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Retaking Science Prerequesites


Medreamy

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Hello,

 

I received an interview offer this year as a QC university applicant, I but didn't make the cut. In part, because my interviews didn't go that well and also because of my below-average science prerequisites GPA (3.4 I believe?). Since they are going to expire next year anyway, I was thinking of retaking them, but I don't know where and how I should do it. Online or at a CEGEP? If so which CEGEP is the "best?" Should I do bio 1, chem 1, physics 1 in one semester, and then bio 2, chem 2, physics 2 and organic chem the next semester? And how much does one course cost on average? 

 

Additionally, I have completed introductory level university courses in molecular biology, cell biology, and mammalian physiology already and got decent grades in those but since I took organic chemistry in CEGEP, the second grading scheme was not an option. Would it be better if I just retake organic chem in university instead of retaking all 7 of my basic science prerequisites? Does that work?

 

Thank you very much in advance!

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I can't answer all of your questions, but I know that during this past application cycle, I was told that if your basic sciences expire as of the application deadline, you have to retake them whether you have completed all four of the alternate science requisites or not. Essentially, they only look at the alternate four if you also have valid (within the past eight years) grades for the original seven. The issue is that at least five of the seven basic sciences have to be completed with grades finalized at the time of application as well. Are summer courses an option for you this year? 

 

You can read more on the subject here: https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/requirements-edu/basic-science-prerequisites

 

I did my missing science requisites at Concordia as an independent student. There was a teeny bit of complication because of the lab component in chemistry bringing you up over the allowed number of credits, but I was pushy and got an exemption - it shouldn't be too difficult to do if you talk to the right people and explain your situation.

 

They have a cost per credit calculator here: http://www.concordia.ca/admissions/tuition-fees/calculator.html

 

I believe that CEGEP may be a cheaper option, so I'd wait to hear back from some more knowledgeable people before making a firm decision. 

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When I found out I had to redo my prereqs, I looked into Concordia and Dawson, and per course Concordia would have costed me over $500 and at Dawson it was less than $200, so that was a no-brainer. That and the fact that I found Dawson courses ridiculously easy compared to University courses, so a 4.0 in prereqs is almost a guarantee as long as you study.

 

I did it through continuing education, which meant I could only take 2 courses in the evenings per semester due to the scheduling (mon/wed, or tues/thurs courses) although one semester there was a chem 2 course offered Saturdays so technically I could have taken 3 courses, but it didn't correspond with my schedule. 

 

Via the evening cont ed route you would need 3 regular semesters and one summer semester to complete all 7. Do your prereqs expire at the same time or are they staggered? There are also some students that received exemptions for 1 or more courses that had expired depending on their work/research field so perhaps you could look into that.

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 There are also some students that received exemptions for 1 or more courses that had expired depending on their work/research field so perhaps you could look into that.

 

I have to call them this summer to know about exemptions, I understand I should maybe take physics again but come on chem and bio I have an undergrad in biomed and masters in pharmaceutical science...

 

I received an interview offer this year as a QC university applicant, I but didn't make the cut. In part, because my interviews didn't go that well and also because of my below-average science prerequisites GPA (3.4 I believe?).

 

I'm sure mine were even lower than that so yeah maybe it'd help to redo them or at least if I get an exeption will they look at my university grade instead of CEGEP for next year even tho the CEGEP ones won't be expired yet ?

 

I am confused but they say to call between june and september so I'll call then ...

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I can't answer all of your questions, but I know that during this past application cycle, I was told that if your basic sciences expire as of the application deadline, you have to retake them whether you have completed all four of the alternate science requisites or not. Essentially, they only look at the alternate four if you also have valid (within the past eight years) grades for the original seven. The issue is that at least five of the seven basic sciences have to be completed with grades finalized at the time of application as well. Are summer courses an option for you this year? 

 

You can read more on the subject here: https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/requirements-edu/basic-science-prerequisites

 

I did my missing science requisites at Concordia as an independent student. There was a teeny bit of complication because of the lab component in chemistry bringing you up over the allowed number of credits, but I was pushy and got an exemption - it shouldn't be too difficult to do if you talk to the right people and explain your situation.

 

They have a cost per credit calculator here: http://www.concordia.ca/admissions/tuition-fees/calculator.html

 

I believe that CEGEP may be a cheaper option, so I'd wait to hear back from some more knowledgeable people before making a firm decision. 

 

:o I had no clue that even if we did the 4 complementary classes, we  still had to make sure our cegep pre reqs were still valid.

I'll ask my question here since I can't get a hold of adcom right now, if i did my cegep in fall 2010 till may 2012, does that mean my pre-reqs are expired when I will apply november 1st?

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if i did my cegep in fall 2010 till may 2012, does that mean my pre-reqs are expired when I will apply november 1st?

no not for next year:

"Courses completed before August 31, 2009 are considered expired for the 2017 admission cycle (Program start date August 2018)"

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Thanks everyone for the input! Very helpful and appreciated. Guess I will go with Dawson since it's cheaper and easier.

