Ok, I already took the following in college in did great but my scores are 20 years old. Will they still be considered valid by medical schools?
General Chem I, II
Physics I, II
Calculus
Thanks!
I do not think so…many schools will not take pre-req courses more than 8 years old. Now, some schools might bypass this in light of recent coursework such as graduate coursework.
In addition to what Efex has said, remember that the MCAT is based on first-year material in the science pre-reqs.
Cheers,
Judy
if you are lucky enough to have an advanced degree in the subject, they are still valid. I had a graduate degree in chem and didn’t have to redo any of my chem, phys, calculus.
Old courses are probably not valid unless you have a relativey-recent advanced bio or chem degree. I took most of what would constitute a premed curriculum in 1982-1983 (all but Ochem, Mol Bio, and Biochem). It was recommended that I repeat all of my original science wok, which I am doing now. And I’m glad I am doing this. While some material remains the same, the way courses are structured and taught (with web-based homework and materials to supplement in-class instruction), plus the impact of the stunning gains made in molecular biology and genetics is astounding. Taking courses recently shows you can handle recent science coursework. And, studying the material again is good preparation for the MCAT.
I don’t think Physic, Math, and General chem changed much. But you might need to retake Organic Chem and Bioglogy courses though.
It also goes beyond the issue “if” they are valid but more do you have recent PROOF of academic endeavors that demonstrate that you are willing and able to commit yourself to a very rigorous medical curriculum.