Prereqs: How old?

[Pseudacris]

Is there a compiled list of how old is too old for prerequisites? I had assumed that under 10 years would be fine, with a good DAT score to prove competency, but I saw that UNC's website listed nothing over 5 years! Which, would only allow you 2 application cycles after finishing 4 year uni before things started to expire.

Any word on this, or is it a case by case thing? Since UNC is one of my in-state schools, I was really hoping not to have to retake my prereqs, especially since I have been in grad school and teaching science since undergrad. Seems a bit strange!

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[dsoz]

I don't know about dental school but for medical school there is only one school that keeps coming up whenever this topic is discussed. I think it was Duke.

From personal experience, I applied to about 12 DO schools, and 8 MD schools. Not one of them questioned the age of my credits. I finished undergrad 20 years ago. I have been teaching high school science since then. I was advised to take a couple of courses to "prove that I am not brain damaged." My response was that "I have been teaching high school for XX years; I AM brain damaged." To follow the advice, I took an intro to immunology from a CC, a summer biochem class from a university, and a year sequence of A&P from a CC. it was sufficient to get me accepted to three schools before I canceled all of my other interviews.

Good luck to you. I found that the teaching experience is a HUGE assett to getting into medical school. I can only assume that it will be a similar bonus for dental school.

dsoz

 

[Pseudacris]

Love the brain damaged response. I get that all too well.

Thanks so much. Congrats on such a successful application cycle! I hope it works out for me as easy!

 

[KittySquared]

My calc credit is 8 years old. Took it back in high school and was exempt. Bio and chem grades are from like 6 years ago lol. I got accepted at a few schools this cycle. You can PM me if you want to know which ones didn't care about my older prereq grades. Check with the UNC admissions office for specifics. Apply to ECU as well.

 

[doc toothache]

In the absence of any involvement with academic life, whether or not there is an "age limit" on the prerequisites may not be as much of an issue as deciding how much ferric oxide has accumulated around the synapses.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=942453

 

[BWG]

Well, mine were from 1992-1996 and carved into a stone tablet. I got in.

 

[Pseudacris]

Thanks for the guide, doc toothache. I am a huge spreadsheet person, so I feel as though I am in heaven looking through this.

Maybe it's just UNC that has it listed on the website. Looks like I'll be calling them.

 

[doc toothache]

Well, mine were from 1992-1996 and carved into a stone tablet. I got in.

It may as well have been carved by Moses, but in reality what counts the most is then content of the whole package, rather than the age of individual courses.

 

[Ferneezy]

in my own quest for knowledge pre-requisite age limits have been defined by the admissions departments of two schools: ASDOH (5 years or younger) and Maryland (10 years or younger).

as doc toothache alluded above, these limits may be moot in the face of recent, superior upper-level coursework.