Light classloads

[el799]

---

Members don't see this ad.

hi all.

I am wondering if my current trajectory will sit well with adcoms. I am currently taking 6 research credits and then 6-8 class credits (2-3 classes). I plan on doing this for the rest of college (I checked I will still graduate with my major and finish all my pre reqs) but I hope that schools don’t look down on so few classes a semester. I love research and really can’t handle any more than 2-3 tough science courses a semester so I’m hoping this won’t be an issue.

Please let me know what you think

 

[907914]

hi all.

I am wondering if my current trajectory will sit well with adcoms. I am currently taking 6 research credits and then 6-8 class credits (2-3 classes). I plan on doing this for the rest of college (I checked I will still graduate with my major and finish all my pre reqs) but I hope that schools don’t look down on so few classes a semester. I love research and really can’t handle any more than 2-3 tough science courses a semester so I’m hoping this won’t be an issue.

Please let me know what you think

I’m doing the same thing except with 11 class credits and six research credits. Hope the same thing!

 

[lalalallala]

If you have a high GPA and do really well on the MCAT and otherwise have a great app then it probably won't hurt your chances but I don't think it looks good. Many people take a full schedule, do research, volunteer, and do other extra curricular activities. I am not an ADCOM but if I were I would want to see that applicants were taking a rigorous schedule to prove to me that they can handle the rigor of medical school

 

[ndafife]

High GPA + High MCAT = nobody cares
High GPA + Low MCAT = questions will come up about your course load

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

I do not think that 2-3 classes per semester is adequate. Most premed students balance a full course load, research, EC's, social life, etc. You will not be able to take a "reduced" course load in medical school, and doing so now seems akin to trying to beat the system.

Though it is true that it is hard to take more than 2 science courses with labs, it is expected that you take a full range of other coursework, including subjects like English, history, arts, music, anthropology, etc. Show your intellectual curiosity! There is so much more to college (and to life!) than just science course work. I would take a hard line against an applicant who demonstrated a lack of interest in other subjects in college. If not now, when?

It is possible that you can "get away" with only taking 2 or 3 courses per semester and that if you have a high GPA and high MCAT, ADCOMS might not scrutinize your AMCAS transcript enough to notice your limited course load. I do know that some schools, especially those on trimester systems, only recommend 3 courses per trimester bc the pace of the work is accelerated - and one typically finishes 9 courses per year. But it seems like OP is on a semester system and planning on 2-3 course per semester is NOT recommended. If this is detected, it will not look good. There would be exceptions, of course, for single parents, or people who had to work to put themselves through college while doing research and EC's too.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Would the fact that OP is taking six research credits in addition to those two or three courses - putting them at 12-14 credits/semester - make a difference?

 

[965978]

Most premed students balance a full course load, research, EC's, social life, etc.

Gotta disagree with the bolded. Constantly being on SDN isn’t considered having a social life.

 

[907914]

Gotta disagree with the bolded. Constantly being on SDN isn’t considered having a social life.

Through my experience, very very few premeds actually know about SDN (maybe 1 in 10...at least at my school). That might explain why so many people apply every year having 0 idea what they are doing.

 

[scrapy]

Gotta disagree with the bolded. Constantly being on SDN isn’t considered having a social life.

edited for anonymity

 

[965978]

Lol get outta here with that crap. Most college age people and even age 20-30 browse reddit. Many browse for ungodly hours on numerous subs. I’ve gotten fed up with Reddit for various reasons, so I’ve stopped browsing that, but yes, I do browse SDN as needed or when I have no other plans, and (cue the horror) this may include some time on weekends. I still kept up a very active social, personal, and gym life throughout most of college.

And yet you got hella triggered by a joke on an anonymous forum 🙄

 

[scrapy]

Well I had a feeling that would be the response. But I’ve honestly seen sdn use stigmatized in real life quite a bit, by med students at various schools and premeds, so I wanted to offer a counterpoint

 

[candbgirl]

You seem to have made up your mind so I’m not sure why you asked. The person you quoted is involved in admissions somehow so probably knows what he/she is talking about. But do what you want and accept what happens. How are you going to react when you come upon a class where” you don’t care for the material” but you absolutely need it for graduation? Are you just going to “honestly not do well in the classes”? How are your other ECs? Being laser focused on research and science classes won’t make you a well rounded applicant IMO.

 

[el799]

You seem to have made up your mind so I’m not sure why you asked. The person you quoted is involved in admissions somehow so probably knows what he/she is talking about. But do what you want and accept what happens. How are you going to react when you come upon a class where” you don’t care for the material” but you absolutely need it for graduation? Are you just going to “honestly not do well in the classes”? How are your other ECs? Being laser focused on research and science classes won’t make you a well rounded applicant IMO.

Yep you're right, was a little stressed studying when I wrote that. I guess I just didn't realize how much you had to do to be well rounded. Just for reference I tutor and edit for a journal as my other EC's as well as some good start to clinical experience but still mostly science :/

 

[candbgirl]

Yep you're right, was a little stressed studying when I wrote that. I guess I just didn't realize how much you had to do to be well rounded. Just for reference I tutor and edit for a journal as my other EC's as well as some good start to clinical experience but still mostly science :/

How about nonclinical volunteering-service to the community, to those less fortunate than yourself. Any shadowing, especially of a primary care Doc? And of course clinical experience thst you said you are starting. Have you thought about doing a PhD? With your focus you might be asked in interviews why MD and not a PhD. A PhD might be a viable option for you. Very early in the process you will have to share why you want to be a doctor, why medicine.

 

[el799]

How about nonclinical volunteering-service to the community, to those less fortunate than yourself. Any shadowing, especially of a primary care Doc? And of course clinical experience thst you said you are starting. Have you thought about doing a PhD? With your focus you might be asked in interviews why MD and not a PhD. A PhD might be a viable option for you. Very early in the process you will have to share why you want to be a doctor, why medicine.

Yep I have done some volunteering and am planning for a lot more. Have thought of a Ph.D. but while I enjoy research, if it was the only thing I was doing at all time I would go insane- I do want to work on my feet treating patients daily on top of some research in my career. Basically, I want to be able to help individuals day-to-day while making scientific advancements that may contribute to helping a much larger future population.