Prerequisite exemption

[FlowRate]

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Hi everyone, (TLDR at the bottom if you don't want to read everything)

Now that I have my MCAT scores back, I'm trying to figure out where I want to apply so that I can plan the courses I need to take, the letters I need, etc.

Anyway, I've found that a few schools that I want to apply to require a course in biochemistry. I knew this previously, but didn't realize how common the requirement/strong suggestion was.

Unfortunately, I really have NO chance to take a biochemistry course. It will conflict with my chemical engineering courses this year (3rd year) and next year (4th year).

By the time I finish college I will have:
*Worked on research in biochemistry and genetics applications to chemical engineering.
*Taken a biomedical engineering course
*Taken OChem "For scientists and professionals" (the "harder" of the first-year ochem courses at my univ)
*Taken PChem (which may or may not apply to biochemistry?)
*Taken microbiology and (molecularly focused) genetics
*Worked on a design project for a major pharmecutecal company that collaborates with my engineering program. I don't know how applicable this will be to biochemistry or medical school, because I won't know the details until senior year.


Anyway, sorry for the long history. TL;DR: based on the above, what is the chance that these schools will grant me an exemption to the biochemistry requirement? Do these exemptions happen often? Will I be significantly behind if I don't take biochem? Yes, I do plan on contacting the schools individually, but SDN is such a great resource because I'm sure someone here has tried for a prereq exemption before =)


Thanks for the help!!

 

[schrizto]

idk about this, I have heard that biochemistry is the class that is the most relevant to the first few weeks of medical school. Take it over the summer maybe?

 

[FlowRate]

idk about this, I have heard that biochemistry is the class that is the most relevant to the first few weeks of medical school. Take it over the summer maybe?

Not offered during the summer =(. Plus I already take 2-3 courses every summer to fill other prereq's (psychology, humanities, etc.)


I'll stick an additional question in my thread that I just found:

How many schools require your AMCAS ID to be in your LOR? I just noticed that mayo requires it... which makes things even more difficult! (can't get one until after it's submitted in mayish, right?)

 

[richse]

My experience from applying last year was that biochem was not required by most schools. You certainly don't need to have had it previously at my school. I don't know why schrizto said "biochemistry is the class that is the most relevant to the first few weeks of medical school." We started with anatomy so biochem is completely relevant to my first 3 months. The biochem block is later this year and it's a comprehensive course that doesn't require undergrad biochem. The material will come fast and furious like everything does in med school but it is manageable if you put the hours in every day.

As for your amcas ID being on all your letters, I think you would be fine if it's too late to have it put on them. I didn't have my ID on most of mine because I had them written well before registering with amcas. I'm not sure how your school handles letters but I had a committee letter that bundled all the letters together when it was time to submit them and that bundle had my ID on it. Worst case, most admissions staff will be fine as long as your name is on it.

Hi everyone, (TLDR at the bottom if you don't want to read everything)

Now that I have my MCAT scores back, I'm trying to figure out where I want to apply so that I can plan the courses I need to take, the letters I need, etc.

Anyway, I've found that a few schools that I want to apply to require a course in biochemistry. I knew this previously, but didn't realize how common the requirement/strong suggestion was.

Unfortunately, I really have NO chance to take a biochemistry course. It will conflict with my chemical engineering courses this year (3rd year) and next year (4th year).

By the time I finish college I will have:
*Worked on research in biochemistry and genetics applications to chemical engineering.
*Taken a biomedical engineering course
*Taken OChem "For scientists and professionals" (the "harder" of the first-year ochem courses at my univ)
*Taken PChem (which may or may not apply to biochemistry?)
*Taken microbiology and (molecularly focused) genetics
*Worked on a design project for a major pharmecutecal company that collaborates with my engineering program. I don't know how applicable this will be to biochemistry or medical school, because I won't know the details until senior year.


Anyway, sorry for the long history. TL;DR: based on the above, what is the chance that these schools will grant me an exemption to the biochemistry requirement? Do these exemptions happen often? Will I be significantly behind if I don't take biochem? Yes, I do plan on contacting the schools individually, but SDN is such a great resource because I'm sure someone here has tried for a prereq exemption before =)


Thanks for the help!!

 

[schrizto]

Not offered during the summer =(. Plus I already take 2-3 courses every summer to fill other prereq's (psychology, humanities, etc.)

How about taking it at another school?

 

[flip26]

Biochem is required by very few schools.

Mayo and OHSU come to mind, along with Michigan, I think. If you end up really needing it, you could take an online course.

Have letter writers send your LORs to Interfolio, first. There the ID can be attached. Then send them to AMCAS.

 

[shiftingmirage]

You probably will not be exempted. If they do it for you, they gotta do it for the next guy. That being said, few schools require biochem, lots of them suggest it, but that doesn't mean you have to take it. Lots of apps haven't completed it yet because they tend to be jrs, and don't take biochem until sr year. Unless it is required, I doubt it will harm your app.

As for ID, LOR writers can always add it later. You should give LOR writers at least 1 month. I asked mine if they would write one, and told them that I would later e-mail them the school list and my ID #. No one had a problem with that.

