Pre-Reqs Completed Over 5 Years Ago

[Lshapley]

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Hey everyone,

I feel like I keep seeing and hearing contradictory advice on this subject, so I thought I would post it on the forum to see if there is anyone out there who has been down the same road.

I completed my premed classes between 1992-1996. My bpcm gpa was a 3.2 with a 3.3 overall. I am currently enrolled at UPenn's postbac program where I am retaking general chemistry (originally a B-/B) but otherwise I am taking upper level biology course (Cell/molecular Bio this semester, Genetics and ??? with Chem 2 next term, and then biochem over the summer probably).

Everything is going well so far and I plan to take the MCATS in the Spring/Summer. My advisors have both told me that my old pre-reqs still count and I don't need to retake them since the grades were fine (generally speaking).

Has anybody gone through this and been accepted to med school? Has anyone been told they had to retake courses even though their grades were good? Please advise. Thanks!

lee

 

[relentless11]

If your pre-reqs are from the 1992-1996 time frame...then I wouldn't be too concerned especially if you are doing well in upper division courses and get a good score on the MCAT.

Look at it this way, if you had a solid foundation in those pre-med classes, then you'd survive biochem, molecular biology, etc. Not to mention do well on the MCAT science sections.

There may be some schools that may ask you to retake them, BUT for the most part, if you did well in RECENT coursework, most schools would be happy. I think the best thing to do is to call schools, but really I wouldn't put too much effort into considering you're doing a post-bacc program. Given your GPA, and the fact that you have completed your pre-reqs, I would focus on doing well in the advanced classes, and scoring high on the MCAT.

Now if your classes were like 10-20 years old, and you haven't gone to school in ages...that may be a different story😉.

 

[powerbooki]

Agree with relentless11, I took some pre-med 11 years ago unknowingly (not in pre-med then), and I took the remaining in recent years (was in pre-med). No schools ever raise any issues of my old courses. Seems OK (have acceptances), take care of your recent courses and MCAT.

 

[cabinbuilder]

IF your current courses have great grades don't worry about the earlier ones.

I graduated from college in 1994, Did a post bacc year 97-98 was accepted into medical school (DO) in 2001. I was never questioned about my prior undergrad work - only the post bacc year and the MCAT stuff. Doing residency now.

My advice, keep what you are doing. Move forward. Apply.

 

[Quix]

You seem to be in good shape, so I'll just echo what previous posters have said. I just remember the first time I set foot in a Bio lecture as part of my post-bacc and found out that the taxonomy had changed from when I had first learned it (e.g., the advent of "Domains" above Kingdoms). And don't even get me started on molecular orbitals...

 

[relentless11]

You seem to be in good shape, so I'll just echo what previous posters have said. I just remember the first time I set foot in a Bio lecture as part of my post-bacc and found out that the taxonomy had changed from when I had first learned it (e.g., the advent of "Domains" above Kingdoms). And don't even get me started on molecular orbitals...

Domain? So you mean "King Phillip....blah blah blah"...doesn't work anymore? Then again...i haven't had a class that involved any kind of taxonomy since....1998..haha.

I guess with the advent of genetyping, and what not, they have more to work with..haha. Kinda cool to see how science advances, but sucks that it usually means time has gone by and i'm getting older😳 . What really trips me out is how advanced lectures have become. When I first started undergrad, PDF notes and course websites were a luxury. Maybe 1 in 5 classes used them..and even then it was quite primative. Today, PDF lecture notes posted on web portals are standard, 90% of the classes are podcasted, and there are interactive class forums to ask questions..haha

I'm sure 5 years from now, all undergrads will have tablet PCs, and they'll be writing electronically onto the PDFs displayed on their screen. Just in time for me to start med school😉.

....but yea back to the topic🙂

 

[Law2Doc]

Hey everyone,

I feel like I keep seeing and hearing contradictory advice on this subject, so I thought I would post it on the forum to see if there is anyone out there who has been down the same road.

I completed my premed classes between 1992-1996. My bpcm gpa was a 3.2 with a 3.3 overall. I am currently enrolled at UPenn's postbac program where I am retaking general chemistry (originally a B-/B) but otherwise I am taking upper level biology course (Cell/molecular Bio this semester, Genetics and ??? with Chem 2 next term, and then biochem over the summer probably).

