I have already graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering. I see I am missing the biology and organic chemistry (with lab) requirements. Do I have to go back to college to take those courses? Is there an easier and more affordable way of getting these requirements? Are they hard requirements for any med school, even when you have a B.S. degree?
Cheapest way to complete course requirements (chemistry + biology + lab)
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Community college would (usually) be the cheapest way, but I wouldn't recommend it. Bite the bullet and attend your local school as non-degree seeking or enroll in a BS you won't complete. And yes, you need to take them.
I would like to go back to college to study medicine. To have to go back to college to study this just so I can find out whether I will be able to go or not to med school seems like a big and risky investment in time and money.
Anyways, I was hoping I could just take a prep course for the MCAT and apply to med school in case I get a good grade. I am a good test taker. :-( :-( :-(
Is there any hope or workaround for me?
I am currently working regular business hours...
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Unfortunately there is no real way around it. You can't just take the MCAT, they need to see you have taken the pre-reqs. Med school is a big and risky investment of time and money (though the risk of not finishing and becoming a doctor is minimal once accepted) and there are no quick fixes. Sorry.
Find a school that offers the classes in the evening, or stop working/adjust your work schedule and go to school full time.
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Those classes are pretty much required, but you technically don't have to finish them before you apply.
I took the MCAT to evaluate my "appliability" when I was working, but without Orgo prereq. When it was acceptable in my calculations, I applied, and then finished my Orgo prereqs the Spring before matriculation. I quit my job for the class, because my local JuCo didn't offer night classes. The sticking point for you is being able to do well on MCAT without having taken Bio and Chem.
Obviously, the optimal solution would be to find night classes at a JuCo and then take the MCAT. If night classes are not available and you can learn Bio/Chem on your own very well, take the MCAT and push the prereq as late as possible, so you are unemployed for the last amount of time. If you cannot learn Bio/Chem on your own very well, then you would have to quit your job and take those classes before the MCAT.
I took the MCAT to evaluate my "appliability" when I was working, but without Orgo prereq. When it was acceptable in my calculations, I applied, and then finished my Orgo prereqs the Spring before matriculation. I quit my job for the class, because my local JuCo didn't offer night classes. The sticking point for you is being able to do well on MCAT without having taken Bio and Chem.
Obviously, the optimal solution would be to find night classes at a JuCo and then take the MCAT. If night classes are not available and you can learn Bio/Chem on your own very well, take the MCAT and push the prereq as late as possible, so you are unemployed for the last amount of time. If you cannot learn Bio/Chem on your own very well, then you would have to quit your job and take those classes before the MCAT.
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(I think) every school I applied to required orgo and bio. Your MCAT may be fine, but you'll be missing a per-requisite for the program. If you really want to study medicine, you've gotta jump through the same hoops as everyone else.
So you are saying that it is possible to get accepted first, then go take those classes in order to be able to enroll ??? I don't mind paying and taking these classes AS LONG AS I am sure I will make it into med school.
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With your most recent classes in the late 90's, you will significantly increase your chances of being accepted if you take them first, and have A's in sciences on recent transcripts. That, and you might not have the time to finish the pre-reqs you still need between receiving notification of acceptance and matriculation, which would result in your acceptance being rescinded.
Edit: I would go so far to say that with your GPA, if you can keep A's in the pre-reqs and get a high MCAT score, you have very low chances of not being accepted anywhere, if you apply widely.
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It IS possible to get accepted first and then take classes before you matriculate. However, considering that you are going to need to take 1 year of bio and 1 year of o chem (and you actually took 1 year of gen chem as a Computer Engineering major??), you will likely not be able to finish this AFTER acceptance and BEFORE matriculation, considering also that the earliest acceptances don't go out until October 15th (unless you do early decision, which is inherently risky) and the latest matriculation dates are something like early September of the following year. You MIGHT be able to swing it IF you get ALL the classes you need in sequence at a quarter-system institution (do winter, spring, summer) but this is ONLY if you end up going to a med school that starts in September or late August, and this is all REALLY pushing it.
