Will it look bad for a non-trad to try to apply without all the pre-reqs?

[BeGladNonTrad]

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I was doing some final planning for 2026 apps throughout this week and realized I could probably apply 2025 if I put in the effort, so I'm going to go for it. I'll have to cram some stuff and I don't intent do jeopardize the progress I've made. The worst case scenario, I'll stick to my original plan of 2026 app.

Here are the pre-reqs I've completed:
Undergrad 10-12 years ago:

• Calculus: B+
• Stats: B
• Various Humanities: 3.23 cumulative GPA
• AP Bio w/ 4 grade, but I'm retaking it because it's been almost 15 years now.

Recently, starting 2024

• Intro to Human Physiology: A
• Behavioral Psychology: A
• Introduction to Physics: A
• General Chem Q1: A-
• In Progress:
  • Chem Q2
  • Anthropology

Planned:

Present	MCAT
Winter	Spring	Summer	Fall	Spring
Anthropology	Bio w/ Lab	Organic Chem	Biochem	Neurology or Endocrinology
Chem Q2	Chem Q 3	Study for MCAT	Physics	Self-study
Molecular Bio	Apply!	Treat myself

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2026​

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I feel like molecular bio is higher yield for the MCAT so I'm choosing to take it Spring Semester alongside bio and chem Q3. Aiming for a 515+ score.

Other reqs:

• I will also be completing my clinical hours during this time.
• I've been doing no-clinical ad hoc volunteering since undergrad.
• I'll need to work out the academic recommendations
• I hope to get a fixed part-time job that can provide the clinical hours so that I have a steady boss to ask for a letter of recommendation. My last job of 4 years has had a no references policy for a while.

Why I want to try to speed along the process:

• Where I am in life:
  • Feels like I'm at a stand still in life due to class schedules and needing to pack up and move to go to school when I get accepted, so I'd like to move the process along.
  • Financially, it makes more sense and will remove stress of making ends meet. Getting into school earlier means less time spent working lower wage part-time jobs (because getting a full-time will be harder) that will be just enough to cover living expenses.
  • I think I'll get more self satisfaction which will decrease burn out long term and improve quality of patient care and quality of life for myself.
  • I can't wait to get started.
• I can try to get a full time research job with a schedule free of academic work.

Thoughts? I'm open to different points of view and critiques.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

It's a little risky. I had a very similar background to you and only got 1II/A, the feedback I got from most of the places I applied was that I didn't have enough science classes.

I did Orgo I/II post-application, didn't end up taking anything higher than that. So when I applied I had Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, Physics I/II, Stats/Pre-Calc/Trig, and whatever the other random non-lab reqs were.

If you don't have a really good reason for applying, I'd gut it out and wait til next year. I had a lot more volunteering and clinical hours than you did and it was still rough for me, unless you're okay pretty much applying DO and having a few MD schools.

 

[BeGladNonTrad]

It's a little risky. I had a very similar background to you and only got 1II/A, the feedback I got from most of the places I applied was that I didn't have enough science classes.

I did Orgo I/II post-application, didn't end up taking anything higher than that. So when I applied I had Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, Physics I/II, Stats/Pre-Calc/Trig, and whatever the other random non-lab reqs were.

If you don't have a really good reason for applying, I'd gut it out and wait til next year. I had a lot more volunteering and clinical hours than you did and it was still rough for me, unless you're okay pretty much applying DO and having a few MD schools.

I need to look into seeing if there's a detriment for re-applicants. My reason is economical and just preference. I can always make it work to wait a year, but then it's another year before I can start.

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

It's been a long time since I applied so I'm no longer familiar with the timeline, but are you applying before you have an MCAT score?

I would not do that, and also would not assume you'd get a 515+ without the prereqs and without any evidence of scientific excellence. Biochem is big on the MCAT.

Other points:
- AP classes would not count for med school, so you'd have to take Bio classes anyway
- adcoms will question why you took electives over core.


If I were you, I'd wait and do it right.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I need to look into seeing if there's a detriment for re-applicants. My reason is economical and just preference. I can always make it work to wait a year, but then it's another year before I can start.

It's not economical to spend $2k+ applying when you've got a very small chance of success. Many schools won't let you apply more than twice, don't waste one app. Take your classes, take your MCAT, and have a chill app year instead of trying to cram 2 years into 1 for an arbitrary deadline.

I applied because I'm trans and married to another trans person and we needed to GTFO Florida which is currently stamping down on our civil rights. The original plan was to wait another year, I just got really lucky and found a great school sympathetic to my life circumstances.

