Hello all,
I had posted earlier this year, in regards to my two C’s from a difficult semester.
Anyway, after much uneasiness, I have been invited to two interviews just this past week. It’s hard to know if I was more excited or the people around me were more excited! Anyway, after looking at the Interview Day website that MSU CHM has, I found that math is a pre-req. I was sure that I had avoided all the schools with math as a pre-req, not because I don’t like math, in fact I like it a lot and I’m pretty good at it, but because I never got around to taking it in college. I took AP Statistics in high school and something was messed up in my sophomore year of college where I didn’t get the credit, so there is no math at all on my college transcript. When taking my post-bacc courses, I concentrated more on the sciences, as per the advice of my advisor, who said that math was mostly for ‘Ivy League’ schools. I haven’t even taken a placement test.
So I am supposed to fill out a Pre-Req form that I am supposed to bring to Interview Day. It says on there that any discrepancies or divergences from the required courses may or may not be discussed. I am working 40 hours a week in a doctor’s office and coaching volleyball and volunteering but I am willing to sign up for a college math course in the spring. Should I do it, as a pre-emptive measure, or wait and see what they say? In all, I believe that I have taken courses which require analytical thinking (Physics, Latin) and my MCAT was average which may show that I can do algebra.
Please advise! Thank you for your time!
If the schools says it’s a prerequisite I would think there’s no easy way around it. It might not even come out during an interview; If it doesn’t, you should ask in the admission office at the end of the interview day about that. I would think that they are going to tell you that if you get accepted, you’ll have to fulfill the math requirement before matriculating; and definitely don’t try to get your point across that good MCAT score + physics prove that you have analytical skills; You still have plenty of time to take this math class, and hopefully it will pay off ;).
Good luck on your interviews.
Kasia
It is checked. A friend of mine spent the summer as a paid work-study gig for the med school to go through every matriculated folder and make sure the pre-reqs are met in each case. I think it has something to do with AMCAS regulations for participating schools…
AMCAS doesn’t have anything to say about a school’s pre-reqs. There are times when a pre-req will be waived for one reason or another. Sometimes it can depend on a state’s medical licensing board requirements.
I think it would be wise to ask up front about your particular situation, explain that you certainly would be willing to take a spring course if they think it’s necessary, and then see what they say.
Often acceptance letters mention something to the effect “contingent upon completing [requirements].”
Cheers,
Judy