Everything is going well so far and I plan to take the MCATS in the Spring/Summer. My advisors have both told me that my old pre-reqs still count and I don't need to retake them since the grades were fine (generally speaking).

Has anybody gone through this and been accepted to med school? Has anyone been told they had to retake courses even though their grades were good? Please advise. Thanks!

lee

Only a small handful of schools deem prereqs to ever expire, and that tends to be only if they are 7+ years old. Lots of postbac advisors will advise someone who hasn't taken the prereqs in a decade or more to retake them. I am confused as to why the title of this thread indicates "over 5 years ago" when your post indicates "over 10". Advice by many is going to be very different based on those two threshholds.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I'm in a similar situation. I took my prereq classes between 1989 and 1994, but didn't score well in most of them. I got C's in Physics, A and C in Basic Chemistry, A and B in Biology, and C/A/B in Organic I, I (repeat), and II. I came back to school in 2005 taking upper level biology and chemistry courses (microbiology, histology, physiology, anatomy, hemostasis, Biochemistry, etc) and am scoring all A's. I scored a 33 on the MCAT, but had to relearn Physics on my own from scratch and really review the rest of science to get there. My advisor told me not to worry about the old prereqs.

 

[Law2Doc]

My advisor told me not to worry about the old prereqs.

FWIW, there are many postbac program advisors who would have advised the opposite. Best for the OP to talk to some schools.

 

[t-funk]

LifetimeDoc, if you end up reading this post again, how did you study for the physics part? I seem to be in a similar situation to you with recent coursework and work experience in Chem and Bio. However, my physics was 10 years ago and at an engineering college that placed heavy emphasis on the calculus and DEQ of the physics. I don't have the money for a Kaplan course. I'm planning on taking the MCAT in May and am petrified about the physics part. Do have any suggestions? I have decided not to take the courses again due to working full time and needing genetics instead.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I took the MCAT in April 2006 (and also in 1992 and 1994). I started studying the Physics during christmas break 2005-2006 (and it was painful as I had forgotten almost everything after 15 years), and then started reviewing the rest of the sciences during Spring 2006. I'd suggest getting the comprehensive review books from the 3 big sources, and reading them all throughly...

Princeton
Kaplan
Exam Krackers

You can get them at Amazon, the classified's section here as SDN, at your university's pre-med office which may have copies for free from past students, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Those books will take you on a complete review of all the pertinent science you learned previously, and need to know for the exam. I also did a local MCAT review course, and found it helpful to review the materials as well. But you can do it on your own with the review books. Be sure to utilize the practice exams from the AAMC, as they are old MCAT exams that you can purchase and use. Practice, practice, practice!

 

[t-funk]

Thank you, I have the Comp Kaplan book but the physics section seems so short and simple. I have been wondering if they have left information out because when I took the Kaplan diagnostic, the physics part blew me away. If I were to get one other source, would you recommend Princeton or Examkrackers?

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Thank you, I have the Comp Kaplan book but the physics section seems so short and simple. I have been wondering if they have left information out because when I took the Kaplan diagnostic, the physics part blew me away. If I were to get one other source, would you recommend Princeton or Examkrackers?

The Princeton Physics seemed more complete, but I understood the Kaplan one better. I used the Examkrackers Audio Osmosis (I have an hour commute to school, so that worked out well) but didn't use their books. The audio helped thinking about Physics intuitively instead of just memorizing formulas. Like anything on the MCAT, the material is just the basic, easy parts from the prereq classes. It's interpreting the questions and using your "basic, simple knowledge" of the sciences to solve/understand new, complex situations that they are testing.

 

[t-funk]

thanks

 

[Lshapley]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I have emails out to a third of the schools I am planning to apply to regarding the age of my pre-reqs. I'll contact the others per your advice.

Glad to get the advice on prepping for the physics portion of the MCAT. My physics is 10 years removed as well and it is the only thing I am not touching on with school work since I am retaking general chem and doing the upper level biologies (might also audit some ochem as well). I bought the ek physics just last week and am planning to do the break oriented review process.

Yeah, and the whole domain thing freaked me out too. I was reading the biology textbook over the summer in prep for the upper level courses and half that stuff was not in my intro class in 1995! And, genetics was just one chapter. Not a whole section!

lee