 

[esob]

I need to look into seeing if there's a detriment for re-applicants. My reason is economical and just preference. I can always make it work to wait a year, but then it's another year before I can start.

Aside from the added cost, many adcom members will see it as a red flag that you are a re-applicant. While not typically justified, there is some cohort of applicants who are reapplicants because they have suboptimal applications. Because of this association, re-applicant status can become entwined with the idea of a subpar candidate. The numbers at any given institution are significantly against you merely by applying. The task of an average committee member is to find a reason to say no to more than 4 out of every 5 applications. Hence, any reason to look upon an application negatively becomes an area of hyperfocus.

The TLDR is to plan on submitting only once with your absolute best application.

 

[Goro]

To reiterate, apply once with the best possible application. Medical schools are not going anywhere.

 

[notEinstein]

It's a little risky. I had a very similar background to you and only got 1II/A, the feedback I got from most of the places I applied was that I didn't have enough science classes.

I did Orgo I/II post-application, didn't end up taking anything higher than that. So when I applied I had Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, Physics I/II, Stats/Pre-Calc/Trig, and whatever the other random non-lab reqs were.

I’m confused by this.

I was under the impression - and have read on med school websites - that it is common for undergrads to apply to med school in their Junior year, before all pre-req’s are finished. They take the remaining pre-req’s their senior year while interviewing.

Why would it be held against you that you needed one more class (Orgo) when this is common?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I’m confused by this.

I was under the impression - and have read on med school websites - that it is common for undergrads to apply to med school in their Junior year, before all pre-req’s are finished. They take the remaining pre-req’s their senior year while interviewing.

Why would it be held against you that you needed one more class (Orgo) when this is common?

The vast majority of premeds applying as juniors are science majors and are done with the required prereqs by the end of sophomore year to take their MCAT over the sophomore-junior summer. They're taking mostly upper levels throughout their junior and senior year to pad their sGPA and collecting hours of ECs, not cranking through Orgo II.

 

[operaman]

I did things really out of order and took some risks doing it, but I knew it would work out for me in the end.

I did a DIY post bacc( zero sciences in UG), took the mcat before taking any pre reqs, and applied while starting to take classes. My desired state school didn’t require any pre reqs at the time other than the mcat, so I figured it was worth a shot to teach myself the mcat stuff. Got accepted in February about 9 months after starting down this crazy path.

Wouldn’t recommend this med app path to anyone, but if the stars align there are ways it can work. I applied fairly narrowly the first time with plans to reapply broadly the next year and retake the mcat for a higher score. Never got to try that part out - suspect it would have worked out ok. My state school was open about giving replicants extra points so that was my other motivation to mount an app so early.

the smart move is taking the time and doing it right. Anything else is a gamble. It paid off for me, but I’ve seen others try similar stunts and crash.

 

[notEinstein]

The vast majority of premeds applying as juniors are science majors and are done with the required prereqs by the end of sophomore year to take their MCAT over the sophomore-junior summer. They're taking mostly upper levels throughout their junior and senior year to pad their sGPA and collecting hours of ECs, not cranking through Orgo II.

Surprising. I’ve been to several medical school application websites which say something along the lines of many of their applicants apply before pre-req’s are finished. I was just on two med schools the other day that said only 50% of pre-req’s need to be finished.

At my school, it was IMPOSSIBLE to finish pre-req’s in your sophomore year. Pre-req’s for biochem alone pushed it to Junior year at the very earliest (unless you did Summer classes).

 

[notEinstein]

I did things really out of order and took some risks doing it, but I knew it would work out for me in the end.

I did a DIY post bacc( zero sciences in UG), took the mcat before taking any pre reqs, and applied while starting to take classes.

Alright you can’t drop that bombshell and not tell us how you go through the MCAT with no pre-req courses! Spill the beans please. What was your study plan? How did you do on the MCAT?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Surprising. I’ve been to several medical school application websites which say something along the lines of many other applicants apply before pre-req’s are finished. I was just on two the other day that said only 50% need to be finished.

At my school, it was IMPOSSIBLE to finish pre-req’s in your sophomore year. Pre-req’s for biochem alone pushed it to Junior year at the very earliest.

Biochem is only a required prereq at a small amount of schools. More commonly, they'll count either Orgo II OR Biochem as the fourth semester of chemistry. But yeah nobody cares if you don't have biochem yet when you've applied.

