My daughter is a biology major who is undecided about her path going forward, but is considering medical school as one possible option.
For next year she is signed up for four very tough classes, all of which require labs. She has not yet chosen a fifth class. As of September she will be ahead by four classes due to AP credits and a summer course. Thus in terms of graduating on time she could just go with four classes. However, she has heard that medical schools expect students to have taken a full course load throughout their undergraduate years.
Does anyone know whether taking 12 credits per semester sophomore year of undergrad would have an impact on a student’s ability to get accepted to medical school?
In a related issue, way back when I was an undergrad, I ran into one class that was exceptionally difficult and also had a bad professor. I had to drop it and take a W. This has not yet happened to either of my daughters. However, if this were to happen to a premed student today causing them to have one semester with 12 credits rather than 15, would this have an impact on their ability to get into medical school?
Are you saying that she would be taking four 3-credit science classes, each with a zero-credit lab, in each semester? And you’re wondering whether that course load would be deemed too light by med schools?
Four lab sciences sounds like an insane course load. No one who looks at that is going to suspect her of slacking.
@allyphoe yes, that is what she currently has in mind, except that one would be a math class with a computer lab.
@DadTwoGirls
AMCAS reports classes/grades on a yearly basis, all freshman classes on p. 1, all sophomore classes on p.2, all junior classes on p.3, etc.
So one lighter than average semester isn’t going to stand out. It’s not something you (or she) should worry about.
Ws only make an unfavorable impression on adcomms if:
- there are 5 or more on the transcript
- there is a entire semester of Ws
- there is a pattern of repeated withdrawals (enrolling and then withdrawing from the same course more than once or enrolling then withdrawing from two or more “difficult” classes–enroll in ochem 1, withdraw, pass on second attempt, enroll in genetics, withdraw, pass on second attempt)
One or two Ws isn’t going to create negative impression. (But the student may be asked to explain the W during an interview.)
***Exception: If the college awards WF grades (withdraw failing)–these are counted as equivalent to an F by AMCAS and all med schools.
@DadTwoGirls First, ensure to do whatever minimum needed credits to maintain full time student status. Second better to balance each semester with some BCPM and Humanities/GE courses than doing only BCPM. Third don’t underestimate just because it is only 3 credit course+lab.
For example, my D in the past 3 semesters did many BCP courses where the lab had either 1 or 2 credits besides the theory which is 3 credits. This semester first time she is doing a 3 credit course which includes lab also. What I keep hearing from her is, it is almost like 4+ credit only. She still need to attend some 3+ hours lab and lot of related assignment/projects just for the lab. In addition to the lecture hours and separate theory exams etc. She had done 17 & 18 credits semesters but current semester only 13 credits based on the difficulty of courses and the plans she has for other activities.
Also weigh in if the courses are harder and the feedback about Profs etc., Doing 4 hard science/math courses with lab needs caution.
Med schools will consider 4 classes full time and it won’t be apparent (in addition, many colleges offee 4 xoursesper slzter as norm, exh is worth 4 credits). In addition, it’s wise to have a lighter load if, for instance, she’s taking organic chemistry and physics that semester. However I would discourage 4 tough science classes with labs. That would be insane. Can she take math+ 2 sciences and one 100-level gen Ed such as history of medicine, bioethics or ethics, etc?
FWIW in order to prep for MCAT S took three 4 unit UD bio courses (no lab) in term prior to test. He got As and I don’t believe any med school cared one bit.
Different kids react differently to heavy courseloads. As double science/math majors, both kidlets had 2-3 sciences plus 1-2 math classes nearly every semester. It’s manageable.
DS is a Junior science/pre-med (taking his MCAT next weekend), and I agree with the very good advice you have gotten above. There is no AMCAS mandate to take a particular number of units each term, DS has friends who took terms abroad and got into medical school with some lighter and then heavier semesters, and a few others who took summer classes in order to take a lighter load(s) during the academic year. However, many medical schools have an issue with satisfying their recommended list of courses through AP credits, so if she is interested in medical school, that is something to consider.
I would like to thank everyone for their excellent advice. This agrees with my gut feel, although you all know medical school admissions better than I do.
I discussed this with my daughter last night and she is considering taking just the four classes. I will suggest that she look at the reputation and reviews online for each of the classes that she is taking and the associated professors.
At this point she is rather ahead in her humanities classes, since she was a language major until she switched to biology during her freshman year (she did initially start with “biology for biology majors”, which required the permission of the professor). Her AP credits and summer class are all in languages so her various biology/premed requirements will all be satisfied by regular university courses.
It is also a good point about maintaining full time student status. She has a pretty good merit scholarship and it might be worth checking whether this requires 12 units or 15 units.
I also agree that different kids react differently to a heavy course load. Actually, I reacted differently at different points in my life (getting better at this when I got into my 20’s, as compared to my late teens).