General premed advice.

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
101

<p>I read somewhere around these parts that LACs sometime also place limits or minimum GPAs for people who can apply to medical school. I'm not quite sure how they would do this at all, and it's just hearsay, heh.</p>

<p>I'm a little confused over this discussion of the "better pre-med programs," though. During undergrad, all medical schools require academically is that you graduate with your prerequisite courses and do well in them. If a college or university is located somewhere near a hospital, that's obviously a plus because of the opportunities afforded to students for research, shadowing, etc. However, how much of a difference could a "pre-med program" make in the long run? Will it <em>really</em> matter whether or not you go to Cornell or Hopkins? Both are excellent schools, and I'm sure that both would prepare a student well for medical school.</p>

102

<p>Does the premed English requirement also take a big importance in the admissions? I mean, I know the admissions commitee places great importance on your pre-med science courses, and your performance in them. Do they also care as much about what kind of English courses you take, and the grades you get in them? ex. can you take a writing sem on film to fulfill it?</p>

103

<p>
[quote]
I read somewhere around these parts that LACs sometime also place limits or minimum GPAs for people who can apply to medical school. I'm not quite sure how they would do this at all, and it's just hearsay, heh.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>It's not just LAC's who do this. A wide variety of schools play this game. It also is not determined solely by GPA, but on a wide variety of criteria.</p>

<p>Basically, what happens is that the vast majority of med-schools require a Dean's certification letter or other such official memorandum from the school attesting to the fact that you are in good academic standing, that you have never been suspended, etc. etc. What some (not all, bu some) undergraduate programs do is that they review your premed qualifications (your GPA, your EC's, etc.) and if they don't think you are a good premed candidate, then they will refuse to provide you with this letter, and without this letter, you can't apply. </p>

<p>There are 2 reasons that I know of for this sort of behavior, one benign, the other malign. The first is that if you truly are a poor candidate, you may be better off not being allowed to apply. For example, if you have a 2.0 GPA, you're probably better off not applying to med-school and saving your application fee money, because the fact is, you're not going to get in anywhere. So the school may well be justified in simply barring you from applying and preventing you from wasting your time and money.</p>

<p>Then of course there are those schools who just want to boost their premed acceptance rate, so they do so artificially by simply only letting their very best students apply, and preventing their other students from applying. Then they can turn around and boast of a very high acceptance rate, not mentioning the fact that they have basically artifically manipulated that statistic by cherry-picking their best students. Any school can boost its premed acceptance rate by allowing only the strongest students to apply in the first place.</p>

<p>
[quote]
However, how much of a difference could a "pre-med program" make in the long run? Will it <em>really</em> matter whether or not you go to Cornell or Hopkins? Both are excellent schools, and I'm sure that both would prepare a student well for medical school.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The more established premed programs tend to have better premed consulting/advising and larger and better-established communities of premed students and profs who are accustomed to teaching premeds, so there can be a greater emphasis on information-sharing about how to get into med-school, what you need to do, etc.</p>

<p>But you are correct in that it still all boils down to GPA, MCAT, EC's, esssays, rec's, and interviews, and if you can get that stuff somewhere else, it doesn't really matter.</p>

104

<p>Can someone list the courses for me - what is considered the pre-med "core?" by most medical schools? And do AP Bio, Chem or Physics count towards the prerequisites?</p>

<p>Also, how do medical schools view a US applicant with an international degree, insofar as the courses are probably not identical in title or precise scope?</p>

105

<p>If you do a search you will find it very easily. Its on the first page of this thread. But incase your to lazy
1 year bio
1 year chem
1 year ochem
1 year physics
1 year calc
1 year english
sometimes humanities</p>

<p>AP credit does count but most people choose not to use it because med schools don't like it. If you do use it they expect you to take higher level classes in the same subject.</p>

106

<p>I was seeking some advice for when to get my required pre-med science credits completed. On my school website it suggests chem 1st year, bio and organic chem 2nd year, and physics 3rd year. Does anybody back this up, or anyone suggest I do it differently?
Thanks</p>

107

<p>It depends on how difficult the classes are at your school, and if you are willing to double up. In my case I am doing, chem and bio freshman year, and orgo and physics soph year. If you feel you can't double up with orgo and something else, then don't. If you can, then do it.</p>

108

<p>Typically, at my school, it's intro bio/gen chem/english/math freshman year and either physics and/or orgo sophomore year and whatever is left junior year.</p>

