Transfer Credits...10 years

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

I have noticed that many schools( their websites) won’t accept transfer credit over 10 years old. I have about 40 from a community college about 12 years ago. Is this pretty standard?


Thanks.

2

Do you know, I do not believe I have seen this question raised before. I can see why schools might put a limit on the age of credits they’ll accept for transfer in, I guess - although I would always want to go to the school and talk to them about it.


Whether old credits transfer towards new work at a new school or not, keep in mind you will have to report them as grades when you apply to med school. (I know that isn’t what you asked, I’m just sayin’)


Mary

3

Thanks Mary. I am going to the school to find out. I was going off what their website said.

4

Nope it is pretty common…


Do not try to cut corners, start over with fresh stuff. Unless you have a photographic memory, you will need “modern day” stuff to pass examinations…


There are no shortcuts there dude

5

So now I can figure 4 years to get my bachelors…


Darn…was wishing those credits or at least some would transfer over.

6

Is it going to be( not counting residency) 4 years undegrad fulltime and 4 years med school. No way to get it done a year or two earlier? I’m just saying because I thought those 40 credits or at least some would transfer over.

7

Beau, you need to talk to a counselor at the school you’re considering. Don’t jump to any conclusions. There may be some stuff (gen-ed) that will be OK, at least a semester or two. You just aren’t going to find that out in a forum, it will require a F2F.


Mary

8

Understood!..thanks …again Mary!

9

Beau,


You signed up on this site 5 years ago. You are asking the same questions now in a way, as back then. They may look different, but essentially they have the same root cause.


The fear you keep bringing up has now cost you 5 years… yet it appears, the “want” still exists.


You gonna “cure” it? Or let it sit another 5 years?


:slight_smile:

10

Yes, I should have been clearer, English composition, communications, sociology that sort of stuff should fly, but this other stuff here, the “meaty stuff”:


Ain’t no getting around 1 year of:


Biology with labs


General Chemistry with labs


Physics with labs


Organic Chemistry with labs


(And of course whatever math you might need to freshen up to pass the above)


It is indeed a LONG haul, think of it as a full marathon and not the 40 yard dash.


But if you want to go the distance what does it matter? For me, I enrolled at the University of Kansas ON my 38th birthday August 21st, 2000 (the most spectacular birthday present I ever got!)


I wanted to give myself the best possible shot and every advantage I could avail myself. So I went by the numbers, this worked pretty well since I had a fresh Biology degree with a snappy 3.88 overall and 4.0 in major and graduated from KU in 2004 at the tender age of 42. (That was a quick four years… it practically flew… I looked around one day… “Damn, I graduate in two months”).


I think what shook the reality at that time was the acceptance letter to the University Of Kansas School Of Medicine… on the FIRST try. Another graduation snuck up on me recently; at the impressionable age of 46, I graduated from medical school in May of this year! (Another four years in the rear view mirror)


So the current thing I decided to do: a dual residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, a four year residency! But heck y’all, I am half way done with my first year, where did the time go! I will finish with dual board certification at a very youthful 50!


Welcome to OPM, remember we are all in this together


“Come along and ride on the fantastic voyage”


Richard

11

Holy COW, I did not notice earlier but JKP is EXACTLY right!


Beau old boy, consider this, IF you had simply done what needed to be done in 2003, swallow that old EGO regarding those 40 “elderly” CC credits (let alone our oft discussed usefulness of CC credits for medical school anyway) and “marched on”, and made a quick double back to take the other fork in the road, do you realize WHERE you would be NOW?


Even assuming the “worse case scenario” and nothing you had transfered and you then decided to start over from scratch.


YOU would have graduated with a fresh new degree LAST year and further assuming you did well would have been in your first year of medical school. OVER half way from the front door to an MD or DO.


Richard

12

wow, you’re awesome. I have two kids, 7 & 5, 32 years old and husband is active duty military (so I am nervous about starting something and he deploys(-:. What should I do??? I didn’t know Mason offered a post bacc. I should apply, but I don’t know about my GPA, my graduating cumulative was 2.95.

13

Thanks all for the responses…especially Rich & JPK. Well I am DEFINITELY enrolling for the end January. I will be talking to an academic adviser next week. The emailed me and told me only the sciences would not transfer(It is Tuoro College).


Rich, yeah it is pretty sad to think where I would have been now if I would have not been so scared FIVE YEARS ago…a bit discouraging actually and leaves me with a little bit of a bitter taste toward myself. Ok enough with the self pity, I am moving forward at 34 going to school full-time while still with my Local #3 until I graduate. Thanks all!

  • Beau
14

Beau, if it makes you feel any better, my former firm was going to put me in the health care practice so they could pay for my pre-reqs. I was 33, that was 11 years ago.


Eleven years… what a successful, interesting, circuitous ride those 11 years have been tho :smiley:

15
  • nsarvis Said:
I have two kids, 7 & 5, 32 years old and husband is active duty military (so I am nervous about starting something and he deploys(-:. What should I do??? I didn't know Mason offered a post bacc. I should apply, but I don't know about my GPA, my graduating cumulative was 2.95.



I did a self-styled post-bacc at Mason, it wasn't a formal program; I simply took the prerequisites. I certainly appreciate your hesitation about starting something when your family situation could change. I would suggest that you consider taking just one course - GenChem is where I started and the logical first course, since it's prerequisite for the year of organic chem. That gets you back into academic gear so that you can excel from the get-go (very important!).

Good luck!

Mary