Prereqs required by when???

[free_radical]

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I have a question which seems pretty simple/silly to me, but I haven't seen it addressed clearly on any med school websites etc.

When a medical school says that they have certain undergrad requirements, such as Organic Chemistry, English, etc, when do they require these courses completed by?

Do you have to complete them by the time you send in your application, or is it that they must be completed by the time you would in theory start medical school?

Are there different standards in this regard between the basic 8 sciences for example, and the 6 credits of English and Mathematics?

Please advise, because it seems like this will be my pivotal issue regarding my time frame.

Thank you.

 

[Dr Durden]

Generally, requirements must be completed prior to matriculating at a medical school, NOT at the time of application. However, a few schools do want them done by the end of the fall semester (e.g. Vanderbilt). Just poke around the websites of your schools of interest; their policy is almost always explicitly spelled out.

Yet it is a good idea to get as many as possible of the pre-reqs done prior to applying. For starters, it's good prep for the MCAT. More importantly though, delaying a lot of your science classes could raise several questions in adcom minds. Are you worried you won't do well in them? Can you really handle the rigor of weed-out classes? With that being said though, a few incompletes won't be a problem.

Absolutely take two semesters worth of physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology, along with their required labs. Take a year's worth of English classes too, and if possible, ensure they're more based on writing than reading. Literature couses are usually fine though. If you have the time, take biochem. Lots of schools recommend it and a few require it. Some schools also require 18 hours or more of humanities/social sciences. Again, check out school's websites or the book Medical School Admission Requirements for specifics.

Good luck!

 

[awk]

Not completing the requirements by the time you apply will make you "far less competitive" then the other applicants who have. Thats straight from the UF COM website FAQs.👎

 

[free_radical]

is there a difference between finishing the science prereqs, and the english prereqs?

i plan to have my science ones completed by the time of application, but i dont think ill have my english etc completed.

does that still make me far less competitive?

 

[awk]

Thats a little better but you will be less "vouched for" than others who have. If you are getting good grades with high MCAT one or two english pre-reqs shouldn't hold you up....but its best to have them done before applying. Check out the MSAR for the schools explicit requirements. Good Luck

 

[SOCHBING]

edit

 

[Dr Durden]

I hadn't completed any English at the time of my application and have yet to hear an interviewer comment about that fact. Definitely choose completing a science course over a humanities course. Skipping out on organic chemistry will raise a few eyebrows, but not so much with poetry.

However, if you have the chance, get them all done before senior year to be absolutely safe.

 

[letitgo]

Is biochem okay to take later on, or would you get it done before you apply? I was planning on taking it next fall when I'm applying, though I'd rather not take it at all (I'm already done with the MCAT and all of my science pre-reqs). I'm also not in college anymore, so taking biochem is going to cost me a few thousand dollars.

 

[awk]

Not all schools require this biochem. However, I know this course can be taken the summer before matriculation in med school and is not as rigid as the other pre-reqs. Just remember to take the lab if it is offered and if not don't worry about it. But look at the MSAR to see which schools you are applying to actually require it...I haven't seen too many.

 

[Dr Durden]

Unless it's required, I personally wouldn't waste "a few thousand dollars" on taking biochem.