Course load during undergraduate years ?

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I am new here and this is my first post.</p>

<p>I got to the site by google-ing "genetics or microbiology for the mcat," since I need to decide which one I want to take, and according to all the answers the Genetics course is more appropriate for the MCAT.</p>

<p>For those of you that have gone, or are going through the process, an opinion from what you have heard from your advising office would help.</p>

<p>My question today is simple:</p>

<p>My Advisor told me that had to have at least 12 credit hours every semester that I am taking med school prerequisites. The problem with this is that this would leave me with a semester like..... SUMMER 09: Organic II, Organic II lab, Human Physiology, Medical Terminology.... and this would only be 11 credit hours!!! Every student out there knows that this is doable if you don't eat, don't sleep, dont go out.... and a small screw up could end up in disaster. Correct? </p>

<p>My quiestion is: won't the admissions comitees give you a break in the course load rule for summer semesters, and in the semester before the MCAT?</p>

<p>Thanks! </p>

<p>OA</p>

<p>Is this during one summer session? I can't answer this for sure as I didn't ever take summer courses, but isn't "full time" during a summer session considered to be 6 hours? I would assume that when your advisor was telling you to take at least 12 hours ever semester, he/she essentially meant to be a full-time student during all semesters that you were taking classes.</p>

<p>at my school, summer courses move at 2.5X the speed
... so 12 hrs in one summer session would be roughly equivalent to 30 hours in one semester</p>

<p>translation: bad idea</p>

<p>No, you don't need to take 12 credit hours in the summer. Some people think you shouldn't even take summer classes. Definitely DON'T take that schedule you posted. It is suicide.</p>

<p>Why do many advisors give bad advice?</p>

<p>That schedule is not suicide. I am taking something similar right now:</p>

<p>Orgo II, Orgo II with lab, Human physiology, 3 300 level non-science classes.</p>

<p>Doable, but a lot of work.</p>

<p>EDIT: Did you tell your advisor that you planned to take the MCATs the summer after sophomore year? It makes sense to cram your schedule if you plan on doing that.</p>

<p>lollybo, he's talking about doing that schedule over the summer</p>

<p>Ah, my apologies then. Yes, that schedule would be suicide during the summer.</p>