"No requirements for (certain) Medical School"? Am I hearing this right?

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DaymanNightman

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Ok, so I just found out something a little off and I'm not sure if I'm thinking what I just read right now. So, when I posted about the "Alumnus connections" post about a few minutes to milliseconds ago, I decided to read up USC's admissions policies in regards to it. However, I decided to check out it's Keck medical school site and when I looked for the requirements for medical school, and I couldn't find any specific classes that are required for all pre-meds. But, I read the words "Applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited college or university prior to matriculation. Effective now, the school has no specific course requirements" (directly from the site: http://keck.usc.edu/About/Administrative_Offices/Office_of_MD_Admissions/Admissions_Process.aspx). I also read here on studentdoc's article that not every school has a "set requirement" and all school vary in requirements. In fact, I even recall that there was a school that didn't require the MCAT, but I suspect this might be a hoax or a really low quality medical school because I know you need to apply through AMCAS, which usually requires the MCAT (I believe?). Besides this, am I thinking on what I just read or did I just misunderstood a simple sentence?

Note: Assuming that there are people out there berating unmotivated individuals such as myself, I am not implying that I'm attempting to find an "easy way" in to med school, because this accusation has come up before (just not on this site or this computer). I want to make it clear that I am suffering as much as every student out there and having lament through tons of coursework just to make my transcript pristine, and I have no intent of cheating into the medical career. I just wanted to ask this question because clearly I'm somewhat confused about the admissions policies of USC and, possibly, other schools out there that may have a similar policy, and I just wanted someone to help me clarify if I'm understanding what I'm reading on the schools' sites.
 
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I'm pretty sure Central Michigan's med school (where I'm starting) doesn't require physics, according to their site. I know this doesn't answer your question, but I thought it was interesting (who wouldn't take physics though?)
 
Ok, so I just found out something a little off and I'm not sure if I'm thinking what I just read right now. So, when I posted about the "Alumnus connections" post about a few minutes to milliseconds ago, I decided to read up USC's admissions policies in regards to it. However, I decided to check out it's Keck medical school site and when I looked for the requirements for medical school, I read the words "Applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited college or university prior to matriculation. Effective now, the school has no specific course requirements" (directly from the site: http://keck.usc.edu/About/Administrative_Offices/Office_of_MD_Admissions/Admissions_Process.aspx). I also read here on studentdoc's article that not every school has a "set requirement" and all school vary in requirements. In fact, I even recall that there was a school that didn't require the MCAT, but I suspect this might be a hoax or a really low quality medical school because I know you need to apply through AMCAS, which usually requires the MCAT (I believe?). Besides this, am I thinking on what I just read or did I just misunderstood a simple sentence?

Very interesting... But here's where it gets you, you need most of those classes for the MCAT minus Orgo 2.

I saw schools that don't require the MCAT advertising on the site, but they are low-level Caribbean schools.

Also, I would be cautious about such a "lack" of requirements. People who take the sequence plus additional cpurses might be looked upon more kindly. It might be like the lack of a volunteering "requirement," but we all know how easily you will get into medical school without it.
 
Very interesting... But here's where it gets you, you need most of those classes for the MCAT minus Orgo 2.

I saw schools that don't require the MCAT advertising on the site, but they are low-level Caribbean schools.

Also, I would be cautious about such a "lack" of requirements. People who take the sequence plus additional cpurses might be looked upon more kindly. It might be like the lack of a volunteering "requirement," but we all know how easily you will get into medical school without it.

Makes sense, but it'd be kind of easy for those who are willing to just audit classes to make it up, although it'd be kind of moot because you might as well sign up for the classes lol. But don't you actually need volunteering? I know it "provides you with the experience in the field of healthcare", which I actually kind of agree with...
 
