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[ForlornCobra]

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[wysdoc]

You should take all med school prereqs as graded classes, including math.

I don't know what you mean by GE's

If you are struggling with courses at your current school, why are you planning a transfer to a more rigorous, grade-deflating university?
If your transfer plan is set already, be sure not to overload your number of courses each semester at the new school

 

[ForlornCobra]

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[ForlornCobra]

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[Mr.Smile12]

I come into this conversation a bit late. Have you talked to your academic advisor about this? What is their response? (This is the advisor who knows about your degree requirements, not necessarily your prehealth advisor. Transfer advisor counts here.) Would you fall out of eligibility for some academic prizes if you took too many pass/fail courses that aren't PE (physical education) or non-major courses? I wouldn't suspect there are consequences like that or to your financial aid, but I think there are registrar policies that limit the number of P/F credits to be eligible for a degree.

But I will admit, it would look weird to me as someone who formerly taught at an undergraduate institution. If I saw that I had a student with a solid 4.0 GPA doing well in major courses but somehow P/F with gen-eds, that would make me wonder how really involved or engaged you are in your education. Arguably, gen-ed courses are non-major courses and are not meant to have you do much heavy lifting. I doubt you have to write 100-page papers in gen-ed courses.

I think in the same way @LizzyM talks about the smattering of withdrawals looking like a suspicious attempt to artificially inflate one's GPA for medical school admissions, I would similarly look at the distribution of P/F courses (outside of COVID-19 semesters). If you take an entire semester pass/fail, why didn't you just do a semester withdrawal? It does look odd, especially as many undergraduate registrars likely have a limit to how many you can do in one semester or over your entire baccalaureate period (max 12-15 credits, or one semester).

Now, some registrars are also a bit more sophisticated in classifying how well you passed your class, even if the grade doesn't count towards your GPA. Look at VCU's pass/fail grading of PP, PS, PF (resembles H/P/F). In some cases, failing a P/F class counts in your GPA.

Pass/Fail grade option - Office of the University Registrar - Virginia Commonwealth University

registrar.vcu.edu

You need feedback from your transfer advisor.

Pass/Fail Classes on Transfer Applications

I’m currently a freshman and I am considering applying as a transfer student and entering as a sophomore. I am coming from a fairly rigorous and prestigious school, and I would be hoping to transfer to a school of a similar academic caliber. Currently, I have 2 As, 2 B+s, and a C. I still have...

talk.collegeconfidential.com

 

[wysdoc]

Hi @wysdoc , sorry to bother but is it generally seen as a red flag to take multiple pass/fail classes in a quarter even if they aren't med school prereqs?

I think the most important thing to find out in YOUR specific situation is about meeting the requirements for transfer to your new college.
You mentioned you needed a certain number of credits before transfer: contact the office managing your transfer to clarify whether these courses need to be taken for a letter grade.

 

[ForlornCobra]

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[ForlornCobra]

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[ahnonemoose]

I sometimes wonder if medical schools would have a better applicant pool if people could broaden their education without fear. How many people didn't study art, a foreign language, or learn to play a musical instrument because they wanted to protect their GPA? How has society benefited from applicants avoiding risk?

 

[moltmannfanboi]

I sometimes wonder if medical schools would have a better applicant pool if people could broaden their education without fear. How many people didn't study art, a foreign language, or learn to play a musical instrument because they wanted to protect their GPA? How has society benefited from applicants avoiding risk?

I suspect what really would happen is that nobody would be incentivized to do more than the bare minimum in their general education classes.

Music classes for non-majors, in particular, are some of the easiest to get an A in. I was nowhere near a stellar trombone player, but I got an A in my trombone lessons every quarter I did them.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I sometimes wonder if medical schools would have a better applicant pool if people could broaden their education without fear. How many people didn't study art, a foreign language, or learn to play a musical instrument because they wanted to protect their GPA? How has society benefited from applicants avoiding risk?

I don't know if that's true. GPAs are broken down to science, BCPM, and "all other"/non-science. If this is happening, it's premed culture, not the preferences of medical or health professions schools. Many doctors have other interests outside of "clinic work." (Many examples in Becoming a Student Doctor course.)

 

[eigen]

I sometimes wonder if medical schools would have a better applicant pool if people could broaden their education without fear. How many people didn't study art, a foreign language, or learn to play a musical instrument because they wanted to protect their GPA? How has society benefited from applicants avoiding risk?

I'll be honest, the students I work with that have the most success are the ones who do stretch themselves in those areas without worrying about their GPA. It makes them much stronger applicants.

Too many applicants try to fit neatly into a proscribed box because that's what they think schools want. My music performance and sociology majors who took the pre-requisites on the side often have much more compelling applications than a straight biochemistry major who didn't explore.