Do Med schools care if you graduate in 4+ years?

[UCdannyLA]

I transferred after my sophomore year from Rutgers to UCLA...and because the university requirements are so different, I ended up somewhat behind. I think I will probably graduating two quarters "late."

Do med school adcoms care if it takes longer for an applicant to graduate?

I would assume that, as long as the applicant took a challenging/decent courseload every quarter and has a good reason (i.e. transferring?) for graduating late, it should be no problem. Does this sound right? Will I have to acknoweldge on my application all this junk (reason for graduating late) ?

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[Heal&Teach]

As long as you've got between 90-120 credits (preferably 120), with strong MCAT scores and ECs, med schools shouldn't give a flying fig leaf if you graduate in 4 or 6 years. For the reasons you stated (e.g., challenging courseload, etc.), I think that it would be fine. You may not have to explain it on your application, but have an answer ready just in case someone asks you about it in an interview.

I'd only see a problem if you were taking a minimal amount of coursework with nothing else (i.e., job, research, etc.), especially when considering how much of a courseload you could reasonably handle in med school.

Maybe someone else has had other experiences?

Best,
H&T

 

[39094]

I took 2 years off after my freshman year and then came back and did 3.5 more years in order to get my degree.

Worked out really well for me, so I don't see why it shouldn't for you. If it was for a legit reason, I think adcoms actually favor that kind of thing. It makes you stand out from other applicants, 90% of whom just do their 4 years like everyone else.

good luck!