Bio, chem and physics requirements? SF Bay area

[mckenna]

Hi All,
Your stories are very inspiring! I have a very similar back ground. I have an BSEE from India and MSEE from Purdue(IN). I am now thinking of Med school -as I realize that has been my passion all along!

Can you help me with the following:
a) How many credits are required in chemsitry?
I have 8 credits from my undergrad.

b) How many credits are required in bio?
I have 10 credits in pipeline for this quarter

c) How many credits in phy?
I have 11 credits from my undergrad

d) Math?
I think I have way too many, so no worries!

Does it matter if I get my remaining credits(in bio and chem) from a commmunity college(CC) ?

Any online schools? Any evening/weekend schools in SF Bay area?

Thanks and wish you the very best with your M school!

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[droz1]

I asked the same question myself and I was told to get my pre-reqs at a 4-year college. A lot of MD schools will accept CC credits but most of them prefer you take them at a 4-year school. But since you can't get in without those pre-reqs, it is acceptable to take them at a CC if you can't get them at a 4-year school.

Online classes are different, I think. I have only checked with UCF and FAU but in their website they specifically state that they do not accept online credits. I would investigate more before taking any online classes.

 

[mckenna]

Thanks droz!

Do you know exactly how many credits are required in bio? and in chem?

Also if anyone wants to share phone numbers, so we can compare notes, please send me a pm(private msg)

 

[droz1]

They usually require

General Biology - 2 Semesters
General Chemistry - 2 Semesters
Organic Chemistry - 2 Semesters
General Physics - 2 Semesters

In most schools this translates to 8 credits of each. These are the requirements but they recommend you also take more advanced classes like embryology, anatomy, genetics, etc.

 

[DrMidlife]

Look for posts by ScottishChap and others who completed their undergrad outside the US. You'll find the following to be their advice:

Don't give one more reason for adcoms to question the rigor of your studies by going to a CC. Your undergrad transcript has to be evaluated by a 3rd party and that's starting from behind. Go to a rigorous, bricks-and-mortar school, even if it means you have to quit your job. (Mills has the best reputation for postbac work in the Bay area, and there are other options - see the postbac forum.)

All the prereqs need to be completed at a US school. Any chem you did in India has to be repeated here.

You need to complete a full year, with labs, of the prereqs. There are typically also English, math, humanities and upper division science requirements which may or may not need to be done in the US.

Best of luck to you.

 

[mckenna]

Thanks Droz1 and DrMidlife!
Do we know anyone in the forum who got admission with CC credits and international credits? Is applying with international credits in bio and/or chem a absolute no-no?

I saw a post(a success note) from someone(unable to locate it now) who had international credits and a 38 on MCAT. Is he an exception? Or is high MCAT score mandatory to compensate for any weakness in academic background(intl credits)?

Postbacc would be rather long for me - remember non-trad means not-young

So, if there is precedence(successful candidates with similar background), I want to avoid going the postbacc route. Anybody out there?

Thanks
Mckenna

 

[LoneCoyote]

4 year schools are generally seen as better. If you want a lower cost alternative to Mills in the Bay Area look into San Francisco State. They have a very well-known post-bac program with lots of non-trad students.