Graduating in 3 years

[batpad]

Hello all

I am currently a HS Senior and will be going to college as a Pre-Med (leaning towards human bio major) this fall. I would like to graduate in 3 years as it will really help with the costs and saving time is always a good idea. I am willing to take some classes during the summers too.

How exactly do I have to 'plan' my undergraduate career with this target in mind? When should I take the MCAT, when should I start applying (beginning of 3rd year I would assume...) which classes to take when...

Thanks!

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[Mahliah]

I dont think you should risk quality of work and gpa to save a bit of money.

 

[deleted357625]

Hello all

I am currently a HS Senior and will be going to college as a Pre-Med (leaning towards human bio major) this fall. I would like to graduate in 3 years as it will really help with the costs and saving time is always a good idea. I am willing to take some classes during the summers too.

How exactly do I have to 'plan' my undergraduate career with this target in mind? When should I take the MCAT, when should I start applying (beginning of 3rd year I would assume...) which classes to take when...

Thanks!

I'll be graduating in 3 years, you'll have to take heavier course loads and make sure to plan out courses by taking the pre-reqs for courses early on.
plan out your schedule for 3 years, and go with it and if something happens you can most likely work around it.

I took courses every semester. May/Winter/Summer and so on. Everything is working out for me so far.
Don't be scared to take a lot of science courses in one semester. Also, make time for EC's such as volunteer/shadowing/research, i did all that during my summers or toward the end of the semester

 

[mido1765]

I dont think you should risk quality of work and gpa to save a bit of money.

I agree. some people try to do that and they get few bad grades then must change careers since no med school would take them. just take it slow and steady. 4 years isnt bad at all - they are actually hard enough. premed is the foundation of your medical career, just trying to skip it or finish it fast will hurt you at the end.

of course it is your decision.. so

if you want to take it in 3 years then you need to get your bachelor degree. to do that you need to take 120 credit hours (60 must be upper science courses). you must also take the mcat after you are done with your lower course such as gen chem, bio, physics and orgo.

i think thats it

 

[capn jazz]

If you go to school for 3 years only, you should consider taking a year off to work after graduation. Med schools don't look favorably upon students perceived as too young. No, it's not impossible, but you'll be hurting yourself in the eyes of some schools.

also, taking classes over the summer means you're not saving money by being in college for fewer semesters since you'll be in college for the same amount of semesters...

 

[FIREitUP]

inb4besttimeofyourlifedon'tcutitshort

 

[batpad]

I have been accepted to a combined BS/DO program (which allows you to apply out while keeping the seat, which I plan to do) and as long as I maintain a 3.5+ I pretty much have a seat in med school already. But like I said earlier I want to apply to better, more prestigious medical schools (shooting for UMich med!) and just wanted to plan accordingly.

Do Med schools look down on just 3 years of UG?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I have been accepted to a combined BS/DO program (which allows you to apply out while keeping the seat, which I plan to do) and as long as I maintain a 3.5+ I pretty much have a seat in med school already. But like I said earlier I want to apply to better, more prestigious medical schools (shooting for UMich med!) and just wanted to plan accordingly.

Do Med schools look down on just 3 years of UG?

If you're shooting for UMich or a top tier MD school then why go to a BS/DO program? Did you not get into any other schools? Cheaper schools? State schools?.... Most combined program usually are at private universities which cost a lot more than many others schools.

 

[VisionaryTics]

I have been accepted to a combined BS/DO program (which allows you to apply out while keeping the seat, which I plan to do) and as long as I maintain a 3.5+ I pretty much have a seat in med school already. But like I said earlier I want to apply to better, more prestigious medical schools (shooting for UMich med!) and just wanted to plan accordingly.

Do Med schools look down on just 3 years of UG?

Just start by doing well your freshman year. Then worry about everything else. You're 17 or 18 years old. Don't be in such a rush.

And from statements like what I highlighted above, you still need a few years to mature.

 

[RapplixGmed]

If you can comfortably complete your degree in 3 years, I'd go for it. Thats what I did and have no regrets. I took a lot of college classes in HS though and I had enough credits going into college to get a math minor without any additional classes.

I know somebody who dropped out of college without a degree after 2 years and went straight to my med school. I thought that was quite amazing.

