I'm very confused

[JoshuaGuit]

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Hi

I'm really confused about what I should do and I'm not sure if my past decision was the right one or not.

Right now I'm signed up for 13 credits for the spring semester (freshman), while last semester I took 16 credits. I am (at the moment at least) committed to doing my best and applying to med school, and I don't know if this low amount of classes for this semester will be looked down upon or not.

My major is biomedical engineering.. that alone is a tough major. Pre-med requirements are not all included in the major, specifically orgo, intro to bio, and chem 2.

My schedule for the next semester is considerably difficult and if I added any other classes I'm afraid I will be overwhelmed.

Calc 2, chem 2 (w/ lab), intro cell biology (w/ lab), eng communications.

I was going to take intro to bio as well to fulfill pre-med requirements for biology this semester, but that would be 3 lab classes (class 3 times a week + 3 hour lab per course). Basically 3 days out of the week I'd have class from 8 to 10 pm, then have to somehow fit time in to study. The other 2 days would be from 8 to 4.

Mon/wed/fri from 7pm-10pm I will be doing an emt course for the full semester which is not a for credit course, I volunteer on the school ambulance and do night shifts 10 times per semester. I'm on the council for my dorm, I'm on the ballroom team (team, not club, more intense), and on the junior e-board of our BMES. I'm hoping to get a job on an ambulance during the summer and find a few doctors to shadow. I enjoy all of these, none are merely to gain check marks.

Honestly this is stressing me out, biomed wasn't made for pre-med people but I really like the things that they do in this major and I really like the idea of med school. I currently have a 3.66 gpa which may go up to a 3.82 if my chem teacher decides I'm right about a question on the final (difference between a b+ and an a, 90+ is an A in the class).

My advisor told me that I shouldn't' take any major/premed-related courses at any other college because it'll look bad. I go to a fairly top rated private (technology) university

Will 13 credits look bad for one semester? I'm really trying hard at school and I don't want to have it messed up because I made a stupid choice.

Thank you

Joshua
(first post on these forums)

 

[metallica81788]

13 credits is fine, I basically averaged that for 3 years.

You sound like you have a lot on your plate as well, so just concentrate on the classes you do have and don't try and overdo it. Make sure you rock those 13 hours to erase any doubts.

Good luck.

 

[ruiner]

13 credits is fine. They look at what classes you took when they are comparing course load as well. Those classes together are much more daunting then 13 credits of basketweaving and creative writing.

 

[Catalystik]

I agree that you'l be fine with 13 credits considering all your other activities. Your first priority is to protect your GPA and it's better to anticipate a problem and be proactive, rather than fix it after things go downhill.

 

[red10]

I don't think they really care how many hours you take. If you're still considered full time you're fine. If you were taking 5 hrs then they might go "what?" but even then I doubt they'd bring it up because you'd probably mention "and then soph year I got preggers and had to take a lighter course load" in your PS

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

yah 13 credits is fine..
honestly with the exception of my freshman year and senior year.. im taking 12-14 credits a semester my sop and junior year for the hopes that i can manage to get some ability to mantain my science gpa and then do at least 1 hour a day of Mcat study.
so i wouldnt sweat it

 

[J ROD]

just take 12+ hrs...

and do well!!