This discussion was created from comments split from: UCLA Medical school.
@WayOutWestMom – You seem to be so knowledgable. Can I ask a question about APs? If I take my AP credits adn skip Chem and go straight to Orgo, do I need to take some other year of Chem any way? It seems that is what UCLA says. I am trying to decide whether to take the credit or not and this is obviously a factor. Thanks.
That’s actually a very complicated question. Starting this year UCLA is implementing competency based admissions. UCLA will also now accept AP credits as fulfilling admission requirements. However, you still need to be able to demonstrate “competency” in inorganic chemistry. How UCLA plans to put this this policy into practice exactly is unclear.
You can certainly jump straight to Ochem if you want to do that. In fact, if you’re confident in your chemistry knowledge (and have a score of 5 on the AP chem exam) I’d recommend that. But you will still need to demonstrate “competency” in inorganic chemistry. The purpose of competency-based admissions is to encourage students who have AP credit to take more advanced coursework instead of just re-taking intro level classes.
I interpret this to mean that to be on the safe side you’d need an additional semester of chemistry besides Ochem and biochem. You’d also could demonstrate competence by doing non class-based chemistry research. Or by earning a very high score on the physical science sub-test of the MCAT.
But that’s just my opinion. UCLA SOM’s admission office is probably the best place to get a definitive answer to this.
@WayOutWestMom – thanks! Do you have any books/articles that you recommend for us new kids who just got into college and now need to worry about Med School? You seem to know so much!
I personally haven’t read it, but…try this one that I’ve seen recommended by an adcomm–
Med School Rx: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting On with Doctoring
by Walter Hartwig
ISBN-13: 978-1607140627
ISBN-10: 1607140624
It’s pretty basic, but may be good place to start.
(My knowledge about the med school admission process has been derived from the school of hands on experience–both of my daughters went to med school. One just graduated Thursday… 
)
Here’s what you need to do:
-
complete your pre-reqs
(basic–you’re not going to get accepted without those.) -
earn as many As as possible
(GPA and sGPA are both critical important for med school admission. If you feel that you’re having trouble understanding a topic or feel like you’re getting behind in class, get help ASAP. Go to your college’s tutoring center, join a study group, go to office hours, do extra problem sets, use alternative instructional resources like Khan Academy videos, chem model kits, or a different textbook.) -
find something you’re passionate about and develop a cluster of ECs around it
(med school adcomms want to see caring, committed individuals who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, compassion, altruism, resilience, and leadership. Different people have different interests so follow your own interests. Don’t just amass a collection of random activities you think will look good to adcomms. ) -
get to know your professors
(can be done even at giant state universities if you make an effort. You’ll need letters of recommendation from science and non-science professors) -
get involved with activities and organizations at your college
(adcomms want to know that you’re a normal person with interests and hobbies outside of medicine/science. Plus by getting involved on campus, it’s easier to make friends and avoid homesickness) -
develop strong communication skills–both written and oral
(you need to be able to express yourself clearly, coherently and convincingly in writing and in speech) -
prepare for, take and score well on the MCAT
(MCAT isn’t a knowledge based exam. Just knowing the subject material isn’t enough. You need to be able to critically read unfamiliar material, analyze it, synthesize the data into a new gestalt and hypothesize solutions.You also need substantial practice to learn the format and timing of the exam–which is ~7 hours long.)
Your MCAT score + GPA only keeps your application from get rejected; it’s your activities and personal statement/essays that get you invited to interview.
Good luck on your journey!
My D went to her school health career advisor and she was advised to retake chem (she has 5 on AP and 800 on subject test) and she is glad she did. I think that being her 1st weed out class taught her how to study for those classes. Her one friend went directly to Org and struggled with Org chem 2.
@WayOutWestMom and @SincererLove – thanks for your helpful posts.
Since you are interested in premed note that some med schools won’t accept AP credit for satisfying some of their classes. see for example https://prehealth.duke.edu/prepare/course-requirements/ap-ipc-credits-and-course-choices