Thoughts on retaking basic Chem/bio etc..

[budhak0n]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have read on some sites designed for non traditional advice that they suggest you should retake your basic biology or chemistry courses even if you've had them before in undergraduate.

In my case I not only had them before in undergrad but i also had A's in them when offered as AP classes at Prep school I just never bothered to sit for the exam. Realizing of course that everyone is free to choose their own path..

Do people really see this as being an issue to any adcomm? Skipping them that is...

My undergrad work was completed in 1992. I worked in private business through 1995.. attended a J.D. program until 1998 and have been woking ever since. Honestly , I didn't really see a correlation between much of my coursework and reality.....

So to spend whatever it works out to be (400-600 per credit hour times 7 or 8 credits) to retake material i've covered twice in my life and which i could most likely pass any CLEP or AP exam with a weekend review seems frivolous.

Any comments from someone who has had to make this type of decision regarding post bacc course selection.😛

 

[njbmd]

The AMCAS requires that your AP courses be given college credit by your undergraduate institution before they can be counted as "taken". If you have not taken these courses (or received credit for them) then you need to take them. If you can get an undergraduate institution to allow you to "test out" of these subjects and grant you the credit hours then your plan will work.

Medical schools have specific pre-req course requirements. Either you have those requirements or you do not. It sounds like even though you may have the knowledge, you don't have the credits since you didn't take the AP exams. When your application comes across the desks of reviewers (members of admissions committees), they will note that you do not have the pre-req coursework and likely will not accept you.

If you are in a post-bacc (informal or formal), you need to be sure that your application meets the course requirements of the schools that you are applying for. Advanced coursework in Biology does not exempt you from having the year of General Biology with lab that is a universal requirement.

Go to the AMCAS website, download the AMCAS application and read the requirments for being able to list a course on that application.

 

[budhak0n]

The AMCAS requires that your AP courses be given college credit by your undergraduate institution before they can be counted as "taken". If you have not taken these courses (or received credit for them) then you need to take them. If you can get an undergraduate institution to allow you to "test out" of these subjects and grant you the credit hours then your plan will work.

Medical schools have specific pre-req course requirements. Either you have those requirements or you do not. It sounds like even though you may have the knowledge, you don't have the credits since you didn't take the AP exams. When your application comes across the desks of reviewers (members of admissions committees), they will note that you do not have the pre-req coursework and likely will not accept you.

If you are in a post-bacc (informal or formal), you need to be sure that your application meets the course requirements of the schools that you are applying for. Advanced coursework in Biology does not exempt you from having the year of General Biology with lab that is a universal requirement.

Go to the AMCAS website, download the AMCAS application and read the requirments for being able to list a course on that application.

NO I had them in High School as AP, and THEN I also had them In Undergrad so I have a Chem 101, a basic Biology:genetics course... what I'm referrring to is retaking them for the sake of any POST Bacc program

 

[146233]

Shouldn't be a huge issue as long as you do very well on the MCAT, showing that you haven't forgotten all you've learned.

 

[LBostonA]

There are a few Med Schools out there who require pre-reqs to be less than 5 years old or 7 years old. You would have to retake them to be considered. You might want to look into your state school and others where you plan on applying.

Kind of BS if you ask me. Maybe consider community college or an online class if it's a $$ issue and you're already very comfortable with the material.

 

[boodthedog]

What if you spent the weekend studying and took the clep exams, leaving little doubt.

 

[DrMidlife]

Schools that expire prereqs are the minority, or I'm in big trouble. I'm betting a great deal on NOT needing to repeat physics from 20 years ago. Many, many people advised me that a recent decent MCAT, and recent decent science coursework are WAY more compelling than repeating old classes.

The flow chart, as I understand it:

Finished prereqs?
.....No: do a postbac
.....Yes: ok, is your GPA good (above 3.5ish)?
..........No: take more undergrad courses and get A's
..........Yes: ok, do you have recent science coursework?
...............No: take some upper div undergrad science
...............Yes: ok, do you remember any material from the prereqs?
....................No: maybe retake some of the prereqs
....................Yes: ok, take an MCAT prep course

Caveat emptor. These forums should be considered a supplement to the MSAR and to books like Iserson's Getting into Medical School.

Best of luck to you.

 

[budhak0n]

I am doing a Post Bacc program I believe at Stockton in New Jersey..

But I don't think the program has specifics so long as my record indicates I've done the classes-- I'll find out in the next couple of days.

Plus I'm blown away by the AAMCS- I just got done recording all of my "HIGH SCHOOL" A.P. Courses... wow they want to know everything eh.

And we have to go down the line from every year of Undergrad and Enter EVERY Single course we've ever taken.. one by one... wow.. kind of unexpected ...

 

[budhak0n]

What I want to know is who's going to Explain away the D I got in SCUBA During my Last semester In Under Grad?

LOL I know I shouldn't laugh because it probably will hurt me in some way.

I'm sorry I know I should be more concerned with some of this stuff but it was SO LONG Ago... It still reflects on me as a candidate but for some reason It doesn't bother "me" all that much but I'm sure there's some Adcomm's that it will bother... I have a few "pock" marks in my record as I'm sure many Non traditionals and even some traditionals do.