Graduating in 3.5 years

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hey guys, </p>

<p>So I've already read almost all the threads about graduating early to skip the 4th year to go straight into a gap year or med. school. </p>

<p>THIS is kinda different...I guess? I hear that the spring semester of senior year can be hectic and expensive with traveling for med. school interviews and such. So, I was wondering if my application would be looked down upon if I decide to take that senior spring semester off, apply regularly like everyone else, and (hopefully) go to medical school the next year. </p>

<p>In that "off-semester", I supposed I would just do some volunteer work either in the states or abroad. </p>

<p>Sound good?</p>

2

<p>You won't be looked down upon if the off semester is spent doing something productive, especially something productive in preparing you for medical school.</p>

3

<p>If you do it correctly, the overwhelming majority of your interviews will be during first semester.</p>

<p>It's not as bad as graduating in three years. </p>

<p>By that point in the game you won't gain much advantage in doing activities which would normally look good for medical school. BDM and some of the other med students might be able to comment more directly on the effect of "update letters" but I suspect the effects are rather minimal. </p>

<p>If you don't get accepted during this cycle, then a semester of beneficial activities will undoubtedly help, but that's not reason enough to graduate early.</p>

4

<p>Ivyracer. Depends on where you go. I would lower your score for "racing through". Some would want you to enjoy other courses that colleges offer to make you "well-rounded". Take art history, econ, etc</p>

5

<p>^ have heard this idea from other school admins as well. However, i think this sort of idea would only have an effect on you if you took a gap year before applying, as if you apply during your senior year the transcript you submit to AMCAS will only have 3 years of coursework on it and no indicator of your graduation status. If you sent update letters to schools later on in the cycle, which is generally considered a good idea, especially if you have a major addition to your application, it would seem pretty disingenuous to leave off the fact that you graduated, and that might hurt you a little bit.</p>

6

<p>do they really look down upon you for "racing through"? i mean, i'm all for well-roundedness, and i have taken some art history and spanish courses and will still graduate in 3 years, but i really don't see the point in handing over thousands of dollars just to sit in classes i don't need to get my degree.... if you're really that well-rounded of a person surely you would pursue these interests outside of just classes? do you really need to prove it with courses on a transcript? i would hope med schools would see that...
i don't know, this whole thing is really stressing me out... i honestly believe that i would be a good doctor but it feels like you have to sell your soul and play into the admissions game to get a shot at it...maybe i'm just overreacting due to the stress of everything coming up so quickly...
sorry, needed to vent =/</p>

7

<p>I think it is much less of a problem if you graduate in 3 years and take a gap year before applying to med school. Cost is certainly a respectable reason to want to be finished (however, compared to the amount of debt you will incur once in med school, it's basically rounding error). However, if you apply during your 3rd year, med schools will only have 2 yrs of coursework on which to judge you, while the overwhelming majority of applicants will have 3 and 4 years of work on their transcript; this puts you at a major disadvantage.</p>

<p>


</p>

<p>Bingo</p>

8

<p>Princess'Dad - </p>

<p>I go to WUSTL, and I'm double majoring in Bio and some sort of humanities (history maybe? or english). So, I'm definitely not graduating early for the sake of not having to take non-science courses. </p>

<p>I'm still not certain about this yet. Maybe I can get some lovely scholarships in the next couple of years so I won't have to "race through" college...</p>

9

<p>I don't mean to steal the thread, but I'm honestly not even graduating in 3.5 years on purpose. Based on the rest of my necessary credits, I may be 1 or 2 credits away from graduation by the end of my fall of senior year, but this should be fulfilled by research credits. Why should I be penalized for being able to do that sooner than other people? I also read on studentdoctor.net that it would actually look good that you can handle all the coursework a semester earlier and it's different from graduating a year earlier because you're applying at the same time.</p>

10

<p>correct me if i'm wrong, but if you're one or two credits away from graduating after Fall of Senior year, then you're not graduating in 3.5 years.</p>

11

<p>I'm saying if there's any doubt in my mind, it would be only off by 2 credits max which will most likely be used up by my research, and if it's not I can take a another random class. If that somehow doesn't fit into my schedule, I can take those credits during our winter session and I would graduate in the Spring but still have the entire Spring semester off.</p>

12

<p>That's not a big deal I don't think if you're planning on applying to enter med school the Fall after you graduate. However, if you are taking time off before applying, many med schools plainly say that they like to see you involved in some sort of academics (though this is by no means necessary), so going even longer with no coursework might hurt you a little.</p>

13

<p>Sorry for asking this, but what is the big deal about being well-rounded. I have been hearing from so many ppl how important this is, but I just do not see it as being a major factor for an MD. Is the goal of the well roundedness to be able to communicate with patients? I mean if a physician studied art history, it is not like he will discuss it with a patient during a surgery? If a physician takes 2-3 humanities courses in undergrad, isn't that enough?</p>

14

<p>Look guys (gals),
10+ years ago the "pre-med" major became the big major to get into med school. We had a bunch of Doogies applying to med school. They were terrible docs and patients did not like them.</p>

<p>I too, finished my bio major at Stanford in 3 years (including an A in biochem at the med school). My advisor - who was also on the med school admission committee - told me to take another year and do something else. I spent 6 months studying in Germany and got a second degree.</p>

<p>You have a life time of medicine. Too many docs and applicants we see are little machines that have no "character". I can tell you that we accept alot of people who have decided on medicine as a "second career" after being a paramedic, nurse or lawyer. You are young once. Once you finish med school, you will have no time free until you retire to learn something else. Do it while you can.</p>

<p>On the AdCom, we discuss people. If you are poor and working nights and cannot afford that 4th year, let us know and we will look at it differently than the kid who blew past his three years (the first good, the last bad).</p>

<p>Even if you are going to an academic school (eg Hopkins or Harvard), have you taken statistics? Do you know a language? Blowing through in 3 years does not make you stand out. Blowing through and then doing something in that 4th year (even spending a year in a lab if you don't want to do school - or if needed working to save up $$ - or hitchhiking through Europe and writing a book about your travels). Do something to stand out</p>

15

<p>I dont think that it would look bad if you are doing something productive with your time, such as volunteering or even working. They might ask you what you plan to do in the spring during your interviews, and it would look bad if you said you were planning on lying at home watching tv, however, if you said you wanted to work no problem. I am sure that a lot of people graduate in 3.5 years or take a year off between undergrad and medical school.</p>

16

<p>Taking a year off is ok if you have a plan and are doing something. We even see (and don't "dislike") kids who stated they wanted to bum around Europe for a year.</p>