Hello Old-pre meds. Congrats all of you on pursuing your dreams. I am a new member and very early in this pre-med pursuit process. I am 32 and was pre-med in college, completed all my req’s then and even took the MCAT, but all this was 10+ years ago now. I am wondering if any of you know whether I have to take all my pre-req’s again to apply. Some have told me that I may consider taking a few science classes to prove I still “have it”. It sounds like it would be good MCAT prep anyway, but how/where do I do this? Will a program allow me to take just a few classes? If so, what would you recommend I take?
Thanks for any advice you have. I am anxious to get (re)started already!!
Most state university and any community college should allow you to enroll in courses with out being accepted to a formal program (degree-seeking or otherwise). Check with the individual medical schools you are interested in to see if they will require you to retake classes. Often you can do better preparation for the MCAT on your own then taking college classes, so taking college classes may not be necessary (although they probably wouldn't hurt).
I went back to school after a 15+ year layoff because I had to finish my B.S. In the mean time, I had built a fine career designing and building information systems - taking many software and technologie classes and then actively applying this new knowledge. I had all the confidence in the world to know that could learn new things and put them to use.
Yet, when I drove to campus for the first class of pre-reqs, somewhere inside I wondered if I would still “have it” for college-type courses. My guess is, that if I had had my BS already, had the prereqs done already, I would still have wondered about cutting it in the classroom with grades and study habits and exams.
If I were on an admissions committee and saw someone 10+ years out of school, I might also wonder about how that person might fare in a classroom situation all these years later. I think seeing some recent coursework, upper level sciences or the pre-reqs, might ease my mind about offering that person a slot in the upcoming class. But that’s just me.
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to answer you directly, some programs have cutoffs on how old your grades can be on the prereqs. you’ll have to check the MSAR on the schools you are interested in to be sure - and it wouldn’t check to ask the school directly if it is not stated. as mpp said, comm colleges will let you take courses, most universities have an enrollment option where you don’t have to make formal application to take a few classes, etc.
Thanks for all the advice. This is what I've been hearing from most people, so looks like my first step is to get the MSAR straight away, and start deciding on schools (which I'm sure will raise many more questions!!) It is wonderful that there are so many other old pre-meds out there in this day and age, and that the internet has allowed us all to connect! Thanks again, and I'll try to come back with an update.
Unfortunately the MSAR doesn’t give much information about the kind and “recentcy” that non-trads must have in their “relevant” coursework. For instance, Duke doesn’t mention it at all in the MSAR, but in another publication indicates that “relevant course work must have been taken within seven years of application.”
In order to be safe, get in touch with the various medical schools and ask. And, if at all possible, take your classes at the most rigorous institution that time/money will allow.
Cheers,
Judy
we got a few people who have worked in the field for 10+ years here at UTD who are coming back to redo or do the pre med reqs. One I believe was a dentist and the other did some military work or something, I forget. All of them are just taking courses at the university as a non degree seeking student. good luck!