Harder level courses having impact?

[SSC2]

There are two courses of anatomy at my school, 300 vs. 400. Though I'm sure they will both be tough, people say that it looks better to take 400 because it's more challenging. For me, I feel that both will be challenging and 400 will probably be more work than 300 (so more challenging).

Does it matter to take the 300 level course instead of the 400 course? It's not that I don't want to challenge myself- I'd just rather have a better balanced schedule and not be killing myself over other subjects also.

I realize I've posted this in what are my chances but I felt like I could get good advice here.

Thank you in advance.

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EDIT:

Also, while we're on the topic, I have researched this on SDN but my question is a bit different:

I'm taking summer courses to replace some courses I will be taking next year so that I can take 12 credits in the spring while preparing for the MCAT. (I'm taking 6 credits over the summer).

Is that an okay approach?

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[bravofleet4]

how the hell would the adcoms know the difference? Course numbers are completely useless outside the university. Would they even know that a 400 exists when you take 300? I mean I took the honors series in chemistry and organic chemistry and I can take you no one cared one bit (and I wouldn't expect them to). Fortunately, though, I was taking honors for other reasons like smaller class sizes and more lenient grading curves.

take whatever interests you the most.

 

[canjosh]

Agree with bravofleet. Lightening the load while preparing for the MCAT sounds like a good plan. I did the same thing.

 

[SSC2]

Well, I'm assuming that if the under grad school that you attend also has a medical school-- they would realize this perhaps?

For example, Stony Brook. Syracuse.. etc. (SUNY's)
If you plan to attend the same type of school, say you attend Syracuse undergrad, and want to attend Syracuse Med school- would they realize this?

 

[bravofleet4]

no, i don't think that's important. when you're applying to the medical school of your undergrad, you're more concerned about the fact that they know the extracurricular opportunities around as well as your LOR writers (since several of them will be faculty members).

therefore, they will frown much more, for lack of clinical experience, when they know for a fact there's several hospitals or clinics just a few miles from campus.

they'll also have a better idea of how demanding your research is and the prestige of the PI you're working under.

so no...i don't think they'll be thinking about one little class you did or did not take especially since it's not mandatory and many other pre-med's took a completely unrelated upper-division bio class like "biology of cooking". Medical schools would especially regard you less seriously if you even pretended to believe that college level anatomy could anywhere approach medical school anatomy. The way you prove that you can handle medical school coursework is by getting good grades and a high MCAT score!!!

Maybe you should just do yourself a favor and take something you like instead of something you think will impress adcoms.

 

[Catalystik]

There are two courses of anatomy at my school, 300 vs. 400. Though I'm sure they will both be tough, people say that it looks better to take 400 because it's more challenging.

The level of detail you need to know about anatomy is lower as a med student compared to a PhD in Anatomy. The 300 level course will be fine for general purposes, and if you take it the fall before you go to med school, you'll forget a lot of it anyway. I'd say, just don't take a 100 level course.