 

[BoogieBee]

take 2 summer courses each year and you should be able to cut off a good amount of credits and not have to overload each semester. although they might not affect your undergrad GPA if you take them at a cheaper university, they will still could for your AMCAS application. so do well in those summer courses as they can also boost your AMCAS GPA. you can take pre-reqs during the summer too. you might not learn as much but just make sure you review that topic well enough for the MCAT.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

I have been accepted to a combined BS/DO program (which allows you to apply out while keeping the seat, which I plan to do) and as long as I maintain a 3.5+ I pretty much have a seat in med school already. But like I said earlier I want to apply to better, more prestigious medical schools (shooting for UMich med!) and just wanted to plan accordingly.

Do Med schools look down on just 3 years of UG?

yes, IMO. if you graduate in three, as opposed to applying as a junior and graduating in the normal four years....mean's several things:

(1) you had to bust your ass studying, which (usually) means you didn't devote time to other activities (work, EC, tutoring, shadowing, etc...) and more importantly to college activities like (social groups, intramural, etc.)

(2) you are younger, and thus probably not as mature/ haven't had to deal with some of the hardships that someone older than you has. IMO, this is big because they don't want someone who hasn't experienced a crisis/emergency/hardship to get their first one during medical school finals week and completely flunk out.

(3)most importantly, they don't want robotic, pre-med zombies. They want people who have had the opportunity to communicate with their peers, be social, pleasant, and approachable as opposed to some nerd who did nothing but sit behind a desk.

College is a time to explore and find yourself before you going to tackle such a major, monumental obstacle that is medical school. There is no rush. I used to be like you but I soon realized that I wouldn't get my college years back. So, relax, take your time, make some friends, and figure out who you are before you go planning your 3-year-track-to-graduation-then UMICH med school plan as a high school senior.👍

 

[batpad]

If you're shooting for UMich or a top tier MD school then why go to a BS/DO program? Did you not get into any other schools? Cheaper schools? State schools?.... Most combined program usually are at private universities which cost a lot more than many others schools.

It is in an undergrad I would consider anyway - MSU. Cost isn't as much of an issue as it is in-state tuition.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[dancer89]

random- but i saw specifically on the UMich Admissions twitter account thing they advised against graduating college early to go to med school. something to considering since this is your top choice at the moment.

 

[paul411]

I graduated college in 2.5 years and it certainly didn't help while applying to med schools. If you are going to graduate in 3 years, I recommend planning to take a year off after the 3 years of undergrad. This way, you have enough time to get enough meaningful extracurriculars in. I applied after only 2 years of college and I didn't do much freshman year of college so I essentially had about a year and a half of stuff on my app. So do 3 years of college, apply at the end of the third year (i.e. with about three years of undergrad experiences) and take the year off after applying off. You'll have a great time because you'll be done with all the stresses of classes and applications.

I do have to admit that graduating early has been really nice because I still live in my college town with my roommates and work in a lab at the university for a few hours per day. It's like I'm still in college minus all the classes and tests. It's great!

Also, a year off at this age seems more enjoyable than, say, if you had a year off when you're older and in slightly less optimal conditions physically... there's got to be a better way to say what I'm trying to say but I hope you get the point.

 

[0123456]

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[deleted357625]

I graduated college in 2.5 years and it certainly didn't help while applying to med schools. If you are going to graduate in 3 years, I recommend planning to take a year off after the 3 years of undergrad. This way, you have enough time to get enough meaningful extracurriculars in. I applied after only 2 years of college and I didn't do much freshman year of college so I essentially had about a year and a half of stuff on my app. So do 3 years of college, apply at the end of the third year (i.e. with about three years of undergrad experiences) and take the year off after applying off. You'll have a great time because you'll be done with all the stresses of classes and applications.

I do have to admit that graduating early has been really nice because I still live in my college town with my roommates and work in a lab at the university for a few hours per day. It's like I'm still in college minus all the classes and tests. It's great!

Also, a year off at this age seems more enjoyable than, say, if you had a year off when you're older and in slightly less optimal conditions physically... there's got to be a better way to say what I'm trying to say but I hope you get the point.

Did you just apply to in-state schools? I'm a TX resident applying to all Texas schools as well

That's really unfortunate you didn't get in any school, your stats/EC's/MCAT are all good.

