Course Exemptions

[BluePhoenix]

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Hello all,

I'm currently a PhD student due to graduate in a few months and I'm thinking of switching and heading to med school. It's not recent, I've been pondering it close to 5 years now. Anyway, I'm wondering if I'll need to take more classes, or how experience affects that. While technically my degree will be in material science, my project involves significant amounts of chemistry and biology. I've taken all the required chemistry courses, with the exception of orgo lab and I have 1 semester of bio, 1 graded semester of grad level biochem, and 1 grad registration credit for biochem.

Also, when calculating the science grad average...do they include EVERY and ALL science classes?...

 

[njbmd]

In calculating the undergradute GPA, BCMP is separated out and presented a separate GPA. This can help folks who majored in science as an undergrad because they have more hours contributing to this BCMP GPA compared to an english major who likely has less (generally the pre-med pre-reqs and little more). Three hours of C over a total of 60 hours drops the GPA less than 3 hours of C spread over 24 hours.

In terms of graduate GPA, it's one GPA and it is calculated by including every course that you have taken within the confines of a graduate program. Science versus non-science doesn't matter. It's graduate GPA period. A 4.0 graduate GPA in english is a 4.0 graduate GPA and a 3.5 graduate GPA in chemistry is a 3.5 graduate GPA. You may get some "sympathy points" by having the physical science GPA but graduate GPA is one number.

 

[chemphd]

Hi there🙂

I'm in a similar situation (do biology, chem PhD student). As far as my bio requirement goes, I called the schools I'm planning to apply to and talked with their admissions directors (if the person answering the phone wasn't able to help me)- for all except 1 school, they said that my lab work met the requirement. It might be a good idea to try calling them to see what you really need to do for the schools you're interested in.

Good luck

 

[owlet]

Hi there,
I have a PhD in Chemical Physics and a post-doc in Physics and have just completed the application cycle for 2006-07 😛 I found that schools were *much* more interested in my undergraduate work than in my graduate work and that the PhD didn't really help. I also found that, MCAT scores (39R), undergrad GPA (3.7), and lots of EC's didn't make up for being a non-traditional applicant, as I also took time off to have children before applying. Although I was accepted at respectable places and will probably end up going to my state school (NM, so far my husband hasn't been able to find a faculty position in theoretical biology in the cities where I have been accepted), I didn't get interviews at many schools where the average MCATs and GPAs were far lower than mine. One person on the admissions committee at an unnamed school informed a colleague of my husband's who is on the faculty there that I wasn't considered because of my non-traditional status. While I am happy with my options and really don't want to go anywhere where I will be treated badly because they don't approve of older students, I wish the situation were different and that my experience were seen in a positive light. After all I have already proven my ability to do first-class research.
Enough rambling... Good luck, and do a little research to find out which schools will be more interested in your talents and proven ability than in your age.

 

[BluePhoenix]

I had been told that a lot of med schools, particularly ones that are big on research, actually like people with PhD and publications and such. I would assume that applies more towards PhDs in medically related areas. I'm hoping that through my research and coursework, it'll somewhat show a transition towards medicine. At the beginning of my undergrad I was hardcore engineering/physics but my research has been progressively more medical so it's not like I've been completely removed from medicine. I work in a radiology center using multiple MRI scanners and I have a patent for the development of a new MRI contrast agent (basically my thesis).

My UG GPA is ok (3.5 overall)...I haven't yet taken the MCAT yet but I'm not worried about it.

It is nice to hear other people's experiences to get an idea of anything that helps an app.

 

[Scottish Chap]

I had been told that a lot of med schools, particularly ones that are big on research, actually like people with PhD and publications and such. I would assume that applies more towards PhDs in medically related areas. I'm hoping that through my research and coursework, it'll somewhat show a transition towards medicine. At the beginning of my undergrad I was hardcore engineering/physics but my research has been progressively more medical so it's not like I've been completely removed from medicine. I work in a radiology center using multiple MRI scanners and I have a patent for the development of a new MRI contrast agent (basically my thesis).

My UG GPA is ok (3.5 overall)...I haven't yet taken the MCAT yet but I'm not worried about it.

It is nice to hear other people's experiences to get an idea of anything that helps an app.

This is true - biological research. For most state schools, it won't matter. They generally just care about grades and MCAT.