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Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
Although Advanced Placement credit may be used to satisfy some requirements for many medical and
dental schools, not all schools will accept it. The OAA website, under the section titled Specialized Advising,
on the Pre-Health Professions page
, features a summary document titled “AP Credit List for Medical
Schools” that identifies the AP credit acceptance policy at different schools. However, students should still
check websites or contact admission offices to determine each school’s current AP policies and decide
whether to use their credit or complete the coursework at Rice.
Students should consider whether they have sufficient knowledge of the information presented in an AP
course to perform well in upper-level coursework, and on professional school admission tests. If students
feel they have not attained the foundational knowledge of the subject area, they may instead choose to
complete the coursework at Rice. This option has the benefit of reinforcing and confirming mastery of the
material, establishing their capability of performing well at the college level in each discipline, and satisfying
the course requirements for schools that do not accept AP credit. When in doubt, retake the course at Rice.
If a student chooses to use a large number of AP credits to satisfy prerequisite course requirements, it
leaves little for an admission committee to assess. For example, if a student satisfies the general biology
requirements with AP credits, they should complete at least two additional semesters of upper-level course
work in that discipline. All students must complete at least two credit hours of biology lab during their
undergraduate tenure, as there is no AP credit granted for general biology laboratory.
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and Dental Admission Test (DAT)
In addition to the prerequisite courses described above, medical and dental schools require the Medical
College Admission Test (MCAT) and the Dental Admission Test (DAT) respectively. The MCAT exam is a
standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess your problem solving, critical thinking, and
knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social sciences. It consists of four sections which draw from biology,
biochemistry, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, psychology, and sociology. Scores on the
MCAT are reported as four scaled scores, each ranging from 118 (low) to 132 (high). The total score is the
sum of the four individual section scores and ranges from 472 to 528.
The DAT is designed to measure your knowledge of scientific information, reading comprehension,
quantitative reasoning, and perceptual ability. It is comprised of four sections which draw from biology,
general chemistry, organic chemistry, and mathematics. DAT results are reported in terms of scale scores,
ranging from 1 (low) to 30 (high).
It is recommended that students take the appropriate standardized test soon after completing the
prerequisite course requirements. The MCAT and DAT are exams you must spend a significant amount of
time preparing for, either in self-study or via a preparation course. Ideally, students score their highest
possible score the first time they take the test. However, it is not uncommon or detrimental to take the test
a second time. This can allow for targeted preparation based on identified weaknesses and increase the
likelihood of earning a higher score. Earning the same score ore a lower score on the second test is not
looked upon favorably by admission committees. Therefore, we encourage students to carefully consider
whether taking the test a second time will be beneficial to their overall applications, and we encourage
students not to rush to take the exam. Spending the time necessary to master the science courses tested
on the MCAT will ultimately lead to better outcomes than stacking prerequisites to get through them as fast
as possible.
If a student intends to attend medical or dental school immediately after graduating from Rice, we strongly
recommend taking the test in January through May of junior year. The latest opportunity to take the test is
in August after junior year, but we do not recommend this as you are likely to be at a disadvantage because