 

[FlowRate]

It wouldn't be possible to take it at another uni unless I did it online, which sounds like it would be a pain.

I really want to apply to Mayo. OHSU and USC are/were also on my list. All three require biochem. I've also had to remove schools that require more than 20 humanities credits (USC wants 30!) due to scheduling. I suppose these are schools that I could apply to if I don't get in this cycle and do an extra year instead. I don't really think that's too likely.

So I could have letter writers all write to InterFolio and then I could personally ask interfolio to tag the letters with my AMCAS ID? This also works for schools that say LOR writers should send the letters straight to AMCAS? I'm trying to get a couple letters now (early Jr year) because one of them would be an excellent letter, but had me as a Soph, so I really want to capitalize on that letter while he still has a strong recollection of me.

Thanks for the help so far everyone! I really appreciate it.

 

[flip26]

It wouldn't be possible to take it at another uni unless I did it online, which sounds like it would be a pain.

I really want to apply to Mayo. OHSU and USC are/were also on my list. All three require biochem. I've also had to remove schools that require more than 20 humanities courses (USC wants 30!) due to scheduling. I suppose these are schools that I could apply to if I don't get in this cycle and do an extra year instead. I don't really think that's too likely.

So I could have letter writers all write to InterFolio and then I could personally ask interfolio to tag the letters with my AMCAS ID? This also works for schools that say LOR writers should send the letters straight to AMCAS? I'm trying to get a couple letters now (early Jr year) because one of them would be an excellent letter, but had me as a Soph, so I really want to capitalize on that letter while he still has a strong recollection of me.

Thanks for the help so far everyone! I really appreciate it.

AMCAS accepts letters from Interfolio for all schools that participate in the AMCAS service, and that is all but a handful of schools.

For the others, they will accept Interfolio letters.

So Interfolio is the way to go, especially if you want to go ahead now and get the letter - it gives you a place to store the letter until you need it.

Not sure why you think an online course would be a pain, or any more of a pain than taking the class in person...you could take it the summer prior to starting med school...

 

[JonBonesJones]

I've also had to remove schools that require more than 20 humanities courses (USC wants 30!)

Chill out. USC does not require 30 course, they require 30 semester units. That translates to 10 semester courses in, "Social Sciences, Humanities, and English Composition". Since a huge amount of schools require 1 year of English, this really means that you only need 8 other courses outside of engineering.

Use your head, man. 30 courses would be roughly 6 semesters worth, eliminating any possibility of engineers, chem majors, any non-social sci/humanities majors from applying.

http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/education/admissions/mdp/mdp_adm/require.html

 

[FlowRate]

Chill out. USC does not require 30 course, they require 30 semester units. That translates to 10 semester courses in, "Social Sciences, Humanities, and English Composition". Since a huge amount of schools require 1 year of English, this really means that you only need 8 other courses outside of engineering.

That's what I meant. Why would you think I meant 30 courses? (yes, it is what I typed, oops)

I'll have: 7 credits humanities. 3 credits dance. 6 credits english. 6 credits psych. That's 22... I'm not sure if my AP credits count. If they do, I might only barely cover 30. USC's website doesn't say. I'm not so much worried about the humanities credits anyway; I'm more worried about the biochemistry requirement.


"Not sure why you think an online course would be a pain, or any more of a pain than taking the class in person...you could take it the summer prior to starting med school..."

Because I would have to apply to another university, out of state, to take it online. I didn't even know biochem classes were offered online until ya'll suggested it! =)

 

[FlowRate]

Update: Got an email back from mayo... they don't do any exemptions. Not a surprise, but very disappointing =(

 

[WaterBird]

Most of the pre-reqs are required before you enroll, and as long as you have most of them and perform well on the MCAT, pre-reqs are not weighed heavily in admissions decisions.

I was in the same situation as you and while I originally intended to take biochem during my application year, I ended up putting it off (I was working two jobs, blah blah blah). I figured I could take it the summer before enrolling if need be, but ended up going to a school that does not require it. I'm sure some people would not have considered the risk of having to take biochem during their last precious summer worth it, but I figured taking one class wouldn't be too bad if it came to that.

So, yes, you really do need to take it for those schools, but the deadline is when you enroll, not anytime before. Think about the odds that you will end up going to one of those schools and go from there.

Also, I have not found myself behind my classmates due to not having this class (which, though not a requirement at my school, undoubtedly many of them have taken). The people who breeze through biochem are not the ones with that one extra semester - substantial more experience makes a difference.

 

[swimbeckers]

I would check out UC Berkeley Extension. I did this course over the summer. They give you 6 months to complete it and it really wasn't too much work. You submit all your assignments through email and then for the final exam they have sites all over the country you can take it at (mostly large universities) Anyways, if you have any questions, let me know!

 

[FlowRate]

I would check out UC Berkeley Extension. I did this course over the summer. They give you 6 months to complete it and it really wasn't too much work. You submit all your assignments through email and then for the final exam they have sites all over the country you can take it at (mostly large universities) Anyways, if you have any questions, let me know!

That sounds like a pretty great option, I'll look it up! Thanks!!