AP credit

[neurotiger]

I'm currently applying to MD/PhD programs and choosing my schools, and just found note on UCLA's website that they don't accept advanced placement credit .

According to my undergrad. school (big name), I've fulfilled the pre-med requirements. However, I replaced the physics requirement with an upper-level physics class, took a statistics class after being excused from calculus, and replaced gen. chemistry with biochemistry. Does anyone know how stringent UCLA is (should I scratch them the program off my list)? Are there other schools which will frown upon this? It's making me a little nervous, though our pre-med advising committee thinks it's fine...

Thanks for any suggestions!

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[Lactic Folly]

I would contact them and ask.. better to know now than later if you can apply or not.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

Good afternoon,

Read the following threads:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65379
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39707

Yours,

 

[BandGeek]

I saw the same notice on the University of Minnesota page. I wrote the director and they indicated that if AP was accepted by your university they would as well.

 

[Newquagmire]

Some schools take AP credit only if it appears on the official transcript. Others take AP credit only if you take an upper-level class in the same subject. At least one lets you substitute any upper-level science class. Some don't take any at all. Moral of the story: ask the program.

As far as physics goes, a lot of programs are much more lax for that subject than they would be for biology or chemistry (for example).

 

[ptiger]

This really depends on each individual school. My undergraduate institution does list AP scores on the transcript, but I still ran into problems. One school would only give me 1 semester of credit for my AP chemistry exam. Since I placed out of general chem at my college, I never took freshman chem. This med school informed me that before I could matriculate I would have to take freshman chemistry with lab over the summer. Yeah, right!

My advice -- check with each individual program. Most will be very willing to answer your questions.

 

[neurotiger]

After some minor detective work, the pre-med office on campus claims that MSTP programs are slightly more lenient than medical school and that no one has ever been denied an interview for accepting AP credit...in terms of what happens after that, there are no guarantees. In other words, if they want you badly enough, they'll take you despite the advanced placement. I applied to UCLA anyhow; we'll see how it goes.

ptiger, which school was that?

 

[noy]

I have the same problems_here!

With AP credit in Bio, Physics, and Chem I would have a big problem, but I took lots of upper level science for my engineering degree, so I am ok with Phys/Chem.

However, I'm hoping they will be allright with me taking bio courses as I am applying - some schools prefer all prereqs to be done before apps are in, some are ok with doing it the fall semester, and some don't care when at all.

I figure that if they want me badly enough, they will look past it... I'm hoping thats not too cocky.

ALTHOUGH:

Someone had informed me that the course requirements were for medical licensing, not just the med school's own edification - eg the state's rules for becoming a licensed practicioner - has anyone heard anything of this sort from an official source?

 

[Neuronix]

It sounds like you're doing the right things noy. No school I know of requires all pre-reqs to be done by the time you interview. It's almost always (always?) by the time you matriculate, and they just make your matriculation contigent on successful completion of those pre-requisites.

Also, as far as I know, medical licensing dictates what courses and rotations you must do in medical school. I really don't think they care about undergrad coursework.

You're right to assume that schools will overlook alot of things. Sometimes the policies are just silly and they recognize that... But, sometimes you might get burned too. It depends on the circumstances.

 

[ninebillion]

Bumping this for 2005 applicants.

How did applications turn out for those of you who had AP credit for the core premedical requirements? Did you still receive interviews/acceptances at schools that ostensibly refuse AP credit? Anyone know if UCLA budges on their requirement?

Edit: Never mind on the UCLA thing, I read the threads JPaikman linked to in his post and got my answer. But how about other schools? Harvard, Hopkins?