Can I use my AP score to satisfy prerequisites?

Policies regarding Advanced Placement (AP) credits are not consistent across programs. Many U.S. medical schools do not accept AP units and required prerequisite courses must be taken for a letter grade. If courses are repeated, both grades will be calculated. Some will accept AP credits for requirements only if advanced work in that academic area is also taken. Many students choose to retake these coursework in college as they  provide reinforcement in preparation for admissions exams. Students should check with individual health profession schools regarding their AP policies.

Can I take prerequisites during the summer?

Yes! In fact, you may find that your academic schedule lightens up a bit if you incorporate summer school. Health profession schools do not place judgment on whether you took the course(s) in the regular academic year or in summer, so go ahead.

Can I take prerequisites at a community college?

Yes, health profession schools accept community college coursework to satisfy prerequisites. However, students are recommended to take some science prerequisite courses at the university level.

How do health profession programs view a gap year?

The trend, nationally, is for applicants to take at least one year off before starting graduate school. The average age for new medical students is 25 to 28. Time only gives you more opportunity to strengthen your application, additional classwork, test prep, clinical experience, research, job experience, travel, and more.

I had a bad semester; can I still get into medical school?

Yes! First, determine what barriers you faced. Did you have difficulty understanding the material? Did you struggle with exams? Did you enjoy what you learned? Evaluate the obstacles and decide how to move forward. Speak with a counselor, go to tutoring, join study groups, and take advantage of all campus resources to improve grades.

On the other hand, if you realize you dislike science and you dread studying anything science related, maybe medicine is not for you. You must be willing to be honest with yourself. Medical school admissions committees can look at two students with the same GPA completely differently. They generally look favorably upon the student who started slowly but finished strong and negatively upon the student who started strong but progressively did worse. The former student learned from his or her mistakes, while the latter student did not show any academic growth. Admissions committees look at your entire transcript and see how your grades have progressed.

A Post-Baccalaureate program is a great option for students that started doing well in the upper division sciences but were not able to bring their overall GPA up before graduation.