MD/PhDs - science intensive, but HOW science intensive?

[biophysicianai]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here, though I've long been an unregistered and frequent visitor. I hope I can contribute as much as I've taken.

I'm an aspiring MD/PhD in his 3rd year of undergrad. I'm planning on taking a year off, so I have slightly over a year before my apps process begins. In thinking about what my app my look like, I've begun to think that it may appear strange as an MD/PhD app, but I'd like your opinions on that, and what I might do about it.

I'm a double major, science and humanities. The science major - biophysics more specifically - is a heavy one that I've managed to lighten through my pre-college endeavors. I skipped out of general chem and went straight into orgo as a freshman. The biophysics major also requires 5 semesters of mathematics (various levels of calculus and ordinary differential equations); I placed out of all of them, as I took AP calc a bit younger than some and then took college math classes while still in high school. In short, I've cut 7 semesters out of my major: 2 of chem, 5 of math.

The fact that my science major as been rendered light, and that I'm a humanities double-major, clutters my transcript with humanities courses as opposed to science ones. Will this look suspect as an MD/PhD app? Should I take on a few extra science courses to balance this?

I by the time I have graduated, I will have taken the following:
5 semesters of biology
4 semesters of lab courses (bio, chem, phys, orgo)
5 semesters of physics
2 semesters of math
2 semesters of orgo
1 semester of biochem
1 semester of pchem

Does this look like "enough" science for a competitive MD/PhD app (assuming I'm doing research projects, etc)?

Thanks for your help!

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[mudphudwannabe]

If you are a science major, I think that's enough. I don't know what you're talking about with your major being "light," actually - it looks pretty typical. Biophysics sounds like a fine major that would prepare you for graduate work in biological science, so I wouldn't sweat it. Specific classes are not as important, but having a high GPA and great MCAT score is really important. Beyond that, research is really key - not just a project or two, but a long term commitment and an independent project, if possible.