Help With Schedule Next Semester...Advice Please!!

[dreamer67]

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So I'm a Junior trying to figure out what to do for next semester. I will be applying this summer. I am nearly finished with my major (just need 7 credits) so I have a lot of leeway with my schedule for next semester and I'm not sure what the best option would be.
1. I could take cell bio (for my major), a psych class, an elective, and do an internship at a hospital for the remaining credits
2. Take cell bio, psych class, and advanced bio courses like immunology, virology, etc (would theses classes be beneficial to take in prep for med school?)
3. Take cell bio, psych class, honors class in social sciences, and fill the remaining credits with electives or research credits

What option do you think would be best?

 

[GiantFetus]

If you need a GPA boost and feel that you can ace those classes.. take them. However, I think we can agree that the hospital internship will be more beneficial and fun. Scenerio 1 or 3, and not two.

 

[WildEMDoc]

Could you mix option 1 and 2?

Take Cell Bio, Psych, Upper Bio, and internship.

Is that possible?

 

[kexy]

If you're applying broadly/to a lot of out of state schools, you may not want to take a very strenuous course load because traveling/missing class for interviews can make keeping grades up difficult. I'd take fun/easier electives and maybe the internship, but I personally wouldn't load up on advanced bio classes during the fall in which you're applying.

 

[dreamer67]

If you need a GPA boost and feel that you can ace those classes.. take them. However, I think we can agree that the hospital internship will be more beneficial and fun. Scenerio 1 or 3, and not two.

I have a 4.0 so a GPA boost is not needed. The internship definitely sounds more fun...I'd be working with walk-in patients providing provisions for safer sex and injection supplies and attaining demographic data. But I could also see the benefit of upper level bio classes helping with med school -- is this correct, or would taking classes like immunology not provide any benefit-- and some of the courses seem interesting.

Could you mix option 1 and 2?

Take Cell Bio, Psych, Upper Bio, and internship.

Is that possible?

That would be possible but intenships are 3 hours work per credit and you have to take this internship course (worth 3 credits) along with it. I was thinking of doing 3 credits for the internships, so that would be 9 hours/wk for the internship. So I was thinking of scheduling all my classes on MWF so I could put in my internships hours on T TH (the hospital is about an hour away). Nearly all the upper level bios are on T Th though. It might also be a bit strenuous to be doing this while also doing research and having a part-time job, just because a good chunk of my time would be going to these ECs and the internship, and I will have interviews on top of this.

If you're applying broadly/to a lot of out of state schools, you may not want to take a very strenuous course load because traveling/missing class for interviews can make keeping grades up difficult. I'd take fun/easier electives and maybe the internship, but I personally wouldn't load up on advanced bio classes during the fall in which you're applying.

I was a little worried about this. I think if I don't do the internship I would just take cell bio and immunology, psych, and some easy electives...I definitely wouldn't take more than 2 upper level bios

 

[WildEMDoc]

I have a 4.0

Stopped reading after that, just go with whatever gives you the lightest load.