Applying to med school without O-chem?

[ru06]

Any one receive acceptances without taking o-Chem? I’m a physical therapist who wants to apply for MD programs, so not the traditional student. Im very interested in NYU and I know the pre-reqs are not required. So if anyone knows of students getting accepted without all the recommended pre-reqs, that would be great! I know there are other schools too that don’t require the pre-reqs so I’m open to feedback regarding those as well!
Im definitely open to taking o chem if it’s recommended but wanted to ask first

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[xakrinf]

O Chem is tested on the MCAT (not heavily, but still present — I know I had 2-3 questions on it) and helps lay the foundation for Biochem which is tested heavily on the MCAT. Tons of programs want O Chem, but even for those that don’t, taking it to be prepared for the MCAT might be helpful!

 

[the phenol countdown]

n=1 here but I personally wouldn't advise it, as you'll basically be giving away points on the MCAT.

I took orgo 1 and 2 lectures and only orgo 1 lab for a total of 8 credits (the cutoff for most schools) and it was pretty beneficial for both the MCAT and for biochem. And if you get through orgo 1, you might as well get through 2 since it's easier imo.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I don't think it is realistic to expect that you can do well on the MCAT without orgo. The handful of schools that don't explicitly require ortho tend to have high median MCAT, so I suspect the number of students that wind up getting in without orgo is vanishingly small.

 

[deleted1141182]

You will be severely limiting yourself when you apply to schools. While there has been a switch to competency-based requirements for some schools, many others still require specific pre-requisites. They will usually ask for 2 years of chemistry and some will specify at least organic chemistry 1.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

NYU is one of the most rigid stats wise schools on the planet. You need a top tier MCAT. And in general one of the hardest schools to get into period.

If you want to be a physician you need to take the typical courses and apply broadly.

Best wishes to you

 

[Goro]

Di NOT take shortcuts in this process

 

[Ellesandra319]

tbh i don't know how med school biochem or really any major enzymatic pathway (so like every med school class/systems process pretty much lol) would have made sense without having gone through the full gen chem/ochem/biochem course path. Not that med school classes are really ochem heavy, but there's just so much lingo and foundational/background knowledge you get in ochem that just would not remotely make sense in med school without having had it.

also my 2021 MCAT had wayyyyy more than 1-2 ochem questions LOL i wanna say like half my C/P section was ochem related but that's gonna differ exam to exam

 

[theoceanman]

There’s not shortcuts to the medical school application process and organic chemistry is probably one of the biggest topics covered in the MCAT (I mean you have sections dedicated to it) hence I highly recommend taking it regardless of wherever you apply. Best of luck, cheers!

 

[Med Ed]

Any one receive acceptances without taking o-Chem? I’m a physical therapist who wants to apply for MD programs, so not the traditional student. Im very interested in NYU and I know the pre-reqs are not required. So if anyone knows of students getting accepted without all the recommended pre-reqs, that would be great! I know there are other schools too that don’t require the pre-reqs so I’m open to feedback regarding those as well!
Im definitely open to taking o chem if it’s recommended but wanted to ask first

Pre-req requirements are a nuisance. They have to be re-discussed and re-approved on a regular basis (so someone is always unhappy with them), it takes a great deal of time to verify that everyone who is considered has met the requirements, and there is an endless stream of questions as to whether some unusual course or course combination fulfills the requirements.

The schools that have removed any pre-req requirements are basically just using the MCAT instead. And it remains true that the large majority of applicants will still take the traditional pre-reqs, both to prepare for the MCAT but also to not restrict school choice. So for now it's not an unreasonable approach for them.

To address your question, if you are confident that you can destroy the MCAT (520+) without taking O-chem, then you may have a shot at the schools that don't require it. But that move is both risky and limiting, so it's difficult to recommend.

 

[DPTtoMD23]

To maximize your chances of acceptance, you need a large school list. NYU is one of the most competitive schools in the country for medical school, and to focus entirely on one program is foolish. O-chem is a foundational course for biochemistry, which is featured heavily on the MCAT. I would absolutely recommend taking it in person plus the lab.

As a fellow PT who had a successful application cycle, I will be honest with you that it took 2 years from the time I decided to apply and actually being able to complete the application. Your PT experience is very valuable and will be explored during the process, but the degree itself doesn't short-cut you out of having to show excellence in undergraduate level coursework or remove the need to complete the formal science pre-reqs. In fact, I did a year and a half of post-bacc work including biology, chemistry, microbio, genetics, etc, to really show the ad coms I was able to handle the rigorous science material even though I had been in the workforce for years.

If you take this process seriously you should take your time, as @Goro recommends, and not immediately rush through an application