This was the typical path for someone who had their stuff together and knew they wanted to do medical school as a freshman for my friend group long ago.

Freshman fall:
Bio I, Gen Chem I, Math #1, English I, major classes/electives
Freshman spring:
Bio II, Gen Chem I, Math #2, English II, major classes/electives
Sophomore fall:
Orgo I, Physics I, major classes/electives
Sophomore spring:
Orgo II, Physics II, major classes/electives

If you push the Orgo I class to your freshman summer you could crank out Biochem in your Sophomore spring or take it over your Sophomore summer while you're studying for the MCAT and take it right before school starts back up.

This basically leaves your last two years free to fill with major coursework, minors, or cobble together enough random electives to graduate while leaving plenty of time for ECs.

I will add the caveat that few freshmen know wtf is going on enough to have this together but my friends who did pretty much all got into medical/dental/PA school their first cycle because they were driven AF.

 

[operaman]

Alright you can’t drop that bombshell and not tell us how you go through the MCAT with no pre-req courses! Spill the beans please. What was your study plan? How did you do on the MCAT?

Got a bunch of review books and watch the Khan Academy videos (it had just launched and mcat stuff was mainly all it had at the time since Khan himself had been an mcat tutor).

I was still a working singer at the time so I’d study during/between rehearsal and back stage during shows.

There was no study plan - just “learn as much as possible” since i was starting with just high school sophomore level science background.

Did pretty well considering - old 2-digit system but just over 90th percentile. Good enough to get in I guess! Not too shabby for someone who never set foot in orgo before!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What feedback have you gotten from current admissions professionals at schools near you, provided they support non-trad applicants? Sure, we'll probably toe the line when building your house correctly (you must have a strong foundation first...).

 

[notEinstein]

What feedback have you gotten from current admissions professionals at schools near you, provided they support non-trad applicants? Sure, we'll probably toe the line when building your house correctly (you must have a strong foundation first...).

this thread actually prompted me to call two of our local schools. Both MD schools. One of them told me that they require 50% of prerequisites done before you apply, but “prefer” at least 75% done. The other one referred me to their website, which wasn’t very helpful, but the website does say that they require 50% done as well too.

Edit; Just called the 3rd school - figured why not. They said “absolutely not” when I asked if it’s a disadvantage to apply without all pre-req’s finished. She said their classes have former lawyers, career changers, etc and many apply before finishing their science courses that they went back to school for. She also said “I don’t even know what a traditional student looks like anymore” because over 70% of their class is non-trad. It was awesome to hear.

 

[ttwhite]

this thread actually prompted me to call two of our local schools. Both MD schools. One of them told me that they require 50% of prerequisites done before you apply, but “prefer” at least 75% done. The other one referred me to their website, which wasn’t very helpful, but the website does say that they require 50% done as well too.

Edit; Just called the 3rd school - figured why not. They said “absolutely not” when I asked if it’s a disadvantage to apply without all pre-req’s finished. She said their classes have former lawyers, career changers, etc and many apply before finishing their science courses that they went back to school for. She also said “I don’t even know what a traditional student looks like anymore” because over 70% of their class is non-trad. It was awesome to hear.

Haha do tell, which is the third one?!

 

[notEinstein]

Haha do tell, which is the third one?!

UB

 

[BeGladNonTrad]

It's a little risky. I had a very similar background to you and only got 1II/A, the feedback I got from most of the places I applied was that I didn't have enough science classes.

I did Orgo I/II post-application, didn't end up taking anything higher than that. So when I applied I had Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, Physics I/II, Stats/Pre-Calc/Trig, and whatever the other random non-lab reqs were.

If you don't have a really good reason for applying, I'd gut it out and wait til next year. I had a lot more volunteering and clinical hours than you did and it was still rough for me, unless you're okay pretty much applying DO and having a few MD schools.

Thanks for posting. I'm probably going to play it safe based on the info I received and try to get a CMA. I'll give myself until fall to decide.
I'm in a situation were I want to move, although not for a reason like yours, but it's economically unfeasible, right now. The city I currently live in is tough socially for me and economically, both in COL and finding a job.

I appreciate the time you all put into your responses. Thank you!


*PS to Mods* I just saw this post after I made my other similar post. Woops😅

 

[ahnonemoose]

There is published data on being a reapplicant in Texas. TMDSAS data

Entry year 2024

6472 applicants, 4510 interviewed (70%), 2595 accepted (40%)
1366 reapplicants, 1005 interviewed (73%), 504 accepted (37%)