools (maybe not every one) but at least a few to get a general idea. Unfortunately this is the down-side to taking AP that no one tells you about in high school.
 
So I went to an AP-crazy high school (read: I came in with 50-some AP credits.) and am currently at a state school that accepted all those.
I got credit for all my basic sciences (placed out of the first year of bio, chem, physics, and math) with for my major means that I needed a year of organic, some biochem, and some upper-level bio courses.

My problem is this: most of the schools I apply to have really basic matriculation requirements, like a year of physics, and will only accept AP credit for a semester or not at all. Since physics was NOT my forte, I really feel like the solution is to find some physics class for idiots and just take it to fill their semester requirement.

Anyway - I can take conceptual physics (the course description said it was conceptual, not mathematical, and designed for non-science majors, so I could probably do really well in that) but I just found out that there is a basic astro course offered by the physics department that I could take as well. Will this count as physics? Or do I have to call individual schools and ask?



To be safe, you might as well call each school and ask. But it's been my experience so far (and anecdotally, somewhat common) that MD/PhD committees don't really care if you satisfy each nitpicky admissions requirement of the medical school. I think as long as your application is strong and you rock the MCAT to demonstrate proficiency in a subject, etc., you will be fine. Perhaps one or two schools will reject you for some silly requirement, but it's definitely not worth going out of your way to take all sorts of introductory courses simply because they're listed on the website.
 
I got a 36T on the MCAT (13 PS 11 VR 12 BS) so I think that will probably demonstrate proficiency.

Thanks for the help, I'll just start calling schools.
 
another word of advice, they will usually accept a higher level class int he subject to replace the requirements, but not lower level ones. the conceptual physics class probably wont' work, although i could be wrong.
 
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