Concern about old pre req's! Yikes

Hello everyone,


First off, a big thank you for this forum. I am so grateful for it.


Here’s the deal…I’m a little uneasy about the age that my pre req classes will be by the time I apply to med school. I am currently enrolled in a BA in Biochemistry and have 10 classes to go. 4 of those are upper division General Studies classes. I’m only taking 2 classes a semester since I have to work full time. I’ve had a bit of a stop/start education, and had changed paths a few times, but the issue that I’m a little concerned about is that by the time I apply to med school, my pre req classes will be about 10 years old. I took them at a CC and got A’s and B’s, but I’m afraid it won’t look too good if they’re soooooo old and also having taken them at a CC. What I’m considering is taking them over at the 4 year college while I’m finishing off my BA, which will take about 2 and a half years to do anyway. I would really appreciate any advice on this.


Thank you so much and keep studying hard.

Browsed around and got the answer I think I was looking for.


Thank you

I have a similar story. I started as a bio major, then changed to a different major after my first year. My basic science courses are about ten years old, but I have taken organic and physics recently and I’ currently taking some upper level courses. I called the schools that I am thinking of applying to, and htey told me that at least for the basics, that there was “no expiration date.” I would call the schools you are interested in and see what you could find out.

Hi never2late -


Through email and phone discussions earlier this year, I was told by a couple different sources at both the U of A and Midwestern schools here in Arizona that there is no expiration on the pre-reqs. And if I understood them correctly, for the pre-reqs it seems that earning an A at most of the instate CCs is preferred to a B at the universities.


Please keep us posted on your progress…


Neil


Decisions determine destiny.



Some medical schools will cap the age of your pre-reqs, and others are more interested in how you perform on the cooresponding portions of the MCAT. You should be informed regarding your own plans and how they will affect where you apply.


I had a similar concern. After checking the schools where I wanted to apply, I chose to re-take only the coursework I thought I needed to refresh. At this point I am deeply grateful for having some recent exposure to organic, zoology, and immunology.

Thank you so much for the input. I’ll be contacting the schools I plan on applying to this week to get their views on the pre req’s.