Yes in my research I actually found ONE school in the US that doesnt have any preset requirements other than the baccalaureate degree and an MCAT less than 2 years old. They said they changed it this year because of the up coming changes to medical school curriculum and what they are looking for in a candidate. Essentially changing how they look at the overall applicant and the type of applicant they admit... now they still want u to be competitive but they have different criteria they look at to be considered competitive.. btw this is an MD program. Its not a new program .... been open for over 8 years .. and its not a public school.. it is fully accredited and yes I am definitely applying here 🙂
 
So, essentially, it's basically saying "you don't have to take the pre-req classes and the only thing we want is your letters or recommendations, MCAT scores and grades"? I still don't know whether or not if this is too good to be true though, especially for a high ranked school like USC.
 
So, essentially, it's basically saying "you don't have to take the pre-req classes and the only thing we want is your letters or recommendations, MCAT scores and grades"? I still don't know whether or not if this is too good to be true though, especially for a high ranked school like USC.

Yes there are no "official" requirement but you are expected to still take a rigorous course load.

It's just there these next few years while they figure what new requirements with the new MCAT.
 
Here's the thing though - it makes no difference if you plan to apply to any other school but Keck. You have to meet the requirements for the most demanding school you apply to. The less rigorous ones will fall under its umbrella.
 
I'm pretty sure Central Michigan's med school (where I'm starting) doesn't require physics, according to their site. I know this doesn't answer your question, but I thought it was interesting (who wouldn't take physics though?)

No physics? That's blasphemous! (lol) But yeah, that is really strange, although it's listed as a "highly recommended course" on their list and, in a way, it does kind of answer my question though.
 
Makes sense, but it'd be kind of easy for those who are willing to just audit classes to make it up, although it'd be kind of moot because you might as well sign up for the classes lol. But don't you actually need volunteering? I know it "provides you with the experience in the field of healthcare", which I actually kind of agree with...

I don't think there is any strict volunteering requirement since that is practically impossible. I think he means that an applicant is not required to take the classes but the other 8000 applicants have and it's easy to see which ones will fare better.
 
also, since there are not any "set requirements" you still MAY need those "unsaid requirements" to do well on the MCAT and in their M1 - M2 curriculum.
.... (who wouldn't take physics though?)
Maybe an Anthropology major or a Music major? :/
 
McMaster University here in Ontario has no prerequisite courses. In fact, the only section of your MCAT they look at is VR. They give you the formula they use for applicants so I don't believe there's any favouring going on for those with the prereqs anyway.

That being said, a non-science major may struggle in the pre-clinical years but their reasoning seems to be that they demonstrated excellency in terms of undergrad marks and through an interview, proved that they had the characteristics of a good doctor.
 
"The University of Virginia School of Medicine no longer has required pre-requisite courses

We have no science or humanities requirements. However, it is recommended that students consider courses in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Human Behavior and Statistics as students find these courses to be helpful during medical school."

http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/ed...sions/the-uva-som-1/general-requirements.html
 
i believe Tulane and Cincinnati don't have requirements either.

but I'd say ignore them at your peril. a high number of medical schools don't actually require abachelors degree either, but you'd be hard pressed to find many matriculants without one.
 
I think even Penn doesn't have required classes. They do provide an outline for "requisite knowledge and skills." Basically, even for schools without set requirements, you will be expected to have taken those classes or something comparable. Its just that there is so much variability between the coursework at different schools. For instance, does somebody have to take an English class to learn how to write? At my school, English classes typically involved the fewest papers...

http://www.med.upenn.edu/admiss/admissions1.html
 
But does anyone have any speculation as to why some schools like USC, U Penn, University of Virginia and listed above doesn't require any prerequisite classes besides to prepare for the MCAT? I just called USC's admissions and the admissions officer literally just told me "As long as you get a bachelor's degree with MCAT scores, then you can apply, even if you don't take all the classes listed by MSAR". It seems like the schools are testing applicants to see if they know what they're doing (Of course I know it's very competitive, who wouldn't want to apply to these schools?)
 
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