A variance on course load question...

[rplafoogy]

Hi guys, I've done a lot of searching through the forums but I can't seem to come up with an exact match for the scenario I'm going through.

I came into college with approximately 36 hours of credit, and have been taking on average 15 hour course loads per semester. I am currently on my second semester of Junior year, and I'm technically a senior with 106 hours to my name.

This is also the semester that I am preparing for the MCAT, and my predicament is this:

I'm taking 12 hours (2 hours of shadowing credit, biochem 2, 1 lecture series and 2 epidemiologic related sciences). I'm finding biochem 2 to be a tremendous waste of energy and time, and my university offers 3 penalty free drops throughout your college career. I was contemplating dropping biochem and taking it next year because I don't have enough courses for a full load my senior year, and I would benefit a lot by having the free time to study for my MCAT coming up in may.

My GPA right now is a 4.0, with a science GPA of 4.0. I have good, solid ECs. I'm worried that dropping biochem 2 will put me down to 9 hours, and that med schools will look at it like I'm unable to handle the course load. I could truck through biochem II, as I'm currently borderline A/B, but I will spend approx 120 hours alone on biochem and I might make a B in that course which will knock my GPA down. I definitely feel that dropping biochem would let me just focus on MCATs, and I think that it would be a lot more beneficial than a 3 hour course.

Sorry if this is just restating the question of many others, but I'm really hoping for some advice!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[IceMan0824]

Hi guys, I've done a lot of searching through the forums but I can't seem to come up with an exact match for the scenario I'm going through.

I came into college with approximately 36 hours of credit, and have been taking on average 15 hour course loads per semester. I am currently on my second semester of Junior year, and I'm technically a senior with 106 hours to my name.

This is also the semester that I am preparing for the MCAT, and my predicament is this:

I'm taking 12 hours (2 hours of shadowing credit, biochem 2, 1 lecture series and 2 epidemiologic related sciences). I'm finding biochem 2 to be a tremendous waste of energy and time, and my university offers 3 penalty free drops throughout your college career. I was contemplating dropping biochem and taking it next year because I don't have enough courses for a full load my senior year, and I would benefit a lot by having the free time to study for my MCAT coming up in may.

My GPA right now is a 4.0, with a science GPA of 4.0. I have good, solid ECs. I'm worried that dropping biochem 2 will put me down to 9 hours, and that med schools will look at it like I'm unable to handle the course load. I could truck through biochem II, as I'm currently borderline A/B, but I will spend approx 120 hours alone on biochem and I might make a B in that course which will knock my GPA down. I definitely feel that dropping biochem would let me just focus on MCATs, and I think that it would be a lot more beneficial than a 3 hour course.

Sorry if this is just restating the question of many others, but I'm really hoping for some advice!

If you have a 4.0, by all means do whatever you need to keep that. Although (and correct me if I am wrong here) I believe someone taking 9.0 credits isn't considered a full time student. At least at most university I am aware off, you need at least 12 credits to be considered full time. If that's not the case, then by all means, drop b.chem, keep your 4.0 and study for the MCAT. If anyone really ask, simply tell them you took a lighter workload to make sure you were prepared for the MCAT. I don't see why anyone would care too much though (unless it took away your full-time status).

Just my .000000000000002 cents.

 

[rplafoogy]

Right, 9 hours isn't a full time student anymore, but I have already cleared that all with my scholarships and insurance and stuff and it won't affect me that much as I have a grace period. If I drop BICH, i'm going to apply to med with a 4.0.

 

[Xotica]

I don't think it matters. I was a part time student in my freshman and senior year (and graduated in 4 years) and still got in to med school this cycle. At my interviews (5) no one asked me about my part time status.

 

[KaraKiz]

if you drop below full-time status but started out full-time you should be fine. I had the same thing happen to me my last semester. Keep your 4.0 at all costs! I have 1 B+ in Calc II and it irks me every time I look at my transcript....

 

[colliea21]

drop it like it's hot!!!

 

[rplafoogy]

drop it like it's hot!!!

thanks for all the replies and confirming my suspicion!