I'll be graduating in 3 years total, applying when I'm 18 (Next year). Hopefully I don't end up without an acceptance.

What would you recommend doing, if any to help?

 

[tommy pickles]

I'm doing it in three years as well. If you have a lot of AP credits coming into college, the course load isn't different than the normal four-year track. I took one summer semester after my first year, and that's been about the extent of extra time required to make it work.

Take the MCAT the spring of the second year. If you're doing it right, you should have taken all of the pre-reqs by then. Be smart about preparing yourself for the test and you'll do just fine.

Don't let people tell you this is a bad idea. There are a million and one reasons why it is unnecessary to spend an extra year in college (like money, for example). You're the only one that can decide if it's right for you. Some people need that year to mature and work on their applications. Others don't.

The key is planning your courses ahead of time, and sticking to your plan. Don't forget the other parts of your application, either. You will be expected to have the same grades and experiences as everyone else, and this is entirely possible with a little bit of smart planning. Keep up, and you'll be absolutely fine.

Graduating in three years doesn't change anything if you do it right. No admissions committee will ever crucify you for making an informed decision about your future. I've had a perfectly normal college experience and still managed to put together a well-rounded application. It's all about organization and planning, and it's not for everyone.

I'm naively assuming that you've already spent ample time shadowing physicians and fully understand the commitment you're about to make, but this is the most important part. If you're truly passionate about it, it's all enjoyable- trust me.

 

[paul411]

Did you just apply to in-state schools? I'm a TX resident applying to all Texas schools as well

That's really unfortunate you didn't get in any school, your stats/EC's/MCAT are all good.

I'll be graduating in 3 years total, applying when I'm 18 (Next year). Hopefully I don't end up without an acceptance.

What would you recommend doing, if any to help?

If you're confident that you have a good application, I say go for it. I mean, you can always re-apply (like I'm about to 🙄). In case you don't get in and don't want to have a year off, make sure you also apply to some lower-tier out of state schools as back up. Like I said earlier, having some time off at this age (esp. for you since you'll only be 18 when you apply) will be really nice. You can go crazy for a year before you get crazy with med school. You'll notice that a lot of people retrospectively recommend doing this.

Another thing that didn't help me was that I was a permanent resident and not a citizen, so places like TAMHSC and UTSA where I had good chances didn't even interview me.

 

[raltima07]

(2) you are younger, and thus probably not as mature/ haven't had to deal with some of the hardships that someone older than you has. IMO, this is big because they don't want someone who hasn't experienced a crisis/emergency/hardship to get their first one during medical school finals week and completely flunk out.

This is what I really don't understand - will someone mature THAT much over the course of one year that it will make a difference? Being 22 vs. 21 doesn't seem like that big of a maturity change. I always thought that your life experiences dictated maturity...

 

[tommy pickles]

This is what I really don't understand - will someone mature THAT much over the course of one year that it will make a difference? Being 22 vs. 21 doesn't seem like that big of a maturity change. I always thought that your life experiences dictated maturity...

👍

 

[acb88]

This is what I really don't understand - will someone mature THAT much over the course of one year that it will make a difference? Being 22 vs. 21 doesn't seem like that big of a maturity change. I always thought that your life experiences dictated maturity...

I would say the difference between 21 and 22 can be pretty large. A 21 year-old is typically a college senior who has never experienced truly living on their own, having financial responsibility, etc. However, a 22 year-old is more than likely out of college for the year and holding a steady job that gives them more responsibility, making them gain maturity (this is all a broad generalization). Now if this were 41 vs 42, then life experiences will more than likely dictate maturity, but at a young age, maturity can increase substantially in a short amount of time

 

[acb88]

I'll be graduating in 3 years total, applying when I'm 18 (Next year). Hopefully I don't end up without an acceptance.

What would you recommend doing, if any to help?

Dude, are you Doogie Howser??

Seriously though, I would suggest not applying to medical school at 18. There will be a huge maturity gap between someone 18 and someone 22-23. Also, I feel that it will be really difficult to make friends or have a social scene in medical school at that age (which I feel will be important when needing a break from the obscene amounts of studying). Your average medical school matriculant is 26, and will more than likely shy away from befriending you, IMHO. Also, you haven't experienced ANY of your 20s yet. Why waste all of the best years of your life?

