<p>I may have done close to 50-60 college credits by end of my high school year. I am applying for BS/MD programs. I am looking at the backup plan including applying for regular BS programs at top 20 schools who gives credit for my AP classes and graduate early. How is this going to be viewed by Tier-2 medical schools? For example, I have gotten all 5's in Chem, Physics etc. I am hoping that I would score more than 34 in MCAT and I am not vying for John Hopkins or Harvard. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Many pre-meds are not allowed to skip first Bio even after “5” and A in AP Bio. Thanks goodness it was a case at my D’s school. She said, she would not be able to successfully continue with Bio without background from first class. You have to check specific programs / colleges. AP does not guarantee strong background, which also has proven in D’s GChem class. She was much better prepared for it (no AP Chem in her HS) than others after AP Chem, which resulted in her being hired as Assistant to Chem. Prof.<br>
By the way, she is in combined program, but her program does not allow to graduate in less than 4 year from UG (non-accelerated), D has chosen it over accelerated ones, she was accepted to 3 of them. Well, good luck to you, my advice is not to skip any classes if the goal is high GPA (you need it to apply to Med. Schools or to continue in bs/md)</p>
<p>if you go the regular route, you cannot use ap credit for your medical school requirements (bio, chem, physics, etc.).</p>
<p>@Miami: Just curious as to how your daughter was more prepared for GChem than her classmates who took AP Chem in highschool? I know you said that AP chem doesn’t guarentee a strong background, but how does no chemistry at all guarentee a good background, let alone strong (as in your daughters case)?</p>
<p>A lot of medical schools will only accept AP credit for pre-reqs if you take advanced classes (so take genetics and cell bio in exchange for accepting your AP Bio, take advanced physics for AP Physics credit). There is no advantage to this really. It only makes it harder on you to maintain a high GPA, makes you exposed to more competitive classes before you’ve gotten used to it all, and robs you of extra practice with that material prior to the MCAT. By all means, use non science AP credit to finish a year early, but definitely plan to retake the pre-req stuff if at all possible (especially physics).</p>
<p>Also, a few schools don’t accept AP credit at all for pre-reqs, so you would not be able to apply to them. Its a very small number though from what I recall.</p>
<p>The other thing that I can do is, take the MCAT and see how good I am. LOL!. What if I get 36 in a year from now?</p>
<p>My preference is to apply for the tier 1 and tier 2 combined BD/Med programs and forget about my dream to pursue degree at Duke/HYPM with a mediocore GPA and struggle with high MCAT scores etc. later in my life. If someone can offer me the guarantted admission at Wayne State or Howard, why would I say no? I am really hoping for Univ of Miami or Rice/baylor or Brown PLME. Any nayers about not pursuing tier 2 BD/MD programs?</p>
<p>if youre fine with it, then do it. youll have the time of your life in college. i hate being pre-med…not because of the coursework, but because i have to volunteer and do things i do not want to do.</p>
<p>CombinedProgram,
My D. HS did not offer AP Chem., they were not allowed to take classes at colleges either. However, despite of very few AP offered, all D’s HS graduates enter 4 years colleges (100% of them every year) with couple top kids going to Ivy’s (out of 30 - 50 graduates). College prep depends much more on HS than number of AP classes. D. was hand picked by prof. after she consistantly had over 100% in all her GChem tests and after he noticed that kids are seeking her help with material in class. </p>
<p>Unless you are a genius test taker, do not waste your time taking MCAT w/o long and hard preparation for it. It is not SAT/ACT type of test.</p>
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<p>Not so fast, gunner. You’re a high school junior. Better brush up on that ochem.</p>