<p>I'm currently a college sophomore in my first semester. I am considering double majoring in Bio and Film Studies and I'm taking my first major prerequisite for Film Studies next semester. As a result, I think I will be graduating in 5 years if I double major. Will graduating in 5 years be viewed negatively by medical schools?</p>
<p>No. Many (most) people take time off after college, or do post-bac work, etc. before applying to med school.</p>
<p>The average age of entering med students is 24.</p>
<p>But why are you double majoring in Film Studies if it'll push you back a year? I guess personally, I just don't see the point in that. Why not just take some film studies classes that interest you?</p>
<p>It's possible - if anything like my school - that most of the film studies classes were limited to majors only because the program didn't have the resources to have broader offerings.</p>
<p>to the OP: I say go for it. Many people take five years, and it's not like you're taking five because you are slacking off.</p>
<p>If you really like film studies, do it. It's your life, man!</p>
<p>Depends on your undergraduate institution. At mine, taking five years was a major, major academic failing. Apparently at some schools (state schools?) it's pretty common. Many of my classmates did five -- but they're all from state schools where doing so is relatively expected.</p>
<p>If you're the only kid in your school who's taking five years to graduate, it's going to be a very bad thing. But if it's common, then by all means, knock yourself out.</p>
<p>Would majoring in just Film Studies be an option? That might allow you to graduate in 4 years, and you don't have to be a Biology major for medical school. Maybe just take a few of the higher Biology classes you feel are useful.</p>
<p>I go to UC Berkeley and many people graduate in 5 years. And thanks for the responses guys.</p>
<p>If you took classes at a JC when you were in high school, would they take that into account? Currently, I can graduate in 4-5 years but if you take my concurrent enrollment during HS into account, make that 5-6 yrs.</p>
<p>Count into your AMCAS GPA? Yes, they count.</p>
<p>Well, I mean will it make my application look like I took 4 years to graduate since they know( I suppose they would know) that I took JC classes in highschool.</p>
<p>They know your date of graduation from high school.</p>
<p>But do you think they would condone the extended graduation time?</p>
<p>I don't think anybody expects you to spend less than four years in college just because you took some courses at the local CC.</p>
<p>So, if you took a couple of CC courses in HS, does that mean it took you 7 years to graduate college? Uh...no. Common sense, people.</p>
<p>You are making this too complicated. Medical schools want evidence of academic ability, to ensure that the vast majority of their students make it through without difficulty. So they care about people who NEEDED more than 4 years to complete a FOUR YEAR program. Were they taking a reduced load? Dropping tough courses? Flunking? These would be warning signs that the student is not up to the academic standard required. </p>
<p>Taking five years to complete a five year program is of course expected. So it would not count against you. </p>
<p>Courses you take in high school do not matter from this perspective. Again, the medical school wants to see how you did in college courses taken in college. They leave it to the college to determine what you needed for a degree. If you used the pre-college courses to take an easy course load in college- warning sign. If you used the pre-college courses to take more advanced courses in college, or double major- that is just fine.</p>
<p>Whether college courses taken in high school "count" in your AMCAS gpa is also up to your college. If your college accepts them, and puts them on your transcript, them they MIGHT count. Some colleges accept pre-college courses, but add them to the transcript only as credit, with no grade. Others accept both the course and the grade. If your college records your grades on the transcript (in effect accepting the grade as their own), then it would count. </p>
<p>Remember, lots of people take college courses in high school but never even attempt to put them on their transcripts, or their colleges, while happy to see the academic ambition say "we have no idea of the academic standards in this course, so congratulations for taking it, but it does not count for our degree, and will not go on your transcript"</p>
<p>There is no way having taken these courses can hurt you. If you took 5 years to graduate, but had a double major and this combination usually requires 5 years- no problem at all.</p>
<p>No, ALL college courses must be listed on the AMCAS, whether your final academic institution accepts them for credit or not is irrelevant. </p>
<p>ANY and ALL college credit, ever taken, whether in HS or college, MUST go on your AMCAS. To not put it on there represents academic dishonesty and could put not only admission in jeopardy, but also - if not found out until after matriculation - could result in expulsion.</p>
<p>by college credit in HS, u mean only CC classes right? no APs?</p>
<p>... unless you took your AP's at a **college<a href="and%20you%20didn't">/B</a>, they aren't college courses.</p>