 

Does anyone know if I can take the courses in the regular route (not the continuing education one) even if I already have a DEC? From a post above, it seems like it will take more than a year to complete the 7 courses if I go the continuing education path... 

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Hey everyone! I was wandering, does Dawson let you take science classes for a second time? For example, if you do Chem1 in university do they let you retake it at Dawson? 

Because I would maybe like to redo a chem class for which I did the final yesterday.. the grade might not be very good...

Yes, you should be fine. You can register online by yourself if you weren't awarded an exemption, otherwise you'll just need to go trough the appropriate unit (continuing education office I think) and let them know you need a retake and they will take care of the registration block. It's pretty much the same process at most universities and college. You can also look into your school calendar for their regulation on retaking passed courses; some have no registration block while others will ask for a justification, but all schools normally allow retakes.

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Thanks everyone for the input! Very helpful and appreciated. Guess I will go with Dawson since it's cheaper and easier.

 

Does anyone know if I can take the courses in the regular route (not the continuing education one) even if I already have a DEC? From a post above, it seems like it will take more than a year to complete the 7 courses if I go the continuing education path... 

 

 

I also did my prereqs through Continuing Education at Dawson (highly recommended), and wasn't allowed to register in daytime classes. I think they may consider it under exceptional circumstances but day classes are typically reserved for DEC students. The way I tried to speed up the process was by taking classes at multiple schools. I did biochem at Concordia (for out of province requirements), bio 2 at Vanier, and all the rest at Dawson. Look around at the different course calendars to see what could work in the time frame that you have. Make sure you stay on top of application and registration deadlines for summer or Continuing Education programs - they really vary from one institution to the next.

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Thanks everyone for the input! Very helpful and appreciated. Guess I will go with Dawson since it's cheaper and easier.

 

Does anyone know if I can take the courses in the regular route (not the continuing education one) even if I already have a DEC? From a post above, it seems like it will take more than a year to complete the 7 courses if I go the continuing education path...

 

You'll need to meet an academic advisor and ask for "commandite" status to register for day division courses.

 

If your request is not approved and you're pressed for time, you can take some of the classes at Dawson and some of the classes in another institution. (Concordia, UQAM, Montreal, McGill... or distance ed trough Laval, Athabasca, TRU, etc.) Yes, they are more expensive than cegep, but since your prereqs don't have to be from the same school, why not.

 

Or take all your classes at Ahuntsic or Vieux-Montréal; their scheduling might allow you to take up to 4 course per semester.

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Thanks so much everyone!

Concerning the 4 university level courses for Mcgill , has anyone taken the Organic Chem I at Thomson Rivers/Athabasca or another online university of some type?

 

I didn't, but I was looking into it. TRU, Athabasca and Queens are grotesquely expensive compared to cegep, but apparently approved by Adcom.

Athabasca and TRU run on-site labs while Queens has virtual labs; something to take into account when budgeting travel and lodging fees.

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I would say that if you are considering retaking your electives, if ever the case happens where you want to apply in the USA you want o make sure your pre-reqs are recognized. Not all American schools recognize online programs such as Athabasca, whereas if you did them at Queens all they would see is "Queens University". So, in my personal opinion, it's worth the extra money for some assurance down the road

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Hey everyone,

 

I was wondering if someone was able to make sense of the following passages on McGill page about the basic science prerequisites (https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/requirements-edu/basic-science-prerequisites):

  • Though not required, university-level courses in physiology, organic chemistry, molecular biology and cell biology & metabolism are strongly recommended.  Knowledge of statistics and genetics is also useful in the context of the MDCM curriculum.
  • Candidates applying to the MDCM program who have completed the seven required prerequisite courses and who have also completed introductory level university courses in molecular biology, cell biology, mammalian physiology and organic chemistry will be evaluated on whichever of the two is the most favourable to the candidate.

I tend to think that the last statement is ambiguous. Does it mean that additional courses taken in molecular biology, cell biology, mammalian physiology and organic chemistry could replace your two worst courses in the prereq?  

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makes sense. That's what I understood too.

No, I think it means if you've completed all 4 recommended courses and did better, they will look at those 4 and not the 7 prereqs. The 7 prereqs however NEED to be completed and you need ALL 4 recommended courses!

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

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Hey everyone,

 

I was wondering if someone was able to make sense of the following passages on McGill page about the basic science prerequisites (https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/requirements-edu/basic-science-prerequisites):

  • Though not required, university-level courses in physiology, organic chemistry, molecular biology and cell biology & metabolism are strongly recommended.  Knowledge of statistics and genetics is also useful in the context of the MDCM curriculum.
  • Candidates applying to the MDCM program who have completed the seven required prerequisite courses and who have also completed introductory level university courses in molecular biology, cell biology, mammalian physiology and organic chemistry will be evaluated on whichever of the two is the most favourable to the candidate.

I tend to think that the last statement is ambiguous. Does it mean that additional courses taken in molecular biology, cell biology, mammalian physiology and organic chemistry could replace your two worst courses in the prereq?  

I can confirm that it means they take either your PreReq GPA or your "recommended course" GPA. I know this as I just went through the admissions process, and I asked about it because this GPA is considered 20% of your post-interview consideration

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