Then there is the whole thing about med schools wanting to know if you can handle the rigor of medical school courses when they are considering you for admission. If you haven't taken any bio or o-chem classes AT ALL before applying to medical school, they won't really have an idea of your ability to handle their curriculum. So you may be at a disadvantage applying to medical school without those prereqs done beforehand.
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Yes, prereqs are only required for matriculation, not for acceptance (although missing prereqs are certainly not great for your application).
Assuming you can do well on the MCAT without formal classroom training (very difficult, but possible), the timing and scheduling is the highly sensitive part. Since you have to take year-long classes, you would have to start class in the Fall, at the same time as your applications. It's unlikely to receive acceptances before you start the first day of class.
What it does give you is having the MCAT as a cheap checkpoint to see if you want to spend the heavy cash for the rest of the process.
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It is possible but impractical because you could get in in March (or later) and you wouldn't have enough time to complete your prereqs. Med schools aren't going to waive prereqs like that
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You should retake all the prereqs before the MCAT, if it has been more then five years. You can technically take the MCAT and try to get accepted while finishing the prereqs, but as a non-traditional student, you'll have a tougher time getting an interview, unless you have a stellar MCAT/GPA/EC's. As for cheapest route, community college is the way to go.
Thanks for all your help. To take those missing courses would require me 30 credits. (6 x 5 credit courses). I checked Roosevelt University here in Chicago and the cost per credit is 750 dollars. Doing the math we have $22500.
I think this money speaks for itself. I would have to get into med school first, then invest that money.
Is it possible to delay your enrollment for one year, in case you get accepted?
I think this money speaks for itself. I would have to get into med school first, then invest that money.
Is it possible to delay your enrollment for one year, in case you get accepted?
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OP, you are not going to get into medical school without taking those classes. If you were missing a single 4 credit class and were taking it in the spring before matriculation you might be OK but to be lacking organic chem and biology is too much.
Roosevelt is a private school, no? What about your City Colleges of Chicago? The cost per credit hour there is $89.
Roosevelt is a private school, no? What about your City Colleges of Chicago? The cost per credit hour there is $89.
Thank you very much for that information, Lizzy.
Saoj,
Find out what you really want to do in life. If it's medicine, stick with it while you're working. I decided back in 2006 to pursue medicine (graduated undergrad in 99). I've been continuous active duty military throughout the process, but just mapped out the required pre-requisites (I was an engineering background), study for the MCAT and apply. It really goes by fast - I was ready to attend med school in 2010, but just had to delay a couple years to complete my service obligation. Most of my med school pre-reqs were done at a community college or state university. I didn't attend a lot of the classes because of my work schedule, but most of the professors were understanding. Additionally, the more time it takes you weighs more in your favor. Right now, admission committees will be questioning your change of career so close after finishing school. If you are able to prove to them that you a) can be successful in another career field, b) remain committed to completing pre-reqs and completing MCAT while juggling a work schedule and c) remain dedicated to shadowing physicians and understand what you're getting into, you'll have no problem getting in. Where you completed pre-reqs won't even come up. Good luck!
Find out what you really want to do in life. If it's medicine, stick with it while you're working. I decided back in 2006 to pursue medicine (graduated undergrad in 99). I've been continuous active duty military throughout the process, but just mapped out the required pre-requisites (I was an engineering background), study for the MCAT and apply. It really goes by fast - I was ready to attend med school in 2010, but just had to delay a couple years to complete my service obligation. Most of my med school pre-reqs were done at a community college or state university. I didn't attend a lot of the classes because of my work schedule, but most of the professors were understanding. Additionally, the more time it takes you weighs more in your favor. Right now, admission committees will be questioning your change of career so close after finishing school. If you are able to prove to them that you a) can be successful in another career field, b) remain committed to completing pre-reqs and completing MCAT while juggling a work schedule and c) remain dedicated to shadowing physicians and understand what you're getting into, you'll have no problem getting in. Where you completed pre-reqs won't even come up. Good luck!
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