109

<p>Thanks guys. another thing- my schedule frosh year basically has to be hist/lit/math/chem, then soph and junior year get bio, physics, and organic chem done. Another question- Do you recommend I try to get all the science done before the MCAT? I know 3 science classes, all with labs, would be nearly impossible to do at the same time.</p>

110

<p>hmm. i was thinking of finishing all my prmed requirements by sophomore year. But is there an advantage of takin gthe MCATs the summer, right after your soph year? or is there gonna be no difference between that and taking it in April of your junior year?</p>

111

<p>If you are starting college this year, then the MCATs you take will be the revised MCATs. They will only be taken on a computer and the test time will be cut to 5 hours (I think thats it). Each of the section will of course be shorter. Heres the best part though, they will have more then 2 mcats per year. This means that if you finish your pre-med stuff in May of soph year, you can take an extra month to study or more, and take the MCAT in June or July.</p>

112

<p>bigndude, where did you read that the MCATs will be changing?</p>

113

<p><a href="http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/feb05/mcat.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/feb05/mcat.htm&lt;/a>
"Aspiring medical students will soon say goodbye to the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) as they know it. The new test will have them putting down their pencils and sitting in front of a computer.</p>

<p>Through April 2006, a computer-based test will be available in more than a dozen sites in the United States and internationally. Implementation of the computerized version is scheduled to be complete by 2007, and the written version will be eliminated. Upcoming changes are designed to make the test more convenient.</p>

<p>With the computerized version, prospective students will take the test in smaller, climate-controlled rooms and receive their scores much more quickly, said Ellen Julian, Ph.D., AAMC's associate vice president and director of the MCAT examination.</p>

<p>"Our initial promise is to reduce score reporting time from 60 days to 30 days, with the ultimate goal of reducing the waiting time to two weeks," Dr. Julian said. "We hope this will facilitate the medical school application process for both examinees and admissions officers."</p>

<p>The biggest benefit for examinees, however, may be the revised length of the test. According to Dr. Julian, MCAT researchers have determined how to shorten the test while ensuring that it remains reliable, valid and useful. By waiting to implement the computer-based test until 2007, MCAT administrators can reduce test length at the same time. Timesaving measures inherent in converting a paper-and-pencil test to a computer version have already cut two hours off the test day, and with the planned reduction in test length, the test day should shrink to less than five hours. "</p>

114

<p>Thanks, bigndude.</p>

115

<p>To the poster inquiring about taking the MCAT the summer before his/her junior year:</p>

<p>Unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure, wait until April of your junior year. Take some extra science classes during your junior year, and use the extra 9 months to study specifically for the MCAT. With the MCAT, it's crucial to take it when you feel ready, not take it for fun.</p>

116

<p>Most people who have taken the MCAT do recommend taking it right after you have finished orgo so it is still in your head. If you wait 9 months then take it, odds are you are going to have to remomorize everything. With the new MCATs the perk is you can take 2 or 3 months during the summer and do nothing but study for the MCAT, something you can't do during a school year. The new MCATs are going to be a whole different beast so no one can say what to do for now, because the AAMC hasn't released all too much info about them.</p>

117

<p>When you say take if after you study during the summer, are you saying you will be taking in your senior year or the fall of your junior year?</p>

118

<p>I got a C in O Chem 2. However, I am POSITIVE if I took it again, I would actually LEARN something. The C I got was the result of a massive curve (I failed each of the four exams). I HATE making excuses, but let's just say, the teaching of the class was a big factor in my performance (we had a different teacher for second semester). If I retake it this summer--I have about one week to decide--I will have a different teacher and am confident I will learn general principles. However, my pre-med advisor told me to audit the course instead of retaking it--but that will cost money my parents aren't exactly thrilled to be spending.
My question is--is a C acceptable? Especially considering that it's not my only C? (I also got a C in the second semester of general chem and the first semester of the 2-credit orgo lab.)</p>

119

<p>hey everybody, I just have a quick question. I am going to be a fresh. at Vassar College in the fall, going in with some AP/IB credits. Now, I just learned that I got a 5 on the AP calc exam, which I was elated about. But I see many people/places saying that 1 year of Calc is either "highly" recommended, or required for med school admissions. But for something such as calc, would med schools accept the AP credit, or would they still expect me to take a year of calc?</p>

120

<p>Med Schools do not consider APs as meeting their requirements, regardless of whether your U/Grad school provides credit. It will be up to you to decide to re-take the (what will now be) lower lever calc at college or build upon the APs and take higher level calc.
This issue is debated ad-nauseum in other Pre-Med threads.</p>