 

[HAV000]

Did you just apply to in-state schools? I'm a TX resident applying to all Texas schools as well

That's really unfortunate you didn't get in any school, your stats/EC's/MCAT are all good.

I'll be graduating in 3 years total, applying when I'm 18 (Next year). Hopefully I don't end up without an acceptance.

What would you recommend doing, if any to help?

Yea that's very impressive, full-time college student since sophomore year of high school.

 

[senorsquishie]

I thought I would graduate in three years too. Then life happened. Now I will have five years of UG. But hey, it means more time for ECs and a lighter courseload. Don't be upset if UG doesn't go as planned.

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

It was funny before I came to college I was upset that I didn't known about 6 year MD programs. But now that I'm in here I couldn't imagine finishing earlier than 4 years. I love it (though I refuse to believe these are my 'best years'. pssh that's for all those kids who plan on going back home getting married having kids and working until they die.) but I refuse to rant anymore than that.

But back to my point, you should enjoy college. Don't rush it enjoy it. It's not like high school were your drowned in a pool of vapid, shallow, insecure teenagers who think they know everything but truly understand nothing (hmm that was rantish sorry). Everyone wants to do well and enjoy themselves. Though they, hopefully, may not be the best years of your life, they are certainly among the great ones. Like I said you don't want to rush into a thing like medical school.

Though I do advocate staying the 4 years, I do not recommend you doing 6+ years of it. That is ridiculous.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hello all

I am currently a HS Senior and will be going to college as a Pre-Med (leaning towards human bio major) this fall. I would like to graduate in 3 years as it will really help with the costs and saving time is always a good idea. I am willing to take some classes during the summers too.

How exactly do I have to 'plan' my undergraduate career with this target in mind? When should I take the MCAT, when should I start applying (beginning of 3rd year I would assume...) which classes to take when...

Thanks!

There are two very similar threads in pre-allo right now -- here's basically what I wrote in the other one.

The negatives outweigh the positives, IMHO. Med schools don't reward rushing, and are not overly impressed with folks who finish up school in 3 years. If you finish in 3 years all you really accomplish is having less time to rack up impressive extra curricular experiences, research, and life experiences. You also end up taking a heavier courseload, which can adversely impact your grades and keep you out of med school.

Now, if you had financial reasons that you wanted to finish up in 3 years so you could go out into the workforce for a year or two before med school, to pay for it, that might fly. But no, you can't do a year's less of college and go straight into med school and justify it as "will really help with the costs". You are going to end up borrowing another $160k in loans during med school, and nobody is going to expect you to be paying things off for a decade from now so don't kid yourself that this is an excuse med schools are going to buy into.

Or if you were going to do 3 years and jump into a graduate program before med school for some articulable reason that might fly. Or to finish in 3 years so you can go off and do peace corps work or something similar you were passionate about, that might fly. But to finish in 3 years just to start med school a year early, that won't be looked at as a positive, and will as mentioned above mean you have less time to rack up ECs, do well on the MCAT, interview etc. Bad idea.

Not to mention that I think you lose out on a lot of the college experience by not doing a true 4 year liberal arts education. This is the best 4 years of your life -- you will never have this kind of freedom and lack of responsibility ever again. What's the rush?

You write that "saving time is always a good idea". That's BS. You don't "save time". Time progresses the same rate regardless of whether you are in college, or med school or working. You get no prizes for getting to your career goal first. You do, however end up squandering your youth with this attitude. Medical school is a hard lifestyle choice, and although you may feel in a rush to "be a doctor", you have to realize that it's the journey, not the destination, that you need to focus on and enjoy. This is particularly so when it's a journey that is going to involve college, 4 years of med school, 3-7 years of residency, maybe a year or two of fellowship, only to end up being the newbie at some practice where you have to prove yourself for another 6 years before they make you an equity partner. In other words, a very long path. Knocking a year off at the beginning isn't going to make much difference in how long you are journeying, but it does bring plenty of negatives. So don't have this attitude.

Enjoy the road you are on, for all of its bumps and turns. Don't live with an "are we there yet" attitude, and you will be the better for it.