Took too many AP Credits, what to do?

[Seihai]

-snip-

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Turkishking]

I don't think your screwed. In fact, probably in good shape. You can avoid all those cut-throat intro courses, and move on.

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Thank you so much to both @Turkishking and @gonnif! This is very useful, and I will definitely look at the MSAR for more information. I will have to purchase access to that, but it is definitely worth it to determine where I stand regarding this issue.

I'll definitely follow up with the schools I'm most interested in (as of now) and check to confirm their policies if they say explicitly "No AP" or something along those lines.

If I do well on the corresponding sections on the MCAT, do you think these schools are more likely to give me a waiver for some of the coursework that they may not accept AP credit for (this may be something that's too far down the line to worry about, honestly)?

Another question: Do requirements for MD/PhD programs vary significantly from MD programs? I am hoping to apply to MD/PhD programs in the future, but I haven't been able to find much (really, any) information on whether there is additional coursework requirement for those programs.

Furthermore, you say that prereq fulfillment is checked AFTER acceptance - does that mean that schools will only evaluate whether some of my interdisciplinary courses (that is, courses like Biomechanics which isn't offered in the Physics department at my school) fulfill the Physics requirement after I get accepted? Will that hurt my chances of being accepted in the first place?

Again, thanks so much for all of the help! This information will really help when navigating my current situation and what courses I will need to take in the future.

There are classes which are expected to show mastery of, which an MCAT score will probably suffice for (I would put psych and soc here) and there are classes which you must take to be allowed in (MSAR tells you where you can sub in AP credit, the most common is not doing calc and only doing stats if you have the AP)

I cannot find any requirements for Harvard's MD/PhD program so they're probably the same as for MD (though the do recommend taking the GRE in addition to the MCAT). The MSAR or looking at several MSTP programs will tell you this.

You must complete required courses before matriculation, not application, but you should probably take most of them before application. You can leave off like one English class for the last year, but since most of it's on the MCAT anyways... but no, they'll expect you to take Physics eventually.

 

[jesie]

I just applied this last year so take my perspective with a grain of salt, but as far as I can tell what courses you took is pretty far down on the list of what MDPhD programs are looking for. I took a lot of seriously random stuff (Space Weather, Geophysics, Medieval Intellectual Tradition, etc) in a highly interdisciplinary major which, in the end, had me taking very few science courses (only the MCAT required courses). A few schools are very stringent about those AP requirements but you're not screwed. You'll just have a couple places (UCLA for me) that'll just have to leave the list.

Even with odd coursework that had me worried early in the cycle, I ended up with 4 MDPhD offers, so anecdotally it doesn't appear to be a huge issue. (Unless gpa hit from upper-levels plays into it a lot)

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[cactusman]

I'm a bit confused - you say that the MD part has specific coursework that is needed? But earlier you said "Not having a specific class will not impact your chances of admission" - do you mean that the addition of the PhD portion doesn't change a school's perspective on certain courses?

Also, do you mean that the top medical schools are more stringent than less competitive programs about having specific coursework or that they don't care any more than most medical schools?

They don't care any more than most medical schools. Medical schools care that you finish all your prereqs before matriculating, but not before applying.

 

[Lawpy]

As you pointed out, there are about 140 MD medical schools and they have a variety of requirements when it comes to AP. Do not assume that, while most medical schools will accept higher level courses in lieu of of AP awarded credits, not all will. And this issue isnt decided until after you have been accepted and prereq fulfillment is being check during pre-matriculation phase. So, not that I am recommending this, the only absolute guarantee is to simply take all the actually required courses. Some schools are absolute sticklers for this and will not accept any AP nor advanced courses in their stead. However, most schools will accept them, or have moved to core competency requirements, or are likely to give you waivers upon acceptance. You can start by checking the MSAR which will show you grid of schools and AP acceptance. I would followup to calls to schools that seem indicate "no" AP and see how flexible they may be. As @Turkishking says you are probably in good shape.


AP credit used for Medical School Applications

1) Some schools will allow some AP courses but not others

Example Weill Cornell Medical College Medical Education at Weill Medical College of Cornell University | Admissions

Advanced Placement credit. AP credit from high school can be used to satisfy the WCMC requirement in physics. AP credit in other areas cannot be used to satisfy the WCMC requirement. If a student has AP credit in an area other than physics, the student fulfills the WCMC requirement by completing advanced science coursework.

2) Many schools will not accept them as full and complete fulfillment of prerequisites. Some do.

Example will NOT accept: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University http://www.rowan.edu/coopermed/students/admissions/prerequisites.php

No AP/IB credits may be used in place of an actual course, even if the undergraduate institution grants a credit for the AP coursework. Upper level coursework in the same subject area may replace the listed prerequisite. (Note: All science courses used to satisfy a prerequisite must include a laboratory component, so online coursework will not be acceptable to substitute for hands-on lab credit).

