Do grades get old??

[mimi1]

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I had someone tell me that my undergrad grades would be "old" once I apply to medschools, implying that it wasn't good. This seems weird since by the time I apply, I will have only been out of school (undergrad) for 2 years. What do you guys think?

By the way, the person who told me this was a pre-med advisor.

 

[lola]

i think that is silly. grades do not get old -- especially only 2 years out of undergrad. they better not get old, because some of mine are 8 or 9 years old.

 

[jot]

that seems to be completely incorrect, because plenty of people apply quite displaced from college. if you haven't taken the mcats, then it could be a problem because you will have to restudy material. nevertheless, the grades themselves will still be valid.

 

[none]

Grades don't get old in the sense MCAT scores get old, but medical schools do expect to see recent college work if it's been around five years since you completed your degree. Two years should be perfectly fine, if you're willing to give up two years of a physician's salary that is. Remember, you're not taking money off your first two earning years, you're taking it off the last two.

 

[DrMom]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by none:
•... medical schools do expect to see recent college work if it's been around five years since you completed your degree.•••••This isn't necesarily true. It really depends on how you did in college, what your major was, what you've been doing in the meantime, etc. It's also going to depend on the preferences of the individual school. If you have all of your prereqs out of the way and did well in them I wouldn't worry. I would use your time in between college and med school application doing something worthwhile, though.

While the grades don't expire, if there are significant changes in the subject area while you are off the school may want you to retake it. ie: if you took genetics or immunology in 1985 it wouldn't compare to the info taught now.

 

[sorrento]

Originally posted by none:
•Remember, you're not taking money off your first two earning years, you're taking it off the last two.•

This is beside the point. If you want to take two years off, do it. Your grades will be fine - as others have said, just try to take the MCAT while the material is still fresh. If it's already been two years and you're feeling a little fuzzy on that o-chem, enroll in a prep program (if you can afford it) or get ahold of some good independent study books.

 

[VictoriaKB]

It actually depends on the school. Most schools don't have a requirement but I know of at least one school in Georgia that does. Mercer requires that all basic sciences be within the last seven years (or at least that is what it states on their website). So, just check with the schools you are applying to.

 

[paean]

Many schools want you to have completed your pre-req's or some other science classes not-too-long before med school. The maximum time elapsed seems to vary, but the range I remember is about 5-10 years. This is something you should check in the MSAR and admissions websites, but don't worry too much about it. Many of us are accepted with records that show we have the necessary background and study habits, but don't exactly fit the rules spelled out by admissions.