Question on Pre-Reqs in regards to AP

[freaker]

I APed out of intro biology in college and jumped straight into genetics and then later took a 300 level biology course on the molecular origins of behaviour. Unfortunately, I don't think my transcript included a lab component for the latter course (though there was a lab; albeit in only two sessions, as this was a course abroad in the UK).

Has anyone else had any experience with this? Will the fact that I skipped the intro courses after netting a 5 on the AP (which of course included the labs) alleviate the lab requirement demand? It's not like I took some blowoff bio for non-majors or something.

I know I need to e-mail some schools and work this out, but I'd appreciate hearing if any of you had any similar experiences.

Thanks!

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[jlee9531]

i got 5s on the AP tests and I still took the classes at ugrad...this way i never had to worry about prereq technicalities when i did apply to med school this year.

the reason is that a significant number of med schools wont take AP credit. there are a few schools that do, but for the most part...i think the answer is no.

good luck.

 

[spumoni620]

i was in almost exactly the same situation. i took about 9 hours of upper-level bio classes (genetics, parasitology, physiology - only one had a lab, and it didn't show up on the transcript) after ap'ing out of intro bio with a 5. my school reflected the credit as intro bio + the two labs (i got 8 hours of credit for the ap).

i think b/c my transcript reflected the lab credit from the ap, i didn't run into any trouble. i was never asked about it by any school and didn't have to take any extra labs...you should be ok as long as you've taken the upper level bio courses. (p.s. - working in a lab can sometimes make up for a lab requirement as well.)

good luck

 

[exmike]

As a side note, AP biology is really not that useful in preparation for the MCAT, nor is it that useful in medical school, and thats probably why many schools wont accept AP biology credits (i'm pretty sure you wont need to know the structur of a leaf and photosynthesis for medical school). You're much better off taking college level biology (our school didnt even have a "general bio" class for bio majors, we took biochem and cell bio for our "intro bio"). You'll probably be taking those classes anyway, since they're almost always requirements. Use the six units of credit you got for AP bio as a chance to take other interesting classes in college while still fulfilling the necessary credits to graduate.

 

[freaker]

As a side note, AP biology is really not that useful in preparation for the MCAT...Use the six units of credit you got for AP bio as a chance to take other interesting classes in college while still fulfilling the necessary credits to graduate.

Maybe it depends on your particular AP course. I just took the MCAT, and I had everything that was in the bio section in my high school AP class.

As for the units of credit and interesting courses, well, lol, I'm a few years out of college. How many pre-med dual degree Art History-English majors with a minor in French do you know?

Anyway, I'm going to have to start e-mailing schools. My somewhat weird background may be a hindrance in that I simply skipped over some intro classes and jumped into upper-level classes in order to take interesting classes. I did the same thing with calculus. Just jumped into an advanced level calc II class.

Yeesh. The good news is that I have time to take these courses at state u if I need to.


EDIT: Thanks for the preliminary advice, guys.