complete post-bacc before application?

[gullonpick]

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i'm just getting started, and i haven't been able to find an answer to this question after much searching.

i'm going to start taking pre-req classes this fall, and apply next summer/fall for the class incoming in 2011. i'll have almost all my classes done by next summer, but there may be a few overhanging pre-reqs that i may not have done by the time i apply to med schools.

is that OK? do i have to get all pre-reqs done BEFORE i apply? does it vary from school to school? the schools don't seem to differentiate whether you've already taken the classes or if you have them in progress or planned for the future.

 

[drizzt3117]

you just have to have them done by the time you matriculate, however, you should have the core prereqs done (i.e. bio/physics/gchem/ochem)

 

[gullonpick]

you just have to have them done by the time you matriculate, however, you should have the core prereqs done (i.e. bio/physics/gchem/ochem)

is that recommended, or required? is there some place somewhere that says that?

 

[NewmansOwn]

Well the recommended/required line is a bit fuzzy for med school admission. You certainly are permitted to apply without having completed the prereqs, so long as you'll have them done before you theoretically matriculate, but to be quite honest the odds are slim to none you'll be admitted without the medical school in question having seen the grades for your prereqs.

Another issue -- when will you be taking the MCAT? If you're planning on applying before you complete the prereqs, you certainly must be taking the MCAT well before you finish the classes. This has been done and you can certainly teach yourself some of the material on your own, but it's a really tough road to take.

 

[DrMidlife]

Agree w/Newman's.

Leaving the MCAT aside for a moment, here's what happens with coursework. When you fill out AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMDSAS, you list every course you've ever taken, and you also list every course you're expecting to take. After this point, it's up to you to keep every school updated on any deviations from your plan, and to update schools on your grades. When a school is looking at your app, they're looking at 4-5 years of coursework and an MCAT score (and lots of other things). If your GPA and MCAT are solid, they're not even going to look at uncompleted coursework. If they pay any attention at all to what you haven't completed yet, they'll just want to see that you plan to complete it. If and when you get accepted, you'll get harassed for those grades.

Now, about the MCAT. An early application is the best application, and that means you have an MCAT score in hand when you apply at the beginning of June. In my view, applying early is important enough to delay applying for a year, if the alternative is not having your MCAT score until Aug or Sept. Unless you are an anecdotal outlier, you need to complete your prereqs and THEN do test prep BEFORE you take the test. So for your planning purposes, if you want to apply for 2011 matriculation, you need to apply in June 2010, which means you need to take the MCAT in April or May of 2010, which means you need to be doing prep Jan-April of 2010, which means you need to have a light academic load Jan-April of 2010, and you need to have completed the majority of prereqs by the end of 2009.

My hunch is that with prereqs hanging over into summer 2010, you won't be ready to apply until June 2011. Don't fret over "losing a year," because any work experience and any time you spend living as a responsible, independent adult is going to add to the strength of your app. This isn't a race, and you never get to be young again.

Best of luck to you.