Conversation with my Health Professions Advisor...

[sizillyd]

Me: I'm also planning on taking virology and introduction to med clinic and pathology.

Advisor: I hear those professors give out A's pretty generously. You shouldn't take those classes

Me: Do medical schools know these professors give out A's generously? (being sarcastic)

Advisor: Of course not.

Me: (thinking) Are you a f*&@ing idiot? why wouldn't I take them?!?!

Both of the classes are challenging and are electives, which are what I lack. Why shouldn't I take them. He seemed like a jackass. Maybe I'm being a little bit too cynical towards him....Don't get between me and an A. Lmao

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[theWUbear]

 

[illegallysmooth]

Me: I'm also planning on taking virology and introduction to med clinic and pathology.

Advisor: I hear those professors give out A's pretty generously. You shouldn't take those classes

Me: Do medical schools know these professors give out A's generously? (being sarcastic)

Advisor: Of course not.

Me: (thinking) Are you a f*&@ing idiot? why wouldn't I take them?!?!

Both of the classes are challenging and are electives, which are what I lack. Why shouldn't I take them. He seemed like a jackass. Maybe I'm being a little bit too cynical towards him....Don't get between me and an A. Lmao

http://www.21softs.com/emoticons/images/wha.gif

he's an idiot.

 

[JenniferRU]

If hes really a jerk... maybe hes just saying they are easy A's so you will want to take them

 

[LizzyM]

Your letter of recommendation will read, "sizillyd has a 3.xx gpa which is in the top 10% of our students but he did not take a challenging course load, particularly in his __ year."

Yes, he seems like an idiot but in fairness to students at your class with lower gpa but more difficult courseload, he'll point out that you got cheap As.

 

[Frazier]

Yes, he seems like an idiot but in fairness to students at your class with lower gpa but more difficult courseload, he'll point out that you got cheap As.

Looks like you're stuck between wood and a spongy place now, matey...

 

[TexasPhysician]

Your letter of recommendation will read, "sizillyd has a 3.xx gpa which is in the top 10% of our students but he did not take a challenging course load, particularly in his __ year."

Yes, he seems like an idiot but in fairness to students at your class with lower gpa but more difficult courseload, he'll point out that you got cheap As.

If the advisor did such a thing, he is a poor advisor in my opinion. Are there not enough weed-out courses? Why not allow student to take easier courses to learn something they would enjoy?

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Me: I'm also planning on taking virology and introduction to med clinic and pathology.

Advisor: I hear those professors give out A's pretty generously. You shouldn't take those classes

Me: Do medical schools know these professors give out A's generously? (being sarcastic)

Advisor: Of course not.

Me: (thinking) Are you a f*&@ing idiot? why wouldn't I take them?!?!

Both of the classes are challenging and are electives, which are what I lack. Why shouldn't I take them. He seemed like a jackass. Maybe I'm being a little bit too cynical towards him....Don't get between me and an A. Lmao

Seriously, what's he know about it? Has he ever applied and gotten accepted to medical school? Take the damn classes. What a tool.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Probably best to space 'em so superdouche doesn't write you a crappy LoR like Lizzy demonstrated. It'll make it more difficult for him to point to a time where your courseload lacked rigor.

 

[rHinO1]

Hopefully you don't need (or have to get) this guys LOR. I think by the time you finish college you should have taken at least a couple of classes you really enjoyed and interested you. If they help your gpa then all the better.

 

[Narmerguy]

I didn't realize that the advisors could even write letters like that. I suppose that is more useful to the medical schools though. I try not to talk too much to my advisors though because they tend to treat a lot of anecdotal experience as blanket law.

 

[PreMedder]

I try not to talk too much to my advisors though because they tend to treat a lot of anecdotal experience as blanket law.

so true.

 

[cpants]

Your letter of recommendation will read, "sizillyd has a 3.xx gpa which is in the top 10% of our students but he did not take a challenging course load, particularly in his __ year."

Yes, he seems like an idiot but in fairness to students at your class with lower gpa but more difficult courseload, he'll point out that you got cheap As.

Have you really seen letters like that? Very surprising to me, considering these advisors' jobs depend on getting a high percentage of students into medical school.

 

[jiayo]

Your letter of recommendation will read, "sizillyd has a 3.xx gpa which is in the top 10% of our students but he did not take a challenging course load, particularly in his __ year."

Yes, he seems like an idiot but in fairness to students at your class with lower gpa but more difficult courseload, he'll point out that you got cheap As.

Wow I did not know LOR writers wrote stuff like that
I'm hoping the reverse is true then: if you've taken challenging courses the professor will point that out

 

[LizzyM]

The pre-med advisors want to get students into med school but they also want to build their own credibility and their reputation as a school. To do so, they need to be honest. If they told us that every student was one of the top 5% of all students they've ever seen (Harvard used to be like this but has changed their ways and become more credible), we would be unable to believe them.

Yes, when students do the right thing for the right reason, it will be pointed out.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Does "building credibility" necessitate knocking an applicant for not taking difficult classes, though? That seems counterproductive. That sounds very unfair to people who don't run all of their course selections by an advisor or are just interested in subjects typically regarded as easier. This is just one more reason I'm glad UNC didn't have any sort of formal pre-med support. Screw that.

 

[sizillyd]

Yeah I kept the same schedule but added one more difficult class. I want to take virology and intro to med and clinic pathology so I will stay in those classes. For this first time of applying, I am getting individual LOR's. My advisor said that the committee would write me a good LOR if i needed it.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Have you really seen letters like that? Very surprising to me, considering these advisors' jobs depend on getting a high percentage of students into medical school.

You'd be shocked by some of the things people put in LO"R"s

 

[cpants]

You'd be shocked by some of the things people put in LO"R"s

Like what?

 

[TexasPhysician]

Like what?

From the opposite of a recommendation to recommending the wrong profession to recommending the wrong person.

 

[EverythingBagel]

.

 

[Primate Bonobo]

Are advisor LOR necessary for med schools? If not, the OP could just get LOR from professors and ignore his advisor.

 

[DrMaximus]

Are advisor LOR necessary for med schools? If not, the OP could just get LOR from professors and ignore his advisor.

I know my school makes you get one from your advisor. We technically have two, though, so you can pick which one you would rather have.

 

[rHinO1]

Yeah I kept the same schedule but added one more difficult class. I want to take virology and intro to med and clinic pathology so I will stay in those classes. For this first time of applying, I am getting individual LOR's. My advisor said that the committee would write me a good LOR if i needed it.

My school has no committee so I have not paid too much attention to info on schools websites regarding committee letters. However, on at least a couple I have seen schools say that not getting a committee letter if it is offered is not recommended (wording may have been stronger, I can't remember). If you don't get the committee letter then it may seem like you have something to hide.