Schools that have expirations for pre-reqs?

[khunmohdokhtar]

Just as the title (hopefully) gets at, does anyone have a list or have a good idea of which schools have expirations (require you to take the course recently) on pre-req courses? I had a spreadsheet going earlier this cycle that made notes here and there of which school wanted pre-reqs to be taken within the i.e., "previous 3- or 4-years prior to matriculation" but its definitely not all-encompassing. Due to COVID and various misfortunes in planning and navigating my way around the 2021-application cycle, I am now planning the courses I will be taking starting spring 2021 semester as part of my DIY post bacc (low undergrad gpa, especially low sGPA).

Anyways, if anyone could drop some life-saving tips and tricks around these (already aware of the Goro's thread for reinvention and whatnot) and medical schools that have pre-req expirations, thanks!!!

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[deleted1063986]

Most schools do not have strict rules on this, especially if you have other recent science coursework. Anecdotally, I know some people whose prereqs were >10 years old and still managed to have a successful admissions cycle. I know of zero schools that require prereqs to be taken within 3-4 years of matriculation.

 

[deleted1075353]

i took gen chem and physics in 2010. i think the only school that i saw with expiry was UNC, which will actually accept courses from 2010 if it was part of a degree program that was completed 5 yrs ago.

 

[queenbeee]

I've been taking courses since 2010 and I haven't encountered a school whose prereqs have an expiration date... or if they do, I haven't heard about it yet!

 

[khunmohdokhtar]

From my spreadsheet of this (2021) cycle and of the schools I compiled (not all-encompassing), I noted:

• NYU Grossman: coursework within 5 years of matriculation
• Georgetown: "If the prerequisite coursework was completed 5 years ago or longer, applicants must have been enrolled in a baccalaureate, upper-level science course or graduate coursework at some point during the past 5 years."
• Sidney Kimmel: June 2016 oldest prereq coursework completed
• Perelman: 5 years (prior to matriculation) oldest prereq coursework completed
• Lewis Katz: preferred completed coursework within past 3 years

and then Michigan State noted "no expiration of prereq coursework"
and most other schools didn't mention anything of these on their websites

 

[Blueprint Med School]

The vast majority don't have any your restrictions because the MCAT time requirement tends to be a good surrogate. If you crush the MCAT in the last 30 years, there's not a lot of doubt that you have a fairly adequate foundation.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors