Old coursework

[Lugnut]

I have read on a few other threads about some schools having cut-offs on pre-reqs. Will the other schools consider me if I have old coursework with good GPA, Mcats, tons of clinical experience, volunteering, shadowing, good LOR's, etc.. or will most schools require me to have recent coursework to evaluate my abilities. Obtaining LOR's is the other diffuculty I can see with old coursework due to the lack of pre-med committee and/or science professors that remember me much less recommend me. Will some schools accept other LOR's from physicians and mentors that I have worked with?

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[Law2Doc]

I have read on a few other threads about some schools having cut-offs on pre-reqs. Will the other schools consider me if I have old coursework with good GPA, Mcats, tons of clinical experience, volunteering, shadowing, good LOR's, etc.. or will most schools require me to have recent coursework to evaluate my abilities. Obtaining LOR's is the other diffuculty I can see with old coursework due to the lack of pre-med committee and/or science professors that remember me much less recommend me. Will some schools accept other LOR's from physicians and mentors that I have worked with?

Some schools have actual strict cut-offs for how old is too old for the prereqs (usually 7-10 years; someone did a list on this board once upon a time -- not sure if you can find it). Others may want to see success in science courses of recent vintage. Most don't have actual rules on this, but seem to prefer more recent coursework.
All med schools I think are going to require at least some academic LORs, but are certainly open to nontrads bolstering their applications with additional LORs from employers and mentors. In general you can chase down old professors for academic LORs, or your undergrad will have some other procedure for alum.

 

[Orthodoc40]

I have read on a few other threads about some schools having cut-offs on pre-reqs. Will the other schools consider me if I have old coursework with good GPA, Mcats, tons of clinical experience, volunteering, shadowing, good LOR's, etc.. or will most schools require me to have recent coursework to evaluate my abilities. Obtaining LOR's is the other diffuculty I can see with old coursework due to the lack of pre-med committee and/or science professors that remember me much less recommend me. Will some schools accept other LOR's from physicians and mentors that I have worked with?

why can't I delete my own posts??

 

[Orthodoc40]

I have read on a few other threads about some schools having cut-offs on pre-reqs. Will the other schools consider me if I have old coursework with good GPA, Mcats, tons of clinical experience, volunteering, shadowing, good LOR's, etc.. or will most schools require me to have recent coursework to evaluate my abilities. Obtaining LOR's is the other diffuculty I can see with old coursework due to the lack of pre-med committee and/or science professors that remember me much less recommend me. Will some schools accept other LOR's from physicians and mentors that I have worked with?

Also MSAR will list each school's requirement on this, I believe.
I thought most want the science work to be fairly recent, but things like english don't have to be. Mostly.

And yeah, you will need at least 1 LOR from a professor somehow. You might try taking a science class now and doing really well so you can get an LOR, if you can't get an LOR from an old professor.

 

[Maurizio]

Just wondering... I took my physics and math courses almost 8 years ago (they will be 10 or 11 years old when I apply) but I will be finishing my Ph.D. in engineering this year (I use alot of the physics and math from those fundamental courses). I don't really see the point in re-taking physics and math just to make them recent. Can anyone give me advice on this?

NOTE: I am taking gen. chem. now and will be taking bio and organic chem next year so these will br fairly recent when I apply.

Thanks

 

[Beau Geste]

Just wondering... I took my physics and math courses almost 8 years ago (they will be 10 or 11 years old when I apply) but I will be finishing my Ph.D. in engineering this year (I use alot of the physics and math from those fundamental courses). I don't really see the point in re-taking physics and math just to make them recent. Can anyone give me advice on this?

NOTE: I am taking gen. chem. now and will be taking bio and organic chem next year so these will br fairly recent when I apply.

Thanks

Your best bet is to ask the schools you are interested in directly if they will accept the older classes along with your Ph.D. (in your case it should be a no-brainer, but still - protocol, protocol )

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Just wondering... I took my physics and math courses almost 8 years ago (they will be 10 or 11 years old when I apply) but I will be finishing my Ph.D. in engineering this year (I use alot of the physics and math from those fundamental courses). I don't really see the point in re-taking physics and math just to make them recent. Can anyone give me advice on this?

NOTE: I am taking gen. chem. now and will be taking bio and organic chem next year so these will br fairly recent when I apply.

Thanks

this is not going to be an issue with most schools. i took gen chem and calclulus in 1995, and organic chem in 1996. i didn't retake them, and none of the schools i applied to (even the ones i only sent the primary to -- see my mdapps list) had any requirement about that. the only school i've come across that officially expires prereqs after a certain about of time is duke.

admittedly, you want to have recent coursework, which you have. however, there's no need to retake every class.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Also MSAR will list each school's requirement on this, I believe.
I thought most want the science work to be fairly recent, but things like english don't have to be. Mostly.

And yeah, you will need at least 1 LOR from a professor somehow. You might try taking a science class now and doing really well so you can get an LOR, if you can't get an LOR from an old professor.

i don't think the first statement is really true in that very few schools have specific limitations on the dates of your prereqs. the adcoms might want them to be recent just to show that you still have the ability to do well, but it's generally not an explicit requirement. for that reason, it's usually okay to have recent coursework in some areas but not in others. with me, my bio and physics coursework is recent, but my chem is close to 10 years old. it's been a non-issue thus far.

the second statement is true -- you do need a letter from two science professors at almost every school. these need to be people who taught you in class, not a professor you worked with. so, for that you've got to get some new courses or ask those professors from a long time ago for letters.

 

[packerfan]

My first coursework was 20 years old and included all the core sciences except physics. I e-mailed the directors of admissions of the schools I was interested in and found out that they would be acceptable. I took physics and had that professor write a recommendation along with an instructor from a non science course and three other lor from two allopathic physicians and one DO. I am starting school next fall at NSU.

 

[robh]

Just wondering... I took my physics and math courses almost 8 years ago (they will be 10 or 11 years old when I apply) but I will be finishing my Ph.D. in engineering this year (I use alot of the physics and math from those fundamental courses). I don't really see the point in re-taking physics and math just to make them recent. Can anyone give me advice on this?

NOTE: I am taking gen. chem. now and will be taking bio and organic chem next year so these will br fairly recent when I apply.

Thanks

I took gen. chem. and physics 20 years ago. No school I applied to has complained. I took ochem and biology and a few others over the last 2 years.

I'm and engineer also. If you want to check my progress look here: http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=4626 Hopefully you have a better GPA than I do, but you should be fine with your old coursework.

Good luck with your adventure!