Example Will Accept AP: NYMC https://www.nymc.edu/Academics/SchoolOfMedicine/Admissions/PremedicalCourseworkRequirements.html

All courses offered in satisfaction of the premed requirements for admission must be taken at, or accepted as transfer credits by, an accredited college in the United States or Canada and must be acceptable to that institution toward a baccalaureate degree in arts or sciences. (This includes Advanced Placement courses taken in high school.)

3) Many schools will accept the fulfillment of the course (ie general bio, general chem) but not the credits as counting towards 2 years of Bio, 2 years of Chem and therefore require additional upper level coursework.

4) Many "recommend" additional course to be competitive

Example: SUNY Upstate (Frequently Asked Questions | College of Medicine | SUNY Upstate Medical University)

"Yes, as long as you were awarded college credit and the course(s) are listed on an official transcript from your primary undergraduate institution. The Admissions Committee recommends that you also complete advanced science coursework in order to be competitive for admission."

Example: SUNY Downstate Admissions Requirements

Do we accept AP credits for our prerequisites?

If your undergraduate college has awarded you AP credits and the credits are listed on your transcript, we will also accept your AP credits to fulfill our prerequisites if the course is listed by subject title on your final official college transcript. However, in order for the Admissions Committee to consider you to be competitive for admission, you should take advanced level science course work equivalent to the number of credit hours which have been accepted for AP prerequisites.

Do you know what schools do not accept AP credit whatsoever and do not allow for upper level/advanced coursework as substitution for AP credit? The only one I can think of is UCLA, but I don't know if there are others.

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[Turkishking]

Thank you for all of the help; it's been way more helpful than you might realize! I am going to purchase access to the MSAR tomorrow or the day after and get all of this nailed down.

Do these prerequisites or policies ever really change that often? I don't really see any shifts in course prerequisites and policies regarding AP exams compared to the other benchmarks (GPA/MCAT). If the prerequisites/policies do tend to change, are they generally becoming more or less stringent (if this is even a factor that's subject to generalization)?

You want the MSAR and your a sophomore?

 

[cactusman]

Thank you for all of the help; it's been way more helpful than you might realize! I am going to purchase access to the MSAR tomorrow or the day after and get all of this nailed down.

Do these prerequisites or policies ever really change that often? I don't really see any shifts in course prerequisites and policies regarding AP exams compared to the other benchmarks (GPA/MCAT). If the prerequisites/policies do tend to change, are they generally becoming more or less stringent (if this is even a factor that's subject to generalization)?

I think biochem has recently become more common as a prerequisite, especially with the redesigned MCAT. Calc, especially Calc 2 and 3, has mostly faded as a requirement, and all or most schools which still want it will also accept AP credit, but stats has become a popular requirement.
So yes, there are shifts, but they're pretty slow slow. If there are any new recommendations or requirements added my money would be on computer science recommendations as diagnostic AI, etc. becomes more important in medicine, but I can't see med schools asking for that by the time any of us are applying.

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[cactusman]

Pretty useful from what I can see in this thread to figure out what classes I should plan on taking based on what most of the medical schools will accept. I can afford it if I work overtime for two or three hours, and it'll give me a peace of mind that I don't think I can quite quantify (and that's definitely worth more than $28.00 in my opinion).

For all course requirements you can look at their websites and it will be just as accurate. Maybe even clearer.

More medical schools are shifting to stats and biochem? I had expected course shifts as a result of the new MCAT, though I didn't know what changes exactly had been made. Do students who apply tend to get "grandfathered" in if they already did most of undergrad before applying, or are there cases where they've had to take one or two courses that were added as requirements later on in their undergrad?

It's also interesting to think about a CS class being recommended, but I can't possibly see that as coming up in applications for a long time, even as diagnostic AI becomes more prevalent.

The biochem requirements have been slowly instituted (I think many that require it started out by recommending it). I think kind of the same for stats, but stats might have been a requirement for longer, I'm not certain. Anyone who hasn't been able to adjust their coursework appropriately must be living four years in the past or something.

Edit: And I agree about CS being unlikely, at least in the near future. I know Sinai mentions that they'd prefer FlexMed students interested in bio take coursework in genetics, bioinformatics, etc. but that's just a suggestion and goes along with their loose coursework requirements.

 

[Seihai]

-snip-

 

[cactusman]

I do plan on looking at the websites for pretty much all of the schools, but there are quite a few med schools out there and I'm not sure how to look them all up. I could make that a pet project for the next few days... 10 MD med schools a day until I reach all 140? Could be an option, since I'll probably wind up doing that in the future regardless.

Unnecessary. No need to look at most state schools if you're not from that state, mission based if you'll have an MD/PhD focused app (and you can find out which schools these are quickly with some SDN searching), etc. Look at some requirements from a bunch of med schools across a range of ranks/selectivity, look at all your state schools (or privates that favor your state, like Geisel for NH), look at lists that compile requirements (e.g. Bryn Mawr has a list of math reqs if you google something about med school math requirements), and you should be able to get a pretty solid idea with less time. There might still be a few odd ones out when it comes time to apply (like UCLA for one poster), but you should know enough for someone just entering sophomore year.