how old can your pre-reqs be?

[doogyhowser]

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is there a universal expiration for pre-reqs like 10 years or something?
or is it on an individual school basis?

anyone know where to find this one out?

 

[Ol'DocToxic]

I too saw a few posts stating that there were expirations on pre-reqs. I began to look for any mention of these rules in med school info, websites, prospectuses, etc. I have only looked at the schools I applied to, but I have found no evidence that schools consider pre-reqs to have a shelf-life. I finished undergrad (gasp) 12 years ago. I did a PhD after it, which I finished 7 years ago so any classes I took as pre-reqs are at least 7 years old for bio and some chem and 13 years old for calc and physics. So far, I have not had a single school tell me that my classes were unacceptable. Furthermore, I have an interview and have received several secondaries from schools screen pre-sec. If someone can point to some evidence that shows that schools require classes to have been taken within some time period prior to application, I would be very interested in seeing it.

 

[Law2Doc]

I too saw a few posts stating that there were expirations on pre-reqs. I began to look for any mention of these rules in med school info, websites, prospectuses, etc. I have only looked at the schools I applied to, but I have found no evidence that schools consider pre-reqs to have a shelf-life. I finished undergrad (gasp) 12 years ago. I did a PhD after it, which I finished 7 years ago so any classes I took as pre-reqs are at least 7 years old for bio and some chem and 13 years old for calc and physics. So far, I have not had a single school tell me that my classes were unacceptable. Furthermore, I have an interview and have received several secondaries from schools screen pre-sec. If someone can point to some evidence that shows that schools require classes to have been taken within some time period prior to application, I would be very interested in seeing it.

I'm part of the older crowd as well and had taken a lot of the sciences a decade ago. While I have also not actually seen a specific written school requirement that prerequisites be current, when I started the process both my post-bacc program adviser and a med school admissions person independently advised me to retake all the core sciences I had taken back then as they had "expired" (but not to worry about retaking the English or Calculus)...

 

[doogyhowser]

good stuff fellas.

i haven't seen any written official expiration date either, but have been told that adcoms want to make sure you've had somewhat recent exposure to these areas to make sure you'll still be able to apply them in med school.

 

[45408]

Remember, the MCAT usually has to be taken within several years of applying, and doing well on that means you still have a mastery of the prereq subjects. I'd imagine that doing well on that would soothe any fears that you'd forgotten everything.

 

[Ol'DocToxic]

Remember, the MCAT usually has to be taken within several years of applying, and doing well on that means you still have a mastery of the prereq subjects. I'd imagine that doing well on that would soothe any fears that you'd forgotten everything.

Good point, I hadn't thought about that. I took the August '04 MCAT so that may have assuaged some of the AdComms' concerns.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

I know that Duke has a requirement that the pre-reqs be taken within 7 yrs of matriculation .....how strict they are on that requirement? I don't know

 

[Whitney]

My 2 cents:

I took my pre-reqs about 15 years ago and not one school has mentioned it at all... I've been lucky enough to have a decent amount of interviews (including one at Duke). So I don't think it matters, especially if you do pretty well on the MCAT. (On the other hand, there are some schools that I haven't heard from and maybe this has something to do with it....though I was a late applicant)

I was also told by my advisors to check each school to confirm that'd the old courses would be counted...which I never did, but I think is a very good idea.

 

[cfdavid]

Boy, I hope not. But, I did meet with an adcom person at a prospective school and she didn't say to retake the basics. She did indicate that I may have to complete 16 (up to 20) credits in sciences to show more recent academics though.

I have 2 other meetings with adcom people over the next few weeks. I want some other oppinions on this matter (my own basic prereq's were done 10-12 yrs ago). I'll reply to this when I confirm what these other schools say.