Hi everyone,
I am just looking for some more options on medical schools for non-traditional students. I truly understand that medical school (even just applying) is not easy, and no way am I looking for a short cut. I am simply just looking for Universities who have recommeded prerequisite courses instead of required courses. I know UC - San Diego, UPenn, GWU, Stanford, NYU, and Vanderbilt just have recommendations. Any where else?
Thank you!
This list is from Rice University, July 2018 which lists ap credit acceptance for each medical school but it also lists NR as not required prerequisite courses.
While these specific courses are not required, you will still need to demonstrate competency in the subject areas.
What is your situation? Are you trying to apply w/o science prereqs? Have you taken the MCAT?
Seems like you’re going to end up with a tiny school list to apply to. That seems like a waste.
On the studentdoctor site, there is a non-traditional forum that would be of use.
Also check out the following for med school requirements:
https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/sites/dsa/files/handbooks/MEDICAL%20SCHOOL%20ADMISSION%20REQUIREMENTS_June_2015%20V3.pdf
If you haven’t taken the traditional pre-reqs (Bio, chem, etc) then consider a post bacc:
https://students-residents.aamc.org/content/article/considering-postbaccalaureate-premedical-program/
You would still have to take the MCAT and would need to know the Bio/chem/physic/math to do well.
Most medical school have “recommended” pre-reqs instead of required ones, and all medical schools have moved or will be moving to competency-based admissions policies. (It’s been mandated by the LCME.) This is to allow alternative pathways to medical school.
https://www.aamc.org/download/308462/data/admissionsinitiativesummary.pdf
The caveat? The onus is on the student to demonstrate they have achieved these competencies.
A MCAT score is not sufficient to prove competency in a given area. (Because the exact content of the MCAT varies from test to test.)
You would need either coursework, or some equivalent activity or experience. As a substitute for the 2 semesters of required writing, perhaps professional (non-blog) print publications would suffice. For organic chemistry, perhaps a placement exam showing you’ve mastered ochem by acing the comprehensive 2 semester final, or 2-3 years of organic chemistry research that includes some sort of capstone project. The point is–you don’t get to decide if your life experience or activities are sufficient replacement for a coursework, the admissions committee does.
The best place to get list of programs which don’t have required courses, but only recommendations: MSAR. But remember for med school — recommended = required (unless you have an alternative pathway to prove your skill set)
Other programs that don’t have specific course requirements listed on their websites–
Michigan https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/md-admissions
Duke. https://medschool.duke.edu/education/student-services/office-admissions/admissions-process/academic-expectations
USC/Keck https://keck.usc.edu/education/md-program/admissions/
Chicago/Priztker. https://pritzker.uchicago.edu/page/entrance-requirements#Credit
Michigan State. http://mdadmissions.msu.edu/ApplicationProcess/future/admiss_req.htm
@WayOutWestMom Do you think CLEP credit would suffice to demonstrate competencies?
Every medical school will have its own policy w/r/t CLEP, but AFAIK, there aren’t any allopathic med schools that accept CLEP credits. I doubt osteopathic med school will allow CLEP either.
You can check MSAR or contact individual school to ask about their policy.
CLEP plus additional upper level coursework in the same discipline might be acceptable.
@WayOutWestMom @mom2collegekids Do you have any other suggestions to demonstrate competencies? This is my current situation. I graduated high school with an International Baccalaureate Diploma. I will be graduating in December with a BBA in International Business. For most medical schools, I have met the English(credit from IB and from college) and Math (Statistics, Elementary Calculus, and Business Analytics) prequisites. I have passed the CLEP test for Biology (8 credits). I have also interned with ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and hopefully I will have the opportunity to shaddow some doctors either there or at LeBonheur this summer. MCAT is at 513 and planning to retake it this August - aiming for a 517 - 520.
I plan to apply to UC- San Diego and Stanford (in tandem with the Knight-Hennessey Program).
I am sort of just looking for “more attainable” medical schools to apply to.
Thank you for your help!
You are planning to apply to only two medical schools, and both are in CA…and highly competitive?
How much do you want to be a doctor? The vast majority of medical school applicants apply to about 20 schools, and many of them don’t get accepted anywhere. Some folks get accepted to only one place.
IIRC, California is THE most challenging state in which to get accepted to medical school.
@WayOutWestMom is this student competitive for admissions to these two CA colleges without completing required courses? No OChem? No statistics? No biochemistry? No chemistry?
Without some conventional coursework in chemistry, biochemistry, physics and upper level bio, I don’t see how the OP would be a competitive applicant at any med school. Adcomms wouldn’t be able to compare the OP’s achievements against those of other applicants, nor feel confident that the OP has the necessary base knowledge needed to be successful in med school.
TBH, there are some people who can just cram flashcards or spend hours doing practice exams and score well on the MCAT sans pre-reqs. (I knew one. Someone bet him he couldn’t “pass” the MCAT. He crammed for a couple of months and scored a 40 on the old exam–all without pre-reqs other than math.) Some people are just natively test-savvy and always score well on standardized exams. This doesn’t mean these same individuals have the depth of base knowledge needed to be successful in an an actual college or med school class.
CA is the toughest state for med school admissions–too many top-drawer applicants; too few med school seats. Most CA applicants are not accepted at all; of those who are accepted, more than 2/3rds are accepted at OOS schools.
OP, your ECs are sub-par to be competitive. You’re missing key pre-med ECs–long term community service with the disadvantaged, long term clinical exposure (more than just one summer), physician shadowing in primary care specialties, leadership positions in your ECs, and since you’re applying to research intensive medical schools, clinical or lab bench research.
@OccupyMarsX Other than advanced coursework or significant and long term research in a specific science field I don’t see how you can meet competency expectations for bio, chem, ochem, biochem and physics.
The reason why med school are only recommending coursework is to encourage applicants to take challenging upper level electives in place of the introductory level classes.
If you want to go to med school, you need to just suck it up and do the necessary preparation. Med school is like trying to drink from proverbial fire hose. You will blow though a semester’s worth of advanced senior college level material in 2 or 3 lectures–1 week or less. There’s no time to teach yourself the background material. Admission committees need proof that you have both the necessary intellectual capability and the necessary background knowledge to survive the med school meat grinder.
P.S. Was your stats class business stats? Or stats through the math dept? Because there is a difference. The 2 classes teach different methodologies and different techniques. Business stats is not adequate preparation for the biostats you’ll take in med school.