Requisite classes--post-bacc questions

[Deanwvu]

Hello all,

I am a future non-traditional med school applicant. I have a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University (graduated May 2000). I have since spent almost 9 years now in active duty army service. That makes me 31 right now, soon to be 32.

My intent is to maintain my status in the Army as much as possible while attaining my medical degree. That means either USUHS or MPSP. Each of those programs require a few pre-requisites that I did not complete in undergrad (as my undergrad degree did not require them, and, at the time, I had no idea I'd aspire to be a doctor one day).

For example, the requirements at USUHS state:

1 year general chem (including lab)
1 year organic chem (including lab)
1 semester of calc
1 year of physics
1 year of bio (including lab)
1 year of English

Now, here's the thing--some of my undergrad credits will count. If I remember correctly, I should have completed (i just ordered a transcript to be sure, as I can't find the one I thought I had...) :

1 year general chem
1 sem calc
1 semester bio
1 year English

That would mean I would have left to take:

1 year organic chem
1 year physics
1 semester bio

(by the way, the following is the primary question I want answered):

Is it really that simple? Those 20 or so credits and I am eligible? I will be very rusty as a student (haven't taken a class since grad school in 2001), so should I retake some of the above classes? (I was thinking to retake everything but English and perhaps Calc)

Ideally, I would complete these courses while staying in the Army. The other option is to separate from the Army and finish those classes full-time, then apply to med school and HPSP or USUSH.

My current job with the Army actually has quite a bit of free time, but even so, completing the listed classes will be difficult while maintaining active duty service.

I live in the Washington, DC area, so if anyone has an idea of a good school to take the above classes, please let me know! I am within good driving distance to George Mason Univ, and reasonable driving distance to Univ of Maryland.

Access to evening classes (or late afternoon) would be preferred, but not necessarily required. There are ways to adjust my schedule if necessary.

Thanks all, for your time and advice! This is both scary and exciting.

Dean

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[ArkansasRanger]

Hello all,

I am a future non-traditional med school applicant. I have a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University (graduated May 2000). I have since spent almost 9 years now in active duty army service. That makes me 31 right now, soon to be 32.

My intent is to maintain my status in the Army as much as possible while attaining my medical degree. That means either USUHS or MPSP. Each of those programs require a few pre-requisites that I did not complete in undergrad (as my undergrad degree did not require them, and, at the time, I had no idea I'd aspire to be a doctor one day).

For example, the requirements at USUHS state:

1 year general chem (including lab)
1 year organic chem (including lab)
1 semester of calc
1 year of physics
1 year of bio (including lab)
1 year of English

Now, here's the thing--some of my undergrad credits will count. If I remember correctly, I should have completed (i just ordered a transcript to be sure, as I can't find the one I thought I had...) :

1 year general chem
1 sem calc
1 semester bio
1 year English

That would mean I would have left to take:

1 year organic chem
1 year physics
1 semester bio

(by the way, the following is the primary question I want answered):

Is it really that simple? Those 20 or so credits and I am eligible? I will be very rusty as a student (haven't taken a class since grad school in 2001), so should I retake some of the above classes? (I was thinking to retake everything but English and perhaps Calc)

Ideally, I would complete these courses while staying in the Army. The other option is to separate from the Army and finish those classes full-time, then apply to med school and HPSP or USUSH.

My current job with the Army actually has quite a bit of free time, but even so, completing the listed classes will be difficult while maintaining active duty service.

I live in the Washington, DC area, so if anyone has an idea of a good school to take the above classes, please let me know! I am within good driving distance to George Mason Univ, and reasonable driving distance to Univ of Maryland.

Access to evening classes (or late afternoon) would be preferred, but not necessarily required. There are ways to adjust my schedule if necessary.

Thanks all, for your time and advice! This is both scary and exciting.

Dean

Yep, it's like this:

finish the classes

get some shadowing and clinical experience along the way

volunteer doing something you want to volunteer to do

take your mcat

apply

get in

get uncle sugar to pay for it

work

retire

 

[InLocoAbsentia]

A.R.'s algorithm works pretty well both for current active duty and prospective military applicants, both traditional and non-traditional.

 

[TrimtheChute]

You may also want to take a couple of upper level courses such as genetics or biochem (assuming that you have not taken these previously) to demonstrate that you can handle some more difficult material. It will also help you build confidence for the bio section of the MCAT since these courses will more than prepare you for those sections.

 

[Deanwvu]

Thank you all for your advice!

I think, after a few days of google-ing and searching here, I have a well-defined path towards this goal.

Already applied to a school, and have things ready to go for classes this Fall.

I think I will take your advice as well, Trim. I will simply keep taking classes until I am accepted to med school. There is no reason not to. Classes are free for me while I remain in active duty--may as well load up!

Again, thanks to you all!