My "core science" classes won't be graded? How will schools view this?

[SciClin]

This is quite a specific scenario, so I apologize if the (# of people helped) : (effort put in to answer question) ratio is rather small.

My school allows students to take placement exams for nearly all "core science" classes. In short, I will not have the following classes on my transcript: intro bio, intro chem, organic 1&2, intro phys 1, Calc 1&2, Diff EQ. They're on my transcript, but I don't have grades for the classes.

Question: how will admissions committee members view this? Assuming I do relatively well in most BCPM classes, will not having formal grades in these fundamental science classes raise a red flag? Does the answer change if I am an MD/PhD applicant?

Thanks all!

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[SciClin]

in my understanding, for many schools, as long as you have upper level courses that are beyond the core courses, that should satisfy the requirement. For example, I didn't have any "intro" bio courses because of AP credit/placement exams, but I had cell bio among other upper levels and a senior bio seminar as a biochem major and from what I can tell so far from my premed advisor/emailing a couple admissions offices, this is not a problem

Cool, thanks for sharing your experience with this

 

[efle]

Be aware that testing out of all the prereqs will make the MCAT a monster. It's different stuff they cover in the upper levels.

Also note most schools require a year of [subject] with lab. So you either have to find some kind of upper level physics, chem, bio and orgo "lab" courses...or just take the prereqs instead of testing out.

 

[Hawkenthesky]

No, that is not neccessarily correct schools have specific policies regarding AP classes. This does not automatically mean these policies will also apply to exempt courses. This is compounded that each medical school will have its own policy regarding this. Some schools specifically do not allow for course substitution of higher level course for a low courses. Other schools have move to competency model without specific prereq requirement.

Now in this OPs case it sounds like he/she did not get credit for this courses but rather placed out of lower level courses. So the fact that he/she placed out of course without credit will not remove the requirement at some medical school for getting credit for these courses.

Medical Schools are somewhat hamstrung by having these policies in place and part of accreditation by LCME. Failure to then follow these policies by granting waiviers to acceptees can result in getting “dinged” on reaccreditation.

True! my experience certainly may not be universal. In my case I emailed the schools that did not explicitly suggest on their websites that upper level courses could substitute lower level requirements (or if the school was not "competency" based/obviously lenient in their prereq requirements). I would definitely recommend emailing any admissions offices for schools you're not sure about! They typically answer pretty quickly and are always very nice.

 

[SciClin]

Thanks for all your inputs, everyone. I think I should also bring this up to my school's premed advisor. I'm sure they've dealt with such situations before.

 

[getdown]

Thanks for all your inputs, everyone. I think I should also bring this up to my school's premed advisor. I'm sure they've dealt with such situations before.

Most university premed advisors are exceedingly stupid and ill informed. Skip them and go straight to asking the individual schools.

 

[efle]

Thanks for all your inputs, everyone. I think I should also bring this up to my school's premed advisor. I'm sure they've dealt with such situations before.

They might have dealt with them poorly, which happens all the time. If your goal is to score well on the MCAT and be certain you meet the lab reqs for most schools, you should really just go ahead and take the typical courses. If they're easy and boring, awesome, more time to devote